Volition is putting the final touches on the latest game in the Saints row series, ahead of its August 23 debut. And even though it’s a reboot, it still retains and celebrates the chaotic action and focus on fun that has become a Saints hallmark. And really, it kind of had to be rebooted on account of the planet being destroyed and most of the action in Saints Row IV taking place on a distant alien planet inside a simulation. Yeah, it got crazy for what began as a seemingly simple riff on GTA.

With the locale now Saint Ileso, a fictional city inspired by the South West region of the USA, things are definitely more grounded - ala the classic Saints Row II and Saints Row: The Third. And with a current-day setting, building up a new criminal gang and sticking it to the various gangs, corrupt politicians, and corporations will become a key element of the narrative. Alongside finding new statues and memorabilia to decorate Saints HQ to reflect your own ascension to boss-dom.

And with insane levels of character, vehicle, weapon, and crew customisation, on top of the return of classic modes like Mayhem, it’s shaping up to be the long overdue (and supercharged) Saints Row game we’ve been waiting for.

After seeing a sizable chunk of gameplay, here’s five things that make it pure Saints.

The New Wingsuit Mechanic

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It’s no secret that the superhero powers you ended up with in Saints Row 4 kind of detracted from that thing where you hop into a car and drive to a particular location. And with car customisation and modding with things like boosters, adding a new traversal mechanic would have to sit alongside that - passenger. And then be ejected into the air, as the new wingsuit traversal adds some very cool and fun ways to move around Saint Illeso. Need more air? Simply glide onto a pedestrian and bounce off their head to keep on gliding. Need to chill? Land on top of the roof of a car to surf your way on over to a map marker. Or, hop in and drive. And then hop back out to launch. Or equip your favourite vehicle with an ejector seat. Being able to land on a co-op buddy’s car is the sort of thing that sounds like pure Saints goodness.

Next-Level Customisation For Your Character, Vehicles, and HQ

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Saints Row: The Third still stands as one of the best games for character customisation and letting you have fun with it. The level of customisation options in the Saints Row reboot kind of makes that game look like something from the Atari 2600 era of gaming. To say that there are countless options available would be an understatement, as this is all about expression. Diamond encrusted teeth? Sure. Half a face in clown make-up? Why not? Overweight with green skin and a simple linen outfit? Shrek-tastic. You can even oil up your character for that shiny look and feel. And it doesn’t stop there as you’ll also get to choose from eight different voices/voice actors, plus the ability to shape the look and feel of your crew and HQ as you become The Boss. Also, vehicles and weapons. From cosmetic changes and skins the likes of which we rarely see, through to simply choosing to be the gang leader that drives around in a food truck.

New and Classic Open-World Activities Bring the Mayhem

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In the new Saints Row, as you build up your criminal empire, you’ll be able to create new buildings as you see fit, placing them in different locations around the city. These themed buildings are all about expanding your criminal ventures, and will introduce new crew members and activities to complete throughout the open-world. Some of which will be fan favourites from previous Saints games. Like Insurance Fraud, which is all about putting your body in harm's way and racking up some of that sweet lawsuit cash. With the new and improved physics system and ragdoll effects this will no doubt please fans. Also returning is the destruction based Mayhem, which is all about destroying as much as you can within a certain time limit. But in addition to this, and there are 14 ventures in total, there’s new stuff like the Smuggler’s Run inspired Pony Express for desert-based deliveries. And Wingsuit Saboteur, which has you glide from rooftop to rooftop, sabotaging equipment.

Skills and Weapons Let You Play How You Want to Play

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With various offensive and defensive skills and perks to choose from, on top of all of the weapons and explosives you’ll be able to carry, player choice and play-style customisation in the new Saints Row is all about finding what works for you. At any given time you’ll be able to equip four skills/abilities alongside a specific number of perks. With everything from dual-wielding to bonus shields and other things to choose from you’ll also be able to swap things in and out as they become available or as your weapons of choice evolve and mature over the course of the game. And with co-op fully supported for the entirety of the game, players will be able to synergise abilities with their co-op partner to create some chaos.

Santo Ileso is a Modern-Day Sandbox

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With its South West vibes the new location of Saint Ileso you’ve got a mix of desert, small-town locales, with a dense downtown corporate district and even some red-light action to boot. This plays into the narrative where the new Saints are looking to make a name for themselves and become their own bosses. One of the early missions sees you robbing a predatory pay-day loan bank. The more desert-like sections of the city also introduce mountainous regions and sand dunes, which help highlight the new vehicle physics, destruction, and arcade-like movement. With dynamic traffic, a day-night cycle, and NPCs aplenty (many of which will now react to what you’re doing), it’s a new and vibrant locale for the Saints Row series. And the perfect backdrop from an open-world sandbox to play in.