This is my new favorite game, yes, months after its initial release. Saints Row offers me what I used to get from the old grand theft auto games with a better graphical picture and more enjoyable quests.

The Interface

Saints Row's game interface is similar to that of GTA with more details. Most of the quests logs, activities, maps and other information are obtained by clicking the little start button to bring up the city map.

Once you're at the map you can use the LT and RT buttons to move through all your options. This may be game options, maps, quests you've lined up to do, a log of past quests, your cell phone with the numbers of your "homies" and more.

If this was accessible on the main screen it would have felt a bit more solid. A map overlay (slightly blended) would have been a nice touch.

The Quests

The game has many types of quests, stealing cars, stealing prostitutes, hitman activities, demolition derbies, making money by hurting yourself for the law firms and so many more.

The side-quests are all optional, for the most part, but add to the game unlike GTA because they build "respect" for your gang. The main quest lines involve you working for your gang to expand the territories you own. Once you've earned enough respect you can run one or more of these gang quests.

To unlock new quests you must build up your respect bar. You gain respect for completing these quests but if you do them all in a row you'll find you need MORE respect to continue to the next missions. This is where side quests can help out, steal some cars for someone and you'll get money and additional respect.

You can also just drive by and shoot at opposing gang members, get into big gang conflicts in the streets with them and tally up respect as you go. Every action seems to yield some respect which allows for natural progression to unlocking these main quest missions (unless you're narrow focused and only do those, then you'll find yourself having to do other things to prove yourself).

Saints Row's got a good series of quest objectives so doing side-quests isn't a drag on the game - it's an exciting option.

The fights

You've got to types of meters to watch: gang meter and cop meter. If either grow in intensity the opposite site will grow in numbers and creative ways to deal with you.

If you kill an opposing gang member in the streets you'll start to raise that meter. Continue to kill them and it will start sounding off alarms to the gang. Of course, this causes more gang members to arrive by cars, vans and side streets. Fighting them off will continue to raise the meter and get you into all sorts of trouble (if you don't watch your bake)

The Saints Row gang will help out if their around, but if you're deep in remote gang turf you'll be on your own - a few cops may help out indirectly by battling gang members as well.

The second meter, the cop meter, will rise as you hurt pedestrians or other cops. You have to kill a good number of pedestrians to get the cops notice, but if you simply ram a cop car or beat down an officer with a bat or gun you'll raise the attention fast.

As the cop meter goes up the cops arrive in force, with bigger guns or higher end forces. Kill a few sets of cops and you'll find the FBI on your back or helicopters talking you from up high.

Getting away from an opposing gang is much easier than shaking off the FBI - so be careful.

Dying & Money

When you "die" you're sent to the hospital and you'll lose some cash for your troubles. You'll be building a fat bankroll throughout the missions, including the Saints Row missions and any side quests. You can also simply kill people on the streets and they may drop some cash.

You will burn case by becoming hospitalized, arrested or buying things. I found myself with a lot of money because I rarely spend it, resorting on stealing guns from downed gang members upon their demise.

Graphics

Saints Row is Amazing. This game has some great graphics, physics and animations. They seem to take everything into account.

Driving down the street with a damaged car yields a lopsided ride with sparks flying off the back fender as you drag it along. The doors swing open when their highly damaged and will break off if you swipe a wall or car.

If you drive head on into other vehicles or walls you may be thrown through the front glass and land a few dozen feet from the vehicle (this goes for pedestrian drivers too).

It was surprising the first time I hit a car heading at me to see the driver and passenger fly from the car towards the camera and tumble off onto the grass...dead.

Violent? You bet. But realistic and slightly humorous (in a strange kinda way).

Sound

Saints Row boosts some great tunes--many rap and pop to fit the theme. Although I'm not big into rap music I tend to listen to it and tolerate it more in Saints Row because its fitting for the situations.

Driving a police car or ambulance? You can flip on the sirens and fly down the road. Or, in a car, you can beep at people (although they rarely move).

When you get in a car it randomly picks a radio station. Some are talk radio with comic skits that are funny and usually a bit dirty in nature. If you're sensitive to "sex talk" this may not be the game for you.

The Language

If you love the Sopranos, you'll be used to the language exhibited in Saints Row. It's violent, racist and very explicit. Kids should not play this game nor should they watch it being played - it's that bad.

Sure, teenagers know how to swear but Saints Row will teach them to be more creative about it.

Overall

If you're not into violent games please stay away from this one. Saints Row is rated M by the ESRB with great justification.

If you don't mind graphic language, graphic displays of violence you'll do fine. Of course, if you like the GTA series you'll be right at home with this one. Saints Row pushes the GTA genre to a whole new level, and Rockstar is going to have to work hard to impress after playing this great Xbox 360 title.

I'm looking forward to a Saints Row 2 or something - I just cannot get enough of it.