Saint's Row: Helllooooo GTA 4.5

I downloaded the demo for Saint's Row on the 360 today. Wanna know what I think?

In short: GTA 4.5.

It's pretty. Not next-get pretty, but definetly pretty. Cars are still pretty simple in design. One sports car in particular comes off as a Stringray meets Boyd Coddington sort of appeal. Driving is about as sloppy as GTA. And so is walking around. Why can't these developers get away from GTA clone namesakes? Because of these very two reasons right here.

Punching and kicking is done by the triggers. All four of them. A waste of buttons and mapping choices if you ask me. Why not make the other thumbstick into a Fight Night-esque deal. One neat thing: run over a pedestrian and don't run right away, you're getting your assed nabbed out of the car (of course taking care that bonehead is just up to left and righty).

So far all the missons are delivered via cell phone. Your gang boss calls you and so does his right hand. Another reason why this is a GTA clone? That right hand man is Michael God Damn Rapaport. The rest of the cast is pretty impressive. Keith David and David Carridine were nice suprises, but geeze, let's get some no-names in a game for once. That's what made all the radio commercials so good in GTA.

The missions are pretty good so far. The first set is getting some girls for the gang's pimp. Drive to a spot (or walk), get a girl, shoot up her pimp (because he is shooting at you and get the girls back safetly and in time. After smacking into a few cars (you thought I was going to say "smack a few hos" didn't you?), one of my new girl friends said "This rescue is going f***ing great!". I giggled a bit. She also didn't oblige when I parked in a secluded shady spot for a "rest".

It couldn't hurt to try, right?

Inside my first opposing gangs stronghold, a complete enemy radar showed where everyone was in the place. Boring. You can duck and run around, but you can't use any cover other than stuff you just fit behind. I suppose a button for backing up to an open door way and peeking around the corner would be too much to ask. Then when the boss ran out the back to his getaway car, I couldn't stop him from getting in. I jump in a conveniently parked similar car (GTA-esque?) my homie was nowhere to be found and it told me I was going to leave him behind. I don't know if it was a bad thing, but after finding him, there was no locator trail for the car on the map to follow.

The demo is a good length of play time to decide whether or not you like the game or not. It's okay. But I still haven't beaten GTA: San Andreas. I do feel drawn to go back and play the game again, but not purchase a $60 copy.