Saints Row: The Third

In an era where video games are all about realism, immersion and emotion, this title is a breath of fresh air.

If GTA: San Andreas, Just Cause and Bootsie Collins had a retarded albino child, his name would be Saints Row: The Third. The game doesn't take itself seriously and it makes it pretty clear from the get-go. It pokes fun at itself, other games, movies and pop culture as a whole.

You are the boss of The Saints. In the last few years, the gang has become something of an international multimedia phenomenon but things go south when The Syndicate, a rival crime ring, appears in the picture. Your job is to lead the Saints into conquering the city of Steelport and take revenge on the Syndicate.

There's not much to tell about the story. For all intents and purposes, the plot in this game is just secondary. It's an excuse to let you blow stuff up and pimp your ride. This, however, doesn't feel like a flaw at all. It works because it's understood that the game is just about having a good time.

The signature feature of the game is the pure wackiness of it. Almost everything in this strange world is extremely exaggerated, quirky and bizarre. You'll be meleeing with dildos, riding gimp-drawn carriages, flying planes, engaging into gunfights while free-falling from said planes and customizing your character to look like an indigo-skinned, psychotic, murderous, pimp-hat-wearing Asian clown with a British accent to boot.

The gameplay itself is very arcade-ish, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Combat and driving are both easy to pick up and not frustrating at all, even if they may feel a bit unchallenging at times. The main mission is not very long and it has two endings that you can see one after the other if you so choose. Like with most sandbox games, most of the content is in the form of numerous side-missions, challenges and free-roaming events. These are plentiful, if a bit repetitive, and involve different mini-games, some more entertaining than others (insurance fraud is the best thing ever!).

Aesthetically, the game has a very distinct style which reflects the whole weirder-than-weird theme. Everything is over-the-top, from clothing to haircuts to weapons. The amount of customization you can mess around with is big. I don't think I've seen another game with so many sliders at character creation screen and that's always a plus in my book. The graphics look just a tiny bit dated, but if you run with everything in high (which doesn't take too much of a rig at all) you get to see some pretty landscapes and details. Worth noting, the voice acting is more than decent. There's a variety of voices for your main character, three female and three male, if I recall, all with fully-scripted acting, which really takes customization to a whole new level. If everything else fails, you can even be a toilet. Yes. A toilet.

The maxim that's written all over Saints Row: The Third is that games are supposed to be fun. That's it. There's no pretense to shock you, make you connect with the characters or come out of it a better person through a meaningful message. This is about shooting hookers in the face and laughing at the pimp that only speaks through auto-tune.

While pure in its premise, a game exclusively focused on self-indulgent fun, ironically enough, might leave some people with a bitter aftertaste.

After a couple of hours, I had a hard time playing through it. A game being 100% about amusement is great. I'm all for it, and, on paper, it sounds delicious. Sadly, I'm so used to games like GTA, L.A. Noire or Monkey Island (!) that it's hard to just forget about the more serious aspects of playing video games and enjoy the ride. It just feels *too* random. I like the compelling plot and the deep characters. I like the challenging and innovative gameplay. I like the unique setting and creative mechanics. Saints Row: The Third doesn't have any of these because it doesn't have to. It's not what the game is about. All of these elements would detract from the simple, mindless joy that tries to sell.

Overall, it's an honest, decent open-world action game. At the very least, it has some pretty fun missions and unique moments that will put a smile on your face and that's enough to warrant a playthrough. If you're able to approach it loosely, you'll have heaps of fun with its action-packed sequences and quirky humor. However, if you're looking for a 'serious' game that's deep in plot or rich in innovation, better keep shopping.

8.5/10 A tier, really fun. Got it because it is meant to be the best in the series, in competition with 2. Really fun, wacky story. Just a great over the top game, the city was very baron but the activities were fun. Insurance fraud, the genki games, trial blazing and sky panda where my favorites. I like that the main villain isn't the gangs in this one and is a much larger threat. Im not sure if it's a spoiler so I won't say who they are. The gangs however in this were very weak and the villain they set up at the beginning was so poorly used in my opinion. The tech gang was good but a very minor if kind of cool threat. Just a great over the top game, the city was very baron but the activities were fun. Insurance fraud, the genki games, trial blazing and sky panda where my favorites.

I will always adore the customisation, just so great, there are so many clothes and ways your character can look. I like how you gradually get upgrades and new weapons, you do feel really over powered later on but progression is really well done none the less.

I wish your hideout wasn't always the same, you conquer a casino but when you do it just turns into another one of your penthouses. There are very few shops that aren't the saints chain of store, the graphics aren't bad but definitely feel like a restored PS3 game. If the open world had more to it I would probably give it a 10/10. The main missions also felt a bit repetitive and a lot of them were basically the side activities. I'm really glad I played it, definitely has a few flaws but was really enjoyable. Just not as expansive or interesting as SR2.

If you like absurd and clever jokes, if you like unrealistically cool and random missions, if you like awesome musics, if you just want to watch the world burn, then this game is for you. It has some flaws, but this is one of the games I just download and enjoy after years.

The crossroads in the series and a major breakthrough in gaming, this new step of embracing the out there and absurd is a fantastic thing for the industry giving a truly brilliant experience that is absolutely hilarious and as a result one of my all time favourite video games the silliness, the generic conventions on multipliers and the dark humour all create a fantastic experience that's an impressive play

This game is an absolute blast! If you're looking for over-the-top action, outrageous humor, and a wild open world to explore, this game has it all. The story is downright ridiculous in the best way possible-you take on the Third Street Saints as they go from gangsters to global superstars, and the missions just get crazier from there. The character customization is fantastic. You can create your own outlandish protagonist, whether you want to design a suave hero or a completely bizarre character with wacky costumes. The gameplay is a mix of driving, shooting, and just plain havoc, and there are so many side activities to dive into. From base-jumping to running around in a giant inflatable suit, the game never takes itself too seriously, and that's what makes it so much fun. Graphics may not be the most cutting-edge, but it doesn't matter because the vibrant world and hilarious NPCs keep you entertained. Plus, the co-op mode is a great way to wreak havoc with friends. Just don't expect anything too serious-just strap in and enjoy the mayhem!