Gaming

Saints Row 2022 review: A chaotic way to start an empire

Chaotic gameplay, equally chaotic story

Published

September 15, 2022

Gab Orlina

What would push any human being to start their own criminal empire? Some people do it for fame, fortune, a little bit of both, or as an act of revenge against the system. Also, in most cases, people wouldn’t start an empire on their own, especially if you want to make a mark on society – good or bad.

In essence, this is what Saints Row 2022 hoped to show you the moment the opening scene popped up. Like all its predecessors, it hinges on amassing a criminal empire and letting everyone know about it. Unlike its predecessors, the 2022 version wants to build that experience from the ground up while still maintaining the same level of chaos and a bit of wackiness in there.

I already touched on this game a little bit and had a pretty decent time to start. Now that I’ve gone through most of what the game offers, do I still hold it in relatively high regard like before?

How chaotic could this gameplay get?

We all know Saints Row games to be pretty chaotic in terms of the gameplay style; I mean, people called it a Grand Theft Auto clone notably for that reason. It’s this kind of unhinged gameplay style that drew in so many fans before, and the same can be said for the 2022 version. From the weapons to the vehicles, Saints Row 2022 offers total chaos to those who bring it.

Come on down to Friendly Fire for the latest in destructive arsenal!

One great thing I appreciated about this game was the fact that all your weapons are easily accessible through the Weapon Wheel. Of course, total carnage cannot be achieved without a wide variety of arsenal at your disposal. Although, I still find it too taxing to have to go to the gun shop to refill the ammo when I’m not in active combat.

The Wingsuit returns for more air gliding traversal from high places

Of course, it’s important to have the right transportation options, and Saints Row is chock full of it. From futuristic hoverboards to literal tanks and monster trucks, this game has a ton for you to use at your disposal. Also, happy to report that you can store as much of it in your Garage, but you’d obviously prefer stealing one on the street instead. If you don’t like cruising in metal, your character still has a Wingsuit for some free and light air travel.

Flashes of immersive chaos in Santo Ileso

How do these all contribute to the feeling of playing a new Saints Row? For the most part, all of these gameplay elements provide a decent open-world experience. If you’re more into creating chaos wherever you go, all the weapons and vehicles are there at your disposal along with every other violent NPC you’ll encounter.

In Santo Ileso, you will come across three different factions all vying for the same control you want. These guys are scattered throughout the entire overworld, which is pretty massive so you will need those vehicles eventually. When prompted, you do have an opportunity to flex how good you are at clicking heads at every kind of threat. Of course, with all this chaos happening, all the cops will show up in the end to “try” and quell it – we all know you won’t allow that.

Yet, after all that chaos, nothing else really happens when you just play it outside the killings. Apart from the usual POIs like your Clothes Shop, Criminal Ventures, and Landmarks, there’s nothing else to do. Actually, let’s touch on that a bit more here:

Visually appealing, not so interactive though

From an overall visual standpoint, Saints Row 2022 definitely looks like the most refined game in the series. Of course, I say this considering that I have an Xbox Series X version of the game, so most visual elements look pleasantly detailed on it. Even so, you can see the amount of work put into improving the overall environment – from lighting to coloration across all POIs.

A view of the Santo Ileso Skyline

As I mentioned before, even with all these working for the game, it’s not as inviting or interactive. I noticed in most general areas, there’s practically the same set of buildings copy-pasted across the field. Honestly, within my first 10 hours of playing the game, I had literally seen everything on the map and had only interacted with a good five percent of it.

One of your Criminal Ventures within Santo Ileso

Also, I felt that there’s nothing particularly enticing within the overworld to accomplish outside of the main story and actual side quests that contribute to game completion. Other open world games with a similar nature leave a ton of things to grab or interact with. Here, you can’t enter most buildings and every nook and cranny just feels like going through a plain street.

