Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: THQ /Developer: Volition
Rating: M
Genre: Action

Although it’s clearly a Grand Theft Auto rip-off, Saints Row proves to refine the game it’s actually cribbing from.

Yes, the game is actually really good and a lot of fun. Yes, you can probably say that whole the stealing cars, pimping hos and killing anybody in sight thing is getting a little old, but Saints Row does a wonderful job of keeping it fun and refreshing. Yes, it’s sad to say, that some could actually say this game is better than Grand Theft Auto.

The game starts off with you creating your own “thug.” And Saint Row’s character customization is a lot better than what GTA: San Andreas had to offer.
After creating a character, you join a gang and the whole point of the game is to pretty much kill other rival gangs and take control of their territory. Like GTA, you’re assigned various missions of killing, hijacking, pimping hos, etc. In between missions, there are all sorts of activities to get your “respect” up and earn some money. The more “respect” you get, the more your gang will be recognized.
Saints Row also improves upon the map system and the targeting system. The map system is far more convenient than those in any GTA title. It makes it a lot easier to locate missions, activities and getting to where you need to be. The targeting system is very comfortable because they use an over-the-shoulder angle, making it very easy to run and shoot at the same time.
Besides the obvious imitations of GTA, the graphics, gameplay and everything else that you really care about in this game are great. Saints Row does an excellent job of refining the genre GTA started and is the perfect game for your “thug life” fantasies.