mollyesbian
would I call this game good? no. would I call this game a waste of my time/money however? no. for 2 bucks you do get your money's worth back. if you're beyond bored on a random afternoon and don't know what to do: just play through this
that Leviathan fight made me understand how it feels to raid in FFXIV
2008
This review contains spoilers
- Revenge ending
Incredible game, way better than V when it comes to story and writing since it focuses on being more grounded than open, which is why when it comes to gameplay it may feel way more dull and boring than V's for some. GTA IV focuses a lot on the narrative side, gameplay features becoming to a certain extent a narrative device (the games you can play with friends during hangouts and so on). I personally think the amount of activities keeps the game fresh although post-story the game can feel quite..lonely. And then there's glitches. Anything from small funny mishaps to the well known swingset, they're all guaranteed to provide a few chuckles either in regular gameplay or if you go out of your way to seek it out. (trust me, that swingset is so unpredictable it can create hours of fun alone). There's a lot to do in-game but I understand why some may not find the free-roaming as compelling or entertaining long term as the one from GTA V or even older titles such as San Andreas.
Every main character has its own set of morals and principles and very few feel completely two-dimensional. Little Jacob is my favorite character in the whole game and the friendship he and Niko have is special. The way despite the two being from complete different backgrounds and with a small language/vocabulary barrier can both connect and be so loyal to each other. Jacob is a real friend to Niko and has been more loyal to him than most people, despite the brief time they've known each other for. The relationship between the characters feels real and honest, something opposite of GTA V, who tends to be very shallow and very simplistic with its character relationships, opting less for realism between characters and more for what makes sense to see if the game was a three act movie. IV is very heavy on character development and the often annoying hangouts offer a lot of tidbits about characters histories, livelihoods and so on that the main story alone couldn't offer. Roman is Niko's cousin, always an optimist even if his life is in shambles constantly. He plays both the roles of the comedic relief but also the role of Niko's shining light in the darkest times, as he's the only character that help bring a bit of light in Niko's life, something that is really apparent if you check out the Deal ending.
The game's topics of war, trauma and having to survive with the atrocities you've witnessed or heard be done to those you knew and loved tend to be show themselves a lot with several characters. Roman, while not being directly involved, is traumatised by the war and copes through escapism of a different culture than his. Niko is someone who despite being 30 is way beyond his years due to the trauma the Yugoslavian war has gripped him with. Left with a desensitization to murder due to his embrace of violence, distrust of others and little else other than getting by and revenge, Niko Bellic does anything he can to keep existing, maybe one day being able to live again. Bernie, on the other hand, leaves Yugoslavia and embraces his true self, abandons violence and embraces a peaceful, even submissive and louder nature, the opposite of the mask he had to wear during the war which he associates with his previous name (also unrelated but Bernie should've been a friend character even moreso than Brucie, who Niko never showed much fondness towards due to his behavior). And then there's Darko, who has died with the war. He is just a ghost, an empty shell. He only wanders around and haunts people but has no real purpose. His only way of escaping is addiction to drinking, gambling and isolation. It's why despite going for a Revenge ending, I spared Darko. Death is what he seeks and a greater punishment is not giving him the closure of death, letting him keep suffering on this world that he has abandoned as much as it has abandoned him. War unfortunately creates many people like Darko. Not necessarily as traitorous but people who never recover and keep existing but not living. Despite Niko ultimately being more and better than Darko, he is still surrounded by guilt, shame and bloodshed, all tied to him one way or another, all concluding with Niko realizing that often times what may be imagined as closure may not mean anything, especially if the closure is just getting back at someone who took something away from you, and in that ending's case, Kate, but putting an end to the root cause of the issue is often the only way one can move on and progress. Even though I personally see Kate and Niko's relationship as one sided, with Kate showing no actual romantic interest despite Niko's hopes something may bloom, nobody can deny the intensity of that scene (and how much more depressing it is in the Deal ending where Roman gets killed). Unfortunately closure may not be enough and moving on is the only thing that can start the healing. And that's the hardest part.
"So this is the dream, this is the victory we longed for"
In conclusion, while not as huge in size and scope as V or San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV manages to offer a compelling narrative wrapped up in an entertaining gameplay and a beautiful package
Incredible game, way better than V when it comes to story and writing since it focuses on being more grounded than open, which is why when it comes to gameplay it may feel way more dull and boring than V's for some. GTA IV focuses a lot on the narrative side, gameplay features becoming to a certain extent a narrative device (the games you can play with friends during hangouts and so on). I personally think the amount of activities keeps the game fresh although post-story the game can feel quite..lonely. And then there's glitches. Anything from small funny mishaps to the well known swingset, they're all guaranteed to provide a few chuckles either in regular gameplay or if you go out of your way to seek it out. (trust me, that swingset is so unpredictable it can create hours of fun alone). There's a lot to do in-game but I understand why some may not find the free-roaming as compelling or entertaining long term as the one from GTA V or even older titles such as San Andreas.
