Here it is, boys and girls -- the best reason to own an Xbox 360 this side of Oblivion. For Xbox 360 gunslingers, Saints Row is a must buy.
We can only hope that the developers of Grand Theft Auto IV are taking careful notes on Saints Row, the next generation of the "open world"-style games popularized by Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas. At first glance, Saints Row looks like little more than an Xbox 360-fortified version of San Andreas: from the mission design to the basic play mechanics to the tongue-in-cheek spirit, it's abundantly clear that Saints Row is firmly grounded in Rockstar Games' groundbreaking series.
Only it's better. Much, much better. Unquestionably, irrefutably better in nearly every possible way. Saints Row not only looks leagues better than the latest Grand Theft Auto games, it plays better. It's what you hoped you'd see in the yet-to-be-unveiled Grand Theft Auto IV...only you won't have to wait until late 2007 to play it. Groundbreaking it's not, but for Grand Theft addicts, Saint's Row is very clearly The Next Big Thing.
Ever wanted to escort soccer moms to risky drug deals? Now you can!
The story is simple but well executed. As a fledgling member of the 3rd Street Saints, you're charged with, shall we say, opening up new business opportunities. After being canonized in a vicious all-on-one mob brawl that serves as a brutal inaugural mission, you find yourself on the bullet-riddled streets of Stilwater armed with your fists and your dreams. And missions. Lots and lots of missions: Saints Row's in-game map is studded with literally hundreds of activities, stores, attractions, and clubs. To help players negotiate this sprawling playground, Saints Row's developers streamlined the cluttered, confusing map system from GTA. One of Saints Row's biggest selling points, in fact, is the GPS-style navigation system that draws a colored trail to lead you to any point of your interest (be it a gun store, a shootout, or a tattoo parlor). It's a magnificent navigation system, and Rockstar would be smart to borrow it for Grand Theft Auto IV.
Insurance Fraud: just remember to go limp
Speaking of missions, Saints Row's mission objectives are also hugely improved over San Andreas's infamously frustrating chores. Fail a mission? No sweat: tap a button to instantly try again without any penalty. The campaign missions themselves are also more ambitious, ranging from the usual petty thefts to ultra-satisfying killing and vandalism sprees. Some missions are tougher and more frustrating than others, but all can be conquered sans cheat codes. Mid-level respawn points would've been a thoughtful addition, though
.
Better yet are the seemingly never-ending array of side-jobs and mini-games, some of which made us think "Mafioso Mario Party." Our favorites were Insurance Fraud, where you fling yourself in front of speeding cars to cash in, and Drug Trafficking, where you ride shotgun with a dope dealer as they make their "deliveries." Other side-jobs will have you hijacking cars, dodging paparazzi, and assassinating people from a mysterious hit list. These side missions are downright addictive, and are some of the game's biggest strengths. And since their difficulty levels and cash rewards scale ever upwards, they'll keep you playing for hours.
Ghetto-Fab
Saints Row's seedy inner-city world is an illusion, but it's a convincing one. The game bombards players with clever, immersive audio and visual cues: parking meters gush quarters when smashed, pedestrians stoop to tie their shoelaces, and breaking newscasts report on your criminal mischief. In fact, Saints Row's digital world is so meticulously detailed that its only real peer in this regard is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a game that set soaring new standards for gaming immersion.
As far as raw graphics prowess goes, Saints Row is one of the most advanced Xbox 360 games available. Running at a native resolution of 720p, the game throws around high-end shader models, ragdoll physics, real-time reflections on cars, and plenty of other high-tech gobbledygook. What matters is that the environments and characters look razor sharp, draw distances are kept nice and long, and explosions produce dazzling geysers of sparks and debris. You'll still encounter brief snatches of slowdown from time to time, and sometimes enemies appear to pop out of thin air, but these issues are vastly improved over San Andreas.
The audio sparkles, too. Radio stations deliver an admirable array of tunes, mostly from lesser-known indie bands (listen for Local H's mid-90s pop hit Bound to the Floor aka "Copasetic"). Saints Row's sound effects are simply perfect, with meaty firing effects, booming explosions, and rumbling bass from passing cars. David Carradine (Kill Bill), Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), and Keith David (Requiem for a Dream) lend in note-perfect performances. One geeky detail we loved: David's crime lord insisted on calling us by the name "player."
