4.1.2013

I think before I review this game it's useful know what the person is like reviewing the game. Well, like the title, I'm a casual gamer. I used to be a die hard gamer back in the Amiga, Sega and N64 days but now I'm a casual gamer playing a couple of hours a night a couple of days per week (with the odd touch of weekend madness)I'm not personally a fan of GTA but was looking for something a bit different after completing a few Modern Warfare games and Bulletstorm and Gears 3 etc so thought I'd try something completely new and try Saints Row the Third. Had I known it was a GTA type game I wouldn't have touched it as I had Vice City on the Xbox and hated it and also hated GTA4 on the 360 but luckily this game is so far apart from Grand Theft Auto (whilst having a similar format)that I absolutely loved it.The first few levels are on rails, teaching you some moves and laying down the plot for the game and was fairly enjoyable. After this you find yourself on your own in a sandbox and after a couple of missions it hit me that this was basically a GTA type game. At first I was gutted but was hooked enough to continue playing a bit further to see what was going to happen. Like GTA games you're fed missions by phone and you execute them and move onto the next mission but the difference here is that the missions are enjoyable. If you die then then you don't have to re-do tedious parts, or watch boring cut scenes over and over again to re-try that failed mission.I'm not one for cut scenes and haven't watched on on any COD or Halo games but on here they're pretty light and funny and you'll quickly get into them. Many reviewers talk about how funny the game is and whilst I rarely laughed out loud the game is very light hearted and doesn't take itself seriously like GTA.Apart from mission games there are plenty of mini games that you can do in your own time that aren't part of the central story but will help you control more of the city which enables you to make more money to buy more weapons and upgrades and so on. What's also nice is that there are decisions to make along the way that effect the outcome of the game. You can side with an army type organisation and they'll aid you take over parts of the city or you can side with another faction and this will help you in other ways.The game is fast and furious and looking at the built in play timer I'm ashamed to admit that I've clocked up over 40 hours of play so far. Before sending you to sleep here's a short list of of some of my favourite aspects of the game -1. Driving is fast and fun. Sat nav works well and racing to a destination is a thrill. Plus, if you get bored do a massive crash for some bonuses.2. Shooting and targeting is easy. Nothing like the system on GTA. Very Enjoyable.3. Upgrading is easy and you have hundreds of options to spend your money on. Simple to do and lets you focus on weapons/ talents that you find valuable.4. Range of vehicles/weapons. Hijacking a car is easy and fast if you use the Bo Juke buttons. Simple approach a car that is driving towards you and jump through the windscreen and keep driving! So much quicker and easier than walking around in circles fumbling about trying to open the door like some games! Also, tanks, jets, hover bikes (depending on what options you take) and easy to handle and let you cause mayhem without the hassle. Also, some of the radio stations are hilarious.5.Zombies - Yes, even a part of the map becomes infected with Zombies to give you some nice zombie slaying. Awesome.I finished the game some time ago now and for the first time ever with a game found myself trying to complete the game to 100%. I've spent hours wiping out secret gang locations, looking for boxes of sex dolls, getting my pic taken by fans and killing prof Genki (you get a million bucks for killing him if you find him - but he's TOUGH) and now as I patrol the skies of Steelport at night I just wait for the release of Saint Row 4. Great game. Great Times. And now it's pretty reasonably priced so give it a try for yourself if you're in any doubt.

