The sandbox bar just got raised.
In contrast to the setting of the first two Saints games, Stilwater, The Third changes things up and drops us into Steelport, a more varied, distinct setting. It's not a drastic departure from the design of the previous world, but its a lot more colourful, detailed and taller. Skyscrapers hang over the many different streets of the main street, industrial buildings fill the power plant of the city and there are many other cool, well-designed locations. It's a city that's a joy to explore, to take in the sights, hunt for collectibles and find all of the zany activities that have defined the series.
Saints Row: The Third nails its presentation. The story follows the Saints, who have gone from street gang to an all-out media empire, with their own commercials, energy drinks and fame status. Johnny Gat and Shaundi, members from past games, are pop culture icons, and this state of fame will ultimately drive attention toward them for all of the wrong reasons. Three rival gangs are now in competition with the Saints: the Morningstar, noted by their red dresses and overcoats; the Deckers, goth-like members with blue neon lighting on their suits; and the Luchadores, a muscle-bound wrestling crew headed by Killbane, one of the biggest (literally) guys in the city. It's up to you to build your reputation, get your crew together and take them down one at a time. I enjoyed the first two Saints Row games, mainly because they were grounded in a reality while giving us freedom to cause destruction, and the story was better for it. In Saints Row 2, the story was still solid while veering into a more over-the-top nature. However, in Saints Row: The Third, the crazy dial has been turned to 100. The story is over-the-top and full of set pieces, polished cut-scenes and great humour, and its an enjoyable yarn. It feels like a bonus because, seriously, is the story the first thing under examination in an open-world sandbox? Of course not and, by those standards, its an entertaining romp.
The menus that tie all of the options together are done via a cell phone, which is brilliantly designed. With the "select" button, you can choose your map, upgrades, cash, challenges and missions on one screen, which is clean and efficient. Also, missions are now immediately accessible from the phone, meaning you don't have to travel to every location and watch a cut-scene beforehand – it just makes things more pacey, which I like. There are 41 challenges to undertake, too, ranging from destroying helicopters, boats and cars, to killing gang members, vehicle-specific tasks and even streaking. Yes, streaking. You can wear zero clothing and "shock" people, which earns you respect... and maybe the attention from the cops. This sets the tone of things to come in Saints Row: The Third and, if you like that, there's going to be a lot to like in this game.
Zany really is the word of the day in Saints Row: The Third. During your 30 hour stay you'll escort a tiger, enter a cybernetic world, cut up Mexican wrestlers with a chainsaw, change your gender and other small things like basejumping, vehicle surfing and streaking. All of these things are whacky fun, and the really "in-your-face" moments are well-delivered. Everything you do in the game is incentivized, earning respect and cash. Even the small aforementioned things give some sort of reward, which is great game design. Respect yields new levels (of which there are 50), and subsequent upgrades to your character, ranging from increased health and invincibility to bullets to having vehicles delivered to you, faster sprinting, quicker health regen and much more. All of these upgrades affect the gameplay in some way, which is great. Taking no damage from bullets – or explosions and vehicles for that matter – makes one feel extremely powerful, and makes the game more fun as a result. Cash is spent on said upgrades, as well as upgrading your cribs to their maximum capacity (in turn rewarding more in-crib options), buying stores and establishments and getting tattoos and buying guns. The stores you buy then give permanent discounts towards weapons or clothes. There are also Gang Operations in the city that must be completed to cleanse each district of one of three particular gangs. These are small shootouts with a dozen enemies, which are fun to complete.
Customization is a big part of Saints Row, and this third game is no exception. The choices for clothing, body, voice and outfits are insane, and you'll likely spend hours upon hours experimenting with different quirky looks. One character may be a gay pimp who wears a thong, another may be a brute-like man full of tattoos and wearing a bra and yoga pants, and one may be a green businessman who speaks zombie. Seriously, these are possible. In fact, your imagination is the only obstacle in the way of the options on offer. This customization extends to the vehicles, where rims, paint jobs, hoods, axles and designs can be modified. The amount of options here is again fantastic, and you'll be zooming around Steelport in many awesome cars and bikes in no time. Another great thing about your character design is that you can upload him/her/them online, and can also download other characters who have been created by the online community.
There have been a lot of tweaks to the gameplay of Saints Row: The Third. First, the shooting mechanics are the best they've ever been. The controls are fantastic and aiming, sprinting, jumping and climbing all feel great. Melee attacks are fun, and the weapons are superb. You'll expect pistols, shotguns, SMGs and rifles, but there are some crazy types of weaponry here, including the Shark-O-Matic which, when fired at an enemy, covers them in fish bait followed by a shark attack from beneath the ground. It's awesome. There's also the Mollusk Launcher, which fires singing, talking, mind-controlling Octopi. Honestly, there are other cool guns too, but enjoy them yourself.
