Volition, a game studio based in Champaign, Illinois, had been making games for three decades. They are known for popular action-fueled franchises such asSaints RowandRed Faction. But in August 2023, the decision was made byVolition’s parent company Embracer Group to shut down the studio for good.
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The studio developed and successfully published 18 games since it was first founded in June 1993 as Parallax Software. And while their final game, a reboot ofSaints Row, did not do the numbers they wanted, the studio leaves behind many great games for people to go back and experience for years to come.
Third-person shooter
Platform(s)
Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Volition was known for making quite a few original universes, but they aren’t strangers to using otherwell-known propertiesfor games. A great example of this is their 2005 third-person shooterThe Punisher, which was a game about theMarvel Comicscharacter of the same name.
As the Punisher, players serve as a vigilante looking to get revenge after his family was killed by the Mafia. The gameplay mainly revolves around exploring levels, hunting down enemies, and taking them out by either killing them instantly or making them suffer to get information.
Action role-playing game
PlayStation 2, Windows, macOS
A lot of games by Volition feature sci-fi elements, but they had their hand at making afantasy-driven worldas well withSummoner, an action RPG released initially on PlayStation 2 before coming to PC. The story revolves around the playable character Joseph and a party of individuals who go on an adventure with him.
There are many branching elements to the story, which date back to when Joseph was a child using his powers as a Summoner for the first time and things going awry. The game features a combat system that includes real-time and turn-based elements, where players take turns performing actions but movement happening without selecting menus.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The shooting franchiseRed Factionstarted out as a first-person experience but then transitioned into an open-world third-person shooter with its sequel. But while the sequel had its issues, the franchise’s third installment, calledRed Faction: Guerrilla, was considered a step up for Volition with this third-person format.
Put in control of Alec Mason, a member of the Red Faction looking to take on the Earth Defense Force, players will be tasked withexploring Marsand fighting enemies in each of the six districts on the colonized planet.Guerrillafeatures destructible environments, including the ability to destroy buildings and other structures in the heat of battle.
Action-adventure
Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The most unhinged edition of theSaints Rowseries came with the release ofSaints Row 4. The game features a customizable main character who serves as the leader of the Saints, a beloved gang that is so popular that the player also happens to be the President of the United States.
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The main plot ofSaints Row 4is that the world has beeninvaded by alienswho attempt to put the world under a simulation. Along with the arsenal of tools at the player’s disposal when taking on missions in the open world, they will also gain superpowers that will make it even harder for them to be stopped by enemies.
Space combat simulator
Windows
After Parallax Software rebranded as Volition, they made a spin-off ofDescent, their original shooter franchise, that instead featuredspace combat. But Volition’s best space combat simulator came about a year after the first one with the release ofFreeSpace 2,one of the few Volition titles that is still exclusive to PC to this day.
The experience revolves around a player flying a spaceship and fighting aliens known as the Shivans. Missions range from taking on giant ships with the artillery available to escorting an ally through a hostile area. The game is presented in first-person, giving the player the feeling of being inside their ship as they are fighting.
First-person shooter
While Volition continued the franchise for nearly a decade, it is hard to argue that the best entry of theRed Factionseries isn’t the originalRed Factionitself. Thefirst-person shooterwas one of the first to introduce the ability for players to alter environments thanks to its Geo-Mod technology.
As a miner who joined in the movement to fight the Ultor Corporation, players will go through various levels attempting to take out enemies while having the technology to destroy everything they see in the process. The game also offers split-screen multiplayer that includes a deathmatch game mode.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
For many years,Saints Rowwas seen as just a clone ofGrand Theft Autoand nothing more. ButSaints Row The Thirdwas where the franchise began to find its identity. That identity was taking a hard turn into being ridiculous and silly compared to a somewhat more serious franchise inGTA.
After being stranded in one city thanks to an organization called the Syndicate, the Saints spend the game looking to buildtheir gang forcesto return peace to the place they call home. Along with having many powerful yet normal weapons, some of the more absurd weapons introduced inSaints Row The Thirdare a fart-in-the-jar grenade and a dildo bat.
