Not so long ago, Gears of War designer Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinski suggested that the wacky nature of the Saints Row games were holding the series back, and that a more down-to-earth approach would make the franchise more appealing.
Developer Volition clearly didn't pay any attention, as the upcoming Saints Row 4 finds the one-time street gang, Third Street Saints, now elected to the White House and tasked with foiling an alien invasion. An astute and thoughtful exploration of the ramifications of violence in society, this ain't.
"Ultimately I don't think that Saint's Row's tone gets in the way of bigger sales," senior producer Jim Boon has told OXM. "If anything, I think our tone is an element of our success. Saint's Row is quite unlike anything else out there, and I think gamers crave unique experiences - I know I do. We have a lot of passionate fans that love SR, so I think we are striking the right chord."
He goes on to explain the game's appeal in terms of movie comedy. "Thinking of a movie series like The Hangover," Boon continued. "People love the humour but you might not want to discuss some of the finer moments of those movies with your mom, for example. I think the same might be true for SR. We do get an awful lot of feedback from fans telling us much they love our juvenile tone - with some asking us to go even further!"
Saints Row 4 will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on August 23rd.