Posted by carlittojones
in Games on November 18, 2011
Ahh the gang from Stillwater is back again – how much we’ve been through together during the last five years. We’ve seen them take control of their not so fair city from the likes of the Vice Kings, the Los Carnales, and the Westside Rollerz. We’ve seen them Ultor Corporation to become the only dominant force left in Stillwater. We’ve seen the highs and the lows of the stories of Shaundi, Pierce, Johnny Gat, and your own character – the Boss. Throughout the previous two games, we’ve be exposed to a treasure trove of comedy gold both through random things happening in the game world, and through the scripted events and dialogue. Everyone knew there was going to be a third, and it’s finally here – but does it live up to the standards that the first two set?
In Saint’s Row the Third, players again take on the role of “The Boss”, with plenty of backup from his comical crew – however this time the story departs the familiar city of Stillwater, and goes to the New York stylized city of Steelport (it even has its own Statue of Liberty-esqe monument). From the very start of the game, you feel like a total bad-ass. You’re thrown in the middle of a bank heist gone wrong, and you’re mowing people down like they were made of paper. In short, you feel like “The Boss” should feel. Throughout the next few minutes, you end up in prison with Johnny Gat and Shaundi (where Johnny waxes poetic about what the Saints have turned in to), and that’s where the Syndicate finds you.
The Syndicate bribes the cops to let you out, and then tries to get The Boss to turn over two thirds of the Saint’s territory in order to live. Well if you’ve played the previous two games you know that the Saints won’t have any of that and a mid-air fight breaks out. This leads to one of the craziest intro scenes I’ve played on a game in a long time (free fall gun battles for the win), and drops you off in said town of Steelport. Now this all happens in the first twenty or so minutes of the game, so that should tell you how action packed it’s going to be right there.
I won’t get into any more plot, because while some of it you can see coming for miles, there are little twists here and there that are true joys to find out as they come. What I can talk about though, is just how much fun this game really is. If you’re not too worried about the realism of a game, and more about the fun factor – this is for you. What other game has a special mode called “Whored Mode”, where you can be chased around by prostitutes in leather “geek suits” wielding long purple dildos. Yes, it’s that kind of over the top fun that has been a staple of this entire series.