Every main character has its own set of morals and principles and very few feel completely two-dimensional. Little Jacob is my favorite character in the whole game and the friendship he and Niko have is special. The way despite the two being from complete different backgrounds and with a small language/vocabulary barrier can both connect and be so loyal to each other. Jacob is a real friend to Niko and has been more loyal to him than most people, despite the brief time they've known each other for. The relationship between the characters feels real and honest, something opposite of GTA V, who tends to be very shallow and very simplistic with its character relationships, opting less for realism between characters and more for what makes sense to see if the game was a three act movie. IV is very heavy on character development and the often annoying hangouts offer a lot of tidbits about characters histories, livelihoods and so on that the main story alone couldn't offer. Roman is Niko's cousin, always an optimist even if his life is in shambles constantly. He plays both the roles of the comedic relief but also the role of Niko's shining light in the darkest times, as he's the only character that help bring a bit of light in Niko's life, something that is really apparent if you check out the Deal ending.
The game's topics of war, trauma and having to survive with the atrocities you've witnessed or heard be done to those you knew and loved tend to be show themselves a lot with several characters. Roman, while not being directly involved, is traumatised by the war and copes through escapism of a different culture than his. Niko is someone who despite being 30 is way beyond his years due to the trauma the Yugoslavian war has gripped him with. Left with a desensitization to murder due to his embrace of violence, distrust of others and little else other than getting by and revenge, Niko Bellic does anything he can to keep existing, maybe one day being able to live again. Bernie, on the other hand, leaves Yugoslavia and embraces his true self, abandons violence and embraces a peaceful, even submissive and louder nature, the opposite of the mask he had to wear during the war which he associates with his previous name (also unrelated but Bernie should've been a friend character even moreso than Brucie, who Niko never showed much fondness towards due to his behavior). And then there's Darko, who has died with the war. He is just a ghost, an empty shell. He only wanders around and haunts people but has no real purpose. His only way of escaping is addiction to drinking, gambling and isolation. It's why despite going for a Revenge ending, I spared Darko. Death is what he seeks and a greater punishment is not giving him the closure of death, letting him keep suffering on this world that he has abandoned as much as it has abandoned him. War unfortunately creates many people like Darko. Not necessarily as traitorous but people who never recover and keep existing but not living. Despite Niko ultimately being more and better than Darko, he is still surrounded by guilt, shame and bloodshed, all tied to him one way or another, all concluding with Niko realizing that often times what may be imagined as closure may not mean anything, especially if the closure is just getting back at someone who took something away from you, and in that ending's case, Kate, but putting an end to the root cause of the issue is often the only way one can move on and progress. Even though I personally see Kate and Niko's relationship as one sided, with Kate showing no actual romantic interest despite Niko's hopes something may bloom, nobody can deny the intensity of that scene (and how much more depressing it is in the Deal ending where Roman gets killed). Unfortunately closure may not be enough and moving on is the only thing that can start the healing. And that's the hardest part.
"So this is the dream, this is the victory we longed for"
In conclusion, while not as huge in size and scope as V or San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV manages to offer a compelling narrative wrapped up in an entertaining gameplay and a beautiful package
sylvanas is such a baddie in this one
On one hand I kinda relate to Ame but on the other hand I also think she's a complete vapid scumbag. Both are good answers
the game that made me fall in love with the Miata. 2.5/5 might be strict but the game has aged pretty badly and I would recommend most people to skip to Underground 2 instead. the game has a lot of jank that shows itself so much especially later down the road. speaking of which, fuck event 95
2010
this is open world RPG done right
2020
This review contains spoilers
To preface, this game is free for the rest of pride month both on PC (via steam) and on the XBOX Store so I recommend you give it a look if you think it's something you may enjoy.
Tell Me Why is an episodic choice based murder-mystery game developed by dontnod (known for Life is Strange). The gameplay formula is identical to Life is Strange, story and narrative being the focus while the gameplay being mostly there to add onto it and not the other way around. However I can say that Tell Me Why is a vast improvement over Life is Strange narratively, even if under the hood the gameplay is exactly the same.
