Hey everyone, missed a Christmas upload this year, so I'm putting out this preview to let everyone know I'm cracking along. This is roughly the first quarter of the upcoming Saints Row 2022 video, and I hope it entertains and gets you excited for the full thing. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and has a good new year. Oh and in case anyone is worried. I make no predictions for how the next year will turn out in this video so there's little chance I'll doom us all again.
Snake there's a part of me wondering if you're ever gonna cover Saints Row the way you have with Yakuza after 6 or LAD. Considering we're already 30 minutes in to your NuSR video already, It'd be interesting to watch at least. Also Advanced Happy New Year! Can't wait to hear how 6 will be a soup of the world trying to move on from Kiryu (what with 60-70% of the series' cast gone for most of the story) and the self-destructive nature of tradition and secrecy for their own sake (the you-know-what and the people keeping it a secret) and the triumphant return of Pocker Circuit Fighter.
I don't think I'll go through Saints Row as a whole, I'm half using this video as a conduit to talk about what I like in 2 anyway so while it won't cover all the ground, I think I'll hit all the thoughts I really want to get out about it
I think zero punctuation summed up the issue with three pretty well where it doesn’t fully commit as much as it should. It bounces back-and-forth between trying to be grounded in wacky, but with none of the elegance of two. Four works better because it has fully left reality and logic behind, and goes all in rather than bluffing
"There are vampires that can handle stakes better than this game, since they at least have the heart to go through with it" is a better joke than anything in the game.
Something that I really didn't catch until replaying Revelation (the mission in 2 with Jules): Saints Row already covered "what if gang but corporate" in the first game with the Vice Kings. And that Saints Row didn't even play them off as parody
Massive kudos to your ability to endure this gameplay formula for such extended periods of time and even more massive kudos to your ability to make it entertaining. Totally agree on Saints Row 3 being the tipping point by the way.
I don't see it as "enduring" in all cases cause while bad, I still somewhat enjoy it in a breaking it down sense. It's fun sometimes to try and engage with half baked ideas, maybe something is wired wrong with me but I don't really see something like this as an endurance test, at least not right now.
@@Tehsnakerer It's one of the few games this year I couldn't stop thinking about. It's a fascinating collection of odd decisions. I took on a review copy after the horse had already bolted but I still had to know where Volition went. Turns out they didn't really cover that much ground. I felt a strange lack of commitment from Saints Row.
0:18 "I suppose you could call me old Testament" Honestly Snake, I don't know if it this gets said enough, but your ability to just subtly insert tongue-in-cheek humour like that into a longform Script, without it de-railing the flow or slowing down the pace, is unrivaled Dunno if it's that Trademark Bri'ish Snark, but I'm always positively surprised by it
The understated wit of your writing makes me wish it wasn't so understated, that more people may recognize and acknowledge it. There's zero wankery to your writing, you rapid-fire zingers in such a matter-of-fact tone that I often find myself going "wait, did he just call the protagonist 'Martial Matters'!?" and rewinding the video. You're good, dude. You are very good.
@@Tehsnakerer About as wankery as Pratchett. It would be wankery if you paused after every zinger to go "eh eh?" as if people would not understand it otherwise
@@Tehsnakerer Okay, wankery is extant but you use wankery as part of the tone you're trying to establish - it's part of the whole. Other content creators will use it as a crutch - calling attention to something they're proud to have written by breaking rhythm and pointing it out. The more aware will perhaps be self-deprecating about it, all the while still calling attention to it indirectly but covering it with a thin glaze of often-false humility. It's superfluous wankery, I suppose I mean. You don't feel the need to coddle the words - you let them speak for themselves which shows great self-control and confidence on a platform where success stems from either luck or an enormous, ravenous sense of mercenary self-importance. I've been watching your stuff since 2016, to me you're one of the OG's of that middle era of "game analysis" along with the likes of Joseph Anderson, SuperBunnyHop, Noah Caldwell-Gervais, etc - you're also the only one I'm aware of that still regularly produces content more-or-less the same as they always have and perhaps the one that's gotten the least amount of attention or exposure out of that bunch which sucks because you're the best comedic writer out of all of them, while still able to integrate poignancy into your scripts as an added bonus. I am trying to make up for the algorithm fucking you for the past few years by lavishing you with praise. I know it's a poor substitute for legal tender but all the same it comes from the heart - regardless of the amphetamines that may or may be pumping through it concurrently. They're all genuine observations from watching your content over the years. I don't believe Stockholm Syndrome is a factor.
I appreciate it a ton man, don't worry about me and the algorhythm, I'm sure the algo will win but I'll go down swinging regardless and I'm glad to have kept your on board for so long
as a diehard saints 1-2 fan im loving this. one of the few legitimate dunks ive seen on this new game that hasn't been "i wanted it to be like 2, something something its woke". really well put together so far, highly anticipating the full video
I've got to say, your writing is some of the best (if not THE best) among the 'video essayist' here, it's always so smartly written with jokes and setups that'll pay off later. Also "you're so basic, I could code you in Atari" is so good I'm going to be using in the future hahaha.
"There are vampires that handle stakes better than this game, because at least they have the heart to go through with it." There's a wealth of wonderful wordplay in this video, but that has to be my favorite. Might have to poach it for my own use later. Can't wait for the full review. Stay awesome, Snake.
I was actually kinda sad that Saints Row 4's thing took place in a virtual reality and it wasn't just that because the Boss is an utter buffoon they self-convince themselves they have superpowers just because they're the President (and drink too much Saints Flow while listening to the greatest hits of the 80's) and now they're going to Duke Nukem an alien invasion.
I really liked Saints Row 2. Its the perfect mix of serious and goofy. The characters are funny but there is actual tension in their interactions. You want to do missions for them since you like them. The other gangs also felt intimidating because they are constantly fucking with you and your friends so you really want them off the streets. The only thing I don't like about 2 is the gameplay is a little clunky but it does its job well enough. It also still keeps the hardened criminal vibe that I don't think even Yakuza quite manages to pull of as well. The new game feels like a game written by college students where you play as college students that are a sort of gang. Its really out of touch of the original tone and should have just been a different ip entirely.
Kenn michael,cockney voice,Rebecca voice,And the most hilarious ones is how well Katie samine playing her roles as femboss in Voice 1 its even better than Laura Bayley itself(Hell she can do Some High pitch voices that makes her cutest at the same times and badass)
In my opinion, Saints row 2022 is better than saints row 2 because in SR2 the gameplay sucks and missions were terrible. In saints row 2022 the missions are actually really fun and entertaining. The side missions are pretty cool as well.
@@bigsmoke394 Wow. I couldn't disagree more. Between the thousands of snarky lines that make me cringe out of my chair, and the not that much better gameplay, it just throughly unimpressed me. SR2 has heart to it. The characters are well written, the rival bosses are fun to hate, and I enjoyed most of the side missions. Granted I couldn't get that far into 2022 SR because it made me want to die playing it, so I can't really compare the two as accurately. From what I played, I really didn't like it at all and thought it had no redeeming qualities other than that New Mexico seems like a pretty place.
i like that you pointed out how the characters in the new game are trying so hard to be likable, you end up just hating them. atleast the saints in two knew they were dirtbags but they either acknowledge it, or didn't care. also having the main character be this perfect person who can do no wrong and just blame it on their superiors for their own short coming makes them come off as a narcissist.
As they are now part of the 'current year' Gearbox, they'll be right at home writing for whatever zoomer-streamer-inspired ear-bleed Borderlands IV is undoubtedly going to be.
Nice touch using the scene from Yakuza 3 which is a whole story dump where the chapter's name is "The plot" when you mentioned that it's a bit more wordy.
Now that Volition is getting absorbed by Gearbox. It's a little sad to see them go. Being appreciated for one specific title must be a blessing and curse.
Yes but no; Volition had a long track record of excellent games and two other cult franchises. However, they were stuck with only Saints Row because they no longer had the rights to anything else (Descent is a source of legal battles to this day, whilst Red Faction was purchased by THQ Nordic after the O.G. THQ's collapse).
