Up until now the Saints Row series has been one that’s lived in the shadow of the Grand Theft Auto franchise which it so closely resembles, providing a slightly wackier and well-made, but somewhat derivative experience. Saints Row: The Third changes all that and as the Grand Theft Auto franchise appears to be going down a more serious route, Saints Row has contrasted nicely by bringing a far more insane and far more slick game to the table than ever before.
This third entry in the Saints Row series is set in the corrupt city of Steelport where the protagonist’s gang, the Third Street Saints, have become famous superstars, but a criminal organisation known as the Syndicate threaten them and the city. The basic gameplay of Saints Row hasn’t changed drastically since previous instalments, still being a mix of driving and third-person shooting, but all of it feels better executed than in previous games, and makes missions and combat legitimately exciting experiences. However, the real draw of Saints Row: The Third is the main campaign, where the game manages to use its core gameplay in a wide range of situations, and shows off a story full of ludicrous premises and likeable characters.
Saints Row: The Third is in short a ridiculous game and it’s entirely aware of this fact, taking the insanity of the Saints Row franchise to wonderful levels which make the previous games look sensible by comparison. There’s nothing quite like a wrestler voiced by Hulk Hogan forcing you to drive around the city at breakneck speed with a tiger in your car, or having a pimp who can only speak in autotune pull you along in a chariot as you shoot back at other rival chariots which inexplicably explode when hit. Listening to the characters converse is often a treat too, with some great voices performances all round and from the visuals, to the audio, to the mission scenarios, everything feels wonderfully polished and as though some real effort has been put into making the game the way it is.
Sadly, the side missions prove to be the low point of Saints Row: The Third. Being an open-world title with plenty of extra tasks on offer beyond the main game, a fair bit of the game time is locked up in the side missions. Most of these activities are taken from previous games, so there’s little new here if you have played previous Saints Row titles, which wouldn’t be such a problem if the missions didn’t seem as ill-suited to repetition as they are. Some of them also have fairly fundamental problems in the first place, such as Snatch where the characters you’re escorting have an infuriating inability to enter vehicles quickly, even when you're under attack and up against a time limit, or Insurance Fraud, which feels as though it’s largely dependent on which way you happen to be looking when there are cars approaching.
Fortunately, some of the game’s side goals are genuinely enjoyable to work towards. It’s always a pleasant bonus to earn respect points (which are basically experience points) for behaviour such as driving in the oncoming lane or popping off multiple headshots in a row, and as you level up there’s a genuine sense of empowerment with each new perk you gain, from increased health to the ability to dual-wield SMGs, although these perks do feel a little overpowered towards the end of the game.
The game also includes a number of side goals to complete as you go, some of which seem like a fun and natural fit for the game, like hi-jacking a certain number of cars or blowing up a certain number of helicopters, while others feel far more of a grind like taunting fifty enemy gang members. There’s also an impressive degree of customisation for those looking to pimp out their characters and vehicles, although there are the slightly off-putting handicaps of not being able to store character presets easily and not being able to change the colours of clothing after initially setting them. Finally, the game does include its own version of Gears of War’s “Horde Mode”, appropriately titled “Whored Mode”, which doesn’t really add much to the game but doesn’t take anything away from it either, providing a perfectly fine experience for anyone who just wants to jump in and mow down some enemies.
Altogether, this third entry in the Saints Row franchise really feels like it brings the series into its own, instead of just being a slightly poorer GTA. While it’s not without its problems, especially when it comes to content outside of the main story, Saints Row: The Third provides satisfying core gameplay coupled alongside some of the most delicious insane scenarios western video games have seen.