[this section contains spoilers, mostly relating to chapter 1]
Tell Me Why is about a pair of twins which finally reunite after about a decade of being separated, after the death of their mother that resulted from Allyson, one of the twins, killing her to defend her brother, Tyler. They reunite in their hometown in rural Alaska and after going back into their old home, they slowly make a discovery that flips their view of their mother upside down - a book relating to looking after a transgender child, relating to Tyler, who is a trans man and has been trying to express his identity ever since his childhood. As of 2005 those books were not easily available which implies their mother went out of her way to get that book - which entirely contradicts their view of their mother as a hateful transphobe who tried to murder Tyler as an act of hatred towards who he is. Said discovery sets them up on a journey to piece together what led up to the night of the murder and if their perception of their mother is correct. Throughout this journey they are able to piece together memories and use telepathy to communicate said experiences, which proves that memories may not be as reliable as they may seem all the time. A focal point of the game is dealing with childhood trauma and there are moments where they either may remember moments differently or may end up being entirely different.
Using Life is Strange, a game I used to like a lot as an angsty teenager but have grown very critical of in recent years, as reference, I can say that narratively when it comes to writing and plot, Tell Me Why is a big improvement over LiS (at least the first one and before the storm, haven't played the more recent ones just yet). The characters have a more natural and human connection and the chemistry between the two main characters feels more realistic than anything LiS had to offer thus far for me. LiS characters rely more on exaggeration, kinda like how a teen drama series writes their characters while characters in Tell Me Why feel like someone you might know. I liked the fairytale theme sprinkled throughout the game and how it slowly tied into something that actually works in its favor and doesn't come off as cringy or outdated, at least for me. The plot twist towards the end took me back for a moment but worked really well. Unlike something like Heavy Rain where they had to turn one of the most calculated characters from the game into some stereotypical evil guy, the reveal of who their father is at the end feels less shoehorned in by changing a whole character's writing and more believable. It wasn't perfect but I think it worked well enough.
Even though it's an improvement over Life is Strange narratively, it's still far from perfect. As I said earlier, under the hood it's still Life Is Strange. Many of the flaws from that game can be seen here, including the stiff and unemotive faces or the uncanny way they move their mouths at times during dialogue. Even the writing is not perfect, and there's plenty of parts where I looked at and felt they were a bit far fetched. Each of the game's 3 chapters is about 3 hours long and there isn't a lot of engaging gameplay whatsoever. There's exploration in limited areas, some puzzles and some reading/finding stuff around so it definitely is not a type of game everyone can enjoy and I don't blame them if they don't like the game. Since I'm a film buff alongside a gamer, I don't mind long drawn out cutscenes with a very limited type/amount of gameplay to it but it's definitely going to bore out a lot of people, hence many potential negative reviews.
I think the representation in the game is well done and it feels authentic. As a trans woman I like seeing trans representation, especially well made representation, and I feel like our trans brothers deserve some more. Trans men have a lack of visibility in general so it's always nice seeing a character they can look at and possibly relate to. Michael also being a fairly closeted gay person in a very unaccepting place is something I can relate to a lot on a personal level so I feel like the representation was well done, well written and no, it didn't feel forced. It was very natural and humanizing seeing queer characters having their queerness be important to them but not being the only thing to define them. Yes, Tyler's transness was important to the plot and to his character but it wasn't what defined his character (a flaw a lot of media tends to have when they do trans representation, especially if it's written by cis people).
I do recommend the game if you don't have a problem with very story reliant games with very little and very limited gameplay going on and you want to experience a decent murder mystery story with interesting plot. It's free during pride month so for the price of 0 you can experience a good game all in all, if you're willing to put up with its flaws and you're willing to give it time to immerse you.
Tell Me Why is an episodic choice based murder-mystery game developed by dontnod (known for Life is Strange). The gameplay formula is identical to Life is Strange, story and narrative being the focus while the gameplay being mostly there to add onto it and not the other way around. However I can say that Tell Me Why is a vast improvement over Life is Strange narratively, even if under the hood the gameplay is exactly the same.
[this section contains spoilers, mostly relating to chapter 1]
Tell Me Why is about a pair of twins which finally reunite after about a decade of being separated, after the death of their mother that resulted from Allyson, one of the twins, killing her to defend her brother, Tyler. They reunite in their hometown in rural Alaska and after going back into their old home, they slowly make a discovery that flips their view of their mother upside down - a book relating to looking after a transgender child, relating to Tyler, who is a trans man and has been trying to express his identity ever since his childhood. As of 2005 those books were not easily available which implies their mother went out of her way to get that book - which entirely contradicts their view of their mother as a hateful transphobe who tried to murder Tyler as an act of hatred towards who he is. Said discovery sets them up on a journey to piece together what led up to the night of the murder and if their perception of their mother is correct. Throughout this journey they are able to piece together memories and use telepathy to communicate said experiences, which proves that memories may not be as reliable as they may seem all the time. A focal point of the game is dealing with childhood trauma and there are moments where they either may remember moments differently or may end up being entirely different.
