Saints Row (2022) guide: When do you get access to the open world?

Saints Row (2022) starts off in a linear fashion, as with other titles in the series and standard games as well.

Explaining the basics of the controls and mechanics to players is key to initiating them into more in-depth elements like combat and driving. As such, players will have to contend with a tutorial for a while before they can see any real action.

However, the franchise is renowned for its sandbox mayhem. So, it is understandable that fans would be impatient about getting to the fun part. With that said, when exactly can players freely explore the open world of Santo Ileso?

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Saints Row (2022)'s world is littered with collectibles to find and activties to partake in

To cut to the chase, players will need to beat the mission called Making Rent. After this, the open world will become available to explore. This is the second main story mission in Saints Row (2022). It follows Boss (the protagonist) and their friends Eli, Neenah, and Kevin as they dip their toes into criminal activities to make ends meet.

The mission sees the gang rob a store, going on to unleash a cop chase on their tail. This is also where players will be properly introduced to the Sideswipe car combat mechanic. It essentially allows players to ram into chasing vehicles, and deal significant damage to their health, putting them out of commission.

Once the thrilling chase segment is over and Boss levels up, the Skills menu becomes available for use via the in-game Smartphone.

The very first skill that gets unlocked is also one of the best in the game. Called Pineapple Express, it allows players to turn enemies into live grenades by shoving a grenade down their pants and throwing them in the distance.

This is followed by another firefight and another vehicle chase, this time through the rocky desert. It eventually leads to Boss being cornered by police forces, but Neenah rides in with her beloved car to save the day.

This completes the mission and unlocks various things. The apartment, for starters, is where the gang hangs out. There, players can change their clothes via the wardrobe, take a nap on the bed and change their weaponry via the weapon cache. Best of all, they can jump out of their apartment and take in the suburbs of Santo Ileso with more waiting to be discovered.

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What is Saints Row (2022) about?

A reboot of developer Volition's underrated open-world sandbox series, Saints Row (2022) is a brand new tale of crime and action.

Featuring an all-new cast of characters and a never-seen-before setting, the latest entry in this GTA-inspired franchise is all about establishing your own empire while challenging other established rival gangs.

While a lot of the fudamentals are similar to previous Saints Row titles, the reboot makes many changes - sometimes for the better, others for the worse. Read all about it in our Saints Row (2022) review.