Man, each upload from you is an event at this point. I know this is only the intro but I'm already floored. I don't know how you manage to have the little zingers in your writing land EVERY time without it coming across as snobbery, each time you drop one of your little writing flourishes I either start cracking up or lean back in my chair with an eyebrow raise, caught off guard by how much it adds to the commentary. I know I said it on your Yakuza 0 video, but I feel like I won the lottery with one of your videos landing in my recommended some years back. I know it's a commonly-aired opinion in your comments section, but you really are a hidden gem of a channel. I'm not sure if the powers that be will give you the exposure you deserve, but speaking personally, in terms of quality you're up there with the greats in my book. In terms of video essays on games from passionate dorks, it's Noah Gervais, Running Shine, and you at the top shelf for me. Thanks as always for the quality work, Snake! Looking forward to the full review.
Thanks for the preview, hugely looking forward to the whole thing. I was "let down" by the latest Saints game (I didn't hold much hope to begin with) and I've been craving to hear a breakdown from someone that sits where I do with the franchise, 2 being my favorite as well. You're the best man for it!! Have a great New Years!!!!
As someone who entered the series at 3, it's my favorite. I actually thought it struck the balance in tone perfectly, and have always been intrigued by the opinion that other people prefer 2, which to me didn't feel all that different in that respect. 4 is wildly out of tone compared, but i also think it's a masterclass in writing the absurd as though it's standard. Making the phrase "The President of the united states, who is a gang leader, shoots aliens down with a red white and blue flak cannon on the front lawn of the white house." not just contextually relevant but actually plausible in the setting is a feat in and of itself. The superhero genre really clashes with the crime sandbox, though. I actually didn't hate the idea of the reboot when it came out, but i still haven't shelled out the money simply because of its lukewarm reception. Honestly, if it was completely bad it might be fun just to jab at, but its middling success makes it simply dull, in the series most noted for going completely off the rails. I honestly love both Yakuza and Saints Row for providing crime drama that is simultaneously absurd, action movie fun, while also being able to hold a more serious tone (even if only at points, for SR). I wish we had more games in that genre, but i almost wonder if the monkeys paw is that they'd all end up like the SR reboot: trying so hard to accomplish something when they lack the deeper understanding of why it succeeded in the first place. With good writing, though, the saints row games are fairly replayable for me, which is not something that happens often with story driven games. Maybe this'll inspire me to try and make SR2 run without crashing again. Maybe. Nonetheless, i'm very excited that you've decided to cover this. Your sacrifice for our sanity is noted and appreciated. And i know you'll give it the fair shake it sorta could use.
The bit regarding stakes, vampires, and the heart is some of the best wordplay I think you've ever done. Thanks for breaking everything down so well, I'm looking forward to the full video.
The Nina rescue is the weirdest thing I have ever seen in the series simply cause she pulled a Tony Hawk American Wasteland gimmick with the billboard but with less charm
I remember reading a text interview ages ago where one of the devs spoke about how the dark themes in 2 scared and intimidated him and how he was a vocal proponent of removing them.
I really resonated with your thoughts about the game being full of weird and contradictory ideas. I think watching so much game criticism broke me, because I really enjoyed SR2022 for all its weird features, despite the whole package being lackluster and often frustrating. Anyway, happy holidays and thanks for still being around! Can't believe I'm watching you for 4 years already, here's for 4 more.
As someone who prefers the latter half of the original saint’s games, I was actually happy when they said the tone would be between 2 and 3. The third was still too masturbatory and 4/GoH had basically taken any thing reasonable and tossed it. Somewhere in the middle genuinely feels right were saint’s row needs to be. Chaotic goof ball, but with enough sense to make the chaos worth something. By god did they fail to reach that completely mundane height. (Fuck I forgot how “How do you do, fellow kids” this game’s writing is)
Strongly agree with this. In 3 it felt somewhat appropriate for how egotistical and high off success the characters were meant to be, but 4 just seemed like Volition falling too in love with their own creations.
Man snake, I love your writing, it's a fantastic blend of witty and pointed deadpan humour and insightful analysis wrapped in an easy to digest delivery. Looking forward to the full video and whatever cool stuff you do next, the Sonic and Hooligans videos were amazing.
The only thing that makes me happier to see this on my feed (because I guess your suffering makes for really good points about game design) was that verbal evisceration of an interview you showcased. I don't think I've ever seen any game exec be so throroughly shutdown by a valid criticism that they just blue screen and default to corporate speech. Masterful.
12:35 - The truth bomb of the century is that by this logic, MGSV is a better Saints Row game than Saints Row is. PMCs and the ethics of corporatism in the context of mercenary warfare is a big part of the lore and that game explores it and its after-effects way better than NuSR ever will.
I'm downright giddy that Snake likes the game purely because it offers such a buffet of bizzaro creative decisions to analyze and critique. The game was dragged over the coals on launch by most youtubers, but im not sure any of them really scratched the surface on how utterly baffling this game is.
Ya know, I dont know what's going to happen in 2023, but I sure do hope that your channel will grow and get the recognition it deserves. Oh, yeah, and you personally, stay safe and never change unless it's for the better
Only partially related, but you reminded me of why I find the Boss in 2 to be the best iteration of the character. They come across as genuinely smart and cunning, scheming up some absolutely diabolical plans to get back at their enemies, and always willing to cheat if they get backed into a corner. But they're not infallible either, where it's entirely possible for them to fail or for someone to get the upper hand on them. Compare that to the Boss from 3 or 4, who has the intelligence of a salmon and couldn't tell left from right without Kinzie or Asha or whoever else to point them in the correct direction. They're far too busy being WACKY to be an actual character. And then there's the Boss in this, who is as competent as the story needs them to be but always comes across as incredibly lame, no matter what.
I lament the new SR, not because of what it is or what it was going for, but because they had the pieces in place for a serious crime drama that DOES allow for player expression, only instead of in side content, in the main story proper. Ill preface this by saying that while I was mulling this over, it occurred to me that it sounds somewhat like Shin Megami Tensei and the concept of Law, Chaos, and Neutral alignments, but bare with. The four main characters dont need to be established super buds at the start, but being friendly is fine, so long as that friendship comes from a commonality: money problems. Its super easy to use. The boss is restricted by their student loans, and every year they cant pay it off, the debt gets worse. Theyve tried every legal job they can, and its led them to Marshall, where their desperation brings out a skill in high pressure situations they didnt know they had before, as well as leads them to taking a life. But, despite their abilities, they go unfairly unregocnized, and it leads them to the idea of taking their skills into their own direction. Nina wants more than anything to be an artist, and engineering skills she learned in the past is all that allows her to make ends meet. This led to her being picked up by the Panteras, as they pay her well, well enough to live as she pleases between jobs. It also, however, comes with a moral dilemma for her. She, before the start of the game, hasnt committed a crime herself, in a direct manner anyway. But she knows shes an accessory to crimes, and murder, through the shop work shes done for the Panteras, and now theyre starting to pressure her garage into chopshop work as well. She wants the easy money, but doesnt want to be a part of something she has no say in how its run. Eli (is that his name? I immediatly forgot after watching the video and I cant be bothered to look it up) is motivated by the general want to succeed. He doesnt necessarily have terrible money issues, but does see how money is restricting his roomies and their growimg friendship. He is business minded, and decently good, but just hopping into a random company with good accumen doesnt get you a good salary. For the sake of his success, and to help his friends, hes pushed more towards the white collar crime, and slowly becomes detached from the morals of it as he grows successful, and soon hes only driven by success for its own sake, and not charity. Kevin grew up poor, and know what its like to try desperatly to earn money to live; he watched his parents work themselves to death. In spite, he tries living off the grid so to speak (no bank accounts, money handled only physically, never signs a contract when he DOES work), and is seen kinda like hes bumming off the others kindness. But he does contribute, cooking, cleaning, and generally being a positive influence. He takes to the Idols, (who in this concept are less of a gang and more a political activist group), as they espouse ideals (hah) that resonate with him. One in particular is their stance on crime; don't hate the criminal, hate the laws that force them into crime. He watches as the people who showed him kindness slowly are drawn more into the criminal world just to survive (and soon to thrive) and it firmly solidifies his ties to the increasingly anarchist and extremist Idols, who go from a nuisance political group, to almost a rebel militia over the course of the story. As the Boss, you could have options who to support, and not just through dialogue options or button presses. Give the player the option of story or faction missions to complete, but lock out other ones based on that decision. Who ypu resonate and side with changes how the story branches. And in the end, its the players choice what the Saints become.
