What we know about Saints Row customization

In our conversations with Saints Row developer Volition for our most recent cover story, it quickly became apparent that he sees customization as a non-negotiable element of the core Saints Row experience. Since the first game came out in 2006, players have customized the appearance of their characters. Those customization options have only expanded throughout the series’ history, growing beyond simply being able to choose how your character looks and sounds.

“Personalization is one of the definitive things Saints Row is known for,” says Volition Creative Director Jim Boone. “Not just the characters, but even the vehicles. And in Saints Row IV, we introduced weapon customization. It’s extremely woven into the DNA to the point where I feel like if you don’t have customization, it’s hard to say ‘it’s a complete game. from Saints Row “.

Volition has taken everything to the next level, giving players the power to tweak standard options like eye color and skin tone, add prosthetics to the main character, and even censor their protagonist’s naked body with things like emojis. “We have achieved dreams,” says art director Frank Marquart. “There were things that we really tried and couldn’t do in previous titles that we can now do in this game.”

While we don’t know precisely which Boss items we’ll be able to customize when Saints Row launches next year, you’ll continue to unlock new options for your character, weapons, vehicles, and more. “One goal from day one is to be the king of customization,” says creative director Brian Traficante. “We want to give our players all the things they’ve had in the past and more. That’s what we’ve done.”

Saints Row may include some of the more over the top elements of the franchise’s newer entries, but it has taken elements of customization to new levels. You can create a character anywhere on the gender spectrum, consisting of any race, or even go berserk and create a complete monster.

When you participate in another feature of Saints Row, co-op play, all of your customization options carry over to the session. “Each co-op player looks exactly how you’ve customized them when you’re in a co-op session,” says Boone. “All the customization options you have entered will be in full screen without limitations.”

In addition to character customization, you can modify other cosmetic items to tailor the experience. As you progress through the game, you can expect to customize your vehicles, weapons, and gangs. Additionally, as you play missions and expand the empire of saints, your church headquarters also improves with cosmetic options and visual enhancements.

Volition tells us it has a lot more to reveal in terms of customization, which is why we look forward to learning all about the ways we can make the protagonist (and the world around them) our own when Saints Row launches on February 25. For more information on Saints Row, head to our dedicated coverage center via the banner below.