Title: Saints Row The Third Remastered
Developer: DS Volition, Sperasoft
Publisher: Deep Silver
Website: SaintsRow.com
Genre: Third-Party Shooter
Available On: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Release Date: May 13, 2020
Version Tested: Xbox One
Deep Silver can always be counted on to put out a truly ridiculous game. Saints Row The Third Remastered certainly fills that bill. Because it’s the base game, as well as all the DLC all mashed together, it’s even more ridiculous than normal. So why isn’t this one of the best games I’ve played in quite some time? The fact that these games are a bit outdated in 2020 is one reason why it just doesn’t feel as good as I remember.
The game looks better than it did when it was first released. Though one of the things that falls short of all the Saints Row remasters is that they don’t look as good as it feels like they could. Earlier this week, Mafia II Definitive Edition was released. A game older than Saints Row III looks better than its younger cousin in remastered form. The art style of the game series doesn’t do it any favors there. It’s simply outdated compared to what we’re seeing with games coming out these days. That might be one of the reasons a Saints Row V is unlikely to ever hit the streets.
This game isn’t all bad. There are still features that make it plenty fun. It’s simply not a game that stands out from the pack anymore. Living on its past success is about the only thing that sells copies these days.
Saints Row The Third Remastered And Bullet Sponges
This game isn’t trying to be realistic. What was once a Grand Theft Auto clone, long ago decided to embrace its wild side. Part of eschewing anything close to realism meant it takes about 20 bullets to take anyone down. That would be a bit more fun if shooting a gun had any heft at all. Sure, things blow up and people go down. The issue is it feels more like guessing as to when either thing is going to happen.
There doesn’t appear to be a ton of physics tied to these shootouts. The Saints Row The Third Remastered main characters are bullet sponges all on their own. The same can be said for every Saints Row game. In the right frame of mind, that’s a positive. After playing any game where the point is to avoid getting shot, or landing just the right shot, the shooting in this game feels pretty empty.
Humor Still Hits For The Most Part
The mechanics for Saints Row The Third Remastered feel out of date. Somehow the humor manages to still be pretty solid. The difference here is that most of the jokes feel more like dad jokes than gamers are used to. If you’re in the right mood, dad jokes can still bring a smile.
There’s plenty of just outright wackiness that can make a player laugh out loud, especially if they’re stacked on top of one another.
One of the hallmarks of these games is that it’s actually more fun to take people down by tackling them than shooting them. Running and diving at enemies, or just innocent bystanders is more than simply taking someone out. There’s a flair to it other games don’t offer.
The little jokes that pop out during the transition to cut scenes still work too. Again, it’s not laugh out loud funny but there’s something about the dry delivery of so many of those jokes that still manages to hit.
Customization of Characters in Saints Row The Third Still Rocks
One of the things that allows this series of games to stand out from the crowd is that you can design a character that fits your personality. That includes the ability to make a character that only speaks in zombie grunts and groans. Watching them run through the world and interact with people as if nothing is wrong, is plenty of fun. Especially when they have conversations the same way I used to watch Scooby-Doo talk to the Mystery Machine gang.
If you want to be boring and make a normal character you can do that too. But if you do go that route, you’re missing out on one of the things that makes the game good.
Verdict: Saints Row The Third Remastered is sadly an outdated mess of mayhem that while fun in short bursts, isn’t great over the long haul. Add in the fact that there are still weird bugs that kept me from finishing more than one mission, despite having done everything I was told to do, it falls short. This is one of those games that unfortunately can ruin the memory of when it was in fact, groundbreaking. The game isn’t terrible, in fact, it still rates as good. Any more superlatives beyond that though, and it feels like lying.
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