One thing seems true after spending the first five minutes in a playable demo of Saints Row the Third (herein referred to as SR3): The Saints Row franchise has cemented its place as the punch-in-the-balls the open world genre needed. Sure, it’s a bold statement. But a majority of big budget open world productions seem to cling to the concept of “realism” like a warm blanket on a chilly night. Volition, the developers of the Saints Row franchise, seem set on taking the covers off and doing something completely absurd — resulting in something that feels fun and accessible even if things you do in the game can also look detestable at times.
I start my time basking in the moonlit pastures of Steelport before immediately hijacking a Street Sweeper and taking it to Rim Jobs — the one stop shop for car parts, paint jobs, and crazy customizations. I outfit my new machine to look a little meaner by adding customized parts. After some fiddling around with the interface, I add spiked out body parts, a chainsaw and cage on the back of the cab, and some Noz — because every vehicle should have it, especially street sweepers.