If it were up to me I'd stick to a more linear path and make the Saints a lot more customisable for expression, I like these character write ups (which actually give them any character), Zeroing in on Eli, I cut a portion from later in the video which does more or less the same as you're doing, reinterprets him I used a clip of London gangster Bobby Cummine's when talking about "Crime as a business" and I was gonna pull that back around to talk about Eli later. Bobby wasn't a criminal until a couple of coppers stitched him up and he told himself "You wanna see me be bad, I'll show you how bad I can be.", he had criminal friends who had no direction, but Bobby was an excellent organiser and planner, and sort of took the reins as someone who had bigger ideas and a means to direct people. And uh, well it would have probably been sprawling but I think Eli could have been someone like that. Seeing these three "talented" but disorganised "gangsters" and giving them direction.
@@Tehsnakerer Absolutely agree on that as well. I was more focusing on the marketing speak of "player expression through the NPC allies" and the claim itd be more serious. Like, if they wanted that, they did nothing to capitalize on the potential they had on their table already.
@@Tehsnakerer this version of eli sounds a lot like a reimagining of julius' role in SR1 - while the boss/Playa is doing the fieldwork, julius/eli is essentially the mastermind/brains/"official" leader of the gang which for a reboot is honestly a good way to go. if you're not going to bring back the fan favorite characters, bring back/modernize their archetypes
I'm one of those rare breeds of individuals that liked every Saints Row game for different reasons. (Though 2 is still my favorite don't worry.) So it's really impressive that this game just fails to appeal to just about anything that I liked about any of the four games. It TRULY IS a game marketed to NOBODY. I can't wait to see you try to figure out this absolute enigma of a game in the full video because it is downright a baffling piece of media.
That's why I think the part of Saints Row 2 set in and around the university was a good move - natural intersection between suburbanite youth and inner-city crime - frat boys need to get their drugs from somewhere. It introduced characters like Shaundi and somenhow made them likeable. Until the third game where they just make her into a different character entirely, I guess. It also helped establish a jackass-like tone to the game.
Your ability for your passion to shine through with literally everything you make is inspiring. Im always amazed by both how thorough your analysis is and how efficiently you make your points clear, I've seen longer videos say way less. You're the gold standard Snake
God I love your videos Snake. The script in your videos is just so tight and funny, never gets old. I love hearing you talk about games!!! Look forward to every upload
As someone who started with 3 then went forwards I did enjoy the wackiness at the time because of how separate it was from a lot of it’s more serious contemporaries. For a while I wondered why 3 and 4 had such distaste when in comparison to the first two and I think I finally have an idea why. I thought at first it was just a slightly more cartoony GTA starting out but clearly all the love for the characterization wasn’t an understatement. It was always out there and wild but still knew how to hit those heart strings and now you’ve convinced me to give 2 a shot (I would go for 1 as well but I’ve been PlayStation all my life)
27:28 Also found it endearing to find out I’m not the only one to do that. Then again most of my subsequent playthroughs of a game on those musically diverse characters are because I’m addicted to character creators.
SR1 really needs a remaster. Quite badly That or a PC port (preferably done by ANYONE but CD Projekt Red with how badly they fucked the PC port for SR2. Yes I'm still salty)
Beat 2 with a 99% completion rate (feel like my CDs got bugged out) Damn good game with a great story. I don’t play a lot of games where you play an absolute and total bastard so it felt pretty refreshing considering how you’re likely going to play this type of game. Only thing I didn’t really like was, fittingly enough for the full review, was the driving mini games as a single mistake could potentially ruin a good run. Interested in seeing if this effects my replay of 3 and 4 later on.
Really looking forward to your full video Tehsnakerer, thanks for suffering trough Saints Row and other games to bring us your insightful and funny videos. Among the long form youtube essay creators I watch you're definitely the one I enjoy watching the most. SR3 Kind of reminds me of the RA3, both games fully embraced the wacky part of its predecessors and both I found to be less fun or memorable in the long run because of it. Wacky all the time is like a roller coaster always going down, you need the up parts and the air time on the hills for contrast, going down faster and faster is exciting at first but quickly becomes boring.
I can relate to the intro a bit, I'm a fan of several games in various series (Such as Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops/AC!D, Tomb Raider Underworld and Serious Sam 2) that the lead dev/new devs in interviews/references clearly do not like. (in Tomb Raider Underworld's case, I hear that apparently in a too-long-didn't-watch Noclip Documentary, they even call Underworld a mistake outright while Kojima seemed to try to ignore Portable Ops and AC!D even more so.) It sucks when either the old devs (or new devs who are now making the series) really seem like they couldn't care less about your personal favourites in it.
Focusing on 2 vs 3 for a bit, I'm in the camp that likes 3, but that's also because it was my first, and that seems to be the general story of most of us who do. I would be very interested in seeing those numbers across the fandom to see if it's a wider trend. I wonder how much of the feel of 3 is taken in relation to 2, with the "not going far enough" bit, since as someone with none of that context I felt 3 hit a good sweet spot of being wacky but not going completely off the rails and the cuts back to darker reality felt more like a reverse slapstick gag aided by their usual briefness. It's like being the straightman in a comedy routine but instead of being just the observer you're forced to go along with the insanity. -- I'm very glad you're tackling this Snake, even as others went "Bad game bad" I had to stop and go "Yes, but that's not it, there's meat on these bones and while we can probably guess it's rancid meat there's still plenty to dig through."
Saints Row reboot tries to tackle themes of people being driven to a life of crime due to economic pressures, but in its attempts to be "relatable" to its perceived audience in this regard it just comes off as weird. The type of people who join gangs because they need the money aren't doing it because they need to pay off their college loans, they do it because they dropped out of highschool.
A lot of people point out that Eli looks like Erckel. I agree, in a metaphorical sense. If this is what modern game developers think that gang members look like, someone should pay for them taking a day trip to downtown Baltimore and we'll see how many of them come back, because these people have no idea what a gang member is.
Haven't even watched this preview yet, but I'm calling it right now; You're gonna have the best video about this game that I'll probably ever see on TH-cam, lol.
I'm real excited to see what you have to say about this game. Seeing all the discourse regarding this game made me feel like the director's had no idea what they wanted to do with this game. Either a comedy or a crime drama, it feels like a bizzare mix. I played a bit of the second game but did playthrough and finished three and four. I love three and four just for embracing its silly tone(while subjective on my end given the I played only three and four) you can still have conflict within your silly game but at same time be consistent with your tone. The reboot just doesn't have much of an identity. Looking forward to see what you have to say.
Saints Row 2 was a game I co-oped so much in my college days, and 3 I found so unenjoyable that I just never even bothered keeping up with whatever they've made since
The "Billboard Maneuver" was probably not something to put into the intro. You don't go full looney tunes unless you're ready to stay at full looney tunes.
This feels like a full video already, it's coming along really well! This game gives off really big Dead Rising 4 vibes, which funnily enough is the game that led me to the video that led me to your channel in the first place, so to say I'm looking forward to the full version is an understatement. Happy belated new year btw!
I love how for a moment you lost your composure *because of the freaking cat*... Thanks four your insights, they are always appreciated, and I can't wait for the rest of the review!
"Who is this for?" is what I asked myself over and over in regards to this game. I can only assume the people Volition made this game for don't actually play video games, considering the absolute flop it ended up being. Looking forward to the full review.
Great part one, Snake! I can't wait until things get off the rails enough for you to bring Gat out of Hell into the mix. Also, "You're so basic I could code you on an Atari" is my new favourite insult.
It's taken me 4 days to realize that you calling yourself snake and bringing up the fact that you're an old-timey fan - therefore old testament - was an elaborate pun. Bravo.
It was so satisfying to see you look into this travesty. Ironically enough, the Third got me into the series, i got 2 and loved every second of it, especially the customization and gunplay and story. I even still like 3 for getting me into the series, but I agree with what you’ve said about it too.