Saints Row also deserves recognition for its well-developed character creation system, which is intricate enough to stand toe-to-toe with heavyweights like World of Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Your options include multiple ethnicities (including Asian and Latino) and body types (scrawny to morbidly obese), plus minute facial details nose size, jaw size, and so forth.
What's more, you can also play dress-up by buying clothing, piercings, tattoos, and hair styles from shops around Stilwater. Heavily customizing your character will increase your Respect level and unlock new missions. And if you ever tire of your appearance, there's always the neighborhood plastic surgeon. It's a GTA fan's dream come true.
Ghetto SOCOM?
Saints Row controls more like a sleek first/third-person shooter than the GTA games -- call it "ghetto SOCOM." The free-aim mechanic has its quirks, but overall it's a vast improvement over GTA's clunky lock-on targeting. Shooting and maneuvering feels tight and nimble, though the camera pans around a bit too slowly for our taste.
In the firepower department, Saints Row offers both good news and bad news. The bad news is that the selection of guns never quite opens up as wide as we'd hoped: it's an array of pistols, SMGs, rifles, and some explosives. On the other hand, the weapons are satisfyingly powerful and feel well balanced for multiplayer play. Thanks to the precision-oriented controls, scoring headshots is a cinch. In a nice twist, this means that even low-end 9mm handguns are ruthless killing machines in Saints Row.
The only time the controls ever get truly sticky is when you're trying to simultaneously shoot and drive -- practice makes perfect, but you may want to try reconfiguring the driving controls to master this tricky task. Otherwise, Saints Row is a smooth ride, with fast, fluid driving mechanics and superior gunplay -- definitely a remarkable improvement over San Andreas.
Saints Row's lighting looks particularly good. Note the accurate shadows
Inner-City Internet
Then there's the feature every GTA fan has clamored for since GTA III: online multiplayer matches. Saints Row's Xbox Live presentation is a colossal step in the right direction for the genre, with its live-action lobby, imaginative game modes, and an MMO-inspired element that allows you to amass and spend the money you win online.
Standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes are a given. Big-Ass Chains adds a financial element: you earn money and points by depositing the chains of fallen enemies at drop-off points. These simpler, pick-up-and-play games are great fun, and leagues better than the tacked-on multiplayer modes found in GTA: Liberty City Stories.
The sniper rifle has three levels of zoom, so you'll be well-equipped to make precision shots in multiplayer matches
Protect tha Pimp is more interesting because it's basically an urban-infused remake of Counter-strike's V.I.P. game. One team consists of the pimp and his followers, while the other consists of hired hitmen. The hitmen must try to wipe out the pimp; the pimp must make it safely to the exit without being blown to smithereens. This was one of the most suspenseful match types we played, as players each have only one life (ala Counter-strike), and the pimp could take any foe out with a single, devastating "pimp slap" melee attack. Perfect, isn't it?
Blinged-out Ride is also worthy of mention. Two teams compete to build the best car, blasting each other in order to steal cash to pay for the overhaul. Once one team has a big lead (and a blinged-out car), the other team inevitable tried to sabotage their car en route to the mechanic in order the even the odds. It's a fascinating tug-of-war: kind of like Junkyard Wars meets New Jack City.
There's also a two-player cooperative mode, but it's disappointing in size and scope. You can't play through the full single-player campaign with a buddy via Xbox Live. Instead, you're stuck with a collection of simpler mini-missions that, from what we played, seemed routine. Co-op is a fun distraction, but it wont' replace the bread and butter modes.
St. Awesome
Parental units should take note: Saints Row definitely ain't for the kiddies. If anything, it's even sleazier than the GTA titles. Naturally, older gamers will love the violence and the sophomoric sexual charge, but we wince to think of thirteen-year olds playing this very graphic game. And no, we didn't find any Hot Coffee-style mini-games (we looked), but thanks for asking.
Controversy will surround Saints Row, and not just from the Hilary Clintons and Joe Liebermans and Jack Thompsons of the world. Rockstar loyalists will pledge their blind allegiance to Grand Theft Auto, hurling insults (if not grenades and molotovs) at anyone who dares suggest Saints Row might surpass the ghetto classic San Andreas. That's sad.
True gamers will just shrug at the commotion and pick up the controller. Saints Row is just too good to miss.
# GRAPHICS: 4.75
# SOUND: 4.50
# CONTROL: 4.00
Fun Factor: 4.75 and Editors Choice
Multiplayer sounds interesting too.
