Saints Row

Reviewed by Leland Bonaparte
October 20, 2006

Developer: Volition Publisher: THQ Website: Click Here Platform(s): XBOX 360 Players: 1 player (up to 12 via XBOX Live) ESRB Rating: M for Mature

Screenshot from Saints Row. Courtesy THQ. Click image to enlarge.

When Grand Theft Auto came out, gamers thought that it was the granddaddy of all games. Well, Saints Row will definitely have something to say about that. Welcome to the 3 rd Street Gang, where you will really have to prove yourself. You will have to earn respect on the streets to be the man. Grand Theft Auto III touched on gang related issues, but in Saints Row you will live it. Welcome to the jungle.

So all of you wanna be bad &%#es huh? Here's your chance to be that gangsta you always wanted to be. When the game starts off you will be in the middle of some chaos. You will get your chance to join the gang by fighting your way in (no, putting in a application won't work). No matter how hard you try to win, you won't. In the city of Stilwater they make the rules, not you. The game play is actually good and smooth. I thought the controls might be a problem, but I was surprised. Not too many wired button combinations and it is very user friendly. Driving, on the other hand, sucks. I don't care what game it is—if it's not a driving game, it will suck.

The graphics on the 360 are amazing and some of the best I've seen yet. The pimps are colorful and the gang colors are real. The city setting looks better than most games and you can pretty much travel anywhere. The missions are fun and will give you a couple of laughs. When you complete missions you will unlock cell phone numbers that will help you in the long run. These numbers can be used to aid you in drive-bys or other various services that you may need. This is one of the hot points of the game, so if you feel like you are in trouble, help is just a call away.

What kind of game would this be without music? 12 radio stations play over 130 different tracks and the music is banging. The soundtrack has some of the best music that I've heard. There are also talk shows and if you listen well enough, game play clues are also broadcasted over the air. The online play is real tight and up to 12 players can team up online. You can battle other rival gangs and claim your turf as the king of Stilwater. There are other various mini-games that make the online experience complete.

For the mature adult, this game is a dream come true. But we must face the fact that some minors will get their hands on this game, and it will probably end up on the banned list. That will be a crying shame because this is a really good game and respect is due. So let's hold our breath and see what happens.

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