The crime genre has been a staple of movies, television, and books seemingly forever, with gangsters, hustlers, fraudsters, and robbers often being some of the most beloved characters in any genre. While it took a few decades to get there, the crime genre has become a prevalent part of the gaming industry too, with titles like Grand Theft Auto, PayDay, and Saints Row being stand-out examples. The genre is about to welcome yet another addition in the recently revealed Crime Boss: Rockay City.
Announced during The Game Awards 2022, Crime Boss: Rockay City is a first-person shooter that sees players control Travis Baker as he attempts to build his own criminal empire in the Miami-themed Rockay City. With a seemingly tongue-in-cheek tone and an absolutely star-studded cast, Crime Boss: Rockay City may be able to provide a crime experience like no other, and that could be the final nail in Saints Row's coffin.
Crime Boss May Do what Saints Row Couldn't
When Saints Row debuted in 2006, the general consensus was that it served as a solid GTA clone with some real promise. Releasing just two years later, Saints Row 2 delivered on that promise, giving players a bustling open world with a plethora of thrilling side missions and activities, along with a main campaign that balanced its comedic dark tone perfectly. Saints Row 3 got sillier with its tone, but for the most part it fit the game well, and its over-the-top characters and set pieces helped it stand out from the rest of the genre. Saints Row 4 pushed things a little too far, and the fanbase was split.
After a hiatus, the franchise returned this year with a reboot simply titled Saints Row. Unfortunately, Saints Row wasn't quite the return to form that fans were hoping for. With some pretty cringe-worthy dialogue that relied too much on Gen Z humor, one-note characters, and a dull overarching plot, Saints Row failed to live up to the comedic heights of its predecessors. To make matters worse, Saints Row's gameplay was disappointing thaks to unsatisfying combat mechanics and repetitive side missions.
The future of the Saints Row franchise is uncertain as a result. Due to its poor critical reception, Saints Row failed to meet sales expectations, and Volition is set to be folded into Gearbox Software. Though Volition is still trying to save the game with patches and updates, it isn't drawing in new players anytime soon, and that opens up a niche in the crime genre that Crime Boss: Rockay City could fill.
Though just one trailer has been shown so far, Crime Boss: Rockay City looks as though it may capture that same level of satirical humor the old Saints Row titles achieved. With a cast filled by celebrities like Vanilla Ice, Danny Glover, Kim Basinger, and Chuck Norris, it seems as though Crime Boss is parodying 90s crime movies while also letting players fulfill their crime fantasies.
Solo players will build their own crime empire, presumably meeting enigmatic, tongue-in-cheek characters along the way. Meanwhile, in multiplayer, players can link up to carry out a series of heists. Though its gameplay doesn't look as varied as Saints Row, Crime Boss' mechanics may end up being more streamlined and polished, leading to a better experience overall. If it stands out, Saints Row will really have to reconsider its priorities going forward.
Crime Boss: Rockay City releases March 28, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
