In this game it pays not to be a Saint but you may well have to get in a boat and Row to get to the place you are going.
Saints Row is a sandbox-style action-adventure that is set in the city of Stilwater. This city is based heavily on the likes of Detroit and Chicago, the game begins with the unnamed protagonist being caught up in a war between three rival gangs. He is rescued by Julius Little and Troy Bradshaw, who lead the 3rd Street Saints, a street gang tasked with bringing an end to the ongoing gang war that has crippled the streets of Stilwater. So from the get go you know you are in for a long ride that is going to be fun.
Lets take a look at the gameplay for Saints Row and then i may well look into the story. This game has elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game in which you the player have a large open environment in which to move around. While on foot your character is capable of walking, running, swimming, climbing and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat. You can also drive a variety of land-based vehicles like automobiles, trucks and vans. With this being an open world game it gives you the choice of how you want to play the game. You can dive right into the mai quest line or you can drive around and look for side quests to do that in the long run can help you out in getting better at the game.
With this being a game about gang warfare you know that there is going to be combat in Saints Row. This ranges from basic hand-to-hand combat to utilizing a variety of weapons to get the job done. A 360-degree free aiming reticule appears when a weapon is equipped, allowing for fast and responsive aiming. The player can still move around freely with a gun equipped and still has the ability to run while firing as the game does not feature a fine-aim zoom mode, except on sniper rifles. Weapons are selectable from a one-touch inventory system, rather than toggling through each weapon. The player can also perform a melee attack with a gun equipped through use of the alternate-fire trigger. Saints Row has a regen health system but you can also buy food that can help speed that along. I mean no one likes sitting around waiting for a hole in the head to heal up.
As you might expect there are a wide range of weapons for you to pick from if you can find/buy them in game. They range from melee weapons, pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, rifles, an RPG and thrown weapons. Not only that but you also have your own private stash of weaponry which you unlock as you play and that can be found in your crib.
Like the GTA games there is a wanted system unlike the GTA games of late they do not just cover the police but they also cover the rival gangs as well. Each bar filled is represented by the provoked enemy's logo, be it a star to represent the police or a gang sign to represent an enemy gang. One bar of notoriety will result in non-lethal retalliation however two, three, four or five bars of notoriety will result in a gradually increased lethal response. Over time, however, notoriety will go down but until all the notoriety bars are fully depleted.
Now with some of the gameplay out of the way and before i take a look at the story i will look into the gangs of Saints Row. There are four major gangs in this game.
The 3rd Street Saints.
The gang that the main character will join after the leader Julius saves him after a gang fight, wear purple colors and is made up of all races. The gang specializes in gang warfare in an attempt to take back the city from the other gangs and restore peace. The Saints are led by Julius Little with lieutenants Johnny Gat, Dex Jackson and Troy Bradshaw backing him up.
The Los Carnales.
Primarily made up of hispanics, mostly Colombians and Dominicans, and a small group of Caucasians, and sporting red colors, Los Carnales specialize in arms and Drugs. Hector Lopez leads the gang while his brother Angelo Lopez is his right-hand man. He is dating Luz Avalos at the game's onset. Victor Rodriguez is their enforcer, and Manuel Orejuela is a liaison from the cartel that supplies them with cocaine.
The Vice Kings.
The Vice Kings were formed by Benjamin King in Sunnyvale Gardens and one of the sections of the Projects district in Stilwater to counterbalance the might of Los Carnales. Warren Williams and Anthony Tony Green are lieutenants with Tony's girlfriend Tanya Winters in the gang. In present-day Stilwater, the Vice Kings serve as little more than the private security force that serves to safeguard King's personal dynasty which includes illegal gambling, prostitution and, the crown jewel of the Vice King empire, Kingdom Come Records, a semi-legitimate record company.
The Westside Rollerz.
Specializing in racing and automobiles, the Westside Rollerz are composed of Asian-Americans and caucasians, and dress in blue. The gang is run by Joseph Price and financed by William Sharp, Price's uncle. Donnie is Price's best friend, another lieutenant, and also their expert mechanic. The Rollerz operate from the northwest area of Stilwater, encompassing expensive suburban housing as well the area around the Stilwater stadium.
With the gangs out fot the way its time to take a little look into the story of Saints Row. The game starts off with you in the middle of a gang war between several gang factions. Wanting to try and stay out of the fighting you witnesses a fight between the 3 major gangs. Members from one gang attempt to gun him down; however, the 3rd Street Saints, led by Julius Little, step in and save him. Julius informs the player that he formed the Saints to bring down the other three gangs with the goal of returning peace to the streets. After proving himself to the Saints, he's initiated into the gang and then asked to assist them in taking over the city from three gangs in the city. Los Carnales, the Westside Rollerz and the Vice Kings. The player, over the course of the game, assists in several missions and stronghold takeovers against each rival gang, slowly bringing the entire city under control by the Saints. Because of the three different gangs, there are three linear plots that deal with the conquest of each gang, though events in one plot do not affect any of the other plots...That is the point i leave the story alone so you the player can have fun finding out the rest.
Saints Row came out for the 360 in north america on August 29, 2006 and then in PAL regions on September 1, 2006.
You do not need to be a fan of the GTA games to enjoy this one because while in alot of ways they are the same they are also very differant. So if you have not played this one yet and you looking for some time to fill this may well be the game for you.