GTA Improved!

As pretty much everyone knows, Saints Row takes the GTA sandbox form of gameplay and improves upon it. Almost everything from the GTA games is present, but everything, and I do mean everything, is done much better.

When you first start the game you are given the option to customize your character. You can adjust just about everything you can think of and then some. After you start the game you always have the option to go to a plastic surgeon and change your appearance, as long as you have the money.

Once you are through with the character creation you are treated to a nice opening sequence in which you are almost killed. You are saved at the last moment by a member of the Saints; one of the gangs in Stilwater (the city the game takes place in) battling for control. After this sequence you are set free to do whatever you like. You can tackle the main quest, or go out into the city and try to earn money and respect by doing some of the seemingly endless activities.

The controls work extremely well. Shooting works much like FPS controls. There's not a lock on mechanism, but the aiming is done so well that you probably won't miss it. To me the driving controls seem a little odd, but they do work fairly well, and honestly the vehicles are easier to control than the vehicles in GTA. Some of the few things found in GTA that are missing in Saints Row are motorcycles, boats, and planes, but the lack of these is barely noticed.

Of course the game looks 100% better than any GTA made, but since it's a 360 game that's to be expected. Explosions look amazing; I've went around the city many times just blowing things up so I could watch debris launch in every direction. The lighting effects in the game are also phenomenal; shadows and the progression of time from night to day really help to make the city seem real.

The online game is also good, but it has some problems. First of all is the match making. Sometimes it can take a long time to get enough players to start a game. Another problem online is the lag, especially when someone is driving a car; I can't count the number of times I've been killed by a car that I never even saw.

Saints Row is a great game, and anyone that enjoyed the GTA games should at least give it a try.

High Hopes Confirmed

These are my hopes for Fable 2, not a review. My score reflects how good I'm at least hoping it will turn out to be.

I'm really looking forward to this game. I loved the first one even though it was too short. Hopefully the second one will be a lot longer while keeping the elements of the first game that made it so great. There was something about the fairytale setting of the first one that I loved. The voice acting and the music all worked together to create a unique experience. If they can keep this same feeling with Fable 2 while making it longer I will be extremely happy.
Update: Fable 2 turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for down to the last detail. 4.5/5 score is well deserved. My only complaint is that the story was a bit of a letdown.

disapointing

I was looking forward to this game. When I got home I was very disapointed to find that I could not use a manual transmission. There may be a way to use a manual but I have looked very hard and cannot find one. The game is very good despite this, but I am having a hard time enjoying the game. If I had known I could not use a manual I would not have bought this game. If you normaly use an automatic this will not bother you, but if you use a manual you may have a hard time enjoying this game. If using an automatic does not bother you, buy this game, you will enjoy it, if not, stay away, you will be disapointed. One more thing, this does not hurt the game very much, but the replays have also been left out.