Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package

This is a port only really worth picking up if you missed it the first time, but even then the iffy controls (sprint is the left bumper and the menu wheel is on A, for some reason best known only to Hell’s most prolific torturers) and shocking performance issues will leave you wondering what all the fuss was about. 8 years after its original release t’s still irreverent fun, though certainly hampered by iffy shooting and iffier driving, but Saints Row has always been one of those series that kind of gets a free pass because it’s so endearingly nuts.

Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package is well endowed with content and entertainment value; nonetheless, this release on Switch isn’t perfect. Inconsistent frame-rate, noticeable pop-in, and dated humor put a limit on the game’s appeal. If you have never played this ridiculous game, then you should give this Switch release a look despite its technical shortcomings.

While no one expected it – and we dare say that no one asked for it – Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package revives an often forgotten open-world adventure on a new console generation, complete with a huge amount of cosmetic and expansion DLC. While it's showing its age mechanically (and in terms of taste), in visual terms it’s a robust sandbox filled with outlandish activities, hyperactive ideas and the kind of diverse mission design most open-world titles fail to fully realise. With support for both local and online co-op, this version of Saints Row’s best outing is a steal. We might not ever get a Grand Theft Auto on Switch, but this is probably the next best thing.

My recommendation is decidedly mixed and conditional on how you like to play. If you plan on playing in handheld, you’re pretty safe. But if you want to play on the TV from the couch, you’d be better off breaking out your last-gen console to revisit the best Saints Row game. The Third is still a bonkers experience that revels in being FUN above all else. It's just too bad that it struggles so mightily on Nintendo's latest console, which has shown ample ability to handle a game like this in other cases.

The Third holds up better that you might think, but this version definitely needed a little bit more of optimization and polishing. Technical issues and bugs get in the way too often, damaging the overall experience.

Saints Row: The Third is still fun play and 8 years later it feels better if enjoyed in short session in handheld mode. The main problem of this release is the lacklustre porting, spoiled by framerate issues, some crashes and poor controls optimization. Anyway, if you feel nostalgic about the Saints irreverence, it's still worth a shot.

Saints Row: The Third didn't age well: the Switch porting is something that only the series hardcore fans will enjoy.

Full Package should be retitled “Flawed Package” because there are a few issues here that are noticeable enough to hamper the experience. It’s prone to substantial bugs to the point where it freezes, and there’s just a dated feel to it, both in the humor and the visuals. However, while there are noticeable issues, the core sandbox gameplay is strong, and if there is one thing I can say about Saints Row: The Third, it’s definitely not boring.

It’s wacky, balls to the wall approach to open-world crime games is still in a league of its own, but you could just as easily grab the game on a platform where it runs significantly better than it does on this platform.

Proves that open world games can be enjoyed in bite-sized bits on the go with Switch.

Saints Row: The Third is now on Switch for better or worse. The game hasn't aged well, but is still fun to play. Just don't play it docked, because this is a open world game meant to be played on the go.

Saints Row: The Third Full Package Edition is tough to recommend. The game shows its age and the gameplay doesn't hold up in a world that has seen the release of games such as Red Dead Redemption, GTA VI and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Saints Row The Third, like many games from the past generation, made its way to the Switch. And it appears unfortunately technically very old. Nevertheless, Saints Row remains fun and a good punching bag.