Saints Row: The Third (Xbox 360) Review

Posted by Todd Vote on 12.12.2011

411's Todd Vote checks in with a full review of Saints Row: The Third. How does the game stack up to previous entries into the series? Come in to find out.


Title: Saints Row: The Third
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Volition
Genre: Open World Action Adventure
Players: 1-2
Rated: M for Mature

Saints Row: the Third picks up some years after the second game, the Saints are now a household name on par with the likes of McDonald's or Wal-Mart. With the new found fame and fortune however, comes new threats to the gang. the new threat appears in the form of The Syndicate. The Syndicate is a group comprised of three gangs, The Morning Stars, The Luchadores, and The Deckers. The Morning Stars are a high class gang, the Luchadores are just that, a bunch of wrestlers running around in masks, and the Deckers are a tech gang highly inspired by Tron. These, combined with a new special task force will be your opposition during your time in Steelport.

The game starts off with a commercial featuring Pierce shilling a Saints Flow Energy Drink, from there we learn there is a Saints Row movie in the works, and that the 3rd Street Saints have taken in an actor so he can study for his role. What better way to get him acquainted with the way things work than a good ole fashioned bank heist. As can be expected, things never go as planned. You get arrested, and ultimately end up dumped on the streets of Steelport.

But, before you get going, you must create your character. Have no fear though, if you don't like something, you can change anything about yourself you want. At any point in the game, to boot. There are plastic surgery offices located all over the town that offer you the chance to change anything. Your character is customizable, right down to the.. *ahem*, sex appeal. Yes, you can change the size of your package, or your chest. Plus you can swap between male or female at any time. The game encourages it, by offering an achievement for playing as both for a certain amount of time.



Those familiar with the series will know that Steelport is a whole new stomping ground for the Saints. Steelport is quite a bit larger than Stillwater was. Steelport, when looking at the map, has a similar layout to Liberty City of GTA fame, just to give you an idea of the area you are working with. That is not to say that Steelport is a clone of Liberty City, that is definitely not the case. Steelport doesn't look quite as rundown as Liberty City did in GTA IV. Saints Row uses Vibrant colors and lights to add life to it's city. Huge skyscrapers, and colorful NPC's round out Steelport giving it a different feel than Stillwater had.

Saints Row 3 look and feel is... less realistic, but not in a bad way, the characters aren't going to win any best looking animation awards, but that is okay because the bright colors and less realistic look of things seems to make it easier to get into the crazy over the top story and violence.

Along with the less realistic visuals, the game does experience some slow down in spots. It wasn't slowdown that can be attributed to having to much going on either, it was more like you are entering a new area, and it needs to load type of slowdown. Kind of like waiting for a digital movie to buffer. It didn't happen a lot, maybe 5 times or so throughout the 30+ hours I have into the game.

Another problem I noticed was the way cars would just seem to pop into frame out of nowhere. You could be just tearing down the road, and all the sudden a car will pop in ahead of you that wasn't there just a second ago. I really started noticing this when you get to where you can use some flying vehicles. Going down to street level and you can just see the city life “popping” into view. It's a minor complaint, but when you are barreling down the road, and a car pops in you slam into the ass end and go flying out the windshield it can be a bit frustrating. Especially since dying can cost you money. If I drive like a jackass and die, that's on me. But if I am driving like a boss, and a car pops in front of me, well there isn't much I can do about that one.



So there are a few hiccups in the graphics of the game, but I can overlook that because the game is just so fun to play. Say what you will about the more “grown up” style of GTA, but Saints Row has managed to craft a story here with a bit of weight to it. You are given choices, and your choices will have some consequences in the game. For example, at the end of the first act you have a big choice to make. Choose one way and get a swanky crib to use. Choose the other way, and you leave a big hole in Steelport's skyline. There are other decisions to be made too, some with less consequences, others, if you've grown invested in the characters, carry far more consequence.

Somehow Volition managed to feature the over the top story fans of the 3rd Street Saints are used to, and take it to another level. It really worked here, so my caps off to Volition. The story was far more than I expected here.

