Volition and Deep Silver's Saints Row reboot adds plenty of fresh features to liven up the series and begin a new chapter for the franchise, including a mission that focuses around live-action roleplay (LARP). Saints Row's version of the popular pastime sees the player's Boss join crew member Eli as he tries to level up in his roleplaying game, but some are looking into how this measures up to other video games that feature the hobby.
LARP-ing, although it may be something technically separate from the world of video games, has a lot of similarities. It's no surprise that plenty of titles feature LARP-ing, like the fan-favorite Borderlands series that includes both a DLC expansion and standalone game focused on a sort of Borderlands/LARP/tabletop gaming mash up. Life is Strange: True Colors, the latest installment in the popular episodic adventure series, also has a memorable LARP section, and gamers have made comparisons between it and Saints Row's unusual mission.
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Saints Row is filled with a variety of missions that take players all over the fictional city of Santo Illeso, as well as a number of optional side quests. Some are similar to classic Saints Row quests and activities, whereas others are brand new. The Dustmoot is a mission that lets players bond with the brainiac of the group, Eli, as he introduces them to his hobby. At first, LARP seems like a very incongruous element to introduce in a game like Saints Row, but a lot of players enjoyed the change of pace from the gun-focused rest of the game.
Saints Row's LARP side quest has plenty of comedy, like the reveal of a treasure containing nothing but duct tape at the end of the mission after Eli and The Boss have battled their way through an enemy stronghold. This typically irreverent sense of humor fits in with the rest of the game, but some players felt that donning a simplistic set of cardboard armor and pretending to punch other characters in exaggerated takedowns felt childish. Other players thought it was an original and fun mission, even if a little random considering the overall themes of Saints Row.
By contrast, Life is Strange: True Colors' LARP quest feels better thought-out and relevant. It perfectly fits into the game's mechanics as a choice-based, dialogue driven narrative, and is very entertaining and unique - while furthering a lot of Life is Strange: True Colors' central relationships. While some may think the LARP mission in Saints Row is too childish, Life is Strange: True Colors' embraces this and centers the quest around a child character as Alex tries to bond with and cheer up Ethan.
The whole town gets involved, and this shows how well Alex has managed to integrate into the community, marking a turning point in her story. This makes the section feel not only narratively significant, but also emotionally poignant as Alex and Ethan try to deal with the death of Gabe. Saints Row didn't need to completely emulate this - a similar setup would have felt completely out of place in the game - but it lacks Life is Strange: True Colors' earnestness that makes its LARP section wholesome and sweet. Saints Row's is fun, silly, and a little strange, but it's proven much more divisive among the playerbase.
Saints Row is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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