The driving mechanics have been refined, too, and are majestic in their implementation. The controls here are sharp and responsive, and zipping around Steelport is a breeze. There is a lot more physicality to the vehicles, this time, and drifting feels cool. There is a powerslide feature where "X" controls a held slide of a vehicle round a corner, and its a brilliant innovation. Nitrous, remote controlled vehicles and car torpedoing are just some of the things you will do with cars in the game. The aircraft, though, are fantastic. Helicopters are good, but the military VTOL is great, and so is the hoverbike. Both vehicles have flight modes, which engages their acceleration, allowing you to fly around the city. It feels and looks terrific, and doing crazy upside down stunts above the water is just too satisfying. Enemies are generally good overall, and provide a decent enough challenge. They may sometimes stand still or drive over the edge of cliffsides, but they are good objects of which to use your entire arsenal.
One of the most important aspects of Saints Row, and the series as a whole, is in terms of the activities. They were great features of the first two games, and here they are as profound as ever. Some of the favourites of the series are back, such as Insurance Fraud, which tasks you with throwing yourself in front of oncoming (and often aggressive) traffic, to score a specified amount of cash. There is also Trail Blazing, where you drive to different checkpoints dressed in a yellow suit on a flaming ATV quad. Other activities like Escort, Snatch and Trafficking remain, among others. The new activity in Saints Row: The Third is a hilarious mode called Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which is accompanied by a big cat with big green eyes and a suit. In it, you traverse dangerous levels with fire and electric traps, killing mascots and destroying bonus billboards for cash, extra time and health. These mascots range from pink teddy bears and pands to large drink cans and hotdogs, and its awesome. The commentary in this mode is witty, with works in tandem with the game's (mostly) solid writing.
There are "specialist" versions of gang enemies in the game, as well, like the Morningstar sniper, Deckers teleporting warrior and Luchadores grenade-launching enemy. The toughest, though, are the brutes. These are eight-foot experiments who throw cars, tip your car, and knock you flying. Some of them carry miniguns, flamethrowers and sit in the back of enemy vehicles. This adds to the variety of the game, which is appreciated.
The visuals in Saints Row: The Third are also the best of the series. Saints Row 2 looked a bit muddy and saturated, but the game benefits from a colourful art direction, good animations and some really nice sights. Flying a helicopter yields an attractive perspective on the clean, shimmering lights of Steelport's skyscrapers, but on the ground pedestrians look generic and lifeless. Vehicles also pop-in on the roads at random moments, and the atmosphere can feel really empty on the streets. Exploring the shipwrecks, industrial plants and beaches of the city yield few pedestrians, which can make the game feel empty at times. Still, the cut-scenes look good and the overall presentation front is sharp.
The sound design is strong as well. Voice acting is, for the most part, well-delivered. A pimp that only speaks in auto-tune is both annoying and tiring, and gets old really fast. Guns sound good and explosions sound the way you'd expect, and the soundtrack is varied and great. Rap, rock, pop and 80s are par for the course, and the dialogue is solid, if sometimes forced.
There are some issues with the game worth mentioning. There are some characters that can become annoying. There is Zimos, a pimp who only speaks in autotune, and it gets old very fast. The other issue is minor, but something I pondered during the experience: the game can often be on the easy side. You gain access to the best toys only hours in, and there isn't much in the way of enemy progression to prove a challenge. In spite of the difficulty, its made exceptional fun because of this, so I suppose its forgivable.
Saints Row: The Third also contains a co-op multiplayer mode for two players, but this isn't as fun as the single player. Though the concept of two people destroying the city sounds appealing, the game can run a bit iffy, and some missions don't suit co-op support, meaning some of them can drag. Plus, it's better to take over the city alone. There is also a mode called Whored Mode. This is similar to the "Zombie Assault" mini-game from Saints Row 2, and here the mode is great fun. Accessible from the main menu, there are more than a dozen waves to fight, each different from the last, which task the player with specific kill challenges. It's an awesome, underappreciated mode that not many people may notice.
Saints Row: The Third is one of my favourite open-world games of all time, and absolutely the best in the series. It's an evolution of a franchise that is frequently dismissed as a "GTA clone". Though the question was up in the air for the first two games (mainly the first), here the features are now distinguishable from Rockstar's series, meaning both are now their own type of games. For every minor issue I find, The Third ultimately wins me over with its awesome gameplay, crazy personality, fun activities and great presentation. It is superior to the competition in many aspects and, for that reason, fills with me ecstasy for the wait of the inevitable fourth installment.
SUMMARY
Presentation 9.5 – A superb phone system that ties together all of the options, and the cut-scenes are slick. The story is an entertaining romp, and the customization is astonishing.
Graphics 8.0 – It's the best looking Saints game yet, with some pretty sights and animations.
Audio 9.0 – Good voice acting, adept sound effects and a great, assorted soundtrack.
Gameplay 9.5 – The core gameplay has evolved, with fantastic refined gameplay, excellent activities and a great amount of crazy, entertaining content.
Replayability 9.0 – There are hundreds of customization options, a 30 hour story, and the incentive of getting 100% completion.
Overall – 9.5/10