Game DLC for me is generally a hit and miss affair. Some have been spectacularly brilliant (Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare) and some have been nothing more than an excuse to milk the fan dry. The latter are usually overpriced outfits that are released too late to matter to those who’ve completed their first playthrough. Saints Row The Third is just as guilty as Dead Rising 2 of doing this, so when the “first mission pack” was released I had hopes of more over-the-top anarchy I so enjoyed of the game. ‘Genkibowl VII’ certainly has its share of silly outfits, but there is a little more action than a simple cat walk…
Developer: Volition Inc.
Publisher: THQ
S.A. Distributor: Ster Kinekor Entertainment
For fans of: Saints Row The Third.
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Also available on: PS3 and PC
If we had to give it a numerical score: 6.0 out of 10
What I liked
- Still ridiculously mad.
- The cat is actually pretty cool. Even though he says nothing.
- Destruction! Mayhem! Chaos!
Not so much
- Not that much to do in the DLC.
- Controls frustrate at times.
Overview
‘Genkibowl VII’ pits you – the awesome leader of the Saints – in a series of activities from the mind of the big, psychotic cat. Over the four activities you can experience the familiar mascot killing, a new take on escort missions, panda gliding missions and a ball of yawn. I mean yarn.
Gameplay and Features
Apocalypse Genki:
Pretty much like S.E.R.C. from the game, but a little tougher and a little more thrilling because of the settings. Still like a loony Japanese game show with mascots to kill, but there’s also a great white lying in wait to take a nibble from the contestants. As you can imagine, tossing mascots in his direction is completely delightful.
Super Ethical PR Opportunity:
The tabloid headline grabbing mode. Or ‘Escort’ with collateral damage. Lots of collateral damage. OK, only collateral damage. Take the good professor (whether Genki is one or not hardly matters) on a wild ride which usually requires the roasting and killing of pedestrians with the flamethrowers (YES!) attached to your car. Then proceed to cause a few dollars worth of damage to other peoples motor vehicles while avoiding the attentions of over-zealous fans. Again, the destruction and chaos is absolutely delightful.
Sad Panda Skyblazing:
Almost exactly what it says on the tin. A panda (relatively sad due to the situation we would assume), a sky and some blazing through said sky. Hit checkpoints, kill mascots (again) and wonder what the hell it’s really all about. The controls maybe took away from the few minutes of enjoyment this rather unique activity should’ve brought. Almost delightful.
Sexy Kitten Yarngasm:
Now, had this been what it said on the tin, it would’ve been orgasmic. Sadly, it proved to be a little bit of a letdown. Guide a ball of (sexy kitten) yarn on a trail of destruction. It’s a big ball meant to cause big damage. Pity the controls frustrated as much as they did. Not nearly as delightful or orgasmic as it should’ve been.
Visuals and Sound
The visuals and sound keep with the more than decent standard set by the game. Some of the activities are introduced with the game’s typically over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek attitude to cutscenes. Introductions are like a cross between a Japanese game show and American sports commentary and are a definite highlight.
Final thoughts
Overall, the DLC carried on the brilliantly unhinged theme that Saints Row The Third introduced, but sadly, if you’ve already finished the game, this is not the sort of DLC that will bring you back to the game. It’s too short and not nearly meaty enough.
If you’re keen to see what we said about the game itself, head over here.
Zombiegamer rating:
