My name is Matt Flegel, and I'm the Product Art Director for Saints Row. I'd like to tell you about the visual approaches that we took to create the world of Saints Row. The initial high-level direction for Saints Row was "Gangs, Guns, Music and Style," and we set out to accomplish this through the visuals of the game.
Levels
We approached the city design of Saints Row with gameplay and variety in mind. We wanted the city to cover all styles, from the towering sky scrapers of downtown to the gritty industrial feel of the factory district. We want the player to feel the changes between the districts, rather than just noticing the visual difference. Not only do we achieve this through unique visuals, but through design as well. The pedestrians will change, their behavior will change, car types will change, etc.
The direction for each district is unique, with specific visual goals in mind.
For the projects district, we wanted to build the worst neighborhood in the game. The goal was to recreate the type of rundown neighborhood that you would not feel safe in, even during the day. Houses and storefronts are boarded up, trash and debris are scattered about, and the district has a general feeling of abandonment and desolation.
By contrast, the suburbs were created with the complete opposite in mind. In the suburbs, the player is surrounded by a peaceful and serene setting, with upscale houses and white picket fences. The level design creates the illusion of safety and comfort.
All of the districts were also approached with the story in mind -- all of the gang-controlled territories make sense for the gang that owns them.
Characters
We knew that we wanted to really allow the player to heavily customize their character. This type of feature really connects the player to the game, and this connection is something we felt very strongly about for Saints Row. The player creation is amazingly detailed, allowing the player to easily create virtually any type of character they'd like. Everything from facial structure, hair, body mass, even facial hair like sideburns is available for customization.
Clothing is a big part of the hip-hop culture, and we wanted to really tap into that. The styles range from over-the-top pimp gear to refined suits and fedoras. For research we looked to the current styles in hip-hop, researched magazines, and even worked with some outside consultants to make sure that we provided the player with a wide range of options to push the style and feel of hip-hop and gang culture. Of course, we also threw in some options just for fun -- after all, it's up to the player what to wear, and who are we to stop you from running around in boxers and cowboy boots!
While these are awesome features for single player, it really shines in multiplayer!
