Saints Row: The Third has one of my all-time favorite opening sequences, which is good, because it looks like I'm going to have to play through it three times. It's my fault really. I didn't realize that part of the DLC would automatically unlock stuff for me. Honestly, I never even imagined that it would, because why would I pay money to have less of the game to play? I guess I must have had these DLCs for the console version as well, seeing as how I bought the "Complete Package" version, but if so, I had the sense not to install them all those years ago.
Nevertheless, it's not worth dwelling on. Saints Row: The Third starts off strong, dumping you into not one, but two elaborate action setpieces. First, you rob a bank in a Johnny Gat mascot costume, eventually winding up on top of a bank vault as it is ripped from the building by a helicopter, whereon you have to fight off the police as the vault swings wildly through the air. Then, you have to escape a plane mid-flight, getting into a gun battle as you hurtle towards the earth and having to rescue Shaundi, who does not have a parachute. Though the effect has been blunted with repetition, when I first experienced it, my jaw was on the floor.
Really, the rest of the game can't quite compare. It's not a huge deal, because the opening sets such a high standard that even falling short leaves a lot of room for excellence, but it is a little disheartening to know that the high point of the game comes in the first few minutes. I suppose that's where you'd want it, though. If a game had an awesome climax hidden behind a hundred hours of gameplay, only a small fraction of the players would ever see it, whereas if it's front-loaded, you can use it to draw people in the game.
It's a strategy that worked on me. Now all I have to do is go through it one more time so I can start without any unnecessary advantages (seriously, this game is already super easy, no need to make it easier).
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