The 2022 Saints’ Row reboot may have gone over the gaming community like a lead balloon, but I had a decent time with it. There was plenty wrong with the game, but one thing that Deep Silver Volition (RIP) got right was the game’s setting, the wild and wonderful world of Santo Ileso, which was replete with more easter eggs than one could shake a stick at! Many of the ones that I stumbled across were Saints’ Row-related, but some were unique to Santo Ileso, and I especially enjoyed its somewhat secretive “Hidden History” tour.

If you’ve even gone on an audio tour in a museum or cultural institution, that’s the gist of Santa Ileso’s “Hidden History” segments. The city itself is steeped in the lore of the American Southwest while maintaining a feeling of both Las Vegas flair and mysterious ghost town.  Exploring Santo Ileso is the (one and only) highlight of the game itself, and within each of its neighborhoods rest series of audio stations at which players can listen to snippets about the city, its past and present.

Locating all the stations within any given region results in a minor achievement, but that places second in my book to the thoughtfulness that was put into each mini-story. While I can’t speak to the purportedly factual content of the history that the game bestows, the information sounds legitimate enough, and more than a few throw in a bit of wry humor. I enjoyed learning about Santo Ileso’s transformation from a sleepy desert town to, among other things, a haven for artists and eccentrics. Sometimes a station would speak to the general region, and other times the narration referenced a nearby landmark. In a game that’s otherwise filled with mild chaos, the Hidden Histories provided welcome if small respites from the mayhem.

But what’s so secret about the Hidden Histories? After all, the starting stations are marked on the game’s map. Well, once a player locates a main Hidden History station in a region, to actually complete its “Hidden History quest,” they must then find the individual panels that are strewn throughout the region, which aren’t marked. Finding them all took some doing, especially the panels that were well hidden! My terrible observational skills aside, which did me no credit, I enjoyed the challenge and the gratification of finding all the Hidden Histories available.

As if a little bit of education in one’s game isn’t enough (or maybe it’s too much?), there is one big secret that’s behind this history hunt

I’ll say SPOILERS here, if anyone cares.

The Hidden Histories are calmly and coolly narrated by a fellow named Doc Ketchum. As a member of the Santo Ileso Parks Department, Doc knows his stuff. But, but should a determined player seek out and listen to ALL the Hidden Histories, the final one has Doc losing his cool in a major way. In it he crudely but hilariously spouts his displeasure with all things Santo Ileso, historical, and otherwise. After listening to all the “serious” Hidden Histories before it, the aural display of frustration had me laughing out loud.

Further, it may be no coincidence that Doc Ketchum would go on to create and host the Doc Ketchum’s Murder Circus (the game’s DLC). His breakdown was pretty spectacular.

Lede image was taken by author during Xbox Series S gameplay of Saints Row.