How to succeed at vehicular combat in Saints Row (2022), information about the gameplay mechanics of and strategies for vehicular combat.

It should come as little surprise that vehicular combat is an important aspect of Saints Row (2022). You’ll routinely be tasked with causing mayhem of some variety, and it should go without saying that the criminal mischief you get up to will not be warmly regarded by your victims. Suffice to say, sometimes you’ll need a means of quick egress, and this will typically be something with four rubber wheels that is powered by dinosaur farts. While escape is usually an option, when your deeds earn you Notoriety, your best bet is often to mix a bit of violence in to make good on escape attempts.

View Full-size

When your vehicle’s health is low it’ll catch fire and deteriorate. This is a good time to ditch, as vehicles tend to explode when destroyed.

Vehicle Health and Ditching¶

First, note that when you’re driving the health of the vehicle you’re currently driving will be indicated by a blue health bar over your normal red health bar, both on the bottom right of the screen. For some reason, vehicles in Saints Row have a penchant for violently exploding when destroyed (another longstanding Saints Row tradition), and it’s safe to say this is not good for the health and wellbeing of anybody in the vehicle at the time. If the vehicle you’re driving is almost destroyed (and assuming it’s not mission-critical), you can bail at any time by pressing / - the same button you use to enter vehicles.

View Full-size

View Full-size

You can defend yourself with guns while driving or riding shotgun,

Firing Guns While Driving and Riding¶

Discretion may be the better part of valor, but sometimes bailing isn’t an option (for example, during JimRob’s vehicle delivery activities or [Riding Shotgun] Side Hustles). In these cases, offense is your best defense. While driving your options are somewhat limited, but you can fire most one-handed weapons (SMGs and pistols) by pressing the / button, and you can swap between weapons by pressing .

If you have the luxury of switching seats or abandoning the confines of the vehicle entirely, you can do so by pressing or holding / , respectively. While in the passenger seat you’ll regain the ability to fine aim by holding down / and you can bring up the weapon wheel by pressing / . On the roof you’re even less obstructed, but more exposed - expect the vehicle to sustain less damage as enemies target you, which of course means you’ll be taking more damage. You can hold down / to return to the relative safety of the passenger seat if you need to recover your health, and swapping between the roof and the passenger seats is a core strategy, especially during the aforementioned [Riding Shotgun] Side Hustles.

View Full-size

Your chariot is more than a mere means of conveyance - it’s also a deadly weapon you can use to destroy enemy vehicles. Most problems are only a few good rams away from being solved.

How to Ram¶

Firearms may not be your best source of offense while driving, however. You are, after all, in control of two tons of plastic and steel moving at murderous speeds - a fine source of destruction, all things considered. In previous Saints Row games, using your steed to bully other vehicles was an option, but in Saints Row (2022) it has been made into a proper, intentional gameplay mechanic. While accelerating (hold down ) / you can ram enemy vehicles by pressing / and moving the towards your target. This deals tremendous damage, and is often sufficient to destroy enemy vehicles in a sideswipe or two, especially if you possess the Shiny & Chrome Perk. Keep in mind that all vehicles aren’t equally suited to serve as a battering ram - smaller, less stable vehicles being obvious liabilities. Also note that you must keep accelerating while ramming for it to do any appreciable damage, and you must be moving at sufficient speed, as well, which can make it tricky at times to successfully ram an opponent. Losing control of your vehicle after ramming is a common occurrence, so be wary when ramming enemies while, say, driving over a bridge.

Despite the pitfalls and limitations, the damage is simply too good to ignore, especially considering that it often deals little or no damage to your own vehicle, doesn’t waste ammo, is less hassle than trying to aim, shoot and drive at the same time, and ultimately ramming allows you to dispose of enemy vehicles without halting your own progress much, if at all. You’re usually two to four sideswipes away from safety during any pursuit, so mastering the art of ramming comes highly recommended.