In 2008, Saints Row 2 made us rediscover Stilwater through a king size version of the city. Today, Saints Row 3 does not facilitate the task since it introduces a new hunting ground, whose name will surely not be unknown to you: Steelport. Having everything of a big city with its disreputable districts, its bourgeois pavilions and above all its imposing skyscrapers, Steelport, certainly not being able to compete with Liberty City, remains a city much better modeled than the Stilwater of the previous parts and above all more pleasant to visit . Volition has thus carried out more meticulous work, in particular on the textures used as well as on the modeling of the buildings, justifying this cartoon identity started in the previous part. The pitch: after ridding Stilwater of the Ultor Corporation, the Saints juggle their young celebrity and their gang activities. But the latter lose their footing (and incidentally their notoriety) when during a robbery, they find themselves facing a new rival gang: the Syndicate of Steelport. It is therefore always in the shoes of an avatar, created from scratch with the efficient and precise character creation tool, that it happens to kick the rear end of the Syndicate and thus to impose its wrath in the districts of the "Iron Port". Rest assured, the plastic surgeons of the city once again allow you to modify your appearance during the game for a few dollars. In short, once the messiah is formed, there is no time to breathe. If, for example, most GTA-like go crescendo in the way of dealing with the different phases of action, Saints Row: The Third openly does not care!
GANGS OF STEELPORT
To put it simply, the title of THQ plunges us into a wacky and crazy universe without making us dawdle and salivate for hours. Built like a parody of the Spoof Movies, Saints Row 3 destroys cinematographic and video game codes by linking incredible game phases, cutscenes with crazy dialogues and improbable situations, without bothering with any hierarchy. Explosions fly in all directions from the start of the game and all this is served by a totally surreal and enjoyable universe. Players will therefore quickly forget that the developers are only cooking with their sauce what the competition and the studio have already produced in the past. It is therefore more on the side of the realization than the gameplay itself, that Volition has done a thorough job, dictated by a single watchword: humor. Our protagonist, although still a little too rigid, now has more varied movements starting with the punches. Players thus have the choice of striking several balls or activating a short but intense QTE phase in which it is possible to enjoy their hero finishing off an enemy, for example, with a well-placed blow below the belt. The variety of weapons to unlock and their absurdity will also make Niko Bellic's arsenal swoon. Players will be able to draw their Mollusk Spear or pound the in-game bosses with their Penetrator. In our destructive task, it will once again be possible to call on gang members. But where their customization was limited in Saints Row 2, it is now possible to customize your own teammates in greater depth. The ninja quartet has been tested and approved! On the driving side Saints Row 3 still does not address the card of realism but especially that of dynamism thanks to a very arcade intuitive driving and well-founded camera movements, punctuating the steering wheel strokes. A shared pleasure thanks to a better modeling of the vehicles and the presence of various and varied means of transport like the tanks and other UFOs of the STAG (Special Tactical Anti Gang). Some reservations, however, for motorcycles, which, once on the handlebars, look like possessed soaps.
SAINTS OF SPIRIT
Saints Row 3 is not stingy on the lifespan side with a campaign, to be carried out alone or in cooperation, quite complete and with a delirious staging. Moreover, the title includes a large number of side "quests" and countless activities, real models of absurdity. These swarm all over Steelport, like insurance fraud drills, Professor Genki's mini-games, and unthinkable tiger escorts. Without forgetting the Saints Book, a kind of almanac displaying various objectives to fulfill or assassinations to organize. Our gifts of gang master are also put to the test since one of the objectives to accomplish to complete the game at 100% is the conquest of territories. Purchase of properties, extermination of bad guys via Gang Operations, participation in street races; the means are not lacking to impose the domination of the Saints. To make it easier for us, the gameplay of the title is based on one and the same mechanism: improvement. Weapon damage, character resistance, vehicle characteristics, gang efficiency, and even hideouts, everything can be personalized through a simple and very, if not too complete, improvement system that you would almost lose your Latin. The main objective is to unlock new abilities, and other aids that apply during gunfights, which are legion, and to avoid leaving with your feet in front of each mission. Logical because well thought out, Respect is also making a comeback, and is the only currency of exchange - with the dollar of course - to be able to access new improvements and progress in the story. On the side of the only game mode, the Horde mode, a kind of fairly anecdotal survival, offers very little interest, except between friends. Finally, it is appropriate to end on a few musical notes. The compositions present prove to be of great eclecticism. The real plus, compared to the competition, lies essentially in the possibility of creating your own playlist. So it's up to you to choose whether you prefer to punctuate your chases with the Ride of the Valkyries or accompany your seaside outings with a symphony of Mozart. So be careful, Saints Row 3 has all the power of a hit!