2.12.2011

So I loved Saints Row 2 and have been waiting for The Third to come out ever since. How does it compare? Well - its similar but different; it keeps most of the good bits of SR 2 and improves on them and bins off the less good bits. There are a couple of disappointments, but I'll come to them later...So the plot is fun - silly and occasionally jaw dropping. The second mission on the plane (I will say no more) is one of the most genuinely awesome gaming experiences that I've had; the gameplay was simple, but the visual effect... wow! Having worked my way through around two thirds of the main plotline, it is funny, kinda clever in parts. Not quite as engaging or dramatic as parts of SR2 (nothing to touch the SR2 Brotherhood plotline,certainly), but solid. Another nice touch is that, as well as the better graphics, customisation goes a bit further than SR2. As well as boosting your characters resistances and skills (with money, rather than by completing the minigames, with certain boosts locked until higher levels), you can customise your weapons to be better, including (in some cases) being able to shoot explosive or incendiary ammo.One of the things I liked most about SR2 were the minigames and these are back in abundance - and most of them are a lot more polished and good fun than the ones in SR2. As well as the old favourites, there's also a version of Mayhem played with tanks, a survival maze where you shoot people dressed as hotdogs and a truly brilliant version of Escort which I won't spoil for you (but anyone who has seen Talladega Nights will love the reference). The tasks are all engaging but not of them are too taxing.This touches on one of the issues that was a bit disappointing - the game difficulty (at least on normal) is very low. While this is kind of nice and means you don't end up playing the same tasks over and over again (like the higher levels of Trail Blazing in SR2), there isn't much of a challenge. Maybe the harder difficulty levels will be different.Other good bits - better soundtrack than SR2 I reckon, less fiddly vehicle customisation, fun new characters (Oleg and Kinzi are both ace; Zimos is good in a quirky, Marmite-love-him-or-hate-him kind of way). Although some reviews elsewhere have criticised the cityscape as being too samey, I don't think this is the case; it isn't as varied as SR2, but that always seemed a bit over-artificial to me anyway. There is some variation, and it isn't as dull and samey as Liberty City in GTA 4 was.Bits I didn't like - Shaundi has turned from cute stoner babe to Cheryl Cole semi-lookalike with a chip on her shoulder (although minus the Geordie accent) and the character is less engaging for it. There isn't as much out and out silliness in the same way that SR 2 had (fewer weird secret locations) and the gameplay isn't as rude or, for want of a better word, 'edgy'. This is played up to in some parts (when doing the minigame in SR3 that was, in SR2, drug dealing, your character is distributing naff Saints Row merchandise), but there is a definite feeling that aspects of the game have been toned down to avoid criticism. There aren't the same options to customise your cribs to the same extent either, which is a bit of a shame, but they're actually pretty sweet anyway so that's not so bad.All in all - worth the wait and worth buying new. Great for dipping in and out of and playing casually, if you liked SR2 (and/or thought that the GTA series has started taking itself too seriously), then you should buy this game.

13.8.2017

Saint's Row as a series has often been overlooked thanks in part to the GTA series and to this day I fail to understand why. Sure the very first game was merely Okay it didn't light the world on fire but wasn't terrible though I struggle to remember anything about it.Saints Row 2 was good but then Saints Row 3 came out and I still hold in high regard all these years later, well not that many years but my point still stands. The Third Street Saints, the gang you run in Saints Row the Third have at this point in their lives become pop culture icons which merchandise on the same level as Star Wars and naturally begin to feel as though they have lost themselves,forgetting who they really are and so the first mission has you and your crew robbing a bank and reminding people they're still into the gang life, soon enough you're crew and you are arrested and are taken to some other gang leaders plane who attempts to convince the Saints to surrender to him, this goes as well as one would expect and then after escaping the plane mid flight they wind up in the city of Steel Port. Out of luck and money the player character then decides as any sensible person would to take over the city, one gang at a time. The game is mostly a ludicrous adventure with missions like riving in a car with a live tiger, fighting gangsters in a video game or shooting zombies but knows when to ease up its its ridiculous nature for some sincere character moments and plot points but never forgets the number 1 rule of video games, that it is meant to be fun. Grand Theft Auto V wore me out if I'm honest simply by having no likable characters and lacking a strong overarching story, lots of little plot points but nothing with a satisfactory pay off so then I took my little trip back in time to give this game a play and like I mentioned I am left confused as to how Saints Row as a series is eclipsed by the gelatinous blob of GTA. Saint's Row The Third is and I really hate this word but... well it is Awesome.A variety of fun weapons, a level system which adds something to gameplay with useful character upgrades and perks, fun and genuinely interesting characters and a decent level of character customization, there is so much about this game to like. I was a little turned off by regenerating health as I am in any game because it kills the pace of an intense fire fight as you suck your thumb behind a wall waiting for your arms to grow back and yes I realize what I just said.Saints Row is the kind of game which deserves to be played, what few issues it has are compensated for by the game focusing on what it does well, mad-cap action and driving with some genuinely hilarious situations. I never felt like the swearing was to much either, GTA has that problem where characters curse too often for no reason and it just stops being impactful, while the protagonist of Saints Row still swears but he/she does so appropriately and at moments when you'd expect a human to do so, not just because your audience is mostly 6 years old and think characters repeatedly spouting curse words is funny. Saints Row the Third shows us that as that there is still room for actual whit as well as some good ol' fashioned silliness.Overall I have to say that Saints Row The Third is a well put together game with a lot of humor and challenge, if you're still in possession of a PS3 or Xbox 360 or just own a reliable PC then I suggest you fire it up, grab this game and enjoy yourself.

