The player is a gang member from Stilwater (loosely based on Chicago and Detroit) trying to gain control of the streets. The player starts as a low ranking member of the 3rd Street Saints, a gang that is under attack from three other gangs that dominate the city of Stilwater. Under this circumstance, the player is required to fight back and take over the city, one neighborhood at a time.
Gameplay
The game features an extensive character customization mode quite similar to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005. For example, changes can be made to details such as skin type, facial features, as well as the body type and even several features like tattoos and hairstyle.
In each neighborhood, there are a certain number of "activities" that the player can do, ranging from street racing, pimping, carjacking, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and even insurance fraud, in which the player earns money for self-inflicted injuries. Taking on missions helps players earn respect in these areas. The player character may also choose to become a kingpin instead without completing missions, arranging races and building respect in the process. However, by completing missions, the player can unlock jewelry, designer clothes, tattoos and other items for the player's home. As they take over new areas of the city, they will have access to different homes, allowing them to store more merchandise and cars.
The focus is more on the variety of "activities" the player can engage in to advance progress through the game, as opposed to mission-oriented gameplay. The player has the choice of performing each "activity" however much he/she wants. For example, if the player does not wish to do street racing and instead wants to kill hordes of people, he/she will make the same amount of progress through the game by choosing this route than if he/she had done the same amount of street racing. The game is tailored to reward the player for whatever he/she enjoys doing the most.
The game has a unique Respect system and characters will react differently to the player depending on what they have done in the past and your respect levels. The players will also have to be careful and think about what they are doing, as every player action and manner of attire affects their respect level, and would affect the difficulty of controlling the city (continuous violence, for example, increases the difficulty of controlling a neighborhood).
Once the player has earned enough respect in a neighborhood, another story mission or the location of an enemy stronghold is revealed. Completing the story mission or taking over the stronghold will gain the player more territory in the city. The player can judge how well known they are with the various factions and the police in the city by taking a look at the reputation meters in the corner of the screen; the higher these meter indicates, the more dangerous it becomes in that gang's turf. Once the player's reputation meter reaches a critical level, they should either choose to leave the neighborhood until the meter decreases, or get plastic surgery, which is costly.
The player may also recruit additional gang members (or "homies") to aid them. Players can obtain these computer-controlled gang mates throughout the game, unlocking additional homies as they progress through the missions.
The game will also feature an online multiplayer mode for Xbox Live that supports up to 12 people. Players will be able to join a gang and engage in street warfare with other gangs online. Games within the online mode are: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Co-op (two people play specifically designed online missions in buildings with little free roaming capabilities), Big Ass Chains, Bling My Ride, and Protect the Pimp. [1]
Saints Row Video Review
Soundtrack
The soundtrack will include songs from Ghostface, Rhymefest, David Banner, Xzibit, Daz Dillinger, De La Soul, Method Man, Clipse, Masta Ace, Little Brother, Strong Army Steady and Sy Smith.
Reaction
The Official Xbox Magazine (United Kingdom) gave Saint's Row an 80 out of 100 review score. In its September 2006 issue, it stated that the game is "Solid - but lacks the intelligence of "GTA" (Grand Theft Auto)." [2]
