Saints Row

Saints Row underwent a major transformation early in its life: while the first game still balanced a more serious gangster story in the mold of Grand Theft Auto with growing absurdity, Saints Row 2 in 2008 opened the series up to greater freedom, deeper character and gang customization, and the dark humor that became its trademark. Players lead the Third Street Saints gang through the streets of the fictional city of Stilwater, gradually building it into a power player that dominates the streets and rival gangs.

Saints Row: The Third in 2011 fully completed that shift into comedic, over-the-top action with absurd weapons and missions, which is why many players consider it the series' high point and the moment the brand fully broke away from its inspiration. Development was handled by Volition, a studio that became closely tied to the series, while its publishing situation shifted in the following years alongside its parent company's financial troubles, and the brand and studio eventually moved under publisher Deep Silver.

The spin-off Saints Row: Gat out of Hell moved the series to Hell and showed it could abandon its realistic roots entirely in favor of pure fun without losing its popularity. This shift from gangster realism to open absurdity remains what Saints Row is best remembered for, and it's also what sets it apart from direct competitors that kept a similar genre on a more serious footing. The four entries released within just a few years capture the series at its fastest-moving stretch, the point at which it became one of the most distinctive comedic brands in the open-world action genre.