Saints Row is the final ‘slated launch’ title to reach stores nationwide. It was originally planned for a November 2005 release, but was delayed for technical reasons to revise the game’s graphics and gameplay. The delay turns out to be the smartest decision THQ and Volition could have made at that time. Not only has Saints Row steadily gained interested from the media, but Xbox 360 gamers have picked up quickly on this hot title with great sales in the first two days of its release.
I want to point this out to all those who believe Saints Row another Grand Theft Auto rip-off – it’s not! It doesn’t have the poor controls of Driv3r or the tool lead character in True Crime, Saints Row stands alone as a game with its own merits. Outside of Gears of War, Saints Row is one of the biggest releases in 2006 – so there’s a lot it has to live up to.
For those who haven’t been following the game since its announcement, Saints Row is officially the first next-generation sandbox title for the Xbox 360 – as long as you dismiss Dead Rising. Saints Row delivers the first chance for players to create their own character rather than a pre-made one. The story begins after the creation of your character with your introduction to all of the gangs in the city of Stilwater. After the cut scene, you are propositioned by the 3rd Street Saints to join their gang and rid the city of other gangs. If you have played GTA, you’ll be able notice all the visual similarities with the mini-map on the screen. When you pull up the big map, you’ll see it cluttered with dozens of activities, clubs, stores, and many other areas of interest. When you decide the area you want to visit, just click the portion on the map and directions will show up via blue dots on the mini-map. This guide will help you to every destination you need to go – if this isn’t satisfactory, you can always call up the taxi.
The objective of Saints Row is to ultimately rid Stilwater of every other gang besides the 3rd Street Saints. You aren’t playing as a cop, so your good manners aren’t required to finish your missions. The missions are quite easy to become accustomed to – if you fail, you will be able to try over again from the beginning. There are several types of missions that diversify the game such as: thieveries, shoot-outs, drive-bys, rescue missions, and many other colorful missions.
The real ‘meat’ of the game is the mini-games and activities. You’ll have the option to take part in insurance fraud, destruction derbies, drug trafficking, hitman missions, cat and mouse with paparazzi, and even some racing events. The insurance fraud will definitely be a fan favorite by the end of the day – it is addicting to the point your friends will want to try their hand at the activity. It is similar to the Burnout series, except for the fact that you are trying to be walk in front of the cars driving by. When you are hit by an oncoming car, multipliers will begin to be added such as how many witnesses, air time, distance and hitting other cars. All the multipliers will be added up into the final tally and then you’ll be able to get back on your feet running around doing the diving in front of more cars. You’ll be asked to reach a certain score to finish the activity that will continue to go up in level as you complete each activity.
