Saints Row
Saints Row is an open world action-adventure video game series created by Volition and now published by Deep Silver, that tells the story of a gang called the Third Street Saints, the title comes from the name of the district of the gang's home territory. Typically, gameplay is presented in an open world format because of the mixture of nonlinear gameplay with action-adventure and racing sequences. The series is well known for its comedic elements. The games' stories are written as comedies that feature popular culture homages and parodies, as well as self-referential humor.
After completing Red Faction II in late 2002, developer Volition began work on the original Saints Row game in mid-2003. The game was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and commercial success. The sequel, Saints Row 2, was released in 2008 to similar acclaim but greater commercial success. The series' third entry, Saints Row: The Third was released on 15 November 2011. The series' fourth entry, Saints Row IV was released on 20 August 2013. The series' most recent entry, Saints Row: Gat out of Hell was released on January 20, 2015 in North America and January 23, 2015 in Europe. As of September 2013, the series has had unit sales in excess of 13 million, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises.
Saints Row (video game)
Saints Row is a 2006 open world action-adventure video game for the Xbox 360. Developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ, Saints Row was released in North America on August 29, 2006, followed by an Australian release two days later and a European release on September 1, 2006. It was met with generally positive critical reception; reviewers noted its similarities with the Grand Theft Auto series, with some feeling that Saints Row improved Grand Theft Auto's open world formula. It is the first game in the Saints Row series.
Saints Row allows players to freely roam the play space and engage in missions at their leisure. Missions are unlocked by trading in "Respect" points, currency earned by completing mini-games, and are played through three story arcs each with the objective of overthrowing a rival gang. Saints Row is set in the fictional city Stilwater, modeled on Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. The player character becomes inadvertently involved in a gunfight between the three gangs fighting for control of Stilwater; Los Carnales, the Vice Kings, and the Westside Rollerz. He joins forces with the 3rd Street Saints gang, based out of the Saint's Row district, and works with the Saints to free Stilwater from control of the other gangs.
Saints Row IV
Saints Row IV is a 2013 open world, action-adventure video game in the Saints Row series developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. The player-character is the leader of the Saints, a street gang that has become the world's most powerful and popular organization, and must fend off an alien invasion after becoming President of the United States and receiving superpowers. The player is free to explore their environment while completing main and side missions at their leisure. The game incorporates elements from science fiction video games and films, and continues the series' reputation for over-the-top parody. It was released on August 20, 2013, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Linux.
The game was Volition's first after its sale to Koch Media in early 2013. The supernatural and superpower concept for the game started in Enter the Dominatrix, a cancelled expansion planned for Saints Row: The Third, which the team expanded into Saints Row IV. Volition later released a "director's cut" of Enter the Dominatrix as downloadable content for Saints Row IV alongside How the Saints Saved Christmas, other weapon, costume, and vehicle packs, and a standalone expansion, Gat Out of Hell. Saints Row IV received several limited and summative edition releases, and was briefly banned in Australia.
