Between Saints Row 3 and 4, which is better?

[Vausch]

Saint's Row 4 was more fun for me than 3. I'd put Saint's Row 2 as the best of them though. The customisation is far better, there's a much better story and progression curve that feels rewarding, and overall it feels a lot more grounded.

Saint's Row 4 is a hilarious romp with superpowers in a virtual world fighting off aliens and mocking other video game franchises along the way.

 

[josemlopes]

I liked IV more then 3 (3 for me is the black sheep), but IV felt more like a game made for the fans of 1,2 and 3 so if you never played any of those a lot of what is in IV you probably wont get.

You should probably just give another try to SR2.

 

[Flammablezeus]

I feel like 3 and 4 are a complete package together. 4 is great, but I think I found it great more because I'd played 2 and 3 first. Without being familiar with the Saints Row universe, I don't think 4 would have been as fun as it was.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

In terms of story, 4. 4 raises the stakes really high and finally gives the player character someone that match him in wit and power.

Playing Saints 2 and then going 3, 3 just felt like the saints were going through the motions. Suddenly Shaundi's off drugs and way less fun, the player character is hanging out with Burt Reynolds, the like.

 

[Neonsilver]

It's hard to compare those two games. 3 is a good GTA type game, 4 on the other hand is more like prototype in the way it's played. The GTA like mechanics from 3 are still there, but why drive a car when you can run faster.

 

[Groxnax]

I love the SR series but I like SR4 better because of the story, the humor, the weapons, the powers and the big bad alien boss.

The guy was charming, funny and when he promised something he did it, like destroying the Earth.

I also liked how he interrupted the sing along that the president had with his associate.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I was disappointed with SR3, too much stripped out content for it to be enjoyable. 4 was fun, but not without it's disappointments. For example; Super hero costumes. The NPCs and your allies have better outfits than you do. They also get the "hadoken" style fireball attack. And for super powers there is no flight, sure you can glide, but it's lame in comparison to actual flight. It's also a very short game. But it is a fun game, despite the Australian version being censored.

 

[TallanKhan]

Personally I enjoy Saints Row IV more, but both are excellent.

Really it depends what you want more from a game, 3 is slightly more "grounded" than IV, although it is still so off the wall you might as well be a Batman villain. 3 has a more traditional, "take over territory, defeat rival gangs, become the crime kingpin" beat, although the narrative is not overly strong and the tone wavers a little between off the wall crazy and dystopian urban warefare, and as a result doesn't feel like it does either totally effectively.

Saints Row IV on the other hand embraces the bat-shit crazy and then goes whole hog with it, with a story that effectivley ammounts to "escape from the matrix". The new mechanics are fun, and while it feels more contrived and the plot doesn't hang together quite as neatly as it's predecessors, things are usually moving so quickly you don't really have time to notice.

Overall, in my opinion IV is the better game, but both get a thumbs up.

 

[votemarvel]

The super-powers in SR4 are fun but they swiftly come to dominate the rest of the gameplay, there is no need for guns or vehicles because of them.

Saints Row the Thirds wins for me because it just feels more varied.

Edit: The romances in SR4 are hilarious.

 

[Derfpace]

Saint's Row 3 for the campaign, Saint's Row 4 for derpin' around.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

I prefer Saints Row 3. 4 was certainly fun, but its zaniness wears its welcome rather fast. I've never beat it just because I got bored with it throwing so much too often, rather than gradually.

3 is the best balance in my opinion between a GTA-clone with a slight serious tone, and the crazy levels of Saints Row 4. They go on sale often however, so pick one now and in maybe a month at most the other should be on sale anyway.

Plus, 3 has a day night cycle, rather than being stuck in permanent night like 4. Saints Row 4 ended looking very boring being stuck in night all the time.

