Saints Row: The Third - PlayStation 3

Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package Trailer

2012-11-01T16:35:00Z

Saints Row: The Third is getting re-released next week with all the download content included. Come check out the launch trailer and see Sasha Grey say the F word.

Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package includes all three downloadable mission packs, and "more than 30 bonus DLC items." The game is available in North America on November 6 and internationally November 16 for $49.99.

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Saints Row Review: Equal Parts Entertainment And Absurdity

2011-11-11T08:01:00Z

When the teaser trailer for the first Saints Row debuted during a console reveal for the Xbox 360, gamers saw what appeared to be a derivative open-world crime game. In the span of two sequels, we’ve gone from the drive-by shooting of that trailer to areas ripped off from Tron and weapons like bottled farts and Mega Man-like arm cannons. With Saints Row: The Third, Volition has succeeded in making one of the most unpredictable and insane experiences in recent gaming memory. I was expecting something crazy, but was still surprised by the sheer amount of absurdist humor packed into this over-the-top sequel.

Saints Row: The Third’s humor is low-brow yet self-aware, featuring the silliness of the Naked Gun movies with the adult edge of South Park. You won’t find much in the way of social commentary here, but it’s hard not to laugh when you’re running around pantless and dishing out tornado DDTs to passersby. Volition’s love of groin shots would make America's Funniest Home Videos blush, with dedicated (and very specifically targeted) melee animations for each weapon. Making a funny visual even better is the deep character customization feature, which allowed me to cause mayhem as Larry David, Pantless Colossus, Ric Flair, and GI’s own Joe Juba.

As much as the game made me laugh, it wouldn’t deserve such high praise without solid gameplay at its core. It may be easy to get distracted by the nonsense occurring onscreen, but Saints Row: The Third is thrilling as an action game. Missions vary wildly, and they’re almost all bombastic, popcorn-movie affairs. You’ll start by airlifting a bank’s vault out of a skyscraper, move on to a mid-air firefight, and wind up grappling with luchadores, escaping an S&M club on a rickshaw, piloting futuristic aircraft, and even participating in a text-based adventure before it’s all said and done. If you think I’m spoiling the most wacky bullet points, don’t worry – there are much crazier twists that I won’t detail in this review.

Whereas the previous two games sectioned off missions based on which gang you were going after, this one features a cohesive narrative throughout. It’s just one of the ways that this sequel feels like a more complete package than its predecessors. The economic side of things has expanded dramatically; buying up property in the new city of Steelport earns you a steady cash flow, and the myriad ways you can spend it is almost overwhelming. The massive upgrade system allows you to buy faster health regeneration, increased sprint, damage resistance, and the ability to call in vehicle and helicopter deliveries, among several dozen other options.

If you don’t feel like granting yourself these permanent attribute upgrades, you can spend cash on new clothes, vehicle customization, or weapon upgrades. My standard pistol wasn’t helping much in my takeover of Steelport, but it became a force to be reckoned with once it had explosive, electric bullets. As far as using your powered-up arsenal is concerned, the controls serve the gunplay well, and fans of open-world games will feel right at home with the shooting and driving mechanics.

When you’re not taking part in one of the ambitious story missions, the series’ trademark activities are scattered all over town. New distractions involve keeping a tiger satisfied while it sits in your passenger seat, riding a cyber bike through a computerized world, sniping enemies while rappelling down the side of a building, and participating in a televised deathmatch that feels like a cross between The Running Man and a Japanese game show. While most of the distractions are fun, some tedious activities like Trafficking, Snatch, and Escort make their return instead of more entertaining alternatives from Saints Row 2. That game’s Fuzz, Septic Avenger, Fight Club, Demolition Derby, and Crowd Control activities seem like a natural fit for this sequel, but they’re surprisingly absent.

Regardless of a few omitted favorites, Saints Row: The Third features no shortage of activities, side-quests, collectibles, and humorous distractions. Between them, the wealth of new upgrade options, co-op play, Whored mode (a Horde mode clone), and the explosive story missions, there’s no shortage of content. It’s also good to see Volition continue to make the series less buggy with each installment. Occasional glitches will rear their head as you cruise around the new city, but they’re rarely more than cosmetic. Taking over Steelport as the 3rd Street Saints feels like a more focused effort than its predecessors’ campaigns, and it’ll keep you laughing throughout.

Get Initiated In Saints Row: The Third Video

2011-10-26T14:05:26Z

Creating your own bizarre creations is one of Saints Row's most appealing draws (though drop-kicking pedestrians, ragdolling through car wrecks, and smashing planes into gas stations is pretty fun, too). Until Saints Row: The Third, however, these custom creations have essentially been quarantined from one another. That's about to change, thanks to the introduction of the new Initiation Station. Prepare yourself for a community infestation of epic proportions.

