saints row for 360

[Sharpshooter]

Saint’s Row, the Xbox 360’s own much hyped “GTA Killer” (at least until GTA IV hits in late 2007) has finally arrived on Xbox. The inevitable question on every 360 gamers’ mind is ‘How does Saint’s Row compare to GTA?’ Well, the answer is that while Saint’s Row does a lot of things right, it doesn’t quite replace the Grand Theft Auto series. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what Saint’s Row does do is compliment the Grand Theft Auto series by its blatant reproduction of the Rockstar Games’ cash cow.



Saint’s Row has two immediate advantages over GTA. The first is the obvious leap to next-gen, which means that the graphics are far better than GTA’s often vilified art style, and the physics engine adds a new dimension to gameplay. The combination of these elements really makes Saint’s Row feel like a next gen title; perhaps San Andreas’ bigger, stronger older brother. The second advantage is that Saint’s Row follows Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which gives it the ability to study Grand Theft’s shortcomings and improve upon them. And Saint’s Row does improve upon a number of areas where GTA is lacking. The graphics are the most obvious improvement. The character models and environments are much improved, with reflective surfaces on vehicles and a world that animates as if it were truly alive. Another improvement is the ability to fire more than just the Uzis from a moving vehicle as well as the ability to shoot in any direction from a car. There is also the aiming system, which eschews lock-on for a pseudo first-person control that aims with a free reticule. And there is the obvious online multiplayer, which is almost always worth the price of admission. GTA mods add multiplayer, but only for those who are willing to wait nearly a year to pick up GTA for their PCs, then wait even longer for someone to create a working mod. Saint’s Row offers online multiplayer out of the box.



Saint’s Row’s multiplayer has four modes. There is Gang Brawl which is simply deathmatch, Big Ass Chains, Protect the Pimp, and Blinged Out Rides. Right now, there’s a noticeable lag, but if online gamers can endure that, Saint’s Row has a definitely entertaining online multiplayer.

One thing that no one will accuse Saint’s Row of is originality. In a number of ways, it blatantly “borrows” elements from GTA, most especially the hip-hop heavy San Andreas. The recruitment of gang members, the customization elements, and the “urban” theme is almost enough to embarrass Rockstar with its flattery. However, Saint’s Row does slip in a few original ideas. The progression scheme allows the player to advance by earning respect, and earning respect is done by completing activities. Completing activities gives the player points towards unlocking new story missions. The activities are fairly diverse, ranging from simple Mayhem (which is basically causing as much destruction as possible in a limited amount of time) to Racing (self-explanatory) to Hi-Jacking (find a specific car, steal it, and bring it back to a warehouse) and the really innovative Insurance Fraud (injure yourself for points). The best part of this system is that the player is allowed to only play the events that he chooses. If you like racing but hate hijacking, you can skip hijacking altogether to earn your points in racing. Of course you miss out on some of the gameplay, but you can still play through the story mode and complete the game. Also, the map is very user friendly, allowing players to alter the legend to only show save points, stores, activities, or all. Players can also pick a point on the map they wish to go, and the map will give them the most efficient route there, which even changes in real-time if you miss a turn.



Saint’s Row also has a vast amount of customization. Players can steal a car, take it to a garage and change the color, alter the body, tint the windows, or even add nitrous or hydraulics to the vehicle. The cars are a lot more durable than in GTA, and once saved to your garage, can be retrieved from auto garages or personal garages with ease. Destroyed cars can be repaired and restored, solving GTA’s problem of customizable cars that are too easily lost or destroyed.

The sounds in Saint’s Row are also very well done. The voice acting is composed of an all star squad and is authentic. The sound effects in the game are equally superb. The soundtrack is diverse and interesting, but mainly composed of B-list songs, definitely not the massive and popular track listing made popular by the GTA franchise.



There are a few complaints to be registered. While the gameplay is fun, it is so overwhelmingly reminiscent of GTA that there are times that you’ll feel like you’re playing GTA. For better or worse, there are very few things to make the game distinctly Saint’s Row. Also, there is noticeable pop-in, with cars sometimes appearing from nowhere. Some of the more hardcore gamers may be turned off by the regenerating health bar, which can make the game easier than expected in certain areas. Even though the protagonist is customizable, you cannot adjust the height or the gender, and the protagonist doesn’t talk at all, an odd choice that seems outdated since Vice City proved how much more likeable Vercetti was than Claude. Finally and perhaps most unflattering is Saint’s Row’s sense of humor. Rockstar set the bar high in this respect, with subtle humor sprinkled throughout the game, replete with jabs and jokes that aren’t completely obvious at the first glance. Volition tries and fails to re-create GTA’s sense of style, but their attempts at humor, from the naming of the businesses to the radio commercials, just comes off as even more derivative and less-inspired than its current gen doppelganger. Also, a lot of the “urbanness” seems forced, like the corny “187 babee!” the announcer spews when a kill is made in the online multiplayer.



Saint’s Row has surprised many gamers with its fun factor. If players can get beyond the fact that the game has obviously made a trip through San Andreas before arriving on the 360, they’ll find a game that is both fun and fulfilling even if it’s a clone.



Features:

The way you like it – Never seen before non-linear game play in a completely open environment, delivering an experience unlike any other inside a fully realized living city, where anything can happen and undoubtedly will.
Be who you want to be – Create your character from 1000’s of options and outfit him with the latest threads as you rise up in the ranks. Knuckle up or pop a glock to shape your street cred and build an increasingly feared gang.
Clunker to a Classic - Use money to collect, customize and trick-out your cars gaining ‘much respect’ in the process.
Smokin’ tunes – Whether in a stolen ride or one bought through racketeering, chill to any of 12 radio stations to hear dope tracks and pick up tips that could help you on your rise to the top.
Multiplayer mayhem – Recruit gang members or take out rival gangs online in several different modes of play. Use the money gaffled to maintain your growing need for cars, women and gear.
overall 4.0 great

[Rocol]

The best part of this system is that the player is allowed to only play the events that he chooses.

That is a good idea, as in some games, there are sections would be good to be able to skip, especially some of those where you have to complete a ' Training ' mission before you can play the actual game.

With all these excellent games that are being made available to the XBox 360, it will be interesting to see what Sony have to offer as a ' fight back '

[Sharpshooter]

i can write previews on games for the Ps3 if you want.

[TGLucario]

i agree....sounds like a good game...& it'll a big hit

sure....the more the merrier

[Sharpshooter]

thanx.

[SuBzErO]

Thanks for the review. I have been wanting to get this game and you just made that choice a lot easier