Today I'm Gonna Play: Saints Row 3 (Original)
I've actually tried this game a couple of times, after playing 4. But I never progressed too far for some reason. For better or worse, this has given me the knowledge of what to expect now that I've been playing this series chronologically. This time, I'm trying out the original rather than the remaster due to some performance issues that I'm facing. And I heard that the original is more stable and natural to transition to in terms of visuals.
In terms of what I really liked, the driving seems to be at its best so far. It feels a lot tighter to control compared to the previous game, with all my gripes about it all solved here. It was also fun seeing cars fly off when I crashed into them, rather than being realistic like how GTA tends to handle it (4 in particular). But I like both cases all the same. It's still not ideal to use a motorcycle, but better than 2 in my opinion. One thing that's consistent throughout the games so far is that the map don't feature dead ends. You're always able to escape through any alleyway you drive into, making it convenient to roam around.
I also noticed that the UI is more minimal. At first, I thought that was a bland choice, but there are some nice animations that occur, with things like the mission completion, upgrades, or Respect multipliers. It feels stylish and less likely to feel dated.
I don't really know where to start with the combat. I have nothing bad to say about it, for one. But it's one of those things where it's better experienced than explained when the chaos factor is cranked up. You can fist fight people and finish them off wrestling style, use laser rifles, mind control launchers, shark summoning shotguns, or beat people up with the iconic dildo bat. On top of that, vehicles now play a bigger role aside from the usual running and gunning people over. Lots of tanks and VTOL uses, with lasers and gunfire galore. When combined with story mode, it makes for some very memorable and wacky experiences that felt refreshing to see.
I also liked the banter between the characters and the Boss. I liked it in the previous games too, but there's something that feels more relaxed with the reccurring characters that they seem to be more on equal standing whereas the 2nd game felt more solo with your character doing most of the work. It's a nice sense of progression overall. I also found out that they can have banter with each other if they're recruited together, which is a nice touch! But I think it also slightly hinders the Boss from being able to act more leader-like, if that makes sense. At least, that may be my unique experience. Because it turns out that your character's personality is based on their voice thus providing different dialogue, which I think is a very neat feature!
But if not that, it could also be how the gameplay structure has changed. The Respect system is now more akin to a level system that allows you to unlock upgrades, which you can purchase for cash. Storylines are no longer split by rival gangs, but with your individual gang members instead as you help them set things up against your adversaries. It makes things more linear and GTA-esque where you go do things under someone else, and this is where I felt like the Boss' power and influence is being undermined. The upside to this is that the game also borrows GTA IV's morality system (which I think might have come from Mass Effect based on an interview with Dan Houser talking about its influence) where you can decide the outcomes of certain missions. The game straight-up tells you the outcome of each before selecting, mostly it being gameplay benefits rather than story, which at most would have been dialogue changes. Writing this, I think this game could've benefited from a different approach to GTA, where you get to also call the shots of how some missions could go since you're not an underling. For instance, my Boss often expressed just taking the direct way of killing things rather than what the story does. It would be interesting to have the option of going for a chaotic, reckless route, or listening to what your crew has to say. It could also help consistent with how SR2's version of the Boss did things. I think the final mission's decision portrayed exactly this, and felt more impactful as a result.
Anyways, aside from that. I do like that activities are no longer tied to progression, and you're free to do them as you like, and the upgrade system is nice, although it makes money a very important as a resource in general since you also need it to buy property and general vehicle/weapon upgrades. But this simplicity permeates throughout the entire game. Steelport as a map is so much more dead than Stilwater, that always had something crazy happening with its NPCs or how you could even use environmental props as weapons. What should've been a lively playground feels like a simple backdrop just for sake of it. I heard it has to do with focusing on resources that casual players would pay attention to, and while I can empathize with that, I feel like it also stains the world that the devs worked hard to make. It reminds of Mirror's Edge (which is my favourite game of all time), where the first game shows a lot of personality with its accented colors and signage (as well as easter eggs) and proper structure, but the second game is criticized for being too pristine and generic with poor level design, and therefore lifeless and disjointed, despite each sector having its own identity. Personally, I love both, but the point remains. I think this can also be reflected in real life places as well.
The homies system is more or less the same with some changes. You can't see their health bars anymore so it's hard to discern when they're about to die. Fortunately, that doesn't happen often. I definitely like the feature where they can deliver vehicles to you or you can call generic ones for assists almost anywhere. They also follow instructions better than the previous game.
The cast and story is a mixed bag. They've gone for a full on humor approach, which I'm not against (well, maybe a bit). But humor can be subjective and at best, this was a hit-and-miss. It tends to hit high when things are absolutely absurd, such as falling from the sky and using a tank to shoot people off, or being transported to a virtual world with pop culture and gaming references as you suddenly get into a Tokusatsu type battle. Its low moments either come off of as juvenile, or poorly dated; things like suddenly being able to use farts in a jar to render your opponent immobile in a big battle, or making light of sex trafficking. It weirdly fits the game, but I wish it was done differently.
My biggest letdown, is how stripped down the customization is. No crib or property customization and loss of layering in clothes (the DLCs give you lots of new things, but most of them look quite ridiculous or dated) are some of the few things I can think of. Combined with the lifelessness of Steelport, it hurts when you realize how the game's visuals still hold up nicely to this day.
Saints Row 3 being different is a bit of an understatement. I can't imagine the whiplash I'd feel if I went into this series blind. I really enjoyed the wackiness of this title and appreciate this sort of creativity from time to time. But its lack of features from SR2 makes me appreciate that title a lot more for what it offers to rate SR3 higher. I sort of know what to expect from 4 as I've played it already, but it's been more than a decade. So I'm curious to see what'll jog my memory and if anything would change my mind.
