Saints Row The Third
- Thread starter Lonemagpie
- Start date
That sucks dude. 
I've had my 360 since '07 and never had a problem with it other than overheating now and then.
How would you guys who have played these games compare GTA 4 and SR2? I've never played any of these games but was thinking of getting one, or both, or neither. I've seen videos and reviews but I'd like it if someone could tell me what they think the pros and cons of each are.
I've had my 360 since '07 and never had a problem with it other than overheating now and then.How would you guys who have played these games compare GTA 4 and SR2? I've never played any of these games but was thinking of getting one, or both, or neither. I've seen videos and reviews but I'd like it if someone could tell me what they think the pros and cons of each are.
Basically, Saints Row 2 is the batshit, over-the-top crazy fun that was in GTA 3 / Vice City / San Andreas. In no other game is there a side activity in which you have to drive a truck and spray shit (literally shit) on buildings, or do helicopter attacks on vehicles, or dress as a police officer and beat the shit out of people for a reality television show. It's basically just balls-to-the-walls insane, and it's glorious. The character customization is great, too. Before my Xbox crashed, my guy was a 300-pound dude dressed in a long brown duster jacket, boxer shorts, combat boots and a hard hat.
GTA4 is basically the Housers taking themselves entirely too seriously and getting wrapped up in trying to create a Big Epic Game. There's a fundamental disconnect between plot and game, in which your character is morose about killing but then shoots 50 random dudes in a mission because some other random dude offered him a thousand bucks. It's still fun, and the engine is better than Saints Row 2 (which can be glitchy, but that's fun), but there's very little to do outside of the main plot.
So, they're both good games (I own both), they're just different in some very significant ways.
GTA4 is basically the Housers taking themselves entirely too seriously and getting wrapped up in trying to create a Big Epic Game. There's a fundamental disconnect between plot and game, in which your character is morose about killing but then shoots 50 random dudes in a mission because some other random dude offered him a thousand bucks. It's still fun, and the engine is better than Saints Row 2 (which can be glitchy, but that's fun), but there's very little to do outside of the main plot.
So, they're both good games (I own both), they're just different in some very significant ways.
GTA4 is a very photorealistic much more story intensive game with amazing characters. The Saint's Row games are lighter versions of that. They know they can't compete with GTA, so they don't and they excel for that reason. They're nowhere near as well written as a GTA, but they are just as much fun. I'd recommend both for being unique takes on the same genre, but if I had to pick one it'd still be GTA. But SR certainly has its charms.
The big difference for me was the Saint's Row handles well, particularly in driving, where GTA4 I found to have very clunky controls particularly in driving. It was ****ing impossible for me to chase someone down the road in GTA4, whereas in SR it difficult but eventually doable. The shooting is MUCH better in SR as well.
The SR graphics are definitely not as good as GTA4 which looks practically real-life.
The SR graphics are definitely not as good as GTA4 which looks practically real-life.
GTA IV has a more serious, more emotionally engaging storyline, better characters (SR only really has Johnny Gat of any note and he's outrageously cartoonish), more music, and way better graphics, but fewer amusing side-activities. You only play one ready-created character.
SR2 has way more things to do, more laughs, way better driving handling, a bigger-name cast (Daniel Dae-Kim, Michael Dorn, Eliza Dushku) and has an incredible amount of character customization - he or she can be pretty much however you want. Overall it's more fun.
Basically I think both games are excellent companion-pieces, ideal for different moods.
Currently I'm trying - having created an asian babe character - to circumvent the nudity pixellation as if I was 12, with the right colours of pasties and G-string...
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Thanks for the responses guys! I think I'd prefer GTA IV to SR2 but to be honest they're pretty low on my list of games I'd like to get this year. Also, Far Cry 2 was the first sandbox game I got and I loved it and fear no other sandboxes would be able to surpass it. Cheers.
Yeah, Far Cry 2 *may* be my favourite 360 game, at least alongside SR 1 and 2.
Oblivion is other title that springs to mind as being on and above a par...
^Sounds like you should get SR2, then. 
I know that there is also a side mission where you have to run around flashing people. It appears to have lots of crazy stuff, as mentioned by others.
For contrast, GTA 4 side games are: ten pin bowling, darts, pool, going to strip clubs, getting drunk, going to restaurants, going to comedy clubs, going out on dates, surfing the web, and watching tv. GTA 4 seems more like a second life game to me.
I know that there is also a side mission where you have to run around flashing people. It appears to have lots of crazy stuff, as mentioned by others.For contrast, GTA 4 side games are: ten pin bowling, darts, pool, going to strip clubs, getting drunk, going to restaurants, going to comedy clubs, going out on dates, surfing the web, and watching tv. GTA 4 seems more like a second life game to me.
