Alright, so most reviews cover the meat of the game, right? We cover story, level design and so on, but when it comes down to replayability, we generally give it a cursory look for side-quests and multiplayer, then move on.
But hang on, I think we're missing a trick here. Games like Oblivion, San Andreas and Saint's Row have not only gives us a large, free-roaming environment to play in, but essentially no end to the game itself (yes, Saint's Row does technically 'end', but still).
Hence why I'd like to devote a little time to the escapades you can get up to in Saint's Row, my most frequently-played game in my collection.
Activities:
(Sure, very original. I thought you were going to talk about end-game stuff? - Ed)
Alright, so I may not be delving the barrel early on, but frankly, the appeal of most of the Activities in Saint's Row is their replayability. You don't have to start from scratch each time you have a crack at Drug Running or Insurance Fraud, you can pick a level and away you go.
Granted, the novelty of some of the Activites can get a little thin sometimes, the Hitman activites in particular require the patience of a Saint (boom-boom), or the luck of the Irish to actually find your target, espacially is they choose to wander out of the area you're suppoed to find them in.
But on the whole, the Activites elaborate on what the GTA games set down, with the staple 'Kill Everything' game, but also the 'Kill Cops and Gangs whilst in a car' and 'Pick up Hookers...whilst killing Cops and Gangs'. Not exactly groundbreaking, I'll mark you, but still good for a quick blast if you're in the mood for something a little different.
The more vehicle-oriented Activites are somewhat less encouraging - Racing can range from fun, to challenging, and all the way to controller-gnawingly frustrating, as the other drivers seem to have access to faster cars than you, regardless of model. Hijacking, also, is fun when it's early on, but when you hijack the worst handling car in the world, only to have the entirity of the FBI on your rear bumper, you soon wonder how close the nearest Mayhem activity is. And as for Escort? Well, now I shoot newsvans on sight, as a principle.
But the real shining star of this has to be Insurance Fraud. Okay, we all like ragdoll physics, but there's something about lobbing yourself in front of an oncoming car/van/truck/train and pierouetting away in a frenzy of flailing limbs that bring a little warmth to my heart. Try it with some classical music on your MP3 player - it's fabulous.
Free Running:
(Surely this is still Insurance Fraud? - Ed)
If you haven't heard of this, and actually own a copy of Saint's Row, I suggest you go and try this out right now. You see, due to the often-screwy physics engine, you can cmbine jumping and bailing into a much higher leap, opening up new areas to explore, vaulting obstacles, or simply allowing you to jump off car parks without a scratch.
At first, I thought this was just a neat little trick, but now whenever I play, I'm always scoping out new jumps, new rooftops I can leap to, walls I can vault. And, with the correct application of Ambulances, I was able to do even more. Call me sad if you really must, but for those of you who enjoyed the 'You Shouldn't Be Here' bit in GTA, this is for you.
I only just realised you can actually break stuff whilst jumping, too. Have at you, fridge!
*Whump*
...ow.
Challenges:
(Alright, let's see where this is going... - Ed)
Sometimes, half the fun is matching targets you set for yourself.
(...nowhere.)
Given the ability to replay any mission or stronghold is all well and good, but a little dull if there's nothing new to do. Thing is, there always is, it's just up to you to think of what. Bare-knuckle your way through the entire game? It's hard, but doable (okay, apart fom the bits where you must shoot). By taking along homies, you can tackle each mission as a unit. Set a time limit for yourself.
Alright, I may be stretching this, but you can see my point, right? The flexibility of the world around you in Saint's Row is to the point where anything and pretty much everything can become a new challenge.
This isn't to say that in the end, the game will lost its appeal to you, but I'm simply saying that there's a whole lot more to get out of any game, free-roaming or not, if you're prepared to look.
Anyway, this is a review, and I should review these areas I've wittered on about:
Activities: Although on occasion frustrating, they're tailor-made to the game itself, and good for a quick blast if you've got nowt else to do. 8/10
Free Running: Although a personal favourite, I'm sure it won't be to everyone's taste. Nevertheless, if you get into it, you'll be playing for hours. 7/10
Challenges: Tough one to call. If you don't give a damn about setting personal goals, then thos scores a big fat 0. But if you do, or want to challenge yourself, it can be a right laugh. 7/10
Overall: The general endgame appeal of Sant's Row is...okay. Somewhat less than the sum of its parts. It takes effort to crack the metaphorical nut, and in the end, that's what deducts from the score. Fun, but I doubt many with find it worthwhile. 6/10
But hang on, I think we're missing a trick here. Games like Oblivion, San Andreas and Saint's Row have not only gives us a large, free-roaming environment to play in, but essentially no end to the game itself (yes, Saint's Row does technically 'end', but still).