27.2.2012

If you've played Saints Row since its debut you will realise it has steadily moved away from "GTA Clone" and descended into its own unique and frankly completely crazy sandbox game and this instalment descends it further into that territory. Initially I was worried by the early impressions and footage of the game that it had maybe gone too far down that route and once again I was eating my own words. Make no mistake it is crazier than ever but thats the best thing about this game it still maintains a well scripted story, yes its over the top and completely out of this world (literally) but it just works so well.The setting has now shifted from Stillwater to Steelport with the Saints now tryingto assume control of new territory and the set up is all the same as before which is great because if somethings not broken don't try fix it. Steelport is well designed much like any city in these crime games its the usual several islands connected by bridges and surrounded by ocean so not much has changed there. The story carries on from the second game despite a change in location as usual rival gangs occupy the city and the STAG army are sent in to try control things. The main story missions are all well executed despite most been in bonkers territory from gunfights while skydiving right through too becoming a walking toilet (yes I kid you not). The graphics and physics are good their no longer state of the art but work perfectly for the kind of game their creating.The story aside which I won't go into due to spoilers all other side missions return from the previous games along with a few new takes on them Escort, Trafficking, Trailblazing, Mayhem etc all return and several new ones including Tank Mayhem and Professor Genki. The principal is the same for each activity each varying in difficulty you will slowly take over areas of the map and increase your hourly income from the city. Your income can then be spent on upgrading weapons or purchasing abilities as your character levels up. So while the game can be easily dismissed as a vein sandbox game it is at its core still very deep. Other returning side options return such as Assassinations and Car Thefts which can keep you busy long after you have finished the story and If that wasn't enough there is also all of the challenges to complete and hidden collectables to find.There is too much emphasis on comparisons with GTA and it is impossible not to draw some but I think both have now found their niche, GTA clearly now does the realistic gritty crime sim well and Saints Row caters for the more extreme OTT sandbox and long may that continue. This is a game that will keep you hooked and busy for hours and most importantly its easy to play and at no point becomes frustrating. Possibly the most enjoyable game I purchased in 2011 and probably the first game in a long time I purchase some DLC for.

12.10.2013

I enjoyed this game, don't get me wrong. I absolutely loved it. But it's two years old, and it's obvious that they never fixed the glitches with it even though they have had plenty of time. Where do I start with the glitches?1) This has been a problem for many people, and I find it to be the most annoying. This doesn't happen with everyone, just the unfortunate few, but achievements don't always unlock. For example, whilst playing this game I thought "Wow, act 1 is long!" because I hadn't got the achievement for completing act 1. Then an achievement comes up for completing act 2. So clearly I'm not getting the act 1 achievement.2) Secondly, it doesn't remember you've already done missions.

23.11.2011

Saints Row: The Third is a brilliant game and well worth the hype and anticipation. I was a big fan of Saints Row 2, mainly because me and my friends could have endless fun and laughs with it. Also this type of gameplay suits my style well.The storyline is as unrealistic as it gets. Within the first 10 minutes, you'll realise this. But, this is definitely not a critisism. It's a compliment. Too many games of this nature are engaging with realism and this game gives you a well needed break, and just lets you relax and have fun. To put it another way, it resembles an action movie (where everything is very unrealistic). The graphics are also a nice touch. Again, non-realistic and cartoonish.

29.4.2012

As a fan of the Saints Row Series, I was excited as hell when they announced they were making a third addition to the Saints Row Series, 4 years after the 2nd Release. for any of you who are not familiar with the Saints Row Series, they are a series of Action-Adventure open world sandbox type games. They all consist of "Missions" that you have to complete which is similar to a storyline mode as it plays through the story, with "Activities" as such to keep you amused, these are like little side games to play through and to get some nice achievements.Regarding the gameplay, this in it self is much more better than Saints Row 2. the missions are a lot more interactive and enjoyable to play with,

