Review: Saints Row: The Third – The Trouble With Clones (DLC)

For the full review of Saints Row: The Third, head over here.
This review is based purely on the DLC content, and will assume understanding of the core concepts of the game.

So, you’ve dived through planes, taken to nude streaking while exploding people with the Apoca-fists, rid Steelport of the zombie hordes, fought enemies from within a computer and engaged in Professor Genki’s Super Ethical Reality Climax, so now what?……Clones!!! O yeah, Johnny Gat is back!?!

The Trouble With Clones is Saints Row: The Third’s third downloadable content pack, following after the initial Genki Bowl VII side missions, and the later Gangsters In Space story content. Is it worth once again heading back to Steelport for more open world action?

After a rather eccentric fan of the Saints calls you up to deal with a clone problem, you’ll soon be dragged into the fray through a number of high action missions as you attempt to track down and ‘deal with’ Gat, though this time he isn’t quite how you remember him, instead resembling something a little more like The Incredible Hulk.

Don’t be fooled by the first mission, as even though it seems pretty explosive and over the top, the later levels provide much more variation, offering some unexpected gameplay even for the fans who have put countless hours into the core game. After you get your first taste of the destruction that mutant Gat is capable of over at Barely Legal, you’ll battle a rather aggressive military force as you make your way to get him back. Saints Row: The Third has some great writing, and The Trouble With Clones is no different, especially since you’re narrated throughout by the fan who caused the whole mess, providing lines that seem to have been ripped straight form a comic book. I felt they built mutant Gat up a little too much though, since you’ll hear Cloverfield-esque monster noises throughout the city, and you might be expecting something a little more large scale when you finally meet him.

Either way, the second mission kicks things up to the next level, thanks to a Bee gun, a cross-dressing Pierce, and a rowdy crowd who need calming. This isn’t the end of it, as the final mission gives you some rather interesting abilities thanks to Saints Flow, allowing you to throw fireballs, run super fast, and perform one hit melee kills, and definitely mixes up the gameplay you’ve come to expect from the game.

Unfortunately, after the third mission, that’s it! Definitely a lot of fun while it lasts, and sure it’s available for the slightly cheaper than normal 560 MSP (£4.49), but considering you can get through the main content in around 45 minutes, you can’t help but feel it ends too soon. What makes it even worse is that you can’t take the Bee Gun or Saints Flow abilities back into the main game, and instead they’re forever locked in the DLC. It would have been nice to see some new side missions and mini games that revolve around these new abilities, what about time trials for racing around the city, target practice with fireballs, or even more crowd control with bees situations. It seems like a missed opportunity, especially for an open world title, but considering the last DLC packs for the game, maybe I was asking too much from this one.

Ultimately though, The Trouble With Clones is my favourite DLC for Saints Row: The Third. Genki Bowl VII offered up some unique mental side missions, though ultimately was pretty shallow, and Gangsters In Space featured some nice weapons and aerial combat, but the repetitive environments soon grew old. The Trouble with Clones provides new gameplay in every mission, and while the first level may seem a pretty standard affair, each successive mission gets more and more insane, and that’s really what Saints Row The Third is all about. While it may only keep you busy for around an hour, it’s worth picking up if you want to get a little more from the game, plus if you already have the Season Pass, what are you waiting for?

6.5/10