Saints Row: The Third
Release: Nov. 2011
Rating: M (Meaning: contains references to alcohol, sex, drugs, and other material not suitable for anyone under the age of 18...or 21...)
Price: $39.99 to $59.99
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Platform chosen for review: Xbox 360
Synopsis:
Welcome back to the Saints Row Universe where you are the head of a gang within the city of StillWater. Where you and your gang are beloved...to the point you have your own merchandise line and even energy drink! So what does a rich and beloved person like you do? Anything you want!
Except something happens and you, along with a couple of members from your gang find yourself in a different town called Steel Port. Where the Saints are nobodies...that is until you decide to take it over for yourself!
Features:
Customize your character - repeatedly
Customize your car
Customize your crib
Explosions
Experience a new and different city
Different mini-games return
Fly, drive, run, walk as you progress through the story
Alright so in the third game of Saints Row you will find an entirely different city. There are similarities to real life cities, but don't let that fool you...Steel Port is its own town. Play through feels like any Grand Theft Auto title. You're a criminal and you're out to do things that benefit you. But the thing with the Saints Row games is that you preform these deeds to a slightly over-the-top tone.
Unlike the GTA series which was a serious story of the antagonist and their criminal dealings, the exaggeration of the storyline was always kept some what serious. SR3 doesn't try to keep it serious too too much.
An example would the opening mission of the game. You and some of your crew are about to holdup a bank in Stillwater, but one of your crew is an actor who is trying to capture some of the essence of being a criminal. Yeah you read that right an actor is robbing a bank with the Saints.
No the mission is not a stagged event out of an movie. You, the actor, and real gang members bust into the bank dressed in exaggerated costumes of the Saints themselves.
Still don't believe me that this game doesn't take itself seriously and sets itself apart from GTA? Once you've played enough of the storyline you will receive 3 weapons, or rather you can obtain, that are just make you shake your head and/or chuckle.
Aside from the over-the-top feel, the game itself is incredibly short. The missions are mainly linear, but you do have a couple of options opened to you at certain points throughout the story. Each choice has an effect on the rest of the story as you progress through. Example: You hold the life of a crime boss in your hands and you're given two choices. One you can let them live and gain something, or if you go with other choice you gain an incentive that is permanent throughout the remainder of your game.
In an attempt to make up for the short story missions, there a variety of side events. Mayhem - which is a time limit event. You have an x amount of time with a certain weapon to cause a large amount of damage. Guardian Angel - Defend a fellow Saint or someone who is affiliated with the Saints, while they do something. You'll be either be flying a cobra attack chopper or using some sort of weapon while riding within a helicopter. Traffic - same as previous one, except you're on the ground and riding shotgun. Snatch - One of the many enterprises the Saints rely on to fund their criminal empire: ladies of ill repute. You go around and grab said ladies from their bosses and bring them back to a specific location - and there is a time limit. Escort - you're driver for a customer and a lady of ill repute. Drive them around town, or to a location, while avoiding the papparazzi. If you let the papparazzi score enough pictures it's game over. Insurance Fraud - exactly as the name of the game implies, only you're a human rag doll. Run into traffic, get runned over, bounced as high and as far as possible to score the necessary points within a set amount of time. One additional side option that isn't on the map - are the Assassination Missions - various diferent targets are available for you to remove from the game at any time...and once you complete all of them you unlock an in game achievement that is a pure stab at another game dealing with Assassins. Finally the last side event or mini-game is Dr. Genki's Murder Time - Fun time. Inspiration of the advertisement of this side game is similar to that of those Far Eastern style variety shows. Only in SR it's you versus armed people in survival. You have to run around a dangerous area filled with traps and rewards, and if you can survive to the end...you earn some money, respect, as well as control percentage over the area you're in. Oh and this is broadcast on TV as a game show...
Control percentage? That's right, the city of Steel Port is divided into areas under gang control. There are three gangs you will go up against throughout the story, and the only way to obtain control from these gangs is to either a) play through the story and b) finish each of the above listed mini-games or side games. (Really you don't need to do this to finish the game, but if you want to control the city...well...) Also control percentage is affected by the properties you purchase.
You have several options available to you in concern to properties: Saints Row Universe (clothing store), three unique clothing stores, gun stores, tatoo parlors, and vehicle modification stores. But that's not all...you have landmarks you can purchase as well. All of these properties are located throughout the city.
