Saints Row: Not Just a Copy Cat of Grand Theft Auto

There has been a lot said about the new game, Saints Row, as to it being a copy cat of the popular game, Grand Theft Auto. While the games are similar, Saints Row has put an entirely new spin on things and it has a lot more depth and style to it. The game play is also quite awesome.

You play as a small time thug whose life is saved by Julius of the 3rd Street Saints. The 3rd Street Saints are a gang that is on it's way to controlling the streets of the city of Stilwater. Your job as a fellow gang member is to rise up in the ranks and avoid threats from rival gangs and the ever so annoying police department. Your rivals include The Vice Kings, Los Carnales, and the Westside Rollerz.

Now how the heck do you rise up in the ranks and prove yourself to be the head honcho of the gang? Well, you take on a variety of missions to make your mark. These missions include: drug trafficking, escort, thievery, playing "hit man," recruiting other gang members, killing rival gang members, and taking over new street territory by destroying rival gang's strongholds.

You can take on any mission at your leisure. Saints Row is a non linear game with a huge map and a very expansive and open storyline. The city of Stilwater is vast and is full of different people, climate changes, shops, buildings, etc. Night and day passes, attitudes change, etc. The whole environment is truly one that lives and breathes!

Your character is fully customizable with thousands of options to choose from. In fact, your car is customizable along with your threads. Show off your bling bling by shopping at a local store and get yourself some new clothes, CDs to chill with, weapons to take out any threats, or new gear for your car. Speaking of threads, wearing your gang colors is sure to be a plus. The better you look, the better your chances are at recruiting more homies to take out the rival gangs.

The controls of Saints Row are flawless and fluid. Your character is capable of punching, kicking, swimming, shooting, driving, etc. Driving and shooting... drive bys! Your character also curses a lot. In fact, everyone in the game curses. All of these actions will come into play as you freely explore the city and do as you please.

Graphic wise, the game is descent to look at. The soundtrack is quite good as there is a huge selection of music to choose from to listen to while reigning terror on the streets of Stilwater.

Saints Row is available for the XBOX 360. It has an ESRB rating of M for mature. This is because the game features blood, gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong sexual content, strong language, use of drugs, and use of alcohol. Wow! This game is cool! Oops! Anyways... this game is inappropriate for children. For those of you who like to cheat, a strategy guide is available.