Saints Row is What Grand Theft Auto Should Have Been

If you haven't played Saints Row yet, give it a try, you might like it better than Grand Theft Auto IV. No jokes about it. Try it. Saints Row 2 releases October 14 and should already be in your Watch List.

[DavidMacDougall]

Sales and reviews will say other wise

[JimmyJames70]

If that's true, I think it speaks higher of Rockstar's advertising and marketing budget as compared to THQ's.

[bunbun777]

reviews will give this game a solid 8 and expect millions of copies to be sold. If that is a flop then whatever, this is day 1 for me.

[NMC2007]

those purchased 10s and the huge budget of Microsoft marketing it like it was their own? Well SR will have none of that but I am sure I will enjoy it much more than I did GTAIV.

GTAIV is far from a damn 10, and I think it got a few of them.

[DavidMacDougall]

This game "Could" be he best game of all time but it will never beat GTA games in sales and reviews

[NMC2007]

not with the state of today's gaming press it nor anything else will ever beat GTA, Zelda, Mario, Final Fantasy, Halo, or any other high profile game, I don't trust reviews at all, if I did then I wouldn't have a lot of games that I actually enjoy, like Eternal Sonata & Blue Dragon.

[ape007]

sr2 have more features and maybe it will beat gta 4

but gamers who havent't played sr1(mainly ps3 owners)
the problem is,that most people didn't play the first game and just see gameplay videos of sr2 and say"hey it looked like a ps2 game"

just gimme a break

just play the damn thing yourself and you'll see it's a very good game

and after seeing multiple leaked sr2 vids on tube(please guys give it a chance and try it YOURSELF,whiners aren't true gamer),I can easily say it's going to be amazing,holy sh!t sr2 reminds me a lot of san andreas,I saw quad bikes I saw katanas,chainsaws,stunguns,fla sh bangs,mini guns,amazing sniper rifle,air plans,jet skies,base jumping,amazing shooting and fighting mechanics(and tbh the shooting is much and I mean much better than any gta game and am a gta fanboy,the shooting in sr is the best that I've ever seen in an open world game,due to fact that volition developed red faction and the punisher),finishing moves with your fists,sword,pistol etc... and you can even take hostages and even you can wield to guns like in sa(it looked awesome),amazing new activities like assassination with your helicopter,insurance frad,drug trafficing,car surfing,the amazing cop activity where you dress like a cop and another cop rides with yu and film everything on his camera(most of you will wonder what's activity?),massive customization options,you can do it on yourself,the voice,the cars,the bikes,and even costume your gang,and even you have taunts,which make the game more gangsta and add a lot of enjoyment to the gameplay,and they add an amazing amazing feature,everything you do in the gameplay add you respect point,headshots,finishing moves,near misses,whillies,and even when you fly near a building with your airplane,it's a good rewarding system that makes gameplay a bit more satisfying.

please guys,most of you ps3 owners(trophy support confirmed) haven't played sr1(it was very good)

so please don't judge yet,see more leaked videos and PLAY IT YOURSELF,that's my advice for you guys:)

cause am 100% sure that this game gonna be sweet

again give it a chance,am sure it will rock your world,judging from vids alone is totally different than playing it yourself.

[Rock Bottom]

From what I've seen so far, this game takes every thing I hated about GTA and makes a game out of it, it's more "random", more repetitive, with a bad AI, buggy animation and really really really bad aiming system.

[ShiftyLookingCow]

I love GTA4, it had its style but it felt like an entirely new game when compared to its predecessors. The activities weren't that good. I also played Saints Row 1 and loved that game for being so retarded and silly.

I don't care what you say about Saints Row but its shooting mechanics were really good. In this, GTA4 was like Gears of War but Saints Row is more like playing the older GTA games on PC and so, imo it was a lot more fun.

[ChrisGTR1]

SR2 is not even close to being as good as GTA4. its more on the level of a ps2 game. its more comparable to vice city.

[JimmyJames70]

How could you know? It doesn't release for a week. Do you have access to an early copy?

[bunbun777]

maybe if you take your cues from some bogus pre development video and not from the actual shots of the final build. I dont think Vice City on the PS2 could support all the customization, the 6 voice actors for the main, the multi player (drop in campaign! sweet!)
Why hate on this game? I dont hate on GTA4, i really liked it even if i was disappointed- the cool thing with SR2 is my expectations are fairly small and i know they will be exceeded.
You should get the game Dr Phil, i would very much like to t-bag you.

