Saints Row

Times Online

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

GameShark

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.

Detroit Free Press

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

GamePro

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.

XboxAddict

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.

Game Over Online

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.

PGNx Media

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.

Console Gameworld

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.

Gaming Age

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.

DarkStation

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.

GamingTrend

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.

Kombo

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.

MS Xbox World

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.

Yahoo! Games

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.

Play Magazine

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. [Sept 2006, p.50]

Deeko

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.

eToychest

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

Talk Xbox

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

Next Level Gaming

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.

Game Informer

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. [Sept. 2006, p.95]

Pelit (Finland)

Some will say "We have seen this before", which is true, but luckily Volition has taken the best parts from the GTA series and spiced them up. The result is immersive and fun to play. One of the best games on Xbox 360 so far. [Sept 2006]

Planet Xbox 360

Volition put forth a game worthy of challenging GTA of its crown for king of the sandbox.

VGPub

While the online play may only walk off with a “thank you for participating” ribbon, the main single player experience is one that should be enjoyed by all and has a lot to offer to keep you playing for well over 30 hours.

GamingExcellence

From every angle you take, Saints Row is golden. You’ll drive around and conquer Stilwater for hours to come and enjoy every minute of it.

Gaming Target

The missions and activities are fun, and the shooting action is perfectly tuned. Even as a serious imitator, Saint's Row manages to transcend its plagiaristic tone and delivers a genuinely engaging experience.

GameZone

The variety of missions varies from great to funny to tedious.

IGN

But Saints Row, despite its distinct lack of originality, is fun. It starts out fun and it stays fun. It gets deeper and more engaging, and the storyline and the characters come to life, and you're compelled by seeing the narrative unfold just as much as getting all of the 10- and 20-point Achievements.

ZTGameDomain

This is the first game to actually challenge "GTA" for the throne among these types of games and it actually surpasses it on many levels.

Worth Playing

At the very least, it's the best-looking and -playing open-world game this side of "Oblivion" on the X360 right now.

Extreme Gamer

The overall production and core gameplay make Saints fun and engaging.

Gamers' Temple

Nothing like a drive-by shooting with a little Mozart cranking out of the subwoofers!

GamerNode

Despite its shortcomings, Saints Row is a fantastic addition to the Xbox 360. It contains a long singleplayer experience, and has the potential to be an extremely rewarding online one as well.

Gamer 2.0

The entire world of Saints Row hinges on gang activity while "GTA" only uses it as a stepping stone to reach the upper echelons of organized crime.

Xbox World Australia

It puts its mark on the ‘next-gen' in a way that will finally have Rockstar's venerable series being measured against something else as opposed to itself.

Game Almighty

It may be too over-the-top for some, but if you’re a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series, this will keep you securely fastened in the free-form third-person action genre… just don’t let the kids act this one out.

GameSpot

It's an exciting, dynamic experience that's frequently rewarding and rarely frustrating and can keep you coming back hour after shameless hour, as you cause mayhem throughout the rather large, detailed city of Stilwater. What's more, a surprisingly entertaining storyline and a number of smartly designed gameplay features make Saints Row a memorable game in its own right.

Play.tm

Sure, it's never better than GTA itself and isn't going to win any awards for originality, but Saints Row does measure up to 2001's "GTA III" pretty well.

Gaming Nexus

While Saints Row won't win any awards for originality, it does manage to weave a pretty interesting story with great game play and a lot of fun activities to do.

GameTrailers

The first game to copy "Grand Theft Auto" directly. It gets away with it for three reasons: one, it looks better than GTA ever did, two, it has insane online multiplayer that GTA4 will hopefully copy, and three, GTA was a gratuitously rewarding experience to begin with.

X360 Magazine UK

So little experimentation yet so few mistakes in a genre that's littered with notorious misfires. More freedom would have wowed us, but this one for impatient "GTA" fans to investigate. [Issue # 11, p.76]

RewiredMind

The missions to the story are extremely well designed, and the tasks are considerably varied. The shooting missions are joy to behold too, set out in true 3rd person shooter style with no automatic lock on. But once all the razzmatazz of the story has gone, and the dust has settled on “the Row”, there isn’t enough variety to keep you coming back.

Xboxic

Despite its complete lack of originality, humour that sometimes misses the point, and one or two occasional technical hitches, what is left at the heart of Saints Row is just an immensely fun and playable game with lots to see and do.

WHAM! Gaming

It won't replace Grand Theft Auto in your carjacking, hooker-beating heart, but Saints Row is a surprisingly good clone, and it even manages to do a few things better than the games from which it shamelessly borrows.

AceGamez

It's even superior to the larger-than-life franchise in a lot of ways, but many redeeming qualities are lost because of the short and completely un-involving storyline, boring lead character (you can combine customization with an actual character, just look at San Andreas), and lack of features found as standard in the later incarnations of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Sydney Morning Herald

Saints Row lacks the clever subtlety and fun-loving sense of mischief of GTA, with much of its humour falling flat. But there's plenty of fun to be had while waiting for the real deal ("GTA IV") to be released in October next year.