A story with some holes and just flopped in general

Perhaps the biggest thing that I had a gripe with about this game was the main plot you’re working towards. In my first impressions of the game, I actually liked the fact that they went with the whole “building an empire from the ground up” type of pitch. It’s something quite unique in the Saints Row Multiverse, considering that previously, you’re just thrown into the empire.

I expected a journey of literal trial and tribulation to achieve the kind of status a criminal empire brings to a hardened soul like “The Boss.” Instead, we pretty much have a watered down, Gen Z version of what it means to start an empire. It’s more fun than serious most of the time, and I just find myself a bit dumbfounded every time I progress through it.

Sure, it’s a good thing that the game finally gave you a reason to do the side quests as these would help progress through the main storyline. However, I have no clue as to what exactly I’m trying to achieve in all this. Did I, as “The Boss,” just wanted to start a criminal empire because I’m sick and tired of the system? After going through the main story, it just left me unsatisfied with how everything transpired.

Kevin, Eli, You, and Neena, and somehow you’re all besties

Also, I want to just point out that at no point in time did the game actually tell you how you met the three friends you built the empire with. Seriously, you begin the story being friends with them already, and not much dialogue or flashback segments call back to how you met. Even their intentions for wanting to join you are a bit petty at best.

Hard-sell for long time fans, chaotic mess for newbies

Saints Row 2022 was more of a disappointment in the storyline department, and more of the same chaotic energy in the gameplay aspects. It shines through its gameplay style that’s consistent with all the other games, without any particular magical gimmicks. Also, from a visual standpoint, it’s vibrant and relatively seeping with proper lighting and coloration.

Even with the gameplay and visuals looking pretty decent, it’s not as fun to play in the long run when you’re trudging through a story that’s bland, somewhat repetitive, and unfulfilling. As you amass your criminal empire with relative ease and minimal casualties, you feel unaccomplished. It’s as if it wasn’t worth going through all that trouble and sacrifice to start an empire, when these guys could have just asked for better treatment from their former factions.

I still stand by the fact that for old time fans, you will enjoy the carnage a little bit. Other than that, if you’re looking for a fulfilling way to be the fiercest gang in town, this game doesn’t promise you that. Maybe a sequel for this game might do the trick and turn things around some time later on.

Related Topics:Saints Row Saints Row 2022

Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

Gaming

BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news

Published

September 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.

World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.

Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.

StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.

Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.

For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.

Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.

Existing games updates

Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.

The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.

For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.

Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.

LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI

BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.

Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.

BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.

Gaming

Just Dance: Decades of Hits to launch on October 13

All-new Just Dance experience that brings every generation together

Published

September 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Just Dance: Decades of Hits will launch on modern consoles on October 13, Ubisoft has announced.

This will offer fans of the franchise a new experience across eras of music. The game will be available on PlayStation5 , Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the launch date.

Nintendo Switch 2 users, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the title by November 10, 2026.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits brings together every generation to one dance floor with 25 iconic songs across six different decades:

Mamma Mia by ABBA
Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
It’s Tricky by Run-DMC
No Scrubs by TLC
Wannabe by Spice Girls
Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC
Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny
And more!

Bringing every generation together

Songs, visuals, and an all-new Adventure Mode are all designed to immerse players in the spirit that made each decade unforgettable.

From the funky ’70s disco floors and the electrifying ’80s rock scene to the glossy 2000s pop and beyond, travel through time and share the joy of rediscovering iconic moments with friends and family.

In Adventure Mode, follow Lyra, Dr. Gigavolt’s daughter, in a playful journey through time to rescue her father.

Explore the decades through six themed worlds, enjoy fun mini activities, and unlock exclusive rewards.

For unpredictable, chaotic fun where the rules change every round, players can jump into Party Mode. Or they can get moving with the Workout Mode, which tracks calories burned with each dance.

Up to six players can dance locally in the game, with no extra accessories needed.

In addition those who own Just Dance: Decades of Hits as well as Just Dance 2023-2026 editions will be able access all their songs in one place on the same console without having to switch games or separate menus.

This also includes songs from purchased Music Packs and songs available through an active Just Dance+ subscription.