Volition has decided to axe the competitive multiplayer from Saints Row: The Third in response to overwhelming demand from fans for co-operative play. Apparently, competitive multiplayer in both of the previous two games wasn't nearly as popular as the main story-driven campaign, so Volition has gone to town with the third game's co-op.
As such, every story mission will now feature drop-in and drop-out co-op, as will every other activity in the game. Sounds like a big leap in the right direction to us. "The majority of people wanted the single-player and co-op experience, so we're focusing on blowing that out of the water," senior producer Greg Donovan explained to Game Informer.
"We want this cohesive experience where players walk away going 'I can't believe I'm seeing this. I can't believe I'm f***ing doing this,'" Donovan added in reference to Saints Row: The Third's single-player missions.
Game Informer has also had exclusive access to the game's new weapons, which include a laser-guided airstrike that lays down a layer of napalm on large groups of enemies like the Luchadores (pictured), a bomb-dropping Predator Drone and an RC Gun that fires an electronic bug onto a vehicle, enabling you to assume control of it. Imagine being able to take over the wheel of a gang boss's car and drive it into a river. Lovely stuff!
There will also be a disturbingly wobbly sex toy bat to wield - if that sounds like your thing - and there'll be all manner of outlandish weapon upgrades, like scopes, underslung grenade launchers and triple-barreled shotguns. What's not to like?
Check out the first screenshot from Saints Row: The Third, obtained by Game Informer, who is also running a massive Saints Row feature in its April issue.