In what has been possibly the most lucrative and critically successful month for videogames since, well, ever, it’s likely that Volition’s latest exercise in open-world obscenity will be neglected in lieu of certain other military and fantasy-flavoured releases. However, ignore Saints Row the Third and you’ll not only be missing out on one of the most inventive, refreshing, and just downright fun games of this year, you’ll be missing out on one of the finest sandbox games to date.

First things first - the changes. Although Volition has appropriately refrained from making too many major alterations to the absurd formula since the release of the previous game just over three years ago, a lot should be said of the latest title’s drastic improvement in overall quality. First of all, the game’s graphics have undergone a complete overhaul thanks to a new and vastly improved engine - the blocky character models, drab colour schemes, and uninspired environments of previous iterations have all seen considerable and necessary updates so any past issues of weak visuals quickly become a distant memory.

Facial animation and lip syncing are now far more detailed (as long as you haven’t opted for an eight foot tall, bright green, transsexual Elephant Man monstrosity at the character creation screen – more on this later), and the new city of Steelport invites exploration and experimentation with its towering skyscrapers, colossal bridges, and tauntingly peaceful suburbs. What’s particularly remarkable, however, is that the game world mutates and adapts in accordance to the player’s progress through the story.

A once peaceful harbour can transform into an immense naval base occupied by the game’s central opposing force, the paramilitary ‘S.T.A.G.’, and, in one stand-out moment, one of the city’s entire districts falls foul of a biochemical attack, turning what was once a bland industrial area into a desolate zombie wasteland, complete with downed 747 and leagues of shuffling undead just begging to be swiftly dispatched with a luminous, 4 foot purple dildo - one of the game’s less bizarre weapons. 

In a series so preoccupied with delivering relentlessly varied gameplay and ludicrous humour as Saints Row, it also comes as a surprise that the plot can occasionally prove to be quite absorbing. After finally establishing themselves as the dominant gang in Stillwater (the setting for the previous games) the third street saints have become global superstars. However, after a botched bank job lands them in a Stillwater prison, they find themselves handed over to a dominant Steelport gang, ‘The Syndicate’, who hold them ransom aboard a cargo plane above the new city. What’s not worth mentioning is the plot’s subsequent devolution into an inevitable revenge story fraught with betrayal and retribution etc., however, what is worth mentioning is that the opening meeting with the Syndicate serves up an introduction so entertaining and visually impressive that it comfortably rivals many triple A titles’ most impressive set pieces.

You first make your way out of captivity and into the bowels of the cargo plane, dispatching enemies as they attempt to stop you. This is then followed by jumping out the back of the airplane and skydiving towards the new city whilst shooting at leagues of henchmen during a 50,000 foot drop. This then eventually results in detaching the parachute, re-entering the plane feet-first through the cockpit, freefalling through the length of the plane (whilst continually shooting at enemies) and then remerging out the back to catch an accomplice and land safely on the outskirts of the new city. And this is thetutorial. 

Character customisation also makes its welcome return, as does vehicle, gang, weapon and environmental customisation. What results is an overall feeling of immense personalisation and creative freedom. Want to make a Frankenstein atrocity like the one mentioned earlier? Go for it. The game provides a wealth of cosmetic customisation options such as skin tone; age, height, weight, muscle density, taunts, compliments and 7 different voices that all carry over into both the cutscenes and the persistent gameplay. I opted for a Jason Statham look-alike, complete with sharp fashion sense and a coarse cockney accent that quickly rendered every cutscene hilarious. Speaking of which, the game’s writing is remarkably sharp considering the ridiculous nature of its plot, at times I even found myself helplessly drawn in by Nega-Statham’s simple lust for sexual instrument themed vigilante justice.

Not enough can be said of the enjoyment that can be had in SR3. And although certain side-activities can tend to become somewhat repetitive towards the end of its roughly 30 hour playing time - such as ‘Insurance Fraud’, where you throw yourself into oncoming traffic as a dubious means of creating revenue, or ‘Mr Genki’s Super-Ethical Reality Climax’, where you gun down contestants in mascot outfits with a variety of overpowered hardware - the game’s primary missions always succeed in delivering exceptionally satisfying gameplay. Fortunately for a modern sandbox game, repetition also never becomes an issue due to the game’s almost overwhelming variety.

Volition constantly experiments with genres and gameplay styles so things are always kept fresh and interesting - one minute you’re battling luchadores in a Mexican Wrestler themed level, the next, you’re being pursued by fighter jets across the city on the back of a laser-firing jet hover-bike. Certain levels, such as a Tron-inspired, 30 minute virtual reality battle have an almost Kojima-esque brilliance to them, whilst others simply succeed in being memorable due to the series’ signature humour – take ‘Escort’ for example, which involves chaperoning a Bengali Tiger about town as it tries to maul you from your convertible’s back seat. Whatever it is, Saints Row always makes sure that there’s something enjoyable to see or do, it’s just up to you to choose from the wealth of distractions.

Crucially, in the coming months it’ll finally be time to look back on a long year of incredible releases, and it’s tragic that titles such as Skyrim and Uncharted 3 will most likely be awarded various ‘game of the year’ honours for their high production values and technical majesty, but for simple entertainment value, Saints Row the Third can’t be beat. Its deceptively intelligent meta humour, consistently rewarding gameplay, and astonishing ability to provide hours upon hours of honest-to-God fun make it not only one of the finest releases in a long year of outstanding games, but one of the most enjoyable videogames of this current generation. (Also - later in the game you have the option of unlocking Burt Reynolds as a supporting character in your gang. If called, he can follow you around the city mercilessly beating your enemies to the sound of Beethoven.) Buy this game.