Saints Row: Hands-On

Currently scheduled for a New Zealand release on September 1st, Saints Row is a gang-themed action game. We here at NZG recently had the chance to do some hands-on previewing to see how this title is coming along, and although many might say Saints Row borrows from the Grand Theft Auto series, it still introduces some interesting features of its own. The game's multiplayer content, for example, promises to be what GTA players have previously dreamt of, and there's plenty to get excited about when playing solo as well.

The first thing you'll need to do when starting a new game of Saints Row is design a character for yourself. The customisation options for your appearance in the game are impressive, and since many of the physical attributes can be manually altered using sliding bars, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to create a character in your own likeness if that's what you're into.

The first few missions in Saints Row are little more than exercises designed to familiarize you with the game's controls. You'll learn to move your character as you make your way to a meeting with members of the Saints gang, you'll also learn melee combat controls when a handful of thugs jump you as part of your initiation, and then you'll learn to shoot once you’ve purchased a gun.

Other abilities you'll learn early in the game include recruiting and fighting alongside allies from your gang, using your cell phone to call other characters for backup, and visiting drive-through "forgive and forget" confessionals to instantly wipe any notoriety. Also, before getting into the game proper, you'll also gain access to a crib, where you can change your clothes, stock up on weapons and ammo, collect money earned from any turf that you control, save your game, and store vehicles in your own garage.

To progress through Saints Row's story mode, you have to earn respect, which can be achieved either by completing story missions or by taking part in various activities. Respect works in much the same way as experience points do in role-playing games, and every time you level up you'll unlock the next tier of story missions.

The city is divided up into 36 neighbourhoods, and although many of them have a similar look and feel, you'll find that a number of them have quite distinct themes, similar to a real city. The one thing that all neighbourhoods have in common is that they're controlled by one of the handful of gangs that call the city home. The Saints control only one neighbourhood at the start of the game, but by completing certain story missions you'll take control of additional areas and receive money from each of them daily.

To do all this however, you’ll most likely need some sort of transport. All of the cars are easy enough to control that you can comfortably jump into one that you've never seen before, but their top speeds and cornering abilities are varied enough that you'll inevitably have favourites that you keep an eye out for. If you manage to get your hands on a car that you really like, you can pay a mechanic to repair it when it gets badly damaged and even spend money enhancing its appearance and performance.

The multiplayer function within the title will allow you to compete in one of four modes, Gangster Brawl, Protect the Pimp, Big Ass Chains, and Blinged Out Ride. Each mode-type requires you to perform a specific task, such as roaming and killing as many people as possible in Gangster Brawl.

The environments in general are already very detailed even though we were only playing a demo. There's a certain crispness to all the various buildings and set pieces, and the game does its lighting with a nice effect. The character models are similarly detailed at this juncture, though at times they look a little silly, especially some of the rag-doll animations, which get a little unrealistic when characters die.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed a sneak peek at what looks to be one of the 360’s biggest titles coming out this year. Keep it locked on NZGamer and we will be sure to bring you a review in the coming weeks.