Wow, I had assumed people were overstating how anti-charismatic the leads were because they had a Pride flag in their flat, but nope they actually do seem like pretty gross people. This is peak millennial marketing, like that super-corporate phony shit that people did in the mid 2010s before they understood how to fake authenticity
It's sad that the funniest part of the game is when the NPC says "It's no laughing matter," When it thinks it's being funny, but it's honestly true for the whole game. Funny, but sad. Like a suicidal clown making a handkerchief noose.
theres a popular tv show about a guy who couldnt pay his medical bills so he started a criminal empire. maybe they could have looked to that for inspiration
thank you for a banger year of vids, fave vid of urs the last year ish has prob been narc, ive been going back to it a lot "POP POP" lives in my head at all times, i think that video is a prime example of why i love your content. its a perfect combo of taking the piss out of something while still acknowledging the genuine and good parts of it. ur videos and love for finding the good in jank has changed the way i look at a lot of "shitty" b-games and i think thats very cool tldr; thank u for the banger content and im very excited for the full sr video
I think the phrase “Mary Sue” gets overused on the internet, but I honestly think that the main character(s) of this game are a perfect example. The writers start off by assuming that characters are identifiable and relatable to the audience. They are the good guys no matter what they do, and everybody who opposes them must be wrong in some way. They display an unnatural level of competency in a field they shouldn’t be in for their age. They never make a mistake- and if they do, it’s because somebody else forced or tricked them to. They fail to grow as characters because they are already perfect. Any flaws they have are actually just “quirks” or “eccentricities” to make them stand out, and not an actual problem to be worked on. They aren’t a part of the world- they are the world itself.
Even in the original quintology, The Boss (and Gat to a lesser extent) still made mistakes and had flaws. The Boss's stubbornness over the Brotherhood arc leads to the death of a close companion and while Johnny's shenanigans are exaggerated from 3 onwards, hes the one that points out the big philosophical conflict of SR3 and the consequences of his "death" still lingers over the course of the game.
My condolences for playing this. I'm still a bit upset over the fact that IdolNinja died of cancer and that Saints Row 2 pc patch is probably never gonna be finished and released or it's most likely going to be the same dogshit that happened with Saints Row 4 and 3.
Eli caring about carbon footprint is already a proof he is a poser Anyone who really cares about the environment knows that individual carbon footprint is bullshit to take away responsibility from corporations
It's interesting to me to look at the cutscenes in this game and think about how the player character in saints row 2 would have reacted to them. If you'd tried to stiff that sociopath on pay after the job's already done, he'd have made it his mission to tear you to pieces in the most petty and violent ways imaginable. But this player character just meekly takes it with a bit of backtalk and then complains in the car while slinking off, tail between his legs. Really just ruins the power fantasy that's meant to be inherent to games of this genre.
Saints Row 3 had some tone consistency issues. While 2 and 4 were tonally "quirky crime sandbox drama" and "Unhinged self aware parody which some dramatic payoff for the games before" respectfully. SR3 kind of wavered back and forth between those 2 tones. Somehow this Saints Row, tone stwitches in an even more extreme manor. In 3 that tone switch was usually a gradual increase and decrease, but here it's a violent switch on, switch off. One extreme to immediate other extreme with no transition to even attempt cohesion
I am very happy you’ve decided to dissect this game and display all its flaws for the world to see. Maybe I’m a little bitter bc I took a chance and preordered the priciest version before any reviews came out but who’s to say
The reason why people liked the saints, was not because they were relatable as people, it's because they were honest and unapologetic. The boss said it best, "the hell I do I got the saints." Yes, he murders, steals, vandalises. He's a horrible human being, with absolutely no redeeming qualities and he likes it. Between a plan that if executed decently would result in little to no casualties, or the plan where stuff blows up. He'd pick the second one every time. But he still cared about a few thing, about his friends, his gang, his legacy. Even if that care was often expressed by committing a bit of the old ultraviolence.
i been burnt out watching every review bring up the same issue with nuSaints without getting into the details as to why the jokes are bad or the character writing is nonexistent. good to see your comparisons with past games and why SR3's concept has appeal and why SR2's characters can be likeable monsters
If they wanted to make the game all about "Crime but business!" They should have focused on the business side. Crime is not the reason for the business, business is the reason for the crime. Murder and plunder is all well and good, but who will pay for the graves? If your people gets put in jail, who will take care of their families? This is real things criminal empires has to consider and even deal with in a very... Corporate way. Like having people whos job is to take the blame and go to prison. Not some horrible backstab, but rather "If you go to prison for 10 years, we will take care of your family and give you 100.000 dollars when you are released."
It's another part of how very few of the pieces fit together, they picked crime as a business but either lacked the wit or confidence to drill into what that means. Cause as you pointed out with avoiding bad business and making sure people are covered. I think there's comedy to be mined there. but new Saints Row is just so empty headed that it devolves into mindless quips and constant padded out gunfights
@@Tehsnakerer Exactly. If they had the patient for the long haul, they could also have it devolve into corporate culture after you hit the big leagues. You slowly realise that your entire dream of freedom was overtaken by the slow corporate drilling of profit and the entire PLAN of making it for yourself disappeared. It became about the day to day workings of a criminal empire, the minutia of things like signing paychecks and making sure those you have a protection racket actually pays up. Not you, because you are the boss now. You just sign the paperwork. At first, you only come in once a week to get some work done and then go out doing crazy shit to build your empire. Towards the end, the empire is built, you don't have the time to do crazy antics because each day is you going in to sign off on paperwork and then meet with other mid-bosses to plan the week. And you realise there is no time for crazy antics if you want to run it successfully.
i've really been looking forward to this one, so the brief disappointment i felt at seeing "preview" was immediately offset by the excitement of the preview being over half an hour long. can't wait until the full thing comes out :D
Hey everyone, missed a Christmas upload this year, so I'm putting out this preview to let everyone know I'm cracking along. This is roughly the first quarter of the upcoming Saints Row 2022 video, and I hope it entertains and gets you excited for the full thing. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and has a good new year.
Oh and in case anyone is worried. I make no predictions for how the next year will turn out in this video so there's little chance I'll doom us all again.
Happy New Year! Thank you for the quick gift before entering the next year, it has indeed made me excited for the full thing
That vampire pun, though. S rank stuff!
It's okay, Christmas is on 7th of January for normal people🙂
Snake there's a part of me wondering if you're ever gonna cover Saints Row the way you have with Yakuza after 6 or LAD. Considering we're already 30 minutes in to your NuSR video already, It'd be interesting to watch at least.
Also Advanced Happy New Year! Can't wait to hear how 6 will be a soup of the world trying to move on from Kiryu (what with 60-70% of the series' cast gone for most of the story) and the self-destructive nature of tradition and secrecy for their own sake (the you-know-what and the people keeping it a secret) and the triumphant return of Pocker Circuit Fighter.
I don't think I'll go through Saints Row as a whole, I'm half using this video as a conduit to talk about what I like in 2 anyway so while it won't cover all the ground, I think I'll hit all the thoughts I really want to get out about it
I think zero punctuation summed up the issue with three pretty well where it doesn’t fully commit as much as it should. It bounces back-and-forth between trying to be grounded in wacky, but with none of the elegance of two. Four works better because it has fully left reality and logic behind, and goes all in rather than bluffing
"There are vampires that can handle stakes better than this game, since they at least have the heart to go through with it" is a better joke than anything in the game.
Something that I really didn't catch until replaying Revelation (the mission in 2 with Jules): Saints Row already covered "what if gang but corporate" in the first game with the Vice Kings. And that Saints Row didn't even play them off as parody
Massive kudos to your ability to endure this gameplay formula for such extended periods of time and even more massive kudos to your ability to make it entertaining. Totally agree on Saints Row 3 being the tipping point by the way.
Your ability to endure bad gameplay for the sake of informing and entertaining people will never cease to impress me. Good on ya Snake.
I don't see it as "enduring" in all cases cause while bad, I still somewhat enjoy it in a breaking it down sense. It's fun sometimes to try and engage with half baked ideas, maybe something is wired wrong with me but I don't really see something like this as an endurance test, at least not right now.
@@Tehsnakerer It's one of the few games this year I couldn't stop thinking about. It's a fascinating collection of odd decisions. I took on a review copy after the horse had already bolted but I still had to know where Volition went. Turns out they didn't really cover that much ground. I felt a strange lack of commitment from Saints Row.
