Saints Row: Third Time is the Charm [Impressions]

On the surface, the Saints Row franchise appears to be little more than a GTA clone (both are sandbox adventures with a serious bent towards graphic violence), but the latest entry in the series has a serious amount of polish, is ridiculously funny, and most importantly, a ton of fun. It’s far and away the best Saints Row yet, and a worthy holiday season release even with gaming juggernauts Modern Warfare 3, Uncharted 3, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and Battlefield 3 competing for your hard-earned dollars.

While the story isn’t exactly a Puzo-esque tome, it’s good enough and has some legitimately funny moments. You’re the leader of the 3rd Street Saints gang, and are the most popular and powerful posse in Steelport (a much more interesting version of Pittsburgh blended with NYC). The Saints celebrity has gone out of control (passers-by ask you for pictures and autographs while you’re in the middle of boosting a car, etc.) and your gang must keep away contenders to the throne. That’s about as deep as it goes.

What makes Saints Row great, though, is the slick gameplay, extensive character customization, and unparalleled outlandishness of the game. Whether you’re tasked with causing $250,000 worth of damage in a neighborhood while rolling around in a tank, or beating up an old lady with a giant dildo-bat after base jumping off of a luxury high-rise, it’s consistently engaging. The controls are intuitive, and the updated combat system – which rivals Batman:AC in terms of smoothness and combo-linking – are a joy to behold. Aiming weapons still sucks ass, but never becomes a serious hindrance. The number of WTF moments in the game is off-the-charts and includes: getting a sex change, participating in a murderous Japanese game show, and dismembering Mexican wrestlers. I spent two hours perfecting the look of my playable character, who ended up a spitting image of Walter White from AMC’s hit show, Breaking Bad.

The graphics are good enough, but definitely the weak point of the game. There’s nice lighting and reflection on the cars, but the character models and explosions are very 2008. In the context of the game, though, it isn’t a dealbreaker, and softens the excessively intense and visceral violence as a whole. Mediocre graphics work in Saints Row as opposed to GTA, which takes itself somewhat seriously and doesn’t get any help from the dated look of the game. In Saints Row, though, stupidity and insanity rule over reality, and the look and feel match up well. A bazooka just feels right in the hands of a gangster wearing a giant Hello Kitty mascot head.

If you’re a co-op fan or multiplayer addict, Saints Row is online, but doesn’t bring anything memorable to the table, so don’t expect too much. The Xbox LIVE label on the box is there in spirit only.

In closing, I am completely sold on Saints Row the Third (FYI, I wasn’t a fan of the first two), and find it a great distraction from the intense modern shooters and time-sucking role-playing games that are dominating the market right now. This is a game that shouldn’t be missed for those who love stupid fun, and is most definitely the sleeper hit of the 2011 holiday season. Long live the 3rd Street Saints.