Rating of
4/5
The Third Time Has Charm
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/05/12
If you couldn't tell from my profile, I'm a pretty be fan of sandbox games. I love the free-roaming aspect - going wherever, picking and choosing missions and side-quests or just going off on a random tangent. One day while cruising some forums, I got a tip that Saints Row: The Third was on sale, so I hopped on over to Amazon and snagged a copy because I heard that it compared favorably to GTA - and also, I remembered the crazy commercials for the game and thought it looked like a lot of fun. And, it turns out for once, they weren't lying.
Presentation: Like any good Sandbox game, it's set in third person perspective as you run, drive or fly around the city. The colors are quite vibrant throughout with purples, greens, red and blues (for the various gangs) really coming through. The character design is pretty robust - you control everything from facial features, hair, makeup, and body type. The game starts off fun by adding in a "sexiness" category (which pertains to the chest of the female and crotch of the male respectively) and you can even give your character full on Kubiki makeup, a bloody nose, an evil clown or turn them blue, green or bright pink. I didn't spend a lot of time in design, but I expect there are a lot of intricate, interesting characters out there to download, should I ever have the itch to explore.
The rest of the game looks a lot like GTA would - a variety of cars, a few different areas of the city to explore and colorful characters (including a luchadore wrestler and, most surprisingly, Burt Reynolds). The extra missions are a lot of fun - everything from taking part in a reality show where you shoot people dressed in mascot outfits to driving around with a tiger to simply blowing a lot of stuff up with a tank - and you can go back to them once they're completed if you so choose. All in all - the game reminds me of GTA, but with a lot more spirit - it doesn't take itself seriously at all, and it makes is pop a bit more.
Story: Yes, there is a story - apparently your gang has risen through the ranks and has now "sold out" - selling energy drinks and bobbleheads - which opens the door to a group of other gangs coming in and trying to wrest control. The game opens with a bang - a bank robbery publicity stunt that goes wrong, and ends with you free-falling from a plane - shooting enemies along the way. Of course, your influence in the city is nil, you have no money, no weapons, no base of operations - thus begins the task of taking on these new games and reestablishing your cred. The gangs consist of your red-colored Syndicate, your blue-hued Asian techies and the green-clad Mexican luchadores - you also have to contend with the police, who are apparently all corrupt, as everyone appears as an enemy. There are specialized "brutes" who show up - some with a flamethrower or mini-gun - and early on in the game, they live up to their name, as they are brutal.
As you take on the gangs or take on missions, you slowly begin to earn money, take over the various parts of the city and build your gang back up. You also unlock various improvements to health, combat and weapons - everything you do improves your respect - the more respect you have, the more things you unlock (though you still have to buy them). It's still pretty easy to unlock infinite ammo and near-invulnerability before the game is over. Some may say that's cheating, but it makes things a lot more fun when you don't have to worry about dying (too often).
The main story has you taking the rival gangs down. Eventually the city becomes such a war zone that a specialized military group (STAG) is brought in to keep things under control. Of course, you know an eminent showdown is coming and it's a whole lot of fun getting there. The story isn't particularly deep or anything, and there is even a random zombie mission thrown in for good measure.
Gameplay: Pretty much if you've experience GTA - this is pretty much the same. Run, shoot, drive, fly - I think you have more melee options with this game - but otherwise it's about the same experience. I found the driving and flying controls to be pretty simplified, but for me that was okay. You don't die from swimming, but as soon as you hit the water, it essentially gives you the option to warp back to short - so that's helpful too. Other than a few tweaks here and there, it was just about the same as what I remember.
Overall: If you like open-world sandbox-style games, or have enjoyed GTA in the past, this should be something to purchase. I haven't decided whether the DLC is worth enough to go back or not, but the overall game is a whole lot of fun - running and gunning and driving like a maniac in a game that's just as wacky as you can be and still maintain appeal.
Presentation: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