[DavidMacDougall]

Bubbles for you both the game looks like sh!t and is made for 9 year olds ,the story in GTA4 alone makes me want to play it and the realistic shooting is just a plus

[Pennywise]

Come on Arrggghhhh - There was a lot of people DYING to get their hands on GTA on this site before it released. I am included. Once people played it, true colors shined.

This game was watered down and boring. Like everyone always sites - Its not all about graphics.

[chasuk08]

Well if theres any game that can be as good as vice city then it will be day one for me. Vice city was the best GTA, followed by San Andreas, then GTA4, then GTA 3.

[bunbun777]

It's like we got the rogue's gallery of saints haters, which also seem to be some of the guys i notice always yelling at ps3 fanboys. 9 year olds? oh sorry i guess having a fun time playing video games is pretty childish, no wait just saints row. When i put on my big boy serious time pants then its all GTA.
What's next- wanna take a dump on Farcry 2?

[ChrisGTR1]

well SR2 does seem like a ps2 game, the car physics are TERRIBLE!! they drive like bumper carts or something. and I bought and completed SR1 100% i have 920 gamerscore on that game. im kind of on the fence on getting this or not. all the leaked videos from the piraters look pretty crappy.
did you know protect the pimp, gangs, pimped out ride, AND big ass chains are all OUT of this game! everything that was good is now gone!!

[bunbun777]

If i really thought the game was going to be as bad as those pirated videos then yes, i would be dogging on this game. And I can only hope the new additions of gameplay make up for the loss of the aforementioned modes.
But you know what? You mentioned your gamerscore and that you played the old one, I respect that and your opinion a lot more now. I hope that this game is not flopage- we will see in just a few more days!

[ape007]

man,gta vice city was the best gta game of all time,most of the hardcore gta community says that,am a hardcore gta fan,gta 3,vs and sa all of them 10 out of 10,yes the ps2 gta games were legendary,gta 4 was very good butit's not addictive as old gta games,gta 4 for me was like 8.5-9.5,I love it I play it from time to time and am looking forward for dlc

imo vice city in my top 5 greatest games of all time

sr2 looks very very good but it will never touch vc,gta 3 or sa

[Lanoire]

Infamous.

[jsc249jobal]

Finally someone out there actually said it! I am (was) a huge, HUGE GTA fan, starting with the third person perspective of GTA III (still my favorite btw). I was super hyped for GTA IV and had it hour one, day one. To sum my experience up, I was let down. I tried for a whole month just to make sure of my decision and I have not missed it once since I traded it in. It felt like more work then fun. Too realistic and I know millions will disagree with me because all my friends think I am retarded lol I mean, being able to be shot through the windows of your car when you drive and be thrown out of your car if you hit something unmoveable, really Rockstar? I for one do not enjoy a more realistic GTA, but a steady mix like in GTA 3; it had many short comings (most solved with Liberty City Stories) but all in all, still the best GTA.

[JimmyJames70]

I do have to say that I liked GTA IV enough to finish the game and much of the side missions. I'm not hating on GTA IV at all. I'm just saying that it wasn't what I was led to believe it would be.

Saints Row is more fun. Not necessarily better, just more fun.

[silvacrest]

"Saints Row is more fun. Not necessarily better, just more fun."

arnt games supposed to be fun before anything else??
forget graphics, realism or whatever it has to be fun before anything else otherwise the game has already failed

[titntin]

Well - its been out on the pirate scene for ages so lots of people can attest to it themselves - I've done just over 25% of the game (according to statistics). I can never resist the urge to play an anticipated release game before launch - though I shall buy a copy as its well worth the purchase.

Technically, GTA4 leaves it for dead. It looks worse, has no cover system or target system, and the cars handle very simply and look a bit naff.

BUT.... if you can laugh at the 'gansta violence', you'll soon find that chilling with the homies is actually great fun. Once you forget its weakness compared with GTA, you'll start to notice its strengths.
Its a good fun Arcadey feeling game, with a ton of missions and side quests and loads of diversions - the kind of silly things that were strangely lacking in GTA4.

I loved GTA4 and think its technically superior to this title. BUT, I'm having as much fun with this game as I had with GTA4 despite its flaws, and when all is said and done, its about fun. Try it. Once you get over the differences, you'' enjoy it... :)

[Sena Kobayashi]

how come you already have the game?

edit: kk , your talking about the 1st one.

[ape007]

exact words from my mouth(you even said it better),bubbles for you

you gave an absolutely perfect verdict,you have one hell of a brain man.

