We've Come A Long Way From "Just Another GTA Clone".
Up until about two weeks before it's release, I wasn't sure if I was going to jump into a purchase of Saints Row: The Third. I had my doubts about the game, especially being as I was quite frustrated with how a lot of Saints Row 2 was cheaply put together (the piss poor multiplayer modes, anyone?) After watching the trailer which showcased none other then a cameo from Burt Reynolds himself, I decided to take the plunge and pick this game up. However, I waited until Skyrim was completed before I jumped into the insanity that is Saints Row: The Third, and main, I regret that I waited.
SR3 does exactly everything correct, but will completely blow your mind with randomness coming out of left field. There are so many memorable moments packed into this game, I actually forgot that it was once a stereotypical franchise based on "hood-rat" mentality, but thankfully, I think SR3 also forgot that, as it fully embraces video gamers everywhere. SR3 is a wild and crazy ride, filled with more testosterone fueled moments then anything you've seen or played this year, and then, once those are crammed down your neck, you are hit over the head with a gigantic, purple dildo.
SR3 kind of embraces its predecessors in terms of plot, but honestly you really don't need to have played the first two games to jump right in here. Sure characters like Pierce and Shaundi are characters from the original two games, but that's about as big as the tie-ins to the original games are. More or less, a lot of the activities from the first two games are brought over, with some notable exclusions, most thankfully, Septic Avenger, which I hated. Some have been improved, like Insurance Fraud, which now actually works quite well, while other modes, like Escort, still kind of suck. But perhaps the biggest inclusion into the activity realm of things here is Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which is just flat out out awesome.
My favorite moment of SR3 though, is the alternate ending, where you fight on the flying gunship. It is literally the most insane thing I've ever witnessed in a video game, and a stern reminder of why I play video games. Also, thank God the people at Volition decided to implement an unlock cheat system, because that made this game ten times more enjoyable. They realize this is a sandbox game, and they fully embrace it, which is more then I can say for Grand Theft Auto 4. I also hope that Rockstar takes heavy note at how much Volition has done with this game, and how far they've pushed the sandbox game genre, because Rockstar's GTA5 has a lot to live up to.
Saints Row: The Third is probably this years biggest surprise, and easily cracks in the top 5 of my top 10 list. You owe yourself, being a gamer, to play this game.