The tools are shown in the trailer below, but the gist of it is that after creating your perfect clone of Paul Bunyan, Herman Cain, or Ric Flair, you'll be able to upload it onto a community site. From there, other players will be able to rate your creation and download it into their version of Steelport. After seeing some of the freaks that Dan created during his review playthroughs, I can say with certainty that people should be afraid. Very afraid.

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Saints Row: The Third Continues To Be Ridiculous

2011-10-23T18:29:12Z

Saints Row: The Third is absurd, but for all the best reasons. The latest trailer is reliably crazy.

See the trailer below, make sure to take note of the words to live by at the beginning, and get ready to start playing the game on November 15.

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New Saints Row Videos Include Dev Diary, Mascot Murder

2011-10-06T20:44:47Z

Last spring, we gave you a month's worth of information on the upcoming Saints Row: The Third. We mentioned the Deckers gang, but didn't have much information to go off of. Now that the game is about a month away, the team at Volition is opening up a bit more. Check out the first video below to hear the team describe these tech-savvy gangsters.

After that, hit the video below it if you want to get another taste of the Saints brand of absurd humor.

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Meet The Deckers

2011-09-09T19:57:26Z

You don't have to be a stereotypical thug to make it in Steelport, as the tech-savvy Deckers prove. That doesn't mean that they're not capable of creating problems for the Saints, as this new trailer shows.

After their accounts are drained by the gang of hackers, led by Matt Miller (no, not that one), the player and his crew hit 'em back where they live. If you're trying to avoid spoilers, you may want to pass this one by. Otherwise, check out the video below and enjoy. It's definitely a surprising change of venue.

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Look for Saints Row the Third on November 15.

Stilwater's Luchadores Shown Off In New Saints Row Trailer

2011-08-19T23:21:00Z

We've known about Stilwater's three gangs ever since our cover story earlier this year, and a new trailer has been released that puts a spotlight on the Luchadores. Run by the insane giant Killbane, they're some of the city's toughest thugs.

Take a look at the trailer below, in which you'll hear the first snippets of Hulk Hogan's voice-over work as Angel.

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See How It All Started In New Story Trailer

2011-07-21T16:03:00Z

We told you all about Saints Row: The Third's bank-robbery-gone-wrong setup back in our April cover story. Now we're bringing you a look at the game's introduction in motion. Warning: It's Saints Row through and through, so you should know what to expect.

In addition to showing off the ill-fated heist, there are plenty of groin shots, crashes, and slide tackles. Also, the guy who dances during an explosion is amazing. Look for the game November 15 on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. And check out our special Saints Row: The Third hub for loads of exclusive video content and more.

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A Look At The First Mission Of Saints Row: The Third

2011-06-08T22:20:18Z

I’ve been excited about Saints Row: The Third ever since I visited Volition while writing our cover story on the game. The team promised a high level of over-the-top violence and crazy setpieces, and my glimpse at the game’s first mission makes me even more confident in their ability to deliver.

Senior producer Greg Donovan was at the controls as the Saints attempted to rob a bank in their old stomping grounds. Donning gigantic Johnny Gat bobblehead-esque masks, the gang entered with guns blazing. Swarms of security guards were taken out with shotguns, grenades, assault rifles, and a sex toy bat as the gang made their way upstairs to the vault.

Security ramped up in the upper floors, as helicopters fired miniguns and dropped down wave after wave of cops. During the firefight, it became apparent what the final plan for the heist was. The player character went into the bank’s vault, as a friendly helicopter hovered overhead amidst the chaos. As it attempted to airlift the vault directly out of the top of the bank, the action got even more intense. More and more helicopters arrived, and more and more security guards took aim at the Saints and their helicopter.

Despite their best efforts in pulling off their bold robbery, the Saints plans fail when their chopper finally takes too much damage and crashes. The player character pulls himself onto the roof, where he’s immediately taken into custody.

The mission ended at that point, but Donovan continued playing to show me the VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) vehicle. It’s essentially a Warhawk, with the ability to hover or switch into jet mode. Two weapons are available: a continuous laser beam or chargeable swarm missiles. Both were more than capable of wreaking havoc on the pedestrians and cars on the streets of Steelport.

It’s great to see Saints Row: The Third embrace insanity even more than its predecessor. With its gleeful willingness to go as over-the-top as possible, it should be an awesome experience when it releases on November 15th.

Get Powered Up With New Saints Row: The Third Trailer

2011-06-02T14:18:07Z

The Saints Row series has always played up the story of the Saints' rise to power, but the third installment begins with the player firmly at the top of his game. To illustrate just what that means, THQ and Volition have released a CG trailer set to Kanye West's Power.

There's plenty of brawling and gunplay in the clip, which also shows off some of the characters you'll be interacting with. Suffice it to say, FBI Special Agent Glasses is not impressed with what's going on around her. Look for the game November 15, and check out our Saints Row: The Third hub for tons of exclusive content on the game.

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