Saints Row features unique weapons, and vehicles, most of which are customizable or upgradeable. They really went all out this year in the weapons department, giving you the ability to call in predator missiles, after only the second mission, which you have to steal from an armory chock full of guards. Things only get better from there. Rocket launchers, laser guns, airstrikes. AIRSTRIKES!! That you can call in at any time, anywhere, and on any unsuspecting sap you deem fit.

The games controls in general seem to have been tightened up a bit from the second game,which should be expected. The shooting especially, seemed to come easier to me. You've been given a larger array of melee attacks as well, giving you the chance to really show off as you kick some ass.



Volition also delivered once again on vehicles. All your favorites are back, from the Bootlegger, to the Temptress. They also have some new toys on display, that I'm sure you've seen in videos or screen shots. They have some futuristic vehicles too, such as a jet bike, and the F-69 VTOL. Most vehicles are customizable, which is always fun to tinker with. Plus, through your phone, you can get most any vehicle delivered to you with a simple call.

The cars all handle fairly well, with my only gripe being that the mechanics of all the cars on the road seem to be a bit wonky. I should not be able to drive a tiny little Emu right through a big ass garbage truck. I suppose it helped with the flow of the game considering the way cars would just drop in, but sometimes you would drive right through whatever was in your way, and others you would have to deal with being a windshield cannon. I would have liked to see a bit more consistency in this area.

There is plenty in Steelport to keep you interested. The mini-games that made it easier to level up your character from previous games are back, but in a lesser form than they were featured in the second game. In saints Row 2, each instance of one of these mini-games offered, I think, six levels. In SR3, there is only one level at each instance, with the medium, and hard levels being in a different part of the island you are on. For instance, if you want to do some insurance fraud, you can do one spot. Once you finish this, it will unlock two new instances of said event, for you to travel to. I really like the new system for these. It opens up the city, and really gets the gamer out to explore Steelport.

One downfall of the new system is that there are a few less to choose from. The crowd control, poop truck, and the cops like mini-games are gone. Returning are Insurance Fraud, Mayhem, and Trail Blazing, with a few new additions. It's a fair tradeoff, do a few less of them, and instead you get to explore more of the city.



Speaking of leveling up, nearly every single thing you do earns you respect and/or money in Steelport. From driving, to walking down the street bumping into people. If you level your character right, it can all equal cash. The more you level up, the more upgrades you can buy, the more bad-ass your character becomes.

The voice work in Saints Row is all well done, and we've even got Hulk Hogan voicing one of the new Saints, which sort of surprised me, till I remember he did do some promotional work for the game. There is one more kick ass cameo in this game. No, it is the best cameo I have ever seen in a video game ever. This is on the level of Bill Murray in Zombieland. It was that unexpected, for me at least.

I was not a big fan of the games music. It's not to say that it was bad at all. It just really wasn't my flavor. I'm more of a rock, classic rock guy, and for me, it just didn't feature enough of that. There is some good, like a whole station dedicated to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, which was another nice surprise. I'm sure there is at least something on the radio for everyone.

Pros
+ Great story
+ Over the top action
+ Best Cameo in Games, EVER!

Cons
- The game does feature some slowdown at times.
- Cars tend to drop in and out at random while driving down the road.

The 411:
Bottom line, Saints Row is a blast to play, and isn't that really what it should all boil down to? From an awesome arsenal of weapons, to fun mini-games, to a great, if somewhat short story. Saints Row is well worth the investment, and a fine alternative to some of the more serious sandbox games out there. Saints Row finds a fine line where it can poke fun at itself, and still be serious when necessary.

Graphics	8.0	Some slow down and less realistic animations, but it works well for the bright and vibrant city.
Gameplay	9.5	Saints Row is a blast to play, from start to finish.
Sound	8.0	While the music wasn't exactly my cup of tea, there was at least something for everybody.
Lasting Appeal	9.0	30+ hours in and still going
Fun Factor	9.5	So much to do, so much fun doing it. From unique weapons and vehicles to great story.
Overall	8.8   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 5 Saints Row 3 Screenshots