Using Life is Strange, a game I used to like a lot as an angsty teenager but have grown very critical of in recent years, as reference, I can say that narratively when it comes to writing and plot, Tell Me Why is a big improvement over LiS (at least the first one and before the storm, haven't played the more recent ones just yet). The characters have a more natural and human connection and the chemistry between the two main characters feels more realistic than anything LiS had to offer thus far for me. LiS characters rely more on exaggeration, kinda like how a teen drama series writes their characters while characters in Tell Me Why feel like someone you might know. I liked the fairytale theme sprinkled throughout the game and how it slowly tied into something that actually works in its favor and doesn't come off as cringy or outdated, at least for me. The plot twist towards the end took me back for a moment but worked really well. Unlike something like Heavy Rain where they had to turn one of the most calculated characters from the game into some stereotypical evil guy, the reveal of who their father is at the end feels less shoehorned in by changing a whole character's writing and more believable. It wasn't perfect but I think it worked well enough.
Even though it's an improvement over Life is Strange narratively, it's still far from perfect. As I said earlier, under the hood it's still Life Is Strange. Many of the flaws from that game can be seen here, including the stiff and unemotive faces or the uncanny way they move their mouths at times during dialogue. Even the writing is not perfect, and there's plenty of parts where I looked at and felt they were a bit far fetched. Each of the game's 3 chapters is about 3 hours long and there isn't a lot of engaging gameplay whatsoever. There's exploration in limited areas, some puzzles and some reading/finding stuff around so it definitely is not a type of game everyone can enjoy and I don't blame them if they don't like the game. Since I'm a film buff alongside a gamer, I don't mind long drawn out cutscenes with a very limited type/amount of gameplay to it but it's definitely going to bore out a lot of people, hence many potential negative reviews.
I think the representation in the game is well done and it feels authentic. As a trans woman I like seeing trans representation, especially well made representation, and I feel like our trans brothers deserve some more. Trans men have a lack of visibility in general so it's always nice seeing a character they can look at and possibly relate to. Michael also being a fairly closeted gay person in a very unaccepting place is something I can relate to a lot on a personal level so I feel like the representation was well done, well written and no, it didn't feel forced. It was very natural and humanizing seeing queer characters having their queerness be important to them but not being the only thing to define them. Yes, Tyler's transness was important to the plot and to his character but it wasn't what defined his character (a flaw a lot of media tends to have when they do trans representation, especially if it's written by cis people).
I do recommend the game if you don't have a problem with very story reliant games with very little and very limited gameplay going on and you want to experience a decent murder mystery story with interesting plot. It's free during pride month so for the price of 0 you can experience a good game all in all, if you're willing to put up with its flaws and you're willing to give it time to immerse you.
everything is so cute in this game i love it
2008
The follow-up of a classic I really enjoyed must be at least as good if not better than the original, right? Well I got some good news for you! Saints Row 2 builds upon the first game in every way but improves almost everything about it while being its own thing with its own individual identity.
Saints Row 2 follows the events about 5 years after the ending of the original Saints Row. Your goal is to get the gang back together and work together to gain back control over the city against 3 new gangs who, while you were gone, took over most of the city, with the main area from the first game as well as the area the name of the game is derived from - Saint's Row - being taken over by a capitalist conglomerate and gentrified to the point the only thing that would tell you this is the same Saint's Row from the 1st game is the church, the only spot from the area that still exists in 2, now used as a tourist attraction.
The game's overall different bloomier and more pale atmosphere alongside all the changes made to the city gave it a unique uncanny yet familiar feeling, a very "everything is eerily familiar yet entirely different" and I think that helps solidify how much of a tight grip the Ultor corporation has on the city and how much they want to transform it into a capitalistic utopia of sorts. Playing the 2nd game after the first makes you really miss the Saints Row 1 Stilwater, especially the classic version of Saint's Row and how colorful everything was in contrast to the 2nd game's pale colors on just about everything.
Saints Row 2 fixes just about every one of my complaints with the first game: It has a checkpoint system for its missions (which the first game did not have whatsoever), it has been changed to be a lot less grindy than the first game (gone are the times you have to do a couple side-missions to level up your respect. now one side mission or two at most could level you up easily. the game also adds a very convenient system that awards you points whenever you do various activities such as dodging cars, killing gangsters and bailing out of a car at a high speed) and also the side-missions themselves are much more fun - there's new side missions that are fun to play on their own and the returning missions have been tweaked here and there to be more fun, and to give out rewards that do help you outside of said side-missions a lot, such as infinite pistol ammo or the police/gangs forgetting about you much faster.
