Upgrades have always been a huge part of the Saints Row games, allowing players to enhance their character in a multitude of different ways to fit preferred playstyles. Whether it's a simple passive stat buff or a brand-new ability, there has always been plenty of choice regarding the upgrades players could choose from in previous iterations, and the same is very much true for the perks in the latest game of this beloved series.
It's worth noting that players will only be able to equip 2 minor perks, 2 major perks, and a single elite perk to their character, and these can all be accessed by opening up the smartphone. While the first minor perk slot will be unlocked from the get-go, the others require a bit of cash to unlock, with the elite perk slot costing a staggering $250,000. Still though, considering how game-breaking some of these perks can be, the cost is usually pretty reasonable.
Minor Perks
Dead Eye
- Ability: Reload speed increases after hitting a headshot.
- How to unlock: Complete 9 challenges.
Gunfights can turn into a manic frenzy extremely quickly in Saints Row, and while there's always the chance to score a few flashy melee kills during a chaotic encounter, this isn't always an option when there's a horde of enemies to deal with. Things can get especially tricky during police chases where endless swarms of cops will try their best to force the player's surrender, and considering most enemies already have substantial health pools, it's never a bad idea to aim for the head.
Dead Eye is definitely a perk that will require a precise and steady aim to make full use of, but it can be absolutely devastating when paired with guns like the Dustlander Revolver and Handcannon, which already pack a serious punch but are let down by their reload speed.
Speed Demon
- Ability: Boost longer while driving.
- How to unlock: Complete 18 challenges.
For the majority of their playtime in Saints Row, players will be racing around the vast open-world, not only to travel between missions but also to complete the many challenges that are scattered throughout the game. Completing challenges will unlock more perks to buy and also a few achievements, so if players really want an easy way to finish them all, they are heavily advised to equip the Speed Demon perk.
This perk is especially useful for the challenges that require the player to escape from an enemy, such as with Disturb the Peace, where several prolific gangs will chase down the player once the challenge begins. Rather than desperately trying to turn a corner and evade the attackers, these types of missions can be made so much easier by having an enhanced boost to simply outrun the pursuers instead.
Loot Grab
- Ability: Automatically pull in nearby cash and ammo.
- How to unlock: Complete 11 challenges.
While it may not be the most exciting or game-changing perk, Loot Grab can still make a playthrough so much easier than it would be otherwise, especially when playing on Boss difficulty, where running out to grab a quick ammo stash can be a very risky move.
Not only will it be useful on the harder difficulties, but it's also incredibly helpful for the early game since it can assist in building up a tremendous amount of cash. For anyone attempting to speedrun the game or get through certain sections quickly, Loot Grab is an absolutely essential perk to keep equipped.
Major Perks
Lust For Life
- Ability: Health starts regenerating after killing an enemy.
- How to unlock: Complete 28 challenges.
Lust for Life is a perk that really fits into a run-and-gun kind of playstyle since it will allow players to get up close and personal without needing to worry as much about taking too much damage. It's only a major perk, but it can still be absolutely game-breaking if players are equipped with the right weapons and know how to deal with certain enemy archetypes.
Slow handguns and pistols won't be ideal to use when Lust for Life is equipped, but all the SMGs and shotguns will highly benefit from having it. This perk can also be used as a quick lifeline if players have managed to get their hands on a grenade launcher or rocket launcher.
On The Down Low
- Ability: All actions generate less notoriety.
- How to unlock: Complete 4 challenges.
Despite being unlocked so early on in the game, On the Down Low is a perk that remains incredibly useful right up until the end, mainly because of how easy it is to attract police attention when traveling between objectives. Swiping a car or accidentally bumping into a few civilians will immediately garner the player some notoriety. Sometimes, this can lead to a nail-biting chase, but more often than not, it just becomes more annoying than anything.
On harder difficulties, attracting the police is even easier, and since they deal a lot more damage and can slow the pacing of a playthrough down to a crawl, the best way to save a few bullets is just to keep On the Down Low equipped at all times.
Dual Wield
- Ability: Dual wield pistols and SMGs.
- How to unlock: Complete 19 challenges.
Duel Wield is such a strong and fun ability that it feels as though it should be classed as an elite Perk, but with it being unlocked after only 19 challenges, it can be a good idea to grind out missions to get it since it really changes the way gunfights play out in the game. Not only will the perk enable the player to output much more damage than they normally would, but it also means they won't have to stop shooting if they fire one weapon at a time.
It should be noted that using two weapons at once will sacrifice a lot of accuracy and make headshots far more difficult, but for players who love the classic chaotic nature that has become synonymous with Saints Row, it's most definitely a must-have perk.
Elite Perks
Ride Eternal
- Ability: The vehicle players drive gains health whenever another vehicle is destroyed.
- How to unlock: Complete 30 challenges
So long as players know how to use it effectively, Ride Eternal can literally make a car invincible, while also encouraging a bit of road rage, which is always welcome in a Saints Row game. There are so many situations where this can be useful, whether it's part of a racing challenge or during a police chase when a car is getting crashed into from all sides. It can be a real lifesaver in many different scenarios.
It's worth noting that because the perk will regenerate health once a vehicle is destroyed, it will therefore still work even if the player simply shoots a car in front of them to blow it up. This means that if there's a car parked up on the curb, it's very easy to simply fire a few rounds into it to restore more than half the health of the vehicle being driven.
Dodge Baller
- Ability: Temporarily deal more damage after dodging a melee attack.
- How to unlock: Complete 38 challenges.
Admittedly, Dodge Baller does take a lot of work to unlock and is primarily useful for harder difficulties where dodging becomes absolutely essential, but this isn't to say that it won't make a massive difference for easier playthroughs. Dodging in Saints Row isn't too difficult once players execute it a handful of times, and when used correctly, it can make stressful missions a lot more straightforward.
The extra damage offered by Dodge Baller may only last for a few seconds, but this is enough to turn every weapon in the player's arsenal into a tool of destruction, and that even includes the handguns, which will be able to tear through enemy groups. Of course, melee weapons also benefit from this, making it a ton of fun to get into the habit of bobbing and weaving before knocking enemies down like pinballs with a baseball bat or mace.
Saints Row (2022) is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
