Ah, Saints Row: The Third. Nothing is better than killing hookers, dressed in a monkey mascot costume, setting innocent pedestrians ablaze from an over-stretched limo with four flamer thrower spouts as side mirrors (or if you got the pre-ordered edition you got the REAL Genki-Mobile). Saints Row brought the world of gaming a legitimate sand-box game that has culminated into a fantastic-MURDER TIME FUN TIME-surreal, gaming experience that any subtle, psychopathic, overly-imaginative, super-caffeinated, single/multi-player enthusiast, sexual-innuendo demagogue...you get the gist of it kind of player would love.
Dr. Genki knows best!
For most of you, Saints Row started off as you basic generic GTA with a kick. Instead of doing every mission at one time, Volition brought on the Respect System. Earning respect through side activities unlocked story missions. These side activities or as I liked to call them "Extra Murder Time" involved either killing someone on foot with a gun, killing someone in a car with a gun, killing someone on foot or in a car besides a gun, or killing someone in a good ole fashioned tussle. Earning respect gained you levels with more abilities. Aside from that, back to the history. You are a basic punk off the streets of Stillwater. 3 Gangs rule the city, you got the Vice Kings who run protection for most of the brothels and other small businesses and make up the 1st half of the 2 greater powers in Stillwater. The Westside Rollerz are the Asian-American and Caucasian speed freaks and finally the Los Carnales, the Hispanic drug cartel that makes up the other half of superiority in Stillwater (though they hold most of the influence). Like I said before you are picked off the streets by Julius who creates the 3rd Street Saints in response to the growing instability of the 3 gangs that are ruining the city. You take them all out and eventually you are betrayed and put into a coma (you killed Alderman Hughes and the mayor in a fiery explosion ;D) leading to Saints Row 2. You awake after from a 2 year coma and escape prison. You revive the saints and lead them to take on the new 3 gangs that have taken control in your absence. The Brotherhood are a bunch of hick metal heads that drive huge ass trucks, the Sons of Samedi are drug addicted hippies that sell most of the yayo in town, and the modern day Yakuza dubbed Ronin. Along with Gat as your right man you find new lieutenants to rebuild the saints. Shaundi, a modern hippie with dreads and a beanie who is always high, Carlos who helps you escape, and the enigmatic Pierce who is the whiny black bitch of the group. Together you slowly take back Stillwater, but a new threat emerges...ULTOR. In the first game Ultor was a basic clothing factory, but with some lucrative investments in R&D research and cheap labor...Ultor reigns supreme in the heart of Saints territory. Taking on Ultor in the end eventually the Saints incorporate them and fully control Stillwater.
Did I mention Tera Patrick was a DLC and became a homie you could call to help you? ^^^^^^^^^
ANyways, the Saints ruled supreme rising from a modest gang to help cleanse the city into a dominant crime organization at the top of the world....but your character's ego gets the best of him and this finally brings us to Saints Row: The Third :D
After a few years living in the spotlight, you lead Gat, Shaundi, and a pussy-bitch male actor named Josh Birk to a bank heist at a very luxurious bank. Everything is going smoothly until...Josh pulls a gun on a teller and in return the teller (which is an old, ugly ass lady) pulls on Josh and the other tellers follow her example and a fire-fight breaks out. Gat launches some poor slob into a statue (awesome-sauce).
(Yes Jonhnny Gat is wearing a mask of himself) Eventually you get busted (after a crazy gunfight with an attack helicopter and are captured by your new enemy over the new city...referred as 'Bangkok's abusive father by Shaundi' Steelport. The Syndicate is composed of 3 new gangs under one banner. In the airplane Phillipe Loren, head of the Syndicate. He personally leads the Morning Star who controls the prostitution rings in Steelport and is the largest gang. The other gangs are the Luchadores headed by Killbane a wrestling champion turned entrepreneur and cyper-punk nerds, called the Deckers, led by an English teenager named Matt Miller. The Luchadores are the muscle and the Deckers are the cyber-division that controls all sectors of businesss. Well Loren wants to be part of Stillwater and offers a shitty deal with the Saints. Well of course you, Shaundi (who is now a complete hotty and TV personality) and Gat say "Fuck off you French fuck...yada yada yada I'm Belgian...yada go make some fucking waffles..yada yada...[Loren draws a gun and Gat using his mighty Asian, ancestral powers, breaks loose and pummels the Belgian fucker.]) Now you and Shaundi escape from the plane and well......not to spoil the rest of the game.....
New Game Mechanics
The system for shooting has improved greatly from the previous games with a better cover system. Driving is a little easier (power slide is greatly pushed by Volition as car chases demand it). A whole new leveling system with perks that can be allocated to different styles and upgrades gives the game a RPG feel with each character being different than the other. Activities to increase respect (which coincides with leveling up perks) is still the same, with revamped activities from the second game. Helicopters are far more easier to maneuver along with bikes, ATV's, etc. Overall the new upgrades put the finishing touches on waht makes this the best game in terms of mechanics out of the entire series (DUH).
(Can someone say Escort...whoa, who stole Mike Tyson's tiger!?)
Multi-player and Co-Op
Fantastic....co-op was a must have and Volition delivered. The co-op transitioned smoothly and did very well. It's fucking good guys, get to it...DO IT TO IT.
Weapons and Customization
A new array of weapons, each upgradable to a final and more devastating final form, gives the Saints leader all he needs to take out an entire city of bad guys (or mascots). From an AK variant that leads to a box-drum and grenade launcher, to a .45 magnum pistol with extended clip and explosive rounds (probably the only thin you'll need when you can dual-wield), to the all mighty Penetrator.....
Plot, Choices, and DLC
The plot is reminiscent of the other games: You fight 3 gangs and take control while following a pretty linear story with a twist...heart wrenching, mass murder, dildo smacking twists that make the linear story...not quite linear. Volition brings in event choices that determine future paths through the story (which only increases replay values besides the fact of creating new character with different voices {each with their own unique dialogue}) Anyway new characters are brought in to support the old and bring new spice to a already hot tamale. Even better, the DLC Volition has offered (I highly recommend Season Pass to get them free) continues beyond the story adding bit by bit to the game that takes hold of you inner gangbanger, rough-edged business persona. Flying pandas, bee-shooting guns, and alien fighters are just the beginning as Volition promises to bring a few more mission driven DLC along with weapon and clothing packs .
Final Thought
Saints Row: The Third is the best the series has to offer and brings to the table more raunchyness than a half eaten burrito left in the miceowave for a couple days because your roommate is a lazy sack of shit...ummm anyway, the game overall was explosive from the beginning to the end and brought some well needed comic relief (well the entire game was sort of a comic relief) throughout the game. Aside from the loading of terrain and often glitches that comes with the territory of of sandbox games, it is a great side step from the serious and moody GTA IV, bro infested Call of Duty 3/Battlefield 3 death zone, over-saturated RPG land, and the run in the mill Indie gaming. Saints Row: The Third is a fresh breath of new air in this new age of gaming to the extreme.
Graphics: 8/10
Story: 8/10
DLC: 10/10
Mechanics: 9/10
Multi-Player: 9/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Customization: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
I find it oddly repetitive except for the fact that its different gangs each time and each one of them do different Jobs, like drugs, prostitution, and racketeering and other things. Among them, im very excited to see what this game has in store when i get back from deployment.
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