Personally, while I loved the GTA3 trilogy, I hated GTA4. It was devoid of entertainment, life, or any variety whatsoever. I pushed through the game because I felt I had too, having spent the money, not because I wanted to. The game missed its mark so big that it single-handedly soured me on Rockstar, and I now take a 'wait and see' approach with all of their games.
The Saint's Row games, on the other hand, are a lot of fun. The games aren't quite as polished as something Rockstar would produce, but you probably won't notice for all the fun you'll be having. Their only problem is that some of the optional activities drag on a bit long (especially the first game) if you are a completionist like myself.
I'm not sure I buy into the comment about poorly developed characters in SR. GTA isn't exactly known for its compelling characters either. Most of them don't have a description over three sentences. We know almost nothing new about Niko or his cousin by the end of GTA4 that we don't learn approximately 30 seconds after Niko gets off the boat (namely, how much said cousin likes American titties). So yeah, I'd say they are easily on par with any of the GTA games.
To summarize, GTA4 is full of funless, pointless, monotonous grimdark that is highly polished. SR2 is so far bombastically over the top in a rocketship full of fun you'll need a telescope to see it (the top).
Oh, and both SR games have a Ford Mustang Fastback knockoff you can customize for all your high speed fun, so bonus points.
Seriously, if you get one game, get SR2. If you get two, get SR1 first. If you really need three crime sandbox games, make sure you've played the first Godfather. And then, maybe, after all that, play GTA4 if you've still got time to kill.
(Yeah, I'm probably overselling a little.)
The Saint's Row games, on the other hand, are a lot of fun. The games aren't quite as polished as something Rockstar would produce, but you probably won't notice for all the fun you'll be having. Their only problem is that some of the optional activities drag on a bit long (especially the first game) if you are a completionist like myself.
I'm not sure I buy into the comment about poorly developed characters in SR. GTA isn't exactly known for its compelling characters either. Most of them don't have a description over three sentences. We know almost nothing new about Niko or his cousin by the end of GTA4 that we don't learn approximately 30 seconds after Niko gets off the boat (namely, how much said cousin likes American titties). So yeah, I'd say they are easily on par with any of the GTA games.
To summarize, GTA4 is full of funless, pointless, monotonous grimdark that is highly polished. SR2 is so far bombastically over the top in a rocketship full of fun you'll need a telescope to see it (the top).
Oh, and both SR games have a Ford Mustang Fastback knockoff you can customize for all your high speed fun, so bonus points.
Seriously, if you get one game, get SR2. If you get two, get SR1 first. If you really need three crime sandbox games, make sure you've played the first Godfather. And then, maybe, after all that, play GTA4 if you've still got time to kill.
(Yeah, I'm probably overselling a little.)
As long as I finish my other games before LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean comes out, then SR 2 will be my next game purchase (along wither either Call of Duty Modern Warfare or CoD: Black Ops). I actually own GTA 4 already and have started it twice. The first time I started it I got stuck and moved on to other things, and the second time I got distracted by ME2, Prince of Persia, and Devil May Cry 4.^Sounds like you should get SR2, then.
For contrast, GTA 4 side games are: ten pin bowling, darts, pool, going to strip clubs, getting drunk, going to restaurants, going to comedy clubs, going out on dates, surfing the web, and watching tv. GTA 4 seems more like a second life game to me.
Seriously, if you get one game, get SR2. If you get two, get SR1 first. If you really need three crime sandbox games, make sure you've played the first Godfather. And then, maybe, after all that, play GTA4 if you've still got time to kill.
(Yeah, I'm probably overselling a little.)
lol - just a little. The SR games are junk food to the GTA games' well-balanced meal. Both are good, but only one will stick with ya. And no, the Godfather game doesn't even come close to GTA4 by anyone's reckoning. It was fun enough, but not even SR fun.
Obviously tastes vary and some people are going to prefer SR to GTA, but for my money, I rent the SR games and play through them, but I buy the GTA games.
To use a movie analogy: SR is Escape from New York. It's cheesy, it's fun, you'll laugh and get a kick out of it. GTA is The Godfather. Well, thought out, well put together and filled with memorable characters.
YMMV
GTA4's story was better suited as a movie...
The 2 expansions are much more fun and less serious, especially The Ballad Of Gay Tony...
The 2 expansions are much more fun and less serious, especially The Ballad Of Gay Tony...
Yeah, RDR is just GTA4 in the west. But the open spaces makes it less of a pain to get around though and the improvements make it somewhat better (if you fail too many times, you have the option to skip a section, for example).