 

[putowtin]

saints row 3 for the dlc
saints row 4 for... being a superhero

if you're more into the whole gang taking over a city 3
if your more into aliens taking over the world 4

 

[happyninja42]

Saints Row 3 was a fun bit of over the top action, with a fun premise and missions. Saints Row 4 took that premise, jacked it up with Glitter Juice and an IV of Redbull, and shoved it into orbit around the twin stars of Insanity and I Don't Give a Fuck. It knew damn well it was a joke game, but it took itself seriously about the joke. And they were both awesome fun.

The final mission to SR 3 had an awesome moment for me, given the mission itself, and the music playing when it did, but overall I think SR 4 had more consistant goofy shit.

Really though, both games were a blast to play, and I enjoyed them both. I'd pick them both up if I were you, I doubt you will be disappointed.

 

[Post Tenebrae Morte]

4 is pretty crazy, but it's great crazy with a grounded mind that is focused and doesn't do a bunch of wacky crap for the hell of it like three did. Three was disappointing for me, because it just felt off and not as fun or interesting as 2. But 4 quickly changed that, gave us better characterization, a better more consistent story, and generally improved gameplay even further.

I say go for 4, give 2 another chance, give 1 a chance if your bored, and skip 3.

 

[DataSnake]

Saints Row IV, definitely. Funnier, better written, and it includes superpowers and a Christmas special.

 

[TristanBelmont]

For Deep Silver stuff, I reaaaallllyy recommend the Metro games but I am confident in saying Saint's Row IV is the greatest piece of fiction ever produced by man.
I have never had more fun with any other game, movie, or sex toy-inspired board game.

 

[Little Gray]

SR3 kind of felt like they forgot what made SR2 a good game. It did not flow very well and had lots of rather random moments that did not fit in to the game and were never properly explained/explored again after one mission.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

They're both better than Saints Row 2 in many ways. The only thing Saints Row 2 has over both games is an admittedly better sandbox world and a more memorable story.

Saints Row 3 is a typical crime sandbox game with a bunch of funny things thrown in. You jack cars, you shoot guns, you kill enemy gang members, run over pedestrians, and crash into police. Pretty par for course, but Saints Row the Third has a few times where it shines.

Saints Row 4 plays a lot more like a superhero game than a crime game. The parkour and superpowers are so nice, but there's no denying that it's a far cry from what crime sandbox games have been like before this. Honest to god, Saints Row 4 reminded me more of InFamous than a Saints Row game.

Both are great on their own, especially with co-op, and I recommend getting both. Saints Row 4's story (and The Third, but not so much) relies heavily on you playing the previous games to learn the stories and characters, so may as well.

 

[Dalisclock]

SR3 kind of felt like they forgot what made SR2 a good game. It did not flow very well and had lots of rather random moments that did not fit in to the game and were never properly explained/explored again after one mission.

It's wierd that despite all the wackiness, SR3 is in some ways darker then SR2. The Saints are pretty much domestic terrorists in SR3 and commit outright treason/attempted succession in one of the endings. I also wouldn't be surprised if their body count was bigger through story missions alone.

It's just the game is so wacky it makes it hard to think about the fact, yes, you're pretty much declaring war against the US government in the 3rd act.

 

[MassiveGeek]

I have to agree with the people who've said to play them in order. I asked my friend this exact same question, and he also said to play them in order, if nothing else, just to get to know the characters a little bit before jumping into the awesome action in the fourth game.

If you just want my opinion on which game I think is better, I have to say SR4 is my favourite of the two. It is just SO much fun it's crazy, and the one thing about the SR games that I didn't like, which was the... I guess "filler" quests(like insurance fraud) that you have to do to take over certain parts of the city, are much improved, and so-ho-hooo much less of a pain in SR4 than the Third.

I guess though, that if you're really big on jacking cars and doing motorcycle stunts and stuff like that, you really have no use for it in SR4 as you progress. I found myself almost never ever using a vehicle to get around pretty darn quickly. You absolutely can, if you want, but it's... just not necessary at all, except maybe in some quests.

So, really I have to say get both. If not though, then SR4 is in my opinion the "better" game, so I recommend that one.

EDIT:

Edit: The romances in SR4 are hilarious.

^ Also this.