Unleashing Gaming Delight: The Ultimate PS Plus Game You Don't Want to Miss!

Highlights

In September, PlayStation is offering subscribers three complimentary games, one of which is the controversial title Saints Row. This distribution comes at an inopportune moment as the game developer, Volition, has recently faced closure.

Fans were skeptical about the Saints Row reboot due to the underwhelming storyline, characters, and multiple glitches. Additionally, the game failed to meet sales projections, ultimately leading to Volition's closure. The timing of PlayStation's offer to provide the studio's last game for free, coinciding with its shutdown, feels inappropriate. Furthermore, promoting the game as the "ultimate playground" in the franchise only adds salt to the wounds for loyal Volition fans.

PlayStation has been generously providing free games to its subscribers for many years. This September is no exception, as PS Plus subscribers have the opportunity to claim three different games for their PlayStation libraries until the end of the month. These games offer hours of captivating content and there is a possibility of discovering a new favorite among the selection. While all of these free games are fantastic, the timing of adding Saints Row is quite unfortunate.

Unfortunately, the controversial release of Saints Row has led to the immediate closure of Volition by the Embracer Group. After a remarkable three decades, the developers of the Saints Row franchise have ceased to exist, leaving the future of the franchise uncertain. It is disheartening to witness the closure of a studio with an impressive portfolio of titles and it becomes even more saddening as PlayStation is offering their final game for free. It seems that the studio was not able to sustain the franchise, but their games still make a perfect choice for the headline of PS Plus.

Volition's Shutdown Makes It a Bad Time to Give Saints Row Away on PS Plus

Fans initially had a lot of doubts about the Saints Row reboot. They were hoping for more adventures with familiar characters like Pierce and Shaundi, but Volition had a different vision in mind, wanting to give the series a fresh start. After the franchise took some unconventional turns with Saints Row 4 and Gat Out of Hell, starting from scratch made sense from a storytelling perspective. However, fans had also grown fond of the unique charm that Saints Row The Third had brought, and this reboot seemed to lack that same appeal.

Unfortunately, when Saints Row was finally released, it proved most skeptics correct. The story and characters fell short of expectations, and the game was plagued with major bugs and crashes, making it almost unplayable for many. As a result, the game received mixed reviews. This polarizing reception seemed to have an impact on its sales, failing to meet the Embracer Group's expectations and raising doubts about the future of the franchise.

After an extensive DLC plan improved the experience somewhat, the Embracer Group has chosen to shut down the studio. Despite moving Volition from Deep Silver to Gearbox in hopes of a successful future, that future will never materialize. Simultaneously, PlayStation is giving away the studio's final game for free. While the game may have been controversial and ultimately led to the studio's closure, it appears to be of sufficient quality to be offered as a monthly PS Plus game.

The decision to offer Saints Row to subscribers the same week the studio shuts down feels questionable. Although the Embracer Group was dissatisfied with the studio's performance, it seems willing to showcase this last game to fans. It serves as the prominent title of the month and is even touted as the greatest Saints Row playground ever created. If it truly were the best playground, Volition would likely still be in operation, but unfortunately, that is not the case.

The timing couldn't have been worse for the closure of Volition, happening right before Saints Row became a PS Plus game and following its successful Steam launch and the release of numerous post-launch content. Despite the game's apparent quality that warranted such attention, the studio, with its three decades of history, was unfortunately forced to shut down. While not everyone may have adored the game, the beloved studio deserved better, and the constant promotion of the Saints Row reboot only exacerbates the already disheartening situation. Saints Row is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.