Electric Playground

Keith David provides the voice of the leader of the Saints, and that guy has such an awesome voice he could make reading off his grocery list sound cool.

GamerFeed

A viciously intense and wickedly gruesome gang simulator that offers up plenty of thrills.

VideoGamer

If there's one thing Saints Row does brilliantly, though, it's explosions. Cars literally get blown apart and come crashing back down with debris flying all over the place.

PALGN

The city itself is quite attractive, largely due to the fact that Volition has gone to a lot of trouble creating high resolution textures for all of the buildings and pathways, not to mention the excellent lighting effects which really help bring the game to life.

Gamers Europe

It's the best copy out there. High praise, but damning with it; like the kid from the rich neighbourhood with the gold chains and stupid trainers who thinks he can rap, it might look the part but it's just not the real deal.

Boomtown

The simple addition of a useful targeting systems opens up so much gameplay that felt tedious in "GTA."

Games Radar (in-house)

It looks good, plays great, offers plenty to do and it's even funny at times - though in a much cruder way than GTA's more sly, subversively socially relevant sense of humor.

GameSpy

The multiplayer action is fairly solid, although it doesn't seem like it'll be one of those games that people will still be playing on Xbox Live in a few months. Even worse, the netcode is spotty, with some matches running flawlessly and others lagging horribly.

Games Master UK

Partly it's that Saint's Row is just too easy - the cops are less aggressive, the enemies are stupider, and the more open-plan gameplay makes it much easier to tackle missions by cheating. [Oct 2006, p.65]

Thunderbolt

Better than "Grand Theft Auto"? From what I’ve experienced, both games focus on entirely different concepts of crime, so much so it’s almost a treat to flick backwards and forwards between each series. GTA is far more high flying, with huge drug raids and mafia troubles and I found Saints Row to be more down to earth, focusing on petty crimes and taking over gang turf.

Cheat Code Central

Volition tries and fails to re-create GTA’s sense of style, but their attempts at humor, from the naming of the businesses to the radio commercials, just comes off as even more derivative and less-inspired than its current gen doppelganger.

TeamXbox

The single player campaign mode has a somewhat abrupt ending that doesn’t exactly lend itself to replay value, but there are still tons of activities included in the game, not to mention those that you create for yourself. The multiplayer modes are the most significant innovation in Saints Row.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

Solid - but lacks the intelligence of "GTA"... Without a doubt, Saints Row's biggest contribution to the genre is multiplayer. This also happens to be the most fun part of the game. [Sept 2006, p.8]

Official Xbox Magazine

Though it might sound like a backhanded compliment, Saint's Row manages to climb atop the huge pile of GTA wannabes as the most well-excuted and enjoyable of the bunch. [Oct. 2006, p.71]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

For wannabe thugs in upper-middle-class houses countrywide, Saints Row will seem like a sleek glock from the gods. [Oct. 2006, p.104]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Volition has layered misogyny and brutality throughout what is an entirely civilian setting, and without GTA’s deft wit, Saints Row is the kind of title the British tabloids have been waiting for.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Almost nothing here is frustrating: The game goes to extremes to make sure you always know where to go, what to do, and whom to run over.

Game Revolution

It’s good, messy fun, even if everything but the multiplayer is “borrowed.”

My Gamer

While I really enjoyed the look and feel of the graphics and controls, there is still a nagging feeling that the game is just too much of a clone.

Gamestyle

Refreshingly, the size of the game is just enough and avoids the titanic proportions of GTA.

Gamezilla!

It is so easy to die in this game that you may not notice you’re dead until after you realize you’ve been shot at.

games(TM)

Polished, involving and a great deal of fun, but current-gen in all but the smallest details. [Oct 2006, p.126]

Total Video Games

A game of little steps as opposed to giant strides; it's a game that ultimately fails to push open-world, free-roaming games onto the next-generation, but is, nonetheless entertaining and worthwhile.

Eurogamer

Sure, it's probably the most morally bankrupt game we've ever come across, but if you delight in extreme violence, language that would make Tarantino blush and a more forgiving take on the GTA theme then you've come to the right game.

1UP

Sure, "GTA"'s story and sense of humor were pretty infantile most of the time, but it was still damn funny and did a bang-up job of satirizing American pop culture and consumerism. In Saints Row, however, it all feels obligatory. Like it was something they just had to do, and the result is pretty lifeless.

G4 TV

The game goes overboard, too, when it attempts to be clever or creative. When Row tries desperately to outdo "Grand Theft Auto" in terms of its in-game radio stations—accessed when players hijack cars—it fails miserably.

Edge Magazine

While Rockstar made its millions capturing the grotesque allure of fantasy crime, every character in this me-too endeavor is simply grotesque. It has a taste for hot coffee, but only knows how to serve it straight. [Oct 2006, p.88]

360 Gamer Magazine UK

Relatively small game world does it no favours. [Issue #15]

netjak

I don't want to see anyone play this badly built junk even once, let alone own it for the "joy" of multiple playthroughs. The single player experience was so bad I refused to even try the online mode. I don't want to see anyone else go through the pain of being tempted with such an immersive experience just to have it ripped away by the shortcomings of whoever was responsible for these game-breaking glitches.