So I recently got a 360 again, and I figured since I finally had the opportunity for the first time in what seems like 10 years to replay and revisit the original world of Stilwater that I should pick up the first Saints Row. I wanted to really get down and see where the series started all over again, as I remember actually really loving the first game, I realize many people consider the series to have really kicked off with part 2, but I wanted to see what it was about 1 that seemed special or different from the others.
So say the least though, the original Saints Row can be described as one major thing, ambitious. The city feels dense, the graphics have held up shockingly well, the lack of air travel makes the sky scrapers feel looming and claustrophobic, and the amount of interiors readily available to visit filled with tiny details is impressive. There are things in this game that never quite got fleshed out, at least not that I recall every being fleshed out. I was baffled when I was reminded that once upon a time we had stores that actually ran on day night cycles and you could break into them and rob their safe in the night and drop it off at a pawn shop to be fenced.
The game of course has aged. The controls are less than fluid at times, driving can be a little touchy, and the overall look of the game almost feels comic bookish with how vibrant the colors are. In fact if you omit SR2 from your mind, you can almost see a direct line from SR1 to SR3 in terms of visual style. There's a distinct lack of cloudy filters and colored hazes to make the city feel more polluted. Everything is fairly crisp with its details. I'd say the area its aged the worst is probably the animations, as your character will run with a handgun like he's about to shoot himself, and he's got a jump animation reminiscent of Luigi's mid air run.
Saints Row 2 is a fantastic game we all remember. I think its time we also try revisiting Saints Row 1 if you have the opportunity, there's a lot there that I don't feel was touched on at all in the sequels, and to say the least its one of the most ambitious open world crime games to somehow grow into a much less grounded series that would culminate in fighting alien invaders.
So say the least though, the original Saints Row can be described as one major thing, ambitious. The city feels dense, the graphics have held up shockingly well, the lack of air travel makes the sky scrapers feel looming and claustrophobic, and the amount of interiors readily available to visit filled with tiny details is impressive. There are things in this game that never quite got fleshed out, at least not that I recall every being fleshed out. I was baffled when I was reminded that once upon a time we had stores that actually ran on day night cycles and you could break into them and rob their safe in the night and drop it off at a pawn shop to be fenced.
The game of course has aged. The controls are less than fluid at times, driving can be a little touchy, and the overall look of the game almost feels comic bookish with how vibrant the colors are. In fact if you omit SR2 from your mind, you can almost see a direct line from SR1 to SR3 in terms of visual style. There's a distinct lack of cloudy filters and colored hazes to make the city feel more polluted. Everything is fairly crisp with its details. I'd say the area its aged the worst is probably the animations, as your character will run with a handgun like he's about to shoot himself, and he's got a jump animation reminiscent of Luigi's mid air run.
Saints Row 2 is a fantastic game we all remember. I think its time we also try revisiting Saints Row 1 if you have the opportunity, there's a lot there that I don't feel was touched on at all in the sequels, and to say the least its one of the most ambitious open world crime games to somehow grow into a much less grounded series that would culminate in fighting alien invaders.