Developer Laziness: Saint's Row the Third

[Something Amyss]

Wow I didn't know that. Now that just makes it even worse.

Yeah, a few days before TT launched, they said they were already working on 4, and it was gonna be EVEN CRAAAAAAZIER than this one.

Which sucked on multiple levels, but the most notable one is not even waiting a while to announce your next game.

 

[Leole]

Well, from what I've heard, the customization was nerfed because they made boobs and hair bouncy and physic-full.

And SR3 wasn't as fun as SR2, I'll give you that, but honestly, the game is pretty fun. Not to mention, the "dreaded" online pass code actually gave me SR2 for the PS3. I got 2 games for the price of one! That's pretty neat in my case, since I've never played any SR in my life.

 

[Stormz]

They turned the characters into dull, flat standees of their former selves or killed them off. That one near the start was inexcusable. I really thought it was a fake out it was so inconceivable they would actually do that.

I spent the ENTIRE game thinking, "No, they didn't, they couldn't...seriously? No...it's just a trick...". I thought there was going to be some triumphant return, or the character was brainwashed into a baddie I had to fight, or there was going to be an f'ing clone.

Nope, nothing. My favorite, hell, MOST fan's favorite character, and they whack 'em. Inexcusable.

Killing him off wouldn't have pissed me off so much if they put some meaning into it. Having him die off the way he did RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING is what made me mad.

 

[Hazy992]

1. The bridges. The goddamn fucking bridges. I wish there was a way to get them lowered. I'm sick of having to jump them everytime, especially as you end up flipping the car half the time cause you hit something. Bikes almost always just slam straight into it and get stuck, and it's made the vehicle thefts harder than it needs to be.

You know, especially since you

Spoiler: game spoilers

Own the city one way or another, you think you'd be able to lower them

Also, love that several vehicles do just lodge in the bridges.

2. Speaking of the vehicle thefts, this is just a pain in the ass. I actually drove to where I needed to find a vehicle in the vehicle I was supposed to find and it didn't register I was in it. I had to drive around for another five minutes looking for it.

Yeah, I hate the fact I can't cheat the system, too. Well, can't cheat the system without one more, very minor step that is dumb.

Yeah I know

Spoiler

Isn't Pierce mayor by the end of it?

The vehicle theft is just broken. I found a vehicle in the area it was supposed to be in, but because there was no icon on the map it didn't count. Another time there was an icon on the map for the vehicle, I got in it... and the icon disappeared. I had to then drive around looking for it

 

[Vrach]

It's just short as hell. And that's even counting the missions that were, as you said, activity tutorials, which was really nothing short of cheating on the developers' part. If the game was longer, it'd be great (save for some customization, I really