It seems safe to say that fans and critics did not take the new Saints Row reboot too kindly. Not only did players encounter numerous technical problems, but they also generally did not find the gameplay, story, or dialogue all that engaging. Lars Wingefors, the co-founder of developer Volition’s parent company Embracer Group, recently acknowledged the underwhelming performance of the new Saints Row, saying that he hoped the gaming public’s reception would have been more favorable than it was.
Wingefors specifically stated that although he remains pleased to see that many fans still enjoyed Saints Row, he nonetheless feels a little upset that so many other players did not enjoy it. He went on to confirm that Saints Row will receive more content and bug fixes further down the line. Additionally, he still expressed confidence in the game’s potential to become profitable at some point, which would help Embracer recover from its 7% share drop that came after the title’s release. Although he admitted that Saints Row probably won’t make as much money as other high-profile Embracer games, he felt that earning money in and of itself would make for “‘a good starting point.’”
Will there be more after this?
Some players may have wondered whether the new Saints Row’s lackluster reception would spell the end for the series. Wingefors was adamant that the series will still stick around in some way, as he maintains “a great trust in” the recommendations of the “hundreds of people engaged in this game in the group.”
The Embracer co-founder’s optimism for the Saints Row series may reassure some fans, but exactly what form it will take after the poorly received reboot remains quite the mystery. Hopefully, Volition will make major strides to ensure that the next Saints Row installment will learn as many lessons from the previous one as possible.
