Saints Row Beginners Guide and Controller Tips

Saints Row is the new open world game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. If you have ever played a Saints Row game before, a lot of the wacky fun mechanics and weapons you have come to love are back in full swing with some new features that you should know about. Whether you have played a Saints Row game before or not, we think everyone can benefit from these controller tips and things you should know before you start your takeover of Santo Ileso. 

Upgrade Your Controller

Before you make your boss and hop into the story of Saints Row, you want to make sure you have the right gear. Upgrade your controller with a pair of Saints Row Performance Thumbsticks. These vibrant Orange and Teal Mid-Rise Thumbsticks spice up any Playtsation or Xbox controller and help you get into the western outlaw mood to fully immerse yourself in the world of Santo Ileso. 

If you binge story games like us; in gaming sessions that can last up to 8hrs, then consider picking up some Kontrol Freek Performance Grips. These foam-cushioned grips are easily applied to any controller without leaving a sticky residue and the moisture wicking outer layer optimizes airflow to keep your hands cool and dry when you are grinding the story into the late hours! 

Gameplay and Controller Options 

As we recommend in most games, before you start, you should check out the Gameplay and Controller options. The Gameplay Options in this game are highly customizable. In the first options menu you can adjust Tutorials, Auto Saves, and Presets. In the Challenge Options page, you can change options like difficulty level, enemy durability, frequency of tough enemies, vehicle difficulty, timed objective difficulty, and even ammo scarcity. We love these feature in open world story games as it enables players to enjoy what they like about the game. If you enjoy the combat and like a challenge, make the game hard. If you just want to explore the world and not worry about dying, failing objectives, or running out of ammo, customize your options to tailor the game to what you find enjoyable! 

When we initially played this game on controller, we struggled to find the best sensitivity settings, which can be found in the Camera Options. On this page, you can change your X and Y Sensitivity as well as your X and Y Fine Aim Sensitivity. Firstly, KontrolFreek Precision Rings, which are made from a unique material that adds resistance to your thumbsticks, are perfect for this situation. With Precision Rings on your controller, you can play on higher sensitivities without sacrificing accuracy, because the rings prevent you from over-shooting your targets. Second, you can adjust Aim Assist settings in the Challenge Options. You can select a stronger lock on type, auto-aim to new targets, and even increase the lock on attraction. Playing around with these settings will make a massive difference to how gunfights feel and can make the game a lot more fun when you find your sweet spot! 

Depending on how you are playing the game, you may also want to adjust your Co-op settings. You can make your session open to all, just friends, or invite only. You can also turn off settings like Friendly Fire, HQ Customization, and Co-op pranking if you don’t want your game to be affected by other players trolling you, but this is Saints Row, so some of our most fun moments came from silly Co-op gameplay with friends! 

In the controller options menu, you can adjust the vibration, deadzones, and even turn on toggle for most features in the game like vehicle acceleration, firing automatic weapons, and other abilities. Click on Customize Wireless Controller and you will see that your controller layout in Saints Row is completely customizable! Click on any action and remap it to the input of your choice.  

Finally, depending on your platform and display, you should check out the Display and Audio settings to optimize how the game’s graphics and sounds to your preference. 

Beginner Tips and Tricks 

Once you’re comfortable with your settings, it’s time to create your boss and start the story! Every open world game is different, but there is a recurring trend of encouraging players to complete main story missions before you explore the entire map, and Saints Row is no different. We recommend focusing on the main story for your first few hours. This will unlock other missions like Criminal Ventures and Wanted Missions and will also give you access to equipment and features that will enable you to explore the world more quickly. 

One of these features is the Rapid Travel System. When you start off, your only Rapid Travel Point is your home base, but as you explore the world you will find landmarks around Santo Ileso that you can unlock as additional Rapid Travel Points by taking a picture of them when you are nearby. When exploring a new area, it can be beneficial to go out of your way to find and unlock the Rapid Travel Point to make returning to that area easier in the future. 

The game will start you off with a pistol and a rifle, but you are going to want to buy some weapons as soon as you are able to. There are no weapons on the ground or dropped by enemies, so if you want to upgrade from the starting weapons, you need to find a Fire Store that will sell you some additional weapons. 

Don’t sleep on the Wanted Missions, which you can access via the Wanted App once unlocked. These assassinations can be some of the most unique and fun missions in the game and often offer more cash than main story missions. 

One of the most important combat features to be aware of is Takedowns, which can be used to take out a powerful enemy and give you some health back! Make sure to save a takedown for a particularly challenging enemy or when you need a little health bump mid-fight! 

Driving is a huge part of Saints Row, so you want to make sure your vehicle controls feel comfortable, and once you get the hang of it, you can even get experience points for driving in risky situations like against traffic. You can also use the Wingsuit to make a quick entrance or exit of a vehicle which can look awesome when timed right! 

We assume that most players are aware of the Wingsuit from the trailers, but this piece of equipment can complete change how you explore Santo Ileso and make a lot of challenges easier. We won’t spoil the other fun tools and abilities you can unlock in Saints Row, but complete the Main Story, Criminal Ventures, and Wanted missions to unlock them all for your Boss! Saints Row is a super fun and customizable story experience set in a beautiful open world with all kinds of toys and upgrades to keep the gameplay fresh and entertaining as you take over Santo Ileso and establish your criminal empire!  

If you are looking for more controller tips for your favorite games, check out our other KontrolFreek Blogs. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date on the latest gaming content and join our Twitch streams for opportunities to win free KontrolFreek and SteelSeries products!