The story was pretty simple, maintaining the same format as the first game where you have a few prologue missions, then a number of missions of each individual gang that you can tackle in any order you desire and then a few epilogue missions but also including one secret mission that is meant to tie loose ends with the ending of the first game, giving some extra context as to what happened and why.
I know a lot of people who complain about Saints Row 3 taking the story towards being a bit too out there and wacky might dislike my answer but that started with the 2nd game. Everything is more over the top and a bit of a self-parody and while at times it can work in favor for the game (such as the over the top missions and some plot elements) there are some parts where the game has taken a few nosedives, particularly with the writing. Many of the returning characters (specifically the player character and Johnny Gat) have either changed a ton or have become a bit too flanderized. Johnny Gat sometimes acts so edgy it feels like a 12 year old's OC and the future games do play into that even more. Sure, Gat was always a bit more out there and more violent but it was not to this extent. Also the fact the player went from a voiceless character with 0 agency or personality to a character that has maybe a bit too much of both (to the point they're very much a self imposing asshole with little regard towards anyone they're not close with). At first I was not a fan of what they did with Julius but as I thought of it more, it really made a lot of sense and his intentions were ultimately more or less justified (I do think he was definitely very right about the Saints becoming the very thing they fought against).
Shaundi and Pierce didn't have a lot of significant writing at that point so they're kinda reduced to a few traits, such as how Shaundi is known to have had a lot of exes and is a huge stoner and Pierce is kinda some sort of a goofier version of Dex from the first game who doesn't get enough credit for the work he puts in. I think the characters being a bit cartoony and/or one dimensional is the biggest flaw with the game, really.
The story overall isn't much to write home about but does what it's supposed to do. The missions are fun and you get a lot of entertainment from the cutscenes and the action but just don't expect a storywriting masterpiece from Saints Row. I'm not going to expect everything to be Homer's Odyssey but as a video game and neither should you. The story is simple and that is the goal. Most of the charm is in the action and the story does a good job with that.
I really liked the themes of anti capitalism and anti gentrification and I kinda liked how you can see Saints Row 2 as a villain story of sorts if you think about it given the change of character motives between the games.
Also, if you play as a woman in SR2 and onwards the character is canonically trans and the game acknowledges that.
Saints Row 2 is a really fun game and I definitely recommend it. I recommend people to play the first game firstly for better context but it's not a must. It's more than your typical gta clone or whatever and it really shows. Volition went above and beyond to make Saints Row the best experience possible by fixing all the flaws of the first game and improving just about everything. Saints Row needed a stable comfort area to be in and the 2nd game does just that. It's a fun experience I do not regret having and playing both SR1 and 2 made me appreciate the series in a way I didn't get to by playing SR3 (SR3 is still a good game IMO don't get me wrong). This may not be able to capture all my thoughts on the game but it's pretty close. I've typed about 6200 characters in this review so I think I've sold the game well enough. Play it if you have an XBOX or a PS3. If you're on PC try to look for any mods that improve the shoddy port. I wholeheartedly recommend the game to anyone who wants to have a truly fun experience with an open world game
Saints Row 2 follows the events about 5 years after the ending of the original Saints Row. Your goal is to get the gang back together and work together to gain back control over the city against 3 new gangs who, while you were gone, took over most of the city, with the main area from the first game as well as the area the name of the game is derived from - Saint's Row - being taken over by a capitalist conglomerate and gentrified to the point the only thing that would tell you this is the same Saint's Row from the 1st game is the church, the only spot from the area that still exists in 2, now used as a tourist attraction.
The game's overall different bloomier and more pale atmosphere alongside all the changes made to the city gave it a unique uncanny yet familiar feeling, a very "everything is eerily familiar yet entirely different" and I think that helps solidify how much of a tight grip the Ultor corporation has on the city and how much they want to transform it into a capitalistic utopia of sorts. Playing the 2nd game after the first makes you really miss the Saints Row 1 Stilwater, especially the classic version of Saint's Row and how colorful everything was in contrast to the 2nd game's pale colors on just about everything.
Saints Row 2 fixes just about every one of my complaints with the first game: It has a checkpoint system for its missions (which the first game did not have whatsoever), it has been changed to be a lot less grindy than the first game (gone are the times you have to do a couple side-missions to level up your respect. now one side mission or two at most could level you up easily. the game also adds a very convenient system that awards you points whenever you do various activities such as dodging cars, killing gangsters and bailing out of a car at a high speed) and also the side-missions themselves are much more fun - there's new side missions that are fun to play on their own and the returning missions have been tweaked here and there to be more fun, and to give out rewards that do help you outside of said side-missions a lot, such as infinite pistol ammo or the police/gangs forgetting about you much faster.
