Expect some bugs
To play off of yesterday’s reveal ofSaints Row(2022), a reboot with a fresh cast in a fictional new Southwestern US city, Deep Silver is giving outSaints Row: The Third Remasteredfor free on the Epic Games Store. The remaster joins this week’s other, already-confirmed freebie: the factory-building puzzle gameAutomachef.
If you want ’em, both games are claimable untilSeptember 2, 2021.
Even if it falls short ofSaints Row 2, or at least my memory ofSaints Row 2being earnest and interesting to explore and take in, I liked the third game fine at the time — it’s ridiculous, in good and bad ways, and it’s action-packed if that’s what you’re after.
That said,Saints Row: The Thirdis one of those games I don’t feel like I need or want to return to, you know? If you’re in the mood for zany open-world criminal antics, this remaster is packed with content, and the textures and lighting are noticeably upgraded.
Preferences aside, a quick look at theSteam user receptiontoSaints Row: The Third Remastereddoesn’t inspire much confidence. Some of it is general saltiness, but there are technical issues (audio problems, performance woes, an inconsistent frame rate), to the point where some folks prefer the original version. Never a good sign for a remaster.
As forAutomachef, it’s as enjoyable as it looks — if, in fact, this premise looks enjoyable to you. It’s a game about building a food-producing factory one laser-focused machine at a time, as efficiently as possible, and while a lot of these supply-chain games can feel intimidating to break into, this one really isn’t too bad. If I can scrape by, you can too!
Next week’s free release,Yoku’s Island Express, runs from September 2–9.Do not sleep on this game. Sorry, that sounded like a threat. Kindly, do not skip this warmhearted metroidvania game with super fun pinball platforming mechanics.
