Saints Row (2006) Critic Reviews

This is a game guaranteed to offend and entertain in equal measure, but it is emphatically not for children.

Volition benefits enormously from not having to develop for a stinky ol' Playstation 2. Since it went 3D, "Grand Theft Auto" has been lodged firmly and uncomfortably against the limits of Sony's console system. But with Saint's Row, the Grand Theft Auto model busts free.

The game is the deepest and most exciting to date of all the freewheeling street shooter games. There are missions and activities galore.

Saints Row's Xbox Live presentation is a colossal step in the right direction for the genre, with its live-action lobby, imaginative game modes, and an MMO-inspired element that allows you to amass and spend the money you win online.

It's one of the few next-gen games that truly warrants a next-gen price tag, with a lengthy single-player campaign and a fun online component to extend the experience.

Saints Row is worth your money, plain and simple. Its "Grand Theft Auto" inspired gameplay is not only very well done here, but through many refinements and advances in the feature set, Volition has delivered a game that is... dare it be said... better in some respects.

The next-gen graphics capabilities of the 360 are definitely put to use here and the game simply looks gorgeous. In these kind of games you always want to blow stuff up, of course, but the way Saint’s Row applies particle effects and flying debris (and bodies!) changes it from mindless destruction into a true art form.

Tweaks the Grand Theft Auto formula just enough to make it somewhat fresh. There is definitely room for improvement as the game doesn’t include boats or motorcycles for instance but Saints Row is a must have.

It's almost as if Saint's Row is a parody of the "GTA" games, with its over the top raunchiness, obvious innuendo and complete departure from reality. I never got that into the "GTA" games, but I can't seem to get enough of Saint's Row.

The nature of the game's free-form design coupled with its devices also make it an extremely personal experience, more so than any of its predecessors.

Despite all the murder and mayhem, one of the biggest aspects of Saints Row isn't how many thugs you can cap, but the deep level of customization.

A cracking game and at the end of the day is extremely fun and rewarding which is what counts. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, what with all the sexual orientated gags and the stereotypical look at gangster life.

Saint's Row has done something that "Grand Theft Auto" had never managed to do for me: the game is so over-the-top, so exaggerated, so hyperbolical, that it really makes you suspend your disbelief and just "act a fool", getting into the role of your own personalized character and becoming a gangster.

The game has just a pristine sheen all over it. It makes full use of the graphical horsepower of the 360. Tons of explosions or cars on the screen don't contribute at all to any slowdown.

Although there aren’t multiple endings, this game lasts for long enough on its own and creating a new character always adds something different to the game.

Sharing some similarities with the celebrated GTA franchise, THQ's actioner adds some original elements and some fluid controls to make this a winner on the 360.

The controls don’t put a strangle hold on the gameplay, the graphics only have a few hiccups, and the audio is near perfection.

Saints Row is still incredibly polished, unmistakably fun, and is absolutely one of the best games for the Xbox 360.

The one area where Saints Row really goes outside of anything that "GTA" has to offer is through its amazingly diverse and highly enthralling online.

With the engaging storyline, deep character customization (both at creation and through the game), multiple gameplay options and exploration routes I can’t get enough of this game.