Rockstar Games have helped to redefine the sandbox genre with mayhem filled cities that place the player on center stage with the guilty pleasure of being able to explore and do almost anything that they wanted as a member of the underworld. Volition, on the other hand, is probably better known for its seminal science fiction starfighter epic, Freespace and its sequel, the Red Faction series, and RPG forays with Summoner and Summoner 2, which are as far away from the streets of the inner city as you can probably get. While Saints Row is a first for the developer in many ways, it is also one of the best efforts made to break into the neighborhood that Rockstar has built for itself.

A Tale of Four Crimelords
The decaying city of Stilwater is a place where the rich and powerful rub elbows with the underground power brokers that live just across the street. The urban underground is controlled by four powerful gangs that traffic in power, prestige, blood, and guns, and will defend what they have without remorse and this has been the status quo for some time...until the player's character is pulled into the war that is about to explode. The 3rd Street Saints, a gang that has seen better days, has been rallied together to take back not only their neighborhood but to bring the fight against their rivals in a bid for complete control. You become the latest recruit and will soon find yourself fighting for respect on the streets as the gang retakes the city...neighborhood by neighborhood.