Wait what's the respect for? In this SR game respect is basically the leveling system. Each time you complete a mission, side event, or do specific things you gain respect. Each new level unlocks something you can purchase whether it be additional support for youself during the game play, or a game modifier that can help you along those tougher points in the game. An example would be reach level 5 and you can now purchase an additional upgrade for the amount of ammo you can carry for a weapon, or amount of ammo available at one of your many bases or cribs/safe houses. There are some additional options that appear after completing parts of the story, and they will be apparent as a message notifying you of new available upgrades will appear on screen.
So aside from the leveling up and optional side-games there is the customization. Starting with your character you have some limited choices on the side sound. The male side has an Australian or British voice, an older male voice, and an almost stereotypical voice. The female side has an Eastern European, a stereotypical sounding voice, and finally an older voice? (I couldn't really decide if she was older or attempting to sound just under-whelmed during the sound bites). After you've made your choices on voice, gender, you can change the way your character approves or disproves of someone. Moving on from there you can choose the body ration of fat, skinny, or muscular. Then you can modify the age of the character, but not the hieght. The other, humorous or unique thing to this SR game, is the sex appeal. Sex appeal meaning the bulge in the pants, or if you're a female character the size of the chest. But how deep does the customization go? It's pretty deep for the modeling of the head, there are enough options there from the brow size, eyeball height, spacing, etc...you could spend an hour modifying to your heart's content. But then that is where the deep customization ends. Hair patterns are a little limited, but there's enough choices there you shouldn't get bored. Colorization is pre-determined by swatches you can pick from. Finally you can alter what body marks appear on your character scars, make up, moles, etc - all to a limited degree. But enough that you shouldn't get too bored...
Now as you go through the game you will find yourself stealing various vehicles, jets, helicopters, motorcycles, cars...etc. Aside from the air transportation, you will find that most of the ground transporation (save some special vehicles) can be modified to a certain extent. Depending on what vehicle you have brought into one of the property types in the game, you can change the color (exterior, interior, as well as the under glow), external modifications like spoiler, the hood style, and so forth. But a deeper part of the modification is the car's preformance and viability. You can re-inforce the frame so the car can take a beating and not blow up on you while you're stuck in a mission. You can equip hub cap spikes to damage other cars as you collide against them...etc.
For the final stretch of customization there is of course your character. The clothing options range from costume play, business, casual, and so on. There are a variety of matching head wear and eye wear as well. Wait, that doesn't do it for you? How about tatoos? There is a selection of tatoos available that can be applied to the neck, head, arms, legs, back, and chest area. Oh and as an extra bonus to customization - aside from the sculpting that you can pain stakingly do, the clothing, tattoos, and vehicle modifications all grant you various amounts of respect. It's up to you to find the best combination to get the most respect out of the customization during game play.
One side bit that is both customization and leveling up: your weapons. There are a few different guns you can purchase or obtain through the game that can be modified. Meaning you can increase their potency on an enemy, or abilities of the weapon. Example, one weapon can be modified to have an explosive effect on enemies.
Alright I think I covered a good portion of what you can do in the game...did I miss anything?
The negative: this game is buggy. Even after a patch it is buggy. There are times where I'll be playing a mission only to get stuck under the map do a collision. The game will attempt and fail to correct the collision forcing me to reload the game. Customization is generous, but some of the cars in the game aren't very customizable at all. The story is very short, and once you've played through it all. There is no new game + option. Meaning you're maxed out, got the best guns...etc etc. Well that's it player, gotta start from ground zero and go through the motions again.
The positive: it's over-the-top and not into the whole serious story line. SR3 has a unique style throughout the game, even though it can be buggy, that offers a few good laughs, head shaking, and for a moment maybe a jaw drop or two. The world is definitely a little more cartoon like, vibrant colors, but geared towards a mature crowd.
Yes a mature crowd like the rating from the ESRB states. In fact this game may have gotten an NC-17 or Adult rating based on some of the theme suggested, and hints of sexual content within the game. but the developers at THQ were able to drop it a bit and skirt by with a M rating.
Final comment: This title started out as a GTA clone that had some different tweaks to it. At first it didn't really set itself apart from GTA. Now after two successful games - and the features of the third title. This is a different game from GTA, primarily in a very over-the-top storyline and the depth of the customization of the vehicles and characters.
Granted in GTA there was some attempt at body modification of the character, but for one title. Future titles in GTA removed the body modification.
Basically if you're looking for a game that has a game play similar to GTA but a different story and feel, go for it! Just remember this game is rated M.
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