Looks less bad and more just "bland/boring".
It works fine, but thats about it
0:18 "I suppose you could call me old Testament"
Honestly Snake, I don't know if it this gets said enough, but your ability to just subtly insert tongue-in-cheek humour like that into a longform Script, without it de-railing the flow or slowing down the pace, is unrivaled
Dunno if it's that Trademark Bri'ish Snark, but I'm always positively surprised by it
The understated wit of your writing makes me wish it wasn't so understated, that more people may recognize and acknowledge it.
There's zero wankery to your writing, you rapid-fire zingers in such a matter-of-fact tone that I often find myself going "wait, did he just call the protagonist 'Martial Matters'!?" and rewinding the video.
You're good, dude. You are very good.
Genuinely appreciate the kind words, as I feel my writing is pretty wankery, but I enjoy writing this way so whatever works
@@Tehsnakerer About as wankery as Pratchett. It would be wankery if you paused after every zinger to go "eh eh?" as if people would not understand it otherwise
@@Tehsnakerer Okay, wankery is extant but you use wankery as part of the tone you're trying to establish - it's part of the whole. Other content creators will use it as a crutch - calling attention to something they're proud to have written by breaking rhythm and pointing it out. The more aware will perhaps be self-deprecating about it, all the while still calling attention to it indirectly but covering it with a thin glaze of often-false humility. It's superfluous wankery, I suppose I mean.
You don't feel the need to coddle the words - you let them speak for themselves which shows great self-control and confidence on a platform where success stems from either luck or an enormous, ravenous sense of mercenary self-importance.
I've been watching your stuff since 2016, to me you're one of the OG's of that middle era of "game analysis" along with the likes of Joseph Anderson, SuperBunnyHop, Noah Caldwell-Gervais, etc - you're also the only one I'm aware of that still regularly produces content more-or-less the same as they always have and perhaps the one that's gotten the least amount of attention or exposure out of that bunch which sucks because you're the best comedic writer out of all of them, while still able to integrate poignancy into your scripts as an added bonus.
I am trying to make up for the algorithm fucking you for the past few years by lavishing you with praise. I know it's a poor substitute for legal tender but all the same it comes from the heart - regardless of the amphetamines that may or may be pumping through it concurrently. They're all genuine observations from watching your content over the years. I don't believe Stockholm Syndrome is a factor.
I appreciate it a ton man, don't worry about me and the algorhythm, I'm sure the algo will win but I'll go down swinging regardless and I'm glad to have kept your on board for so long
@@Tehsnakerer Keep fighting the good fight, my dude. I'll be here to do the engagement shenanigans and offer unsolicited opinions.
Ah yes, a small 36 minute preview. Fucking hell, mate. This is gonna be a big one. Looking forward to it!
"It's not just on the nose, it's downright in there, and yet this guy says it's not" If it's not accidental, it might be your greatest pun
as a diehard saints 1-2 fan im loving this. one of the few legitimate dunks ive seen on this new game that hasn't been "i wanted it to be like 2, something something its woke". really well put together so far, highly anticipating the full video
Hell yeah! Glad you're enjoying it
I've got to say, your writing is some of the best (if not THE best) among the 'video essayist' here, it's always so smartly written with jokes and setups that'll pay off later. Also "you're so basic, I could code you in Atari" is so good I'm going to be using in the future hahaha.
"The Docks, Also Known As Docks" lives in my head rent-free.
I know right. This video by itself is better than frost/nixon.
"Eli , mate, you are so goddamn basic,i could code you on an Atari"
Had to stop the video because i couldn't stop laughing for 5 minutes
"There are vampires that handle stakes better than this game, because at least they have the heart to go through with it." There's a wealth of wonderful wordplay in this video, but that has to be my favorite. Might have to poach it for my own use later. Can't wait for the full review. Stay awesome, Snake.
I was actually kinda sad that Saints Row 4's thing took place in a virtual reality and it wasn't just that because the Boss is an utter buffoon they self-convince themselves they have superpowers just because they're the President (and drink too much Saints Flow while listening to the greatest hits of the 80's) and now they're going to Duke Nukem an alien invasion.
I really liked Saints Row 2. Its the perfect mix of serious and goofy. The characters are funny but there is actual tension in their interactions. You want to do missions for them since you like them. The other gangs also felt intimidating because they are constantly fucking with you and your friends so you really want them off the streets. The only thing I don't like about 2 is the gameplay is a little clunky but it does its job well enough. It also still keeps the hardened criminal vibe that I don't think even Yakuza quite manages to pull of as well. The new game feels like a game written by college students where you play as college students that are a sort of gang. Its really out of touch of the original tone and should have just been a different ip entirely.
Kenn michael,cockney voice,Rebecca voice,And the most hilarious ones is how well Katie samine playing her roles as femboss in Voice 1 its even better than Laura Bayley itself(Hell she can do Some High pitch voices that makes her cutest at the same times and badass)
In my opinion, Saints row 2022 is better than saints row 2 because in SR2 the gameplay sucks and missions were terrible. In saints row 2022 the missions are actually really fun and entertaining. The side missions are pretty cool as well.
@@bigsmoke394 Wow. I couldn't disagree more. Between the thousands of snarky lines that make me cringe out of my chair, and the not that much better gameplay, it just throughly unimpressed me. SR2 has heart to it. The characters are well written, the rival bosses are fun to hate, and I enjoyed most of the side missions. Granted I couldn't get that far into 2022 SR because it made me want to die playing it, so I can't really compare the two as accurately. From what I played, I really didn't like it at all and thought it had no redeeming qualities other than that New Mexico seems like a pretty place.
i like that you pointed out how the characters in the new game are trying so hard to be likable, you end up just hating them. atleast the saints in two knew they were dirtbags but they either acknowledge it, or didn't care. also having the main character be this perfect person who can do no wrong and just blame it on their superiors for their own short coming makes them come off as a narcissist.
This game has some of the most insufferable characters ever put to a video game.
And this is in a world where David Cage exists.
More insufferable than the fucking *YIIK cast*.
Thats almost impressive.
As they are now part of the 'current year' Gearbox, they'll be right at home writing for whatever zoomer-streamer-inspired ear-bleed Borderlands IV is undoubtedly going to be.
> Preview
> Nearly 36 minutes
Never change, Snake.
lmao
@@Tehsnakerer You probably think I'm kidding, but I'm dead fucking serious.
@@DickieCheezits Vague threat of death is a pretty good incentive
“Id say nuts to them, but theyd probably just laugh” man your writing is absolutely impeccable
whenever Kevin speaks, I can't stop thinking about Yagami from Judgement since both of them share a VA
"Kaito-san, the capitalist system we live under is responsible for the injustices of the court system."
@@NishaPerson "YAGAMI, THE MOLE KILLED ANOTHER PERSON"
"Welp, that just happened"
“These guys won’t stop coming on us!”
“Well that’s a thing…”
Oh yeah I forgot about the English dub I use sub
Nice touch using the scene from Yakuza 3 which is a whole story dump where the chapter's name is "The plot" when you mentioned that it's a bit more wordy.
Also from Yakuza 3, the first entry I played in the series
It really do be the plot
Jesus this is quality. You're an alchemist, turning that turd of game into a very enjoyable video. Can't wait for the full vid
Now that Volition is getting absorbed by Gearbox. It's a little sad to see them go. Being appreciated for one specific title must be a blessing and curse.
Yes but no; Volition had a long track record of excellent games and two other cult franchises. However, they were stuck with only Saints Row because they no longer had the rights to anything else (Descent is a source of legal battles to this day, whilst Red Faction was purchased by THQ Nordic after the O.G. THQ's collapse).
Man, each upload from you is an event at this point. I know this is only the intro but I'm already floored. I don't know how you manage to have the little zingers in your writing land EVERY time without it coming across as snobbery, each time you drop one of your little writing flourishes I either start cracking up or lean back in my chair with an eyebrow raise, caught off guard by how much it adds to the commentary.
I know I said it on your Yakuza 0 video, but I feel like I won the lottery with one of your videos landing in my recommended some years back. I know it's a commonly-aired opinion in your comments section, but you really are a hidden gem of a channel. I'm not sure if the powers that be will give you the exposure you deserve, but speaking personally, in terms of quality you're up there with the greats in my book. In terms of video essays on games from passionate dorks, it's Noah Gervais, Running Shine, and you at the top shelf for me.
