You remember 2011? It was a weird time for gaming. Open-world titles were trying so hard to be serious, gritty, and grounded. Then came a purple-clad gang that let you hit people with a six-foot-long weapon that I definitely can’t name here without a content filter flagging me. Saints Row The Third Remastered isn't just a simple texture swap of that 2011 fever dream. It’s a strange, loud, and surprisingly gorgeous relic of an era where fun mattered more than "cinematic realism."
Honestly, it shouldn't work. By all logic, a game where you jump through a plane's cockpit while "Power" by Kanye West plays should feel dated. It doesn't. In fact, playing the remaster in 2026 feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the bloated, 100-hour RPGs we’re buried under lately.
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The Glow-Up You Didn’t Expect
Most remasters are lazy. You get a higher resolution, maybe a slightly more stable frame rate, and a "Gold Edition" price tag. Sperasoft, the studio behind this one, went significantly harder. They didn't just upscale the assets; they rebuilt over 4,000 of them. This isn't just my opinion; you can see it in the way the neon lights of Steelport reflect off the rain-slicked pavement.
The lighting engine is the real hero. It uses a global illumination system that makes the city feel alive in a way the original never did. Characters have skin textures that actually look like skin, rather than the weirdly shiny plastic dolls of the Xbox 360 era.
Steelport itself is still a bit of a gray concrete jungle, but the remastered lighting gives it a soul. When the sun sets and the purple neon starts flickering, the game looks like a modern title. Well, a modern title with a very specific, mid-2010s attitude problem.
The Problem With Modern Open Worlds
We’re currently living in the era of the "map marker." You open a map, and it’s covered in 500 icons for collectibles that don't actually do anything. Saints Row The Third Remastered ignores that trend. It wants you to blow stuff up. It wants you to drive a tank through a suburban neighborhood to see how much property damage you can rack up in three minutes.
There is a purity to it.
The missions are short. The pacing is frantic. One minute you're skydiving, the next you're in a virtual reality landscape fighting a giant digital avatar. It’s a "yes, and" approach to game design. Do you want a VTOL jet with lasers? Yes. Do you want to recruit a literal zombie as a gang member? Yes.
The Comedy: Does it Still Land?
Humor is a tricky thing. What was funny in 2011 can sometimes feel incredibly cringey a decade and a half later. There are definitely moments in Steelport that make you squint and go, "Oh, they really said that, huh?"
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But for the most part, it holds up because the Saints aren't the joke. The world is. The game is a satire of American consumerism, celebrity culture, and the very concept of "extreme" media. When the Saints become global icons with their own energy drinks and clothing lines, it feels more like a prophecy than a parody.
Shaundi, Pierce, and the Boss (that’s you) have a chemistry that many modern games fail to replicate. They like each other. They’re a family of high-functioning psychopaths, sure, but their banter feels earned. When you’re driving to a mission and they start singing along to "What I Got" by Sublime, you can’t help but smile. It’s a genuine moment of character building in a game that otherwise encourages you to launch yourself out of a moving car just for the hell of it.
Mechanics and the "Jank" Factor
Let’s be real. The physics in Saints Row The Third Remastered are occasionally broken. You’ll hit a curb and your car will do a 720-degree flip for no reason. A pedestrian might get stuck in a wall.
Here’s the thing: we used to call that "jank." Now, in a world of overly polished but hollow experiences, it feels like personality. The gameplay loop is centered around "Respect," which acts as your XP. You get it for doing everything—driving into oncoming traffic, finishing missions, or just buying a new pair of shoes.
The gunplay is arcade-heavy. Don't expect the weight or tactical depth of a modern shooter. It’s "point and click until things turn into red mist." The weapon customization is where the depth lies. You can upgrade your pistols until they fire explosive rounds that ignite enemies on contact. It’s absurd. It’s overpowered. It’s exactly what the game needs to be.
Why Steelport Outshines the Reboot
We have to talk about the 2022 reboot. It’s the elephant in the room. When Volition tried to "modernize" the franchise, they lost the edge that made the Third so iconic. The new Saints felt like college students trying to pay off their student loans. The Third’s Saints are established criminals who want to rule the world.
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The Remastered version proves that the "old" way was better. There’s a confidence in the Third’s identity. It knows it’s a power fantasy. It knows it’s ridiculous. It doesn't apologize for the crude jokes or the over-the-top violence.
Technically, the Remaster runs at a smooth 60 FPS on modern consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X), which fundamentally changes the feel of the combat. On PC, if you have the hardware, you can push the lighting and shadows even further. It bridges the gap between the nostalgia of the original and the expectations of 2026 hardware.
What You Get in the Package
You’re not just getting the base game. The Remastered edition includes all three expansion packs and more than 30 pieces of DLC.
- Genkibowl VII: A series of twisted game show challenges hosted by a man in a giant cat suit.
- Gangstas in Space: You’re literally filming a sci-fi movie while fending off "aliens."
- The Trouble with Clones: A bizarre storyline involving a fan-favorite character clone gone wrong.
Having all this content from the start means the game is constantly throwing new toys at you. You’re never bored. Just as the main loop starts to feel repetitive, the game gives you a hoverbike or a shark gun.
Is It Worth It?
If you want a deep, soul-searching narrative about the human condition, go play The Last of Us. If you want a game that lets you suplex a mascot and then call in an airstrike on a skyscraper, get Saints Row The Third Remastered.
It’s a reminder that games can just be fun. They can be colorful. They can be stupid. Sometimes, "stupid" is exactly what you need after a long day of being a responsible adult in the real world.
The graphics hold up. The soundtrack—featuring everything from Deftones to deadmau5—is still one of the best in gaming history. The coop mode is arguably the best way to experience it, as the chaos multiplies exponentially when you have two people trying to out-stupid each other.
How to Get the Most Out of the Remaster
To truly enjoy your time in Steelport, don't rush the main story. You'll miss the soul of the game.
- Prioritize the "Insurance Fraud" activities. It’s still the funniest side-quest in gaming. You literally throw your body into traffic to scam insurance companies. Use the "adrenaline" mechanic to bounce off cars like a human pinball.
- Invest in "City Takeover." Use your earned cash to buy stores and properties early. This generates passive income every hour, which allows you to buy the high-tier weapon upgrades faster.
- Don't skip the radio. The talk shows in Saints Row are legitimately well-written satires. Pull over and just listen to the news reports about your own crimes.
- Try the Co-op. The game scales perfectly. Having a friend fly a helicopter while you dangle from a tank attached to a winch is a peak gaming memory that modern titles rarely replicate.
The game is widely available on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. It frequently goes on sale for under $10. For that price, it’s arguably the best value-to-chaos ratio in the entire industry. Grab a purple suit, pick a ridiculous voice—I personally recommend the British one—and go remind Steelport why the Saints are the bosses.