[28121986]

Grand Theft Auto IV is a fine game, the game did almost everything seriously for once, there was no lame button mashing and irrelevant story parts...it was a story of a illegal immigrant being told, I do agree to the fact the missions got a little lame after a point but looking at what this current generation has to offer GTA IV outstrips everything almost single handedly, Mercs 2 barely changed anything and it sucks...Far Cry 2 and InFamous are the true inheritors of the sandbox genre not saints Row 2 which looks more of a game deemed only for kids who have hit puberty with its explicit behavior taken to an extreme level...

[Cenobia]

I tend to agree. I didn't really like GTAIV, but I have no doubt it will be better than this.

I also think the people marketing it are douchebags. They totally made fun of GTA when it is the series they practically copy-pasted. I totally lost any speck of interest in this game when I saw that commercial/trailer.

It doesn't really matter though. The chances of me picking this up were slim to none. It just doesn't interest me, and I have to agree that from the videos it appears to be comparable to the GTA's of last generation. There are way to many better games coming out to even give this a second look.

The whole premise of this game seems to be running around blowing stuff up and making trouble. That was fun on the PS2, but now that online play plays a bigger role I just don't find it fun anymore. I think that's part of what made GTA disappointing for me (among a long list of other things).

[Enigma_2099]

Saints Row 2, if it does anything better, will excell at multiplayer content.

[NMC2007]

And fun, GTA IV was a damn chore of a game that I just couldn't finish, even if someone paid me I couldn't because I wasn't interested, to be honest I think I tried to force myself to like it at one point but it didn't work, I got up to Playboy X and called it quits.

[Enigma_2099]

Not our fault you found it hard. Why not go back to casual gaming if it's too much for you?

[Close_Second]

...I didn't find the game hard - I just found it incredibly boring.

Nothing impressed me about GTAIV. The much hyped graphics, although an improvement over previous GTA games, suffered from slowdown, texture popping, jaggies. It just didn't look good a lot of the time.

The story...average. Nothing more in depth than a made for TV movie.

The missions...more of the same rubbish which is why the game failed for me. I simply hate shoot outs with gang members in a parks and no one outside the shoot out reacts. No calls to the police, etc.

I'm afraid GTAIV has put me off the franchise for good.

[Enigma_2099]

You're gonna hate Saint's Row 2... isn't that over 50% of the gameplay right there? Gang shootouts?

[Official General]

I agree with you on some points about GTA 4 there. But I strongly disagree with you saying that GTA Vice City was the worst in the series. If anything Vice City is the best GTA of them all so far - the excellent storyline, action, characters and large variety of gameplay features/content is what made Vice City a legendary title. You may not agree, but from what I've seen and heard, most general opinion shows that many GTA fans rate Vice City as the best GTA title so far. The next best GTA is clearly San Andreas. GTA 4 is still a great game, but at the same time a big disappointment. Technically and graphically, GTA 4 is the best GTA around and the storyline was very good. Unfortunately, GTA 4 is significantly lacking in in-game content, gameplay variety and features. However it still looks miles better than Saints Row 2, although SR2 may well have much more fun gameplay and variety. SR2 does look like it will be alot more fun and it does look huge in terms of varied gameplay. I think it's best to wait and see what the reviews about SR2 say before proclaiming it as a GTA 4-killer.

EDIT: On topic - That guy must be seeing "things". The first Saints Row better than GTA 4? Has this guy done lost his mind? Ha ha, no way is SR better than GTA 4. I saw my friend play Saints Row 1 on his 360 on a Panasonic Viera HD TV, and while the game might be a bit fun, I'm sorry to say it looked like garbage. The graphics were just terrble, it looked and sounded like a PS2 game, there is no way I could play a game like that on a next-gen machine. I know GTA 4 had it's own shortcomings but it will eat Saints Row for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know SR2 will not have better graphicas than GTA 4, but I just hope it improves it more than the original SR.

[ape007]

vice city is the best gta game ever

I will not forget summer 2003,I play it everyday and every second with it,my mind just pop"best game ever made"

I will not forget these days as long as I live.

[richieb]

Vice city was the best, the atmosphere was amazing. SR2 will be more fun than IV.

[Noah]

That guy must be on crack.