The story was pretty simple, maintaining the same format as the first game where you have a few prologue missions, then a number of missions of each individual gang that you can tackle in any order you desire and then a few epilogue missions but also including one secret mission that is meant to tie loose ends with the ending of the first game, giving some extra context as to what happened and why.
I know a lot of people who complain about Saints Row 3 taking the story towards being a bit too out there and wacky might dislike my answer but that started with the 2nd game. Everything is more over the top and a bit of a self-parody and while at times it can work in favor for the game (such as the over the top missions and some plot elements) there are some parts where the game has taken a few nosedives, particularly with the writing. Many of the returning characters (specifically the player character and Johnny Gat) have either changed a ton or have become a bit too flanderized. Johnny Gat sometimes acts so edgy it feels like a 12 year old's OC and the future games do play into that even more. Sure, Gat was always a bit more out there and more violent but it was not to this extent. Also the fact the player went from a voiceless character with 0 agency or personality to a character that has maybe a bit too much of both (to the point they're very much a self imposing asshole with little regard towards anyone they're not close with). At first I was not a fan of what they did with Julius but as I thought of it more, it really made a lot of sense and his intentions were ultimately more or less justified (I do think he was definitely very right about the Saints becoming the very thing they fought against).
Shaundi and Pierce didn't have a lot of significant writing at that point so they're kinda reduced to a few traits, such as how Shaundi is known to have had a lot of exes and is a huge stoner and Pierce is kinda some sort of a goofier version of Dex from the first game who doesn't get enough credit for the work he puts in. I think the characters being a bit cartoony and/or one dimensional is the biggest flaw with the game, really.
The story overall isn't much to write home about but does what it's supposed to do. The missions are fun and you get a lot of entertainment from the cutscenes and the action but just don't expect a storywriting masterpiece from Saints Row. I'm not going to expect everything to be Homer's Odyssey but as a video game and neither should you. The story is simple and that is the goal. Most of the charm is in the action and the story does a good job with that.
I really liked the themes of anti capitalism and anti gentrification and I kinda liked how you can see Saints Row 2 as a villain story of sorts if you think about it given the change of character motives between the games.
Also, if you play as a woman in SR2 and onwards the character is canonically trans and the game acknowledges that.
Saints Row 2 is a really fun game and I definitely recommend it. I recommend people to play the first game firstly for better context but it's not a must. It's more than your typical gta clone or whatever and it really shows. Volition went above and beyond to make Saints Row the best experience possible by fixing all the flaws of the first game and improving just about everything. Saints Row needed a stable comfort area to be in and the 2nd game does just that. It's a fun experience I do not regret having and playing both SR1 and 2 made me appreciate the series in a way I didn't get to by playing SR3 (SR3 is still a good game IMO don't get me wrong). This may not be able to capture all my thoughts on the game but it's pretty close. I've typed about 6200 characters in this review so I think I've sold the game well enough. Play it if you have an XBOX or a PS3. If you're on PC try to look for any mods that improve the shoddy port. I wholeheartedly recommend the game to anyone who wants to have a truly fun experience with an open world game
2010
Well, only reason I've played this to begin with was because my PS3 copy of Saints Row 2 was messed up so I wanted to play something quick until I get a new copy (got a new one today for the 360 so I can play that one now). This sure was a game alright.
Gonna start with the positives first: I liked some of the characters and I think that if the game was entirely centered around one or a group of characters it might have helped fix some of the flaws maybe. Also, a big one is that atmosphere wise they pulled off the rainy fall weather quite well, especially at night time when you almost feel the coldness of the scenes in person. The design direction is charming and can pull you in quite well.