Thanks as always for the quality work, Snake! Looking forward to the full review.
Thanks for the preview, hugely looking forward to the whole thing. I was "let down" by the latest Saints game (I didn't hold much hope to begin with) and I've been craving to hear a breakdown from someone that sits where I do with the franchise, 2 being my favorite as well. You're the best man for it!! Have a great New Years!!!!
As someone who entered the series at 3, it's my favorite. I actually thought it struck the balance in tone perfectly, and have always been intrigued by the opinion that other people prefer 2, which to me didn't feel all that different in that respect. 4 is wildly out of tone compared, but i also think it's a masterclass in writing the absurd as though it's standard. Making the phrase "The President of the united states, who is a gang leader, shoots aliens down with a red white and blue flak cannon on the front lawn of the white house." not just contextually relevant but actually plausible in the setting is a feat in and of itself. The superhero genre really clashes with the crime sandbox, though.
I actually didn't hate the idea of the reboot when it came out, but i still haven't shelled out the money simply because of its lukewarm reception. Honestly, if it was completely bad it might be fun just to jab at, but its middling success makes it simply dull, in the series most noted for going completely off the rails.
I honestly love both Yakuza and Saints Row for providing crime drama that is simultaneously absurd, action movie fun, while also being able to hold a more serious tone (even if only at points, for SR). I wish we had more games in that genre, but i almost wonder if the monkeys paw is that they'd all end up like the SR reboot: trying so hard to accomplish something when they lack the deeper understanding of why it succeeded in the first place.
With good writing, though, the saints row games are fairly replayable for me, which is not something that happens often with story driven games. Maybe this'll inspire me to try and make SR2 run without crashing again. Maybe.
Nonetheless, i'm very excited that you've decided to cover this. Your sacrifice for our sanity is noted and appreciated. And i know you'll give it the fair shake it sorta could use.
I appreciate you driving on the left side of the road the whole time.
The bit regarding stakes, vampires, and the heart is some of the best wordplay I think you've ever done. Thanks for breaking everything down so well, I'm looking forward to the full video.
Thank you for your insistence on having puns in the script, Snake, they're truly remarkable in this one.
The Nina rescue is the weirdest thing I have ever seen in the series simply cause she pulled a Tony Hawk American Wasteland gimmick with the billboard but with less charm
I remember reading a text interview ages ago where one of the devs spoke about how the dark themes in 2 scared and intimidated him and how he was a vocal proponent of removing them.
Got a link on that?
@@Tehsnakerer I should have clarified, it was around Saints Row 3, not the new game. I'll see if I can find it.
I really resonated with your thoughts about the game being full of weird and contradictory ideas. I think watching so much game criticism broke me, because I really enjoyed SR2022 for all its weird features, despite the whole package being lackluster and often frustrating.
Anyway, happy holidays and thanks for still being around! Can't believe I'm watching you for 4 years already, here's for 4 more.
As someone who prefers the latter half of the original saint’s games, I was actually happy when they said the tone would be between 2 and 3. The third was still too masturbatory and 4/GoH had basically taken any thing reasonable and tossed it. Somewhere in the middle genuinely feels right were saint’s row needs to be. Chaotic goof ball, but with enough sense to make the chaos worth something.
By god did they fail to reach that completely mundane height.
(Fuck I forgot how “How do you do, fellow kids” this game’s writing is)
Strongly agree with this. In 3 it felt somewhat appropriate for how egotistical and high off success the characters were meant to be, but 4 just seemed like Volition falling too in love with their own creations.
"As charmin as used cushelle"
That was good
Man snake, I love your writing, it's a fantastic blend of witty and pointed deadpan humour and insightful analysis wrapped in an easy to digest delivery.
Looking forward to the full video and whatever cool stuff you do next, the Sonic and Hooligans videos were amazing.
The only thing that makes me happier to see this on my feed (because I guess your suffering makes for really good points about game design) was that verbal evisceration of an interview you showcased. I don't think I've ever seen any game exec be so throroughly shutdown by a valid criticism that they just blue screen and default to corporate speech. Masterful.
12:35 - The truth bomb of the century is that by this logic, MGSV is a better Saints Row game than Saints Row is. PMCs and the ethics of corporatism in the context of mercenary warfare is a big part of the lore and that game explores it and its after-effects way better than NuSR ever will.
I'm downright giddy that Snake likes the game purely because it offers such a buffet of bizzaro creative decisions to analyze and critique.
The game was dragged over the coals on launch by most youtubers, but im not sure any of them really scratched the surface on how utterly baffling this game is.
Ya know, I dont know what's going to happen in 2023, but I sure do hope that your channel will grow and get the recognition it deserves. Oh, yeah, and you personally, stay safe and never change unless it's for the better
Only partially related, but you reminded me of why I find the Boss in 2 to be the best iteration of the character.
They come across as genuinely smart and cunning, scheming up some absolutely diabolical plans to get back at their enemies, and always willing to cheat if they get backed into a corner. But they're not infallible either, where it's entirely possible for them to fail or for someone to get the upper hand on them.
Compare that to the Boss from 3 or 4, who has the intelligence of a salmon and couldn't tell left from right without Kinzie or Asha or whoever else to point them in the correct direction. They're far too busy being WACKY to be an actual character.
And then there's the Boss in this, who is as competent as the story needs them to be but always comes across as incredibly lame, no matter what.
Only snakerer would call a 35 minute video a "preview"
Mans always on that grind. Can't wait for the whole thing.
I lament the new SR, not because of what it is or what it was going for, but because they had the pieces in place for a serious crime drama that DOES allow for player expression, only instead of in side content, in the main story proper. Ill preface this by saying that while I was mulling this over, it occurred to me that it sounds somewhat like Shin Megami Tensei and the concept of Law, Chaos, and Neutral alignments, but bare with.
The four main characters dont need to be established super buds at the start, but being friendly is fine, so long as that friendship comes from a commonality: money problems. Its super easy to use. The boss is restricted by their student loans, and every year they cant pay it off, the debt gets worse. Theyve tried every legal job they can, and its led them to Marshall, where their desperation brings out a skill in high pressure situations they didnt know they had before, as well as leads them to taking a life. But, despite their abilities, they go unfairly unregocnized, and it leads them to the idea of taking their skills into their own direction.
Nina wants more than anything to be an artist, and engineering skills she learned in the past is all that allows her to make ends meet. This led to her being picked up by the Panteras, as they pay her well, well enough to live as she pleases between jobs. It also, however, comes with a moral dilemma for her. She, before the start of the game, hasnt committed a crime herself, in a direct manner anyway. But she knows shes an accessory to crimes, and murder, through the shop work shes done for the Panteras, and now theyre starting to pressure her garage into chopshop work as well. She wants the easy money, but doesnt want to be a part of something she has no say in how its run.
Eli (is that his name? I immediatly forgot after watching the video and I cant be bothered to look it up) is motivated by the general want to succeed. He doesnt necessarily have terrible money issues, but does see how money is restricting his roomies and their growimg friendship. He is business minded, and decently good, but just hopping into a random company with good accumen doesnt get you a good salary. For the sake of his success, and to help his friends, hes pushed more towards the white collar crime, and slowly becomes detached from the morals of it as he grows successful, and soon hes only driven by success for its own sake, and not charity.
Kevin grew up poor, and know what its like to try desperatly to earn money to live; he watched his parents work themselves to death. In spite, he tries living off the grid so to speak (no bank accounts, money handled only physically, never signs a contract when he DOES work), and is seen kinda like hes bumming off the others kindness. But he does contribute, cooking, cleaning, and generally being a positive influence. He takes to the Idols, (who in this concept are less of a gang and more a political activist group), as they espouse ideals (hah) that resonate with him. One in particular is their stance on crime; don't hate the criminal, hate the laws that force them into crime. He watches as the people who showed him kindness slowly are drawn more into the criminal world just to survive (and soon to thrive) and it firmly solidifies his ties to the increasingly anarchist and extremist Idols, who go from a nuisance political group, to almost a rebel militia over the course of the story.
