Here it is, boys and girls --
the best reason to own an Xbox 360 this side of Oblivion. For Xbox 360 gunslingers,
Saints Row is a must buy.
We can only hope that the developers of Grand Theft Auto IV are taking careful notes on Saints Row, the next generation of the "open world"-style games popularized by Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas. At first glance, Saints Row looks like little more than an Xbox 360-fortified version of San Andreas: from the mission design to the basic play mechanics to the tongue-in-cheek spirit,
it's abundantly clear that Saints Row is firmly grounded in Rockstar Games' groundbreaking series.
Only it's better. Much, much better. Unquestionably, irrefutably better in nearly every possible way. Saints Row not only looks leagues better than the latest Grand Theft Auto games, it plays better.
It's what you hoped you'd see in the yet-to-be-unveiled Grand Theft Auto IV...only you won't have to wait until late 2007 to play it.
Groundbreaking it's not, but for Grand Theft addicts,
Saint's Row is very clearly The Next Big Thing
As far as raw graphics prowess goes, Saints Row is one of the most advanced Xbox 360 games available.
Running at a native resolution of 720p,
the game throws around high-end shader models, ragdoll physics, real-time reflections on cars, and plenty of other high-tech gobbledygook. What matters is that the environments and characters look razor sharp, draw distances are kept nice and long, and explosions produce dazzling geysers of sparks and debris.
Controversy will surround Saints Row, and not just from the Hilary Clintons and Joe Liebermans and Jack Thompsons of the world. Rockstar loyalists will pledge their blind allegiance to Grand Theft Auto, hurling insults (if not grenades and molotovs) at anyone who dares suggest Saints Row might surpass the ghetto classic San Andreas. That's sad.
True gamers will just shrug at the commotion and pick up the controller.
Saints Row is just too good to miss.
Editor's Choice
GRAPHICS: 4.75
SOUND: 4.50
CONTROL: 4.00
FUN FACTOR: 4.75