Fun and utter insanity.
Saints Row. Pure gangsta; if that is your calling, was the original selling point for this series. You were the new guy sent in to smack hoes and peel caps on mother*ckers. Boy, times have changed for this series. I can't remember if I played the original,(have to check my cheevos from back then) but the second game was fun. Though, while I did play it and beat it with Ranvier, I can't remember or spend much time really delving into the game. This one is fun, and while unmemorable, it did have a whimsy and a tongue in cheek humor to what it's predecessors stood for.
Saints Row 3 is a story of loss and suffering...well sorta. Nah, not really. The Saints, on run from Stillwater (the original city of SR 1&2) come to roost in Steelport. The Saints go all gangster and try to take over the city. Steelport, run by some Belgian dude and controlled by three gangs. The Morningstar, the street gang of the Belgian dude, the Deckers, the techies, and the Luchadores, the wrestling gang. From there on it flicks the insanity up to 11.
The game play is short little missions of lunacy and destruction. The goal is to take over the city piece by piece, gang by gang. You buy different buildings, from crack houses to flop houses, taking little percentages of the city. You also get tutorials from each new "homie" you meet, that ranges from drug dealer protection to racing through the streets on an ATV with fire suit on. You slowly take down gang operations and territory while completing story missions, taking out the bosses along the way. The weapons are upgraded to ridiculous levels with pistols causing explosive damage and AKs with grenade launchers. The game becomes much easier once you can shoot with malicious intent. Then there is the 3 feet of purple pain and what made this game controversial on its release. Giant purple dildo, knocking peeps out with one hit. Oh! Let's not forget the fart in the jar. Toss it and the area clouds and people start puking. Later it's air strikes, satchel charges and predator missiles.
The story has it's moments, mostly it's outlandish gangsta stereotypes and stupidity. One part though was bloody brilliant, and Ran would have to agree. Revenge is mostly the name of the game. There are some seriously cool sections that start out really stupid. Very teenage humor, and they keep throwing at you though the entire game. I was waiting for Ranvier to play the story missions and while I was waiting I played though the other activities, and taking over the city on my game. Fun stuff like assassinations, car thefts, doing wheelies and survival waves against the rival gangs. I pretty much became overpowered and could clear enemies out within seconds. Game lost its challenge. My fault. Then on me wanting to complete all the challenges, I forged forward and completed the game and have only two cheevos left. Sorry Ran, we can still beat the game together in your game.
While I hate to compare this game to GTA, it is the only comparable and greatest parody to it. GTA had it's fun little side activities, watching TV, hitting comedy clubs and going to clubs; Saints Row is really lacking in that respect. So many things that could have be done to make Steelport come alive like Liberty City. There is the stores, but other than that I have only found two buildings that you could enter to do nothing in. A strip club and a bar. Wasted potential. In GTA you could play darts, arcade games and strippers in the gentleman's club. This is Saints Row, do something crazy. Make me drink the Kool-aid of the SR world and all its splendor and life. Steelport is just a shell that SR3 plays out on. Though this game is great fun, spending seven hours before you even start the first missions really tells you something about the potential for fun this game has. Fifty hours later it's still fun to run around and blow shit up. I am giving this a solid Good INU. I think with a little more serious tone while still keeping humor would make Saints Row even better; also bring the city to life. Saints Row 4 isn't taking this path from the looks of the trailer, but maybe they did a little overhaul on the city. Hopefully.
Ranvier let me know when you want to play again.
SWS out.
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