As the Boss, you could have options who to support, and not just through dialogue options or button presses. Give the player the option of story or faction missions to complete, but lock out other ones based on that decision. Who ypu resonate and side with changes how the story branches. And in the end, its the players choice what the Saints become.
If it were up to me I'd stick to a more linear path and make the Saints a lot more customisable for expression, I like these character write ups (which actually give them any character), Zeroing in on Eli, I cut a portion from later in the video which does more or less the same as you're doing, reinterprets him
I used a clip of London gangster Bobby Cummine's when talking about "Crime as a business" and I was gonna pull that back around to talk about Eli later. Bobby wasn't a criminal until a couple of coppers stitched him up and he told himself "You wanna see me be bad, I'll show you how bad I can be.", he had criminal friends who had no direction, but Bobby was an excellent organiser and planner, and sort of took the reins as someone who had bigger ideas and a means to direct people. And uh, well it would have probably been sprawling but I think Eli could have been someone like that. Seeing these three "talented" but disorganised "gangsters" and giving them direction.
@@Tehsnakerer Absolutely agree on that as well. I was more focusing on the marketing speak of "player expression through the NPC allies" and the claim itd be more serious. Like, if they wanted that, they did nothing to capitalize on the potential they had on their table already.
@@Tehsnakerer this version of eli sounds a lot like a reimagining of julius' role in SR1 - while the boss/Playa is doing the fieldwork, julius/eli is essentially the mastermind/brains/"official" leader of the gang
which for a reboot is honestly a good way to go. if you're not going to bring back the fan favorite characters, bring back/modernize their archetypes
35 minute preview?! The sheer enormity of this lad.
I was literally re-watching the Yakuza 5 video to help me clean the house, now I have to sit down and enjoy a new brand video? best present ever
I'm one of those rare breeds of individuals that liked every Saints Row game for different reasons. (Though 2 is still my favorite don't worry.) So it's really impressive that this game just fails to appeal to just about anything that I liked about any of the four games.
It TRULY IS a game marketed to NOBODY. I can't wait to see you try to figure out this absolute enigma of a game in the full video because it is downright a baffling piece of media.
As a longtime Saints Row 2 fan and someone who wasn't fond of the Third or IV, this video is cathartic and validating lol
middle class kids pretending to be lower class people forced into crime is already a hard sell when you try to make your characters likeable.
That's why I think the part of Saints Row 2 set in and around the university was a good move - natural intersection between suburbanite youth and inner-city crime - frat boys need to get their drugs from somewhere. It introduced characters like Shaundi and somenhow made them likeable. Until the third game where they just make her into a different character entirely, I guess.
It also helped establish a jackass-like tone to the game.
Your ability for your passion to shine through with literally everything you make is inspiring. Im always amazed by both how thorough your analysis is and how efficiently you make your points clear, I've seen longer videos say way less. You're the gold standard Snake
Honestly, you hit the nail on the head with that Yakuza comparison. That's the balance Saints Row should be striving for.
Dude, your rewriting of the beginning mission was great.
Thanks very much!
God I love your videos Snake. The script in your videos is just so tight and funny, never gets old. I love hearing you talk about games!!! Look forward to every upload
As someone who started with 3 then went forwards I did enjoy the wackiness at the time because of how separate it was from a lot of it’s more serious contemporaries. For a while I wondered why 3 and 4 had such distaste when in comparison to the first two and I think I finally have an idea why.
I thought at first it was just a slightly more cartoony GTA starting out but clearly all the love for the characterization wasn’t an understatement. It was always out there and wild but still knew how to hit those heart strings and now you’ve convinced me to give 2 a shot (I would go for 1 as well but I’ve been PlayStation all my life)
27:28 Also found it endearing to find out I’m not the only one to do that. Then again most of my subsequent playthroughs of a game on those musically diverse characters are because I’m addicted to character creators.
SR1 really needs a remaster. Quite badly
That or a PC port (preferably done by ANYONE but CD Projekt Red with how badly they fucked the PC port for SR2. Yes I'm still salty)
@@commisaryarreck3974 Would be really nice to get any sort of port to modern platforms
Beat 2 with a 99% completion rate (feel like my CDs got bugged out)
Damn good game with a great story. I don’t play a lot of games where you play an absolute and total bastard so it felt pretty refreshing considering how you’re likely going to play this type of game. Only thing I didn’t really like was, fittingly enough for the full review, was the driving mini games as a single mistake could potentially ruin a good run.
Interested in seeing if this effects my replay of 3 and 4 later on.
Really looking forward to your full video Tehsnakerer, thanks for suffering trough Saints Row and other games to bring us your insightful and funny videos.
Among the long form youtube essay creators I watch you're definitely the one I enjoy watching the most.
SR3 Kind of reminds me of the RA3, both games fully embraced the wacky part of its predecessors and both I found to be less fun or memorable in the long run because of it.
Wacky all the time is like a roller coaster always going down, you need the up parts and the air time on the hills for contrast, going down faster and faster is exciting at first but quickly becomes boring.
Damn Snake popping off with writing and editing on this one. Can't wait for the full video.
Great video dude! It's so sad that people, to this day, keep ignoring that first two games had a really good writing most of the time.
I can relate to the intro a bit, I'm a fan of several games in various series (Such as Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops/AC!D, Tomb Raider Underworld and Serious Sam 2) that the lead dev/new devs in interviews/references clearly do not like. (in Tomb Raider Underworld's case, I hear that apparently in a too-long-didn't-watch Noclip Documentary, they even call Underworld a mistake outright while Kojima seemed to try to ignore Portable Ops and AC!D even more so.)
It sucks when either the old devs (or new devs who are now making the series) really seem like they couldn't care less about your personal favourites in it.
Focusing on 2 vs 3 for a bit, I'm in the camp that likes 3, but that's also because it was my first, and that seems to be the general story of most of us who do. I would be very interested in seeing those numbers across the fandom to see if it's a wider trend.
I wonder how much of the feel of 3 is taken in relation to 2, with the "not going far enough" bit, since as someone with none of that context I felt 3 hit a good sweet spot of being wacky but not going completely off the rails and the cuts back to darker reality felt more like a reverse slapstick gag aided by their usual briefness. It's like being the straightman in a comedy routine but instead of being just the observer you're forced to go along with the insanity.
--
I'm very glad you're tackling this Snake, even as others went "Bad game bad" I had to stop and go "Yes, but that's not it, there's meat on these bones and while we can probably guess it's rancid meat there's still plenty to dig through."
Saints Row reboot tries to tackle themes of people being driven to a life of crime due to economic pressures, but in its attempts to be "relatable" to its perceived audience in this regard it just comes off as weird. The type of people who join gangs because they need the money aren't doing it because they need to pay off their college loans, they do it because they dropped out of highschool.
A lot of people point out that Eli looks like Erckel. I agree, in a metaphorical sense. If this is what modern game developers think that gang members look like, someone should pay for them taking a day trip to downtown Baltimore and we'll see how many of them come back, because these people have no idea what a gang member is.
Haven't even watched this preview yet, but I'm calling it right now; You're gonna have the best video about this game that I'll probably ever see on TH-cam, lol.
Rarely has there been a big franchise I've given less of a shit about. I can't *WAIT* to watch you explain it for me
I'm real excited to see what you have to say about this game. Seeing all the discourse regarding this game made me feel like the director's had no idea what they wanted to do with this game. Either a comedy or a crime drama, it feels like a bizzare mix. I played a bit of the second game but did playthrough and finished three and four. I love three and four just for embracing its silly tone(while subjective on my end given the I played only three and four) you can still have conflict within your silly game but at same time be consistent with your tone. The reboot just doesn't have much of an identity.
Looking forward to see what you have to say.
Saints Row 2 was a game I co-oped so much in my college days, and 3 I found so unenjoyable that I just never even bothered keeping up with whatever they've made since
Nice, the only Saints Row (2022) video that i'm waiting for. Cheers, Snake man.
The "Billboard Maneuver" was probably not something to put into the intro. You don't go full looney tunes unless you're ready to stay at full looney tunes.
I'll have to replay it but I think that's the only driving she does in the game, too.
@@michaelkitchin9665 It's not
"there are vampires that handle stakes better then this game"
as a fellow savage worlds lover and DM i gotta say, you get a benny for that one.
It was already great but the kicker about vampires at least having the heart to *go through with it* raised it so much higher for me
This feels like a full video already, it's coming along really well! This game gives off really big Dead Rising 4 vibes, which funnily enough is the game that led me to the video that led me to your channel in the first place, so to say I'm looking forward to the full version is an understatement. Happy belated new year btw!
I love how for a moment you lost your composure *because of the freaking cat*... Thanks four your insights, they are always appreciated, and I can't wait for the rest of the review!
Really good video snake. I think this video can serve as a full review due to how well you stated the fundamental problems with the game.
"Who is this for?" is what I asked myself over and over in regards to this game. I can only assume the people Volition made this game for don't actually play video games, considering the absolute flop it ended up being. Looking forward to the full review.
Great part one, Snake! I can't wait until things get off the rails enough for you to bring Gat out of Hell into the mix.
Also, "You're so basic I could code you on an Atari" is my new favourite insult.
It's taken me 4 days to realize that you calling yourself snake and bringing up the fact that you're an old-timey fan - therefore old testament - was an elaborate pun. Bravo.
Just so I'm being honest, that one was pure luck. I am glad that my wordplay has got to the point that everything clever seems intentional though!
It was so satisfying to see you look into this travesty. Ironically enough, the Third got me into the series, i got 2 and loved every second of it, especially the customization and gunplay and story. I even still like 3 for getting me into the series, but I agree with what you’ve said about it too.
Great breakdown of the issues with SR after 2. When every things wacky, nothing is
Wow, I had assumed people were overstating how anti-charismatic the leads were because they had a Pride flag in their flat, but nope they actually do seem like pretty gross people.
This is peak millennial marketing, like that super-corporate phony shit that people did in the mid 2010s before they understood how to fake authenticity
Oh hell yeah. Perfect way to see out the year.
It's sad that the funniest part of the game is when the NPC says "It's no laughing matter,"
When it thinks it's being funny, but it's honestly true for the whole game.
Funny, but sad.
Like a suicidal clown making a handkerchief noose.
I forgot how much I enjoyed your puns. Thank you for your work.
I've been so excited for this since you announced it, and now you post a teaser on my birthday. Thanks snake
I think youre the only person on youtube who can get away with publishing a demo of a game review because this got me excited
theres a popular tv show about a guy who couldnt pay his medical bills so he started a criminal empire. maybe they could have looked to that for inspiration
thank you for a banger year of vids, fave vid of urs the last year ish has prob been narc, ive been going back to it a lot
"POP POP" lives in my head at all times, i think that video is a prime example of why i love your content. its a perfect combo of taking the piss out of something while still acknowledging the genuine and good parts of it.
ur videos and love for finding the good in jank has changed the way i look at a lot of "shitty" b-games and i think thats very cool
tldr; thank u for the banger content and im very excited for the full sr video
The gods have graced my shitty day with an upload from my favorite content creator.
14:07 Alex Yiik would bodybag the Reboot Saints and honestly, he'd be more fun to hang with too.
at first i was pissed thinking this game only got a 36 min vid from you but realizing this is just the intro going over the intros... i cant wait
I think the phrase “Mary Sue” gets overused on the internet, but I honestly think that the main character(s) of this game are a perfect example.
The writers start off by assuming that characters are identifiable and relatable to the audience. They are the good guys no matter what they do, and everybody who opposes them must be wrong in some way. They display an unnatural level of competency in a field they shouldn’t be in for their age. They never make a mistake- and if they do, it’s because somebody else forced or tricked them to. They fail to grow as characters because they are already perfect. Any flaws they have are actually just “quirks” or “eccentricities” to make them stand out, and not an actual problem to be worked on.
They aren’t a part of the world- they are the world itself.
Even in the original quintology, The Boss (and Gat to a lesser extent) still made mistakes and had flaws. The Boss's stubbornness over the Brotherhood arc leads to the death of a close companion and while Johnny's shenanigans are exaggerated from 3 onwards, hes the one that points out the big philosophical conflict of SR3 and the consequences of his "death" still lingers over the course of the game.
My condolences for playing this. I'm still a bit upset over the fact that IdolNinja died of cancer and that Saints Row 2 pc patch is probably never gonna be finished and released or it's most likely going to be the same dogshit that happened with Saints Row 4 and 3.
“It’s not just on the nose, it’s down right in there, yet this guy says it snot”
😨
Eli caring about carbon footprint is already a proof he is a poser
Anyone who really cares about the environment knows that individual carbon footprint is bullshit to take away responsibility from corporations
It's interesting to me to look at the cutscenes in this game and think about how the player character in saints row 2 would have reacted to them.
If you'd tried to stiff that sociopath on pay after the job's already done, he'd have made it his mission to tear you to pieces in the most petty and violent ways imaginable. But this player character just meekly takes it with a bit of backtalk and then complains in the car while slinking off, tail between his legs.
Really just ruins the power fantasy that's meant to be inherent to games of this genre.
Saints Row 3 had some tone consistency issues. While 2 and 4 were tonally "quirky crime sandbox drama" and "Unhinged self aware parody which some dramatic payoff for the games before" respectfully. SR3 kind of wavered back and forth between those 2 tones. Somehow this Saints Row, tone stwitches in an even more extreme manor. In 3 that tone switch was usually a gradual increase and decrease, but here it's a violent switch on, switch off. One extreme to immediate other extreme with no transition to even attempt cohesion
This was funny, looking forward to the rest of the parts
Happy new year snake, sorry it isn't more
Don't apologise, thanks a ton!
I am very happy you’ve decided to dissect this game and display all its flaws for the world to see. Maybe I’m a little bitter bc I took a chance and preordered the priciest version before any reviews came out but who’s to say
The reason why people liked the saints, was not because they were relatable as people, it's because they were honest and unapologetic. The boss said it best, "the hell I do I got the saints." Yes, he murders, steals, vandalises. He's a horrible human being, with absolutely no redeeming qualities and he likes it. Between a plan that if executed decently would result in little to no casualties, or the plan where stuff blows up. He'd pick the second one every time. But he still cared about a few thing, about his friends, his gang, his legacy. Even if that care was often expressed by committing a bit of the old ultraviolence.
i been burnt out watching every review bring up the same issue with nuSaints without getting into the details as to why the jokes are bad or the character writing is nonexistent. good to see your comparisons with past games and why SR3's concept has appeal and why SR2's characters can be likeable monsters
If they wanted to make the game all about "Crime but business!" They should have focused on the business side.
Crime is not the reason for the business, business is the reason for the crime.
Murder and plunder is all well and good, but who will pay for the graves? If your people gets put in jail, who will take care of their families? This is real things criminal empires has to consider and even deal with in a very... Corporate way. Like having people whos job is to take the blame and go to prison. Not some horrible backstab, but rather "If you go to prison for 10 years, we will take care of your family and give you 100.000 dollars when you are released."
It's another part of how very few of the pieces fit together, they picked crime as a business but either lacked the wit or confidence to drill into what that means. Cause as you pointed out with avoiding bad business and making sure people are covered. I think there's comedy to be mined there. but new Saints Row is just so empty headed that it devolves into mindless quips and constant padded out gunfights
@@Tehsnakerer Exactly. If they had the patient for the long haul, they could also have it devolve into corporate culture after you hit the big leagues. You slowly realise that your entire dream of freedom was overtaken by the slow corporate drilling of profit and the entire PLAN of making it for yourself disappeared.
It became about the day to day workings of a criminal empire, the minutia of things like signing paychecks and making sure those you have a protection racket actually pays up. Not you, because you are the boss now. You just sign the paperwork.
At first, you only come in once a week to get some work done and then go out doing crazy shit to build your empire. Towards the end, the empire is built, you don't have the time to do crazy antics because each day is you going in to sign off on paperwork and then meet with other mid-bosses to plan the week. And you realise there is no time for crazy antics if you want to run it successfully.
i've really been looking forward to this one, so the brief disappointment i felt at seeing "preview" was immediately offset by the excitement of the preview being over half an hour long. can't wait until the full thing comes out :D
I'm shocked this is just a preview and not a part 1, excited to see the full thing!