[silvacrest]

You just don't like his opinion so you come up with silly remarks :P

this is still a day one purchase for me and for anyone interested in this game, watch a review or 2, give it a rent and try it out but DON'T allow the biased GTA fanboys/haters make your mind up for you

[shadowghost752]

To me open world games have to be fun, Saints row 2 looks fun, however GTA4 was boring, so Saints row 2 to many people COULD be better than GTA4

[ReBurn]

I liked the first Saints Row, but it didn't have the GTA feel to me.

[Official General]

Yeah I kinda agree with you man. One thing that I hated about GTA 4 was the lack of random acts of violence that did not involve you as the player - you hardly saw any other gangs and criminals engaging in shoot-outs or other crimes on the streets. That used to happen in Vice City and San Andreas all the time and even in GTA 3, you would always witness random gun-battles on the street. Another letdown in GTA 4 was that there should have been more buildings and stores that you could enter. You should have also been allowed to rob stores, smuggle goods and buy businesses. Leaving out the choice of building your own gang was a big mistake too.

However, I would'nt say GTA 4 put me off the franchise for good, I'm still a big GTA 4 fan. I just hope that Rockstar is aware of these complaints by their fans for letting them down and they will act on it by producing some real good DLC or a much superior next GTA title.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

How was GTAIV in any way a letdown? I don't get it.

It had an intriguing storyline and it was a lot of fun. What's not to like?

[Cenobia]

First of all I was totally on the hype train for GTA IV, which I have no doubt led me to dislike it. Here are some key things I found disappointing:

1.Online wasn't fun, had large amounts of lag, and a broken level system
2.There were a number of plot holes (like your first girlfriend)
3.I hated playing mini-games with "friends" and being interrupted by their calls. As far as I could tell it had no real bearing on the game's plot.
4.Money meant absolutely nothing about 5 missions in. The whole motivation for Niko was money, and yet you had nothing to spend it on. By the end your supposed to be worried about cash when you have like 100 grand in your back pocket. You couldn't even buy anything beyond a hot dog and a couple of jackets.
5.Not many buildings could be entered, despite what the hype train led me to believe.
6.The ending. I played the last mission like 30 times before beating it (I'm not exaggerating, the boat section is broken). They also punish you for doing "the right thing" which I thought was stupid.

I could keep going, but those were some of my main problems. Personally I loved the new driving physics, which some people seemed to hate. I also liked the realism of the NPC's and outside world in general.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Honestly...I really loved GTAIV. It's the only GTA that didn't get repetitive to me.

[ptmidos]

ehhh...

[ptmidos]

Honestly,BULLSH!T ARTICLE!Comparing these 2 games is like comparing Halo with Call of Duty, 2 different games same genre.

[TrenchaunT]

GTAIV was a disappointment. I've played every GTA game since the first, and Rockstar took the things that annoyed me about San Andreas and expanded upon them. Instead of having to waste time dating imaginary women, now you have to play pool and darts with boring imaginary men. The story is not all that interesting and worst of all, the shooting and cover controls are a disaster.

Plus, they took out the tanks. :o(

[Serg]

...with full usage of the size capacity of a BluRay disc?

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Looks like droids are still bitter over the loss of GTA IV, and are putting hopes into Saints Row 2 as some sort of redemtion for that loss.

[Jeremy Gerard]

can stop hating on Saints Row now, its not 360 exclusive anymore.

[DMasta718]

1. Jeremy it has nothing to do with that

I still play GTAIV online and still see good amount of people. I think it's the hype that made people disappointed in GTAIV. If you take the hype away, it's a good game on it's own. Far from a 10, but a solid 8 IMO.

I also find it funny that some people that hated GTA:SA features praises them now.

I tried Saints Row 1 when it was first out. It was a nice game. Good amount of customable items and customizing your character and the story wasn't that bad and was fun. The thing that really cut me from Saints Row 1 was that it felt like a arcade game. I'm going to rent Saints Row 2 but I'm going in not expecting much.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

This game will only cut it for San Andreas fans. I on the other hand thinked San Andreas was big, full of little extras and all... But with the worst theme ever. Gangs, Rap/Hip-hop, Tunning Cars, to much of this bullsh*t culture.

I was more guided for Vice City. Mafioso themed dealing with Miami culture mix, that was cool.

EDIT: Before people start to state that I'm a racist (it ever happens, like there is only black or latin - or whatever - in rap or gangs), I'm latin (brazilian) with african descendents too, so I'm not that white, and I like rock, jazz and blues, which, as far as I remember, was mostly funded by black people.
I just don't dig into popular bullsh*t.

[Sgt_Bon3head]

Saints Row 2? No thanks, i'd pick GTA over SR anytime.