Saints Row 3 ditching some of its urban flava

Saints Row, as a series, has always been about gangstas. The urban-oriented setting, dress options and themes felt like a direct response to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. But THQ’s Danny Bilson doesn’t see the Saints Row franchise as even being in competition with GTA anymore and has revealed that the upcoming third iteration is dispensing with some of its thug life focus.

We don’t compete with GTA. We’re differentiating even further with GTA with this one. The new Saint’s Row will be less urban – it’s definitely not about ‘gangsta’ anymore at all. And it’s more fun and almost sillier and wackier and weirder than the other one. 

I love GTA – especially the last one, which knocked my socks off. That’s almost like a Martin Scorsese cartoon, right? We are more like the Mad Magazine version of that or something. It’s colourful, it’s wild, it’s fun. 

Suits me fine. I’ll take a wacky game regardless of its setting. And in a time when representatives of a subculture go to the point of self-parody, perhaps it’s best to search for some greener pastures. They’re already doing your job for you, after all.

THQ’s Danny Bilson pt. 2 [CVG]