Hence why I'd like to devote a little time to the escapades you can get up to in Saint's Row, my most frequently-played game in my collection.
Activities:
(Sure, very original. I thought you were going to talk about end-game stuff? - Ed)
Alright, so I may not be delving the barrel early on, but frankly, the appeal of most of the Activities in Saint's Row is their replayability. You don't have to start from scratch each time you have a crack at Drug Running or Insurance Fraud, you can pick a level and away you go.
Granted, the novelty of some of the Activites can get a little thin sometimes, the Hitman activites in particular require the patience of a Saint (boom-boom), or the luck of the Irish to actually find your target, espacially is they choose to wander out of the area you're suppoed to find them in.
But on the whole, the Activites elaborate on what the GTA games set down, with the staple 'Kill Everything' game, but also the 'Kill Cops and Gangs whilst in a car' and 'Pick up Hookers...whilst killing Cops and Gangs'. Not exactly groundbreaking, I'll mark you, but still good for a quick blast if you're in the mood for something a little different.
The more vehicle-oriented Activites are somewhat less encouraging - Racing can range from fun, to challenging, and all the way to controller-gnawingly frustrating, as the other drivers seem to have access to faster cars than you, regardless of model. Hijacking, also, is fun when it's early on, but when you hijack the worst handling car in the world, only to have the entirity of the FBI on your rear bumper, you soon wonder how close the nearest Mayhem activity is. And as for Escort? Well, now I shoot newsvans on sight, as a principle.
But the real shining star of this has to be Insurance Fraud. Okay, we all like ragdoll physics, but there's something about lobbing yourself in front of an oncoming car/van/truck/train and pierouetting away in a frenzy of flailing limbs that bring a little warmth to my heart. Try it with some classical music on your MP3 player - it's fabulous.
Free Running:
(Surely this is still Insurance Fraud? - Ed)
If you haven't heard of this, and actually own a copy of Saint's Row, I suggest you go and try this out right now. You see, due to the often-screwy physics engine, you can cmbine jumping and bailing into a much higher leap, opening up new areas to explore, vaulting obstacles, or simply allowing you to jump off car parks without a scratch.
At first, I thought this was just a neat little trick, but now whenever I play, I'm always scoping out new jumps, new rooftops I can leap to, walls I can vault. And, with the correct application of Ambulances, I was able to do even more. Call me sad if you really must, but for those of you who enjoyed the 'You Shouldn't Be Here' bit in GTA, this is for you.
I only just realised you can actually break stuff whilst jumping, too. Have at you, fridge!
*Whump*
...ow.
Challenges:
(Alright, let's see where this is going... - Ed)
Sometimes, half the fun is matching targets you set for yourself.
(...nowhere.)
Given the ability to replay any mission or stronghold is all well and good, but a little dull if there's nothing new to do. Thing is, there always is, it's just up to you to think of what. Bare-knuckle your way through the entire game? It's hard, but doable (okay, apart fom the bits where you must shoot). By taking along homies, you can tackle each mission as a unit. Set a time limit for yourself.
Alright, I may be stretching this, but you can see my point, right? The flexibility of the world around you in Saint's Row is to the point where anything and pretty much everything can become a new challenge.
This isn't to say that in the end, the game will lost its appeal to you, but I'm simply saying that there's a whole lot more to get out of any game, free-roaming or not, if you're prepared to look.
Anyway, this is a review, and I should review these areas I've wittered on about:
Activities: Although on occasion frustrating, they're tailor-made to the game itself, and good for a quick blast if you've got nowt else to do. 8/10
Free Running: Although a personal favourite, I'm sure it won't be to everyone's taste. Nevertheless, if you get into it, you'll be playing for hours. 7/10
Challenges: Tough one to call. If you don't give a damn about setting personal goals, then thos scores a big fat 0. But if you do, or want to challenge yourself, it can be a right laugh. 7/10
Overall: The general endgame appeal of Sant's Row is...okay. Somewhat less than the sum of its parts. It takes effort to crack the metaphorical nut, and in the end, that's what deducts from the score. Fun, but I doubt many with find it worthwhile. 6/10