Now with the negatives (hoo boy where do I start): One thing to start with is the fact the story tends to lose itself at times and becomes overly convoluted in its own developments, likely due to the classic terrible writing a-la david cage. The game takes itself too seriously and comes off as extremely overly-pretentious and as for everything besides the atmosphere, it falls flat - and badly. The execution of a lot of critical moments do nothing but make you laugh or cringe - or just scream out loud at Ethan for being an idiot (but press X for Jason sure works am I right?). Most times with the awkward, half assed execution you can pick apart what they were trying to do or maybe even get used to it but it's something you still can't entirely shrug off (like come on, did we really need a quick time event for when 2 characters are making out?). The game is full of those and even if the story was more decent it would still personally break the immersion and ruin the mood that specific moment was trying to convey. Now imagine how much it can affect the flow of the story when the story isn't that great either. I get they tried to make the experience feel as interactive as possible and I know it was kinda meant to be played with the PS Move (which I do not have and do not have interest to buy) but if my experience with a controller was awkward and clunky (why do characters control like cars where one button is used to move and then the analog stick is used to steer them to a certain direction, you'd think they'd make it less clunky and unintuitive when the game is meant to be intuitive with all the qte and interactibility). The game has some okay moments and right as I thought the game was starting to get better I see both one of the worst racist caricatures I've seen in a video game in a long while and also sexual abuse scenes. Those don't really make the game any more defensible especially since David Cage and Quantic Dream as a company are both entities with very very sketchy history towards treatment of women and minorities, sexual abuse as well as....other stuff (not gonna get into it more but I recommend reading about it if you want to). Knowing about what David Cage and Quantic Dream have been exposed for really puts a lot of the sketchier moments in perspective and creates some sort of ironic hypocrisy because they're some of the very characters they criticize or mock in the game. Ultimately the game can be convoluted and too pretentious at best and problematic at worst.
In conclusion, it's not a good game. I don't think it's a terrible game either on its own but it's definitely below average and not something I'd personally recommend to anyone. If I could describe it in one word it would be just awkward. Execution wise, story wise, plot wise, everything is simply awkward.
Also fuck Quantic Dream and David Cage
Gonna start with the positives first: I liked some of the characters and I think that if the game was entirely centered around one or a group of characters it might have helped fix some of the flaws maybe. Also, a big one is that atmosphere wise they pulled off the rainy fall weather quite well, especially at night time when you almost feel the coldness of the scenes in person. The design direction is charming and can pull you in quite well.
Now with the negatives (hoo boy where do I start): One thing to start with is the fact the story tends to lose itself at times and becomes overly convoluted in its own developments, likely due to the classic terrible writing a-la david cage. The game takes itself too seriously and comes off as extremely overly-pretentious and as for everything besides the atmosphere, it falls flat - and badly. The execution of a lot of critical moments do nothing but make you laugh or cringe - or just scream out loud at Ethan for being an idiot (but press X for Jason sure works am I right?). Most times with the awkward, half assed execution you can pick apart what they were trying to do or maybe even get used to it but it's something you still can't entirely shrug off (like come on, did we really need a quick time event for when 2 characters are making out?). The game is full of those and even if the story was more decent it would still personally break the immersion and ruin the mood that specific moment was trying to convey. Now imagine how much it can affect the flow of the story when the story isn't that great either. I get they tried to make the experience feel as interactive as possible and I know it was kinda meant to be played with the PS Move (which I do not have and do not have interest to buy) but if my experience with a controller was awkward and clunky (why do characters control like cars where one button is used to move and then the analog stick is used to steer them to a certain direction, you'd think they'd make it less clunky and unintuitive when the game is meant to be intuitive with all the qte and interactibility). The game has some okay moments and right as I thought the game was starting to get better I see both one of the worst racist caricatures I've seen in a video game in a long while and also sexual abuse scenes. Those don't really make the game any more defensible especially since David Cage and Quantic Dream as a company are both entities with very very sketchy history towards treatment of women and minorities, sexual abuse as well as....other stuff (not gonna get into it more but I recommend reading about it if you want to). Knowing about what David Cage and Quantic Dream have been exposed for really puts a lot of the sketchier moments in perspective and creates some sort of ironic hypocrisy because they're some of the very characters they criticize or mock in the game. Ultimately the game can be convoluted and too pretentious at best and problematic at worst.
In conclusion, it's not a good game. I don't think it's a terrible game either on its own but it's definitely below average and not something I'd personally recommend to anyone. If I could describe it in one word it would be just awkward. Execution wise, story wise, plot wise, everything is simply awkward.
Also fuck Quantic Dream and David Cage
2004
agar io before agar io
2006
The original Saints Row. A solid 360 exclusive, a solid early console title (since it came within a year since the 360 came out) but definitely a game that has aged rather...roughly
I know much of it was caused by it coming out before a lot of features that we now can't live with were becoming the standard (such as checkpoints) but there's a lot of other questionable gameplay design choices that were (thankfully) all fixed by the 2nd or 3rd game. One gripe I have with the game is the frustrating amount of grinding the game forced me into committing to by forcing me into performing the side activities. While some of the side activities can be entertaining and I can understand the design philosophy (most players wouldn't play the side-missions otherwise unless they were seeking to 100% the game) I do believe it's not being done justice here given how hit and miss the side-missions are, especially in comparation with the subsequent games which both have improved the side-missions as well as make the game much less of a grindfest, relying you to play the bearable side-missions until you can't gain any more experience from them (or if you're lucky to realize the hostage submission gives a decent amount of experience for what it's worth).
