Review: Saint's Row: The Third

Saint's Row: The Third

PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Volition, INC

Release Date: 15 November 2011

Do you remember when Grand Theft Auto first went into the 3D space? The games were parodies of popular culture and famous mafia movies. The series got more crazy with Vice City and the send-up of the excesses of the 1980s. And finally, the over-the-top look at 'gangstas' in San Andres. The games were all about the crazy, sociopath main characters inciting violence across town in tanks and skydiving into gun fights. Then it got serious. Volition, INC, makers of the Saint's Row series, started off imitating, but then realized that one of the major draws to open-world crime games is the overblown action. This brings us to their crowning achievement: Saint's Row: The Third.

The Third Street Saints in all their glory

The Start of Spring Gaming

It's Tuesday, which means it's release day for games!  Since we are finally heading out of the post-Holiday doldrums, we should start seeing more and more titles coming out.  The next couple of weeks see some heavy hitters in Final Fantasy XIII-2, Neverdead and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.  But, this week is a tad quiet.

News Roundup: 15 January 2012

Man, I have been bad about doing a weekly recap of news.  This week is no exception, I'm afraid.  I'll get back on track though!  There's a big story brewing today, though, and it needs to be posted.

THQ Cancels 2014 Lineup
Word is coming out that THQ is struggling financially.  While looking for a buyer, rumors have been swirling that the slate of games in development for 2014 have all been axed.  These include Insane (the much hyped three game project from film maker Guillermo Del Torro), Crytec's Homefront 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millenium (an MMO).

According to Game Informer, THQ has denied similar rumors over the last few weeks, but the denials may be wearing thin.  Industry insiders point to mis-management at the top and backing expensive flops like the uDraw tablet.

[Update]: THQ says that this isn't true and that nothing has been cancelled.  Yay!

Hopefully THQ can either find a buyer and restart the projects or pull out of the tail-spin and restart them themselves.  (via Game Informer)