Saint's Row

See why Saint's Row is the best thing to hit the action genre since Grand Theft Auto 3.

It's official. In 2005, the year of Our Lord, the bloody reign of Grand Theft Auto is over. Sure, it's still walking, talking, and killing with mindless, murderous abandon. But it's as dead as a spent bullet. That's all thanks to a wicked little Xbox 360 game named Saint's Row, a next-gen re-envisioning of the criminal-minded GTA sensation. Gather round, bloodthirsty brother and sisters, and hear tell of the most violent, depraved, and just downright fun gangster game of them all.

Long Row to Hoe
What is perhaps most impressive about Saint's Row is its grim devotion to out-performing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in every conceivable way. Jaw-dropping graphics? Check. A slick, precise control scheme that allows you to run, snipe, and shoot at will? Check. A thriving interactive world, complete with single-player missions that are actually fun to play? Check. It's as if the designers systematically studied each weak point--every chink in the armor, every compromise, every limitation--and developed a ruthless countermeasure designed to exploit and destroy. Now, now: don't get touchy. We know you love GTA. We do, too. But when you see this baby in action, you'll forget all about petty thugs like Tommy Vercetti and C.J. Johnson.

You'll start by creating your very own custom character, starting with a full array of ethnicities. You can also select a body build without going through the torturous eat-lift-run workout grind from San Andreas. Huzzah! For more precise physical tweaks, your best bet will be to visit the neighborhood plastic surgeon. In a ghoulish twist, the developers are even talking about adding plastic surgery "mishaps." The only worry is that players will get pissed if they sink a bunch of cash into a character and end up looking like Quasimodo, or worse, Wacko Jacko, so it's not yet a guarantee. Naturally, the obsessive focus on player customization extends to the game's extensive wardrobe and arsenal. Item collecting plays a major role in Saint's Row, and you'll be kept plenty busy tracking down the most "blinged up" guns and outfits. Sometimes, it's the little things that count.

And Gamers Lived Happily Ever After
So far, so good, but it's the online mode that truly has us bouncing off the walls. After speaking with the super folks as Volition, we know you'll play in multiplayer-only levels featuring the standard array of deathmatch and team deathmatch modes. The cooperative mode also sounds hot; why run riot alone when you can bring a buddy? We're also intrigued by one of the contests--called "Big Ass Chains"--in which the goal is to make it to the finish line with as many silver chains wrapped around your neck as possible. When it comes to online gameplay, the twist is that every time you play, you'll accumulate online currency that you'll use to unlock the coolest gear in the game. And of course, you can look forward to new weapons, cars, clothes and tunes (and possibly even levels) via the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Okay, so the biggest question is ultimately the simplest one: when? When, when, when? Soon enough, child, soon enough. Though the hard-working guys at developer Volition haven't yet named a release date (it's scheduled for the "launch window" of the Xbox 360), our best guess is anywhere between now and Christmas. Okay, so we suck at guessing dates. But to kill the time, try giving GTA: San Andreas one last run-through. After Saint's Row hits, you likely won't be playing that game again for a long, long, long time.

Saints and Sinners
Speaking with Jacques Hennequet, a senior producer for Saint's Row, opened up some fascinating gameplay intricacies.

GamePro: Let's say I want to be a pimp. Do I have to go and find pimp-specific missions?

Jacques Hennequet: The city is controlled by three other gangs. Each gang controls one territory and each territory is made of a number of neighborhoods--you control Saint's Row. There are a number of activities in each territory. You choose which ones you want to play and how often you play them. Completing activities--such as randomly killing enemy gang members--earns you respect, which in turn unlocks story missions and reveals stronghold locations. Each story mission or stronghold conquest earns you one neighborhood. Conquer all the neighborhoods and you win.

GP: Earlier you mentioned that a player could complete the game by engaging in almost any activity you wanted. Roughly how many "professions" are there? Is there a central storyline?

JH: Drug Trafficking, Hit Man, Vandalism, and Insurance Fraud to name a few. Think of activities as gameplay modules that you are free to experiment with and enjoy. No matter how much racing you do, you don't become a race car driver and you still have access to all the story elements; you remain first and foremost a 3rd Street Saint. What changes is what you do to get there. You can switch from one activity to another at any point. There are four stories, one per gang, that all tie together at the end of the game.

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