Side-Missions aside, the story, while nothing memorable to write home about, was alright enough. The missions were challenging but in a fun way for the most part. They're definitely very arcadey and straightforward, especially when we're talking about the Stronghold missions. I definitely enjoyed the missions for the most part because they were challenging enough while also not feeling too unfair (well, the lack of checkpoints made them seem more unfair but looking at the big picture they weren't too bad)
The overall atmosphere was pretty charming. I'm very nostalgic about the mid 2000s so given how the game came out in 2006 it definitely felt like a time capsule from the era. Everything about it made me look back at 2000s hip hop culture (for better or for worse) as well as the 2000s overall.
Saints Row, quirks and annoyances aside, is a solid gta clone. If you want a straightforward gta clone with a gangwar centered story then I can't help but recommend the game if you own an XBOX 360, XBOX One or XBOX Series X. The game is exclusive to the XBOX, mainly the 360, but the developers have made the effort to make the game available on the newer consoles, in order to help the game not stay forever stranded on one platform for the rest of time (looks at you, JSRF). The lack of ports is explained with the fact the developers have apparently lost the source code, thus being unable to natively port it to any newer platform or the PC. Is it worth picking up a 360 for? No, not really. However, is it worth dusting off your old 360 to take it out for a whirl for, maybe to even hype yourself up for the reboot? Sure. There's a lot of fun times to be had.
The original Saints Row was back before Saints Row became this post-ironic commentary on video games and pop culture so expect it to take itself much more seriously than what you'd expect with Saints Row 3 or even 2. There's no dildo weapon, no barrel rolls, no futuristic stuff or any of the most outwordly. The most out there you'd get is with the radio commercials, gangsters wielding rocket launchers or with Stefan the fashion consultant speaking in third person. The game is a straighforward gangster story with little of the quirkiness that ended up defining the franchise.
3/5
I know much of it was caused by it coming out before a lot of features that we now can't live with were becoming the standard (such as checkpoints) but there's a lot of other questionable gameplay design choices that were (thankfully) all fixed by the 2nd or 3rd game. One gripe I have with the game is the frustrating amount of grinding the game forced me into committing to by forcing me into performing the side activities. While some of the side activities can be entertaining and I can understand the design philosophy (most players wouldn't play the side-missions otherwise unless they were seeking to 100% the game) I do believe it's not being done justice here given how hit and miss the side-missions are, especially in comparation with the subsequent games which both have improved the side-missions as well as make the game much less of a grindfest, relying you to play the bearable side-missions until you can't gain any more experience from them (or if you're lucky to realize the hostage submission gives a decent amount of experience for what it's worth).
Side-Missions aside, the story, while nothing memorable to write home about, was alright enough. The missions were challenging but in a fun way for the most part. They're definitely very arcadey and straightforward, especially when we're talking about the Stronghold missions. I definitely enjoyed the missions for the most part because they were challenging enough while also not feeling too unfair (well, the lack of checkpoints made them seem more unfair but looking at the big picture they weren't too bad)
The overall atmosphere was pretty charming. I'm very nostalgic about the mid 2000s so given how the game came out in 2006 it definitely felt like a time capsule from the era. Everything about it made me look back at 2000s hip hop culture (for better or for worse) as well as the 2000s overall.
Saints Row, quirks and annoyances aside, is a solid gta clone. If you want a straightforward gta clone with a gangwar centered story then I can't help but recommend the game if you own an XBOX 360, XBOX One or XBOX Series X. The game is exclusive to the XBOX, mainly the 360, but the developers have made the effort to make the game available on the newer consoles, in order to help the game not stay forever stranded on one platform for the rest of time (looks at you, JSRF). The lack of ports is explained with the fact the developers have apparently lost the source code, thus being unable to natively port it to any newer platform or the PC. Is it worth picking up a 360 for? No, not really. However, is it worth dusting off your old 360 to take it out for a whirl for, maybe to even hype yourself up for the reboot? Sure. There's a lot of fun times to be had.
The original Saints Row was back before Saints Row became this post-ironic commentary on video games and pop culture so expect it to take itself much more seriously than what you'd expect with Saints Row 3 or even 2. There's no dildo weapon, no barrel rolls, no futuristic stuff or any of the most outwordly. The most out there you'd get is with the radio commercials, gangsters wielding rocket launchers or with Stefan the fashion consultant speaking in third person. The game is a straighforward gangster story with little of the quirkiness that ended up defining the franchise.
3/5
2018
everyone is so fucking horny in this game
2019
even if it's still tetris at the end of the day it's highly addictive and it brings out your competitive side quite well