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Moments: Saints Row Needs A Hero
The greatest strength of Saints Row: The Third is its ability to embrace silliness. The missions, vehicles, characters, and weapons all strain credulity, but come together to create an absurd and hilarious experience. At no point in the game is this more evident than the final mission, when a soundtrack-setpiece moment sets the perfect mood.
Warning! Spoilers for Saints Row: The Third follow!
The last section of the game presents players with a choice: go after the bad guy, or rescue your buddies. Normally, this decision in a game would weigh heavy on a gamer's mind – but not in Saints Row. At the point where most games' soundtracks would have a chorus of children singing Latin to drive home the gravity of the situation, that's when Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" kicks in. You can't even change radio stations to hear a different song here; the team at Volition wanted to make sure that the final dramatic moments of Saints Row: The Third were accompanied by this iconic '80s hit.
Now, I don't know anything about music or why certain songs amplify emotions. All I know is that as I was racing to the game's climax, evading law enforcement and causing carnage with Bonnie Tyler blaring, I felt totally awesome. However, I was also laughing the whole time. This combination of ridiculousness and entertainment is the heart of what makes Saints Row: The Third great.
See the final mission for yourself below. If that isn't enough of a dose of radical '80s nostalgia, you can always watch Holding Out For A Hero's official music video.
(Video captured by YouTube user override367)
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