Saints Row: The Third

gameshark.com review
There’s a certain satisfactory feeling that goes along with playing a game before anyone else as you revel in a secret world shared by a few people. The same is true here, but I have not played a game that I wanted others to play as much since the release of Saints Row 2. This is a game best experienced through the stories of other players as their exploits and crazy stunts act as the starting point to your own set of incredible feats. Volition has done an excellent job of giving you a place to play and toys to play with, so grab a partner, an SMG, and start making your own stories. Steelport is waiting.
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gamesradar.com review
Saints Row has always been seen as something of an also-ran, but The Third finally says, in no uncertain terms, that it’s just as big and even more fun than its more serious competition. Some might be tempted to dismiss the game because of its extreme wackiness, but know that at its core, the game is incredibly well crafted and ceaselessly fun. While the comedies typically lose out to the dramas come awards time, none of it changes the fact that Saints Row: The Third is one of the best games of the year, and given this year’s competition, that’s no small compliment.
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insidegamingdaily.com review
Saints Row the Third is an experience unlike any other. It never takes itself too seriously, it remembers that games should be fun and they should entertain. It’s not that any particular part stands out above the other, rather, on the whole, everything is just downright awesome. The character creator alone warrants multiple playthroughs and the story is literally only half the game. While Saints Row the Third has a handful of issues, aesthetically and technical, the positives far outweigh any of the negatives.
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gamerstemple.com review
In addition to the story missions there are side missions tied to a particular type of activity. Mayhem missions challenge you to use a tank to cause a set amount of property damage, insurance fraud has you acting as a human ragdoll in busy intersections, and Professor Genki, well, think Japanese-style game show meets funhouse of horrors as you must fight your way through warehouses filled with deadly traps and costumed characters trying to kill you. Like every other aspect of the game touched on in this review, there are simply too many different kinds of side missions to list here, and part of the fun in the game is seeing what it throws at you next. Completing a side mission brings you rewards in the form of respect, cash, and an increase in your control of the local neighborhood. In addition to the fact that they're all pretty much flat-out fun, I like that the game helps you locate the available side missions and rates them as easy, medium, or hard so that you know what you're getting into.
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oxmonline.com review
Elsewhere, The Third builds upon the economy and upgrade system introduced in Saints Row 2 and makes it a core component of the experience. Completing missions and Activities (more on those shortly) earns you cash and Respect. Use cash, in turn, to buy weapons, gear, and myriad abilities, such as extra health, sidekicks to aid you in battle, unlimited sprint, and dozens more. In fact, you’ve got so much to choose from — and many of the best abilities don’t unlock until you advance your Respect level into the 20s and 30s — that no two Saints heroes are likely to be the same. Buying property, meanwhile, increases your control over each neighborhood while also returning a certain hourly cash flow, helping to keep the money coming in to fund your next car customization or ability upgrade.
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