24.5.2012

This game was fantastic, or funtastic depending on your view :). It brings back the good old GTA feeling but also improves the recipe, makes it easier to digest. The planes are incredibly fun to fly, the jokes are very funny and the feeling of oppression S.T.A.G. introduces is very nicely done. Also the variety and absurdity of some of the missions is very nice, the same can be said about weapons. Choices seem to make little difference only regarding unlockable stuff, the final choice can be replayed so I guess that's also fun because you can experience the alternate ending. I would definitely buy this game again especially since I own GTA on the PC no need to get the same on the XBOX,

22.12.2011

I am writing this review very early in the game, i have completed just over 10% of the game.And just like the title all i can say is... WOWFor the first time ever, i bought this game from a 2 minute description of it from my friend.He described it as Grand Theft Auto but taking the pi**. Alot more freedom, buying places, keeping items such as cars, helicopters, air planes. He explained all the stuff you can do. Two minutes late, BOUGHT!The graphics are in my option amazing, they aren't the most realistic graphics in the world but personally i love them.I love GTA online but call me crazy, i don't like the campaign. The online GTA experience is one of the best ever!

18.8.2012

This is definitely among the best free roam 3rd person shooter games I have ever played. I prefer the shooting to GTA IV and it seems really accurate and has a nice feel to it, sort of similar to Gears of War for some reason. The only problem I have with it is the driving. In GTA I'm used to high quality, realistic driving, however, playing a game that clearly has no realism involved and mocks itself throughout while making the player laugh in every cutscene and radio report after a mission, makes that hardly a problem and definitely makes up for it. Being able to unlock cars/tanks/air vehicles and get them at your crib I think is brilliant and even though I haven't finished the campaign yet,

27.11.2012

Saints Row has to the most insane series I have ever played; which makes it the best too. The just overall craziness of the game is genius, and the multiple easter eggs too! The amusing and delightful range of weapons and cars, Steelport is your sandbox to play with. Picture Grand Theft Auto on acid is the only way to describe this, mad cat professor, dildo swords, naked women! This game has everything you could ever want! The storyline's very well written also. The saints attempt to steal a vault, but fail. They are taken to a luxury jet, where they meet one of the main villains, The Syndicate. As usual the first mission starts off with a bang with you falling out of the jet, shooting enemies as you go.

15.8.2012

Well what can i say 5 star game all round,a couple of very minor glitches aside but nothing that retracts from the over all enjoyment of playing what is probably the best game i have ever bought(and i would have gladly paid double what i did for this),great fun to play,fantastic sound track,with a choice of music to suite all,once you have peaked on leveling up and upgraded absolutely everything nothing in game play is beyond the capability of even the casual gamer,most things can be customized from cars and bikes to clothing to gang members to tattoos to thongs to being butt naked(if thats your thing)plus more,with main campaign story line plus an absolute shed full of side mission and

11.3.2012

...A very welcome entry to a very welcome franchise. Most of the flaws from Number 2 (I haven't yet completed number 1 but completed the story of number 2 as I found that a little bit more enjoyable) have been erased successfully. However because SR3 has incredibly good graphics, some of the fun little mini-games from SR2 have gone completely and haven't been replaced with anything new. This means that if you, like me, have already completed story mode you may soon get bored of the game within a week.However despite this, it is enjoyable while it lasts and there is a lot of DLC (downloadable content) now on Xbox Live that does make it a little bit more replayable after campaign mode.

16.10.2012

Well this game is as mad as a box of frogs to say the least, and this edition isn't even the Professor Genki edition!It's completely unrealistic, Brutal and fun! And that's what I love about it. The graphics are pretty good and the story lines are totally far-fetched and ridiculously entertaining. It does veer off from the whole saints row feel slightly but the 2nd game sort of did that too although there was more of a serious feeling to the first two. With this one, there are times where you feel "who actually designed this one? and why did they change the feel of the series" nevertheless its an entertaining game with some pretty easily obtainable achievements included.For those with a passion for even more destruction and warped fun,

28.3.2012

This game is like the best gaming experience anyone could have, it's totally bonkers and the upgrades and money are better than the old games by far. The upgrades are good because you can set some to, e.g. Never die, no bullet damage, no car damage, but you have to have respect to unlock the upgrades. The guns are so fun! you have the Octopus gun where you can shoot people and they attack people for you you can get the shark gun which shoots fish guts onto a person or anywhere and then a shark will emerge from underground and eat anyone with the fish guts stuck to them.As awesome as it sounds the Car customisation is amazing you can add lots of new things to cars but they do vary you can't put all of the same things on a car but mostly you can...And that ends my review,

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