Boy have sandbox games come a long way. From the very first Grand Theft Auto game, the genre has certainly taken a turn for the better, churning out some incredible free-roaming gaming experiences. It seems in this day and age, all gamers want to do is take a step away from their own lives and jump into a bustling metropolis city which is free from the trials and tribulations of reality. THQ’s newest game, Saints Row, is looking to become everything a sandbox game should be. But with so many different takes on the genre resulting in ‘just another GTA clone’, how can this next generation offering distinguish itself from the pack?
Unfortunately, although the story is deep and interesting in places, Saints Row still has the same tried and tested formula which has plagued games in the past. You play as a normal citizen in the fictional town of Stilwater. After wandering past a gangland shootout and barely surviving, you are taken in by the good guys known as the 3rd Street Saints. You realize that over the past few years, the sub-cultural areas of the city have divided into two completely different places to live. The upper section of Stilwater is known as a highly habitable residential area, whilst the lower suburbs are nothing but gangland warfare zones. It is said that the 3rd Street Saints once controlled all of the land, and made it a laid back area free from capitalist druglords or vicious murderers. But that all changed when two gangs invaded the town, looking to cement their mark on any place they could. The Saints were wiped out, and thus begins your adventure to reclaim every stretch of land back.
Your character, rather than being a pre-made one, is completely moulded by you the gamer. Using a similar face shaping and body dynamic system to games such as Top Spin 2, you can make your character as original as you like. Anything from hair styles, muscle definition, body fat and, of course, your handsome facial features can be tweaked. With the layout of options, it is pretty safe to say that no two characters will be the same when matched up with other people's. One thing that really did bother me, however, was the lack of drive and personality your character showed throughout the game. Only once or twice did I actually hear my own character talk through the entirety of the main storyline. It isn’t a great big deal, but it is certainly something which would have promoted some personalism with the game.
Oh, how we love custom faces....
The customization for your avatar doesn’t end there, however. While traversing through Stilwater, you will come across many clothing outlets which will aim to make your character look even more unique. Obviously, the lower down Stilwater you go, the more dilapidated the clothes will be. But venture up, and you have a whole range of expensive apparel just waiting to be bought. Jewelery, suits, hats, and even the amazing pimp suit can all be lavished upon with the appropriate funds. You can even check out a tattoo parlour and put some ink on your body for that extra tough feeling.
When your character is all suited and booted, then it’s time for you to explore the fascinating city for yourself. I really have to give credit to the developers at Volition for the realism they have put into the city. It actually feels completely alive. People go about their daily duties like they would in real life, and spontaneous occurrences are something that Saints Row has in amazing amounts. You’ll see people fighting each other, burglaries, muggings, and even police chasing down criminals. Essentially, it does what Oblivion did and makes AI ‘Radiant’.
To get any work in the ‘Row, you must first gain respect--neatly borrowed from GTA: San Andreas. Whilst a few missions are available on the offset, unlocking more requires you to build up the respect bar before you can unlock more. Whether it means participating in gang-killings, or even taking ho's to the Saints own brothel, respect is something that must be earned. When it comes to the actual missions, Saints Row is a mixed bag. On the one hand, some of the missions can be highly entertaining, and allude to better missions as you get deeper into the storyline. On the other hand, some are just plain dull. The story-driven missions revolve around the two other gangs in Saints Row, and are usually the ‘go-here-kill’ formula that we know and love. While it is pretty fun, they can become very stale and tedious in that respect. There are, however, some really interesting and quirky missions that stood out in abundance. Without spoiling too much, Greek mythology has taught us not to except giant gifts from your enemy.
Total carnage....
Aside from the story missions, your character can partake in different sub-missions, which are where the fun really starts to kick in. Rather than directly tying in with the storyline, these missions are based upon doing things for private contractors. Some are incredibly unique, and all have their strong points. You can help people traffic drugs, compete in demolition derbies, and even get a list of private targets which must be taken down. All the missions provide a nice easy break from the story, and help you become much more acquainted with the game.
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