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Saints Row The Third

It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to something. One minute I’ve decided that I need to pull finger and finish Saints Row The Third and the next, I’m staring at the closing credits. Admittedly, it’s not a long game, but I also find it difficult to push myself through any “entertainment” I’m not enjoying. There’s nothing deep and meaningful here: SR3 continues to succeed in its predecessor’s goal to escalate the levels of parody and hilarity and generally succeeds.

The game is highly aware of itself. In the opening sequence, you rob a bank disguised as yourselves. The wanky actor who you’re babysitting describes it as “ultrapostmodernism”. And it kind of goes downhill from there. It hits all the clichés of the gangsta genre, the open world genre, the violent video game genre, and the games-as-social-commentary genre. In some ways though, I think they’re trying a little too hard. I mean, this?

Really? Or how about this?

(Oh, sorry, content may not be appropriate for youngsters or those with impressionable minds)

That’s a minor issue, though. I mean, if you’re looking for good, old-fashioned escapist fun then you’re in the right place with SR3.

One thing that did bug me was that I wasn’t as attached to the new city as I was to Stillwater (the setting for SR2). On reflection, I think that SR2 was a better written game. The rival gangs were tied to the parts of the city they owned, and their story segments had significant meaning. By the time I was done with SR2, I knew my  way around as though Stillwater was a real place, and many of the landmarks were the sites of important battles that I had fought on my path to dominate the town.

By comparison, Steelport feels at once smaller and less personal. I kind of know my way around, but the GPS is always on, and one block looks as much as the next.

Nonetheless, Saints Row The Third is a fun romp, and looks a hell of a lot better than its predecessors.