Saints Row isn't exactly a surprising series to see return for a third installment. A third Saints Row title has been confirmed to be in THQ's cards since early this year and even more recently Vice-President of Core Games at THQ Danny Bilson teased that a big announcement was coming in the second week of March. It seems as if the curtain has been pulled off Saints Row 3 a little prematurely, however, as promotional images showing off some slick looking artwork have leaked online.

The leaked images were originally spotted on NeoGaf, where it was said that these pictures came from an upcoming Game Informer feature. It seems that people will no longer be addressing the third Saint's Row as 'Saints Row 3', as the promotional images have given the game an official name — Saints Row: The Third.

[Update: Brand new details on Saints Row: The Third's missions, plot, and characters have been leaked online. Check them out here!]

A release window was also teased in one of the images stating that the title will indeed be available during 'Holiday 2011.' The same image also tell players to brace themselves, and get ready to "Strap it on," which seems to be a very strong suggestion that Saints Row: The Third will indeed embody the humor that fans of the series have come to love.

The final detail indicated by the photos is that Saints Row will indeed be using more realistic graphics when compared to previous titles in the series.

The well-known character from past games, Johnny Gat seems to be making a slick return in The Third, and the petite town of Stillwater — if the city found in the background is in fact Stillwater — also seems to have been hit with a major upgrade.

View some of the images in all of their Saint-like glory for yourself:

[gallery exclude="68663" columns="2" orderby="ID"]

These images aren't official, nor is any of the info gathered from them, but they certainly seem legitimate. Taking into consideration the fact that the big reveal for Saints Row: The Third seemed to be scheduled to appear in a few short weeks only adds to the likelihood that the photos are the real deal.

It seems that we'll know what to expect from THQ and Volition's Saints Row: The Third when more info is released next month, in March: The Second Week.

Have these leaked promotional pics gotten you excited for Saints Row: The Third? What do you think about the new visual style and name? Let us know in the comments.

Source: NeoGaf