The reaction to the new Saints Row game has been, interesting, to say the least, but the weirdest response is people calling it 'woke'. It's a common term thrown around at the minute and is usually done so politically.
To say that the new Saints Row game is woke just doesn't sit right with me. Something is definitely off about the reboot but it has nothing to do with any kind of political statement.
Saints Row's new direction is no surprise
Anyone who played the first few Saints Row games knows that they probably can't go back to their roots on everything. Rude, crude and at times crossing a line, they may have worked when they were released but won't in 2022.
The over the top action and ridiculous gibes at pop culture were funny at the time but wouldn't slip by the modern-day policing of content that takes place.
Stranger still, we have seen so little of the new Saints Row game, that to brand it woke is actually embarrassing. We have a trailer and dev diary-type video none of which give us a huge amount of detail about the characters and their motivations.
Don't touch MY characters
There is also a strange entitlement hanging over the new Saints Row game. I say it's strange, but it's well-known that gamers are among the most entitled crowd around. Seeing the reaction to the possibility of a fixed main character was unreal.
The outcry of 'you've ruined the franchise' and 'I'm not playing your game' over such a little detail that wasn't even confirmed? Wow. Naturally, it didn't take long for the information to come out that you will, in fact, create your own character which seemed to quell some fears about the game, for like, 10 minutes.
After this was resolved people instead took aim at the overall look of the new Saints Row cast of characters. Gone were the slightly cartoony graphics for something a little more grounded. The cast was modernised and diverse, something Saints Row has always offered. This, of course, still wasn't good enough.
Time is healing
We have already reached a boiling point of this conflict which saw the team behind the new Saints Row come out and stand their ground. It's sad to see them have to do this so early on.
The idea that fans are the reason the Saints Row name is one that is known in gaming is tired, worn and completely untrue. Over the coming months, I'm sure that Volition will have plenty to show and opinions may very well change. If the same people who love and adore those early Saints Row games truly think it's woke and choose not to play, then I'm sure it's not the end of the world.
Change is good and time heals all wounds. I would be very surprised if the game is released and we're still talking about its 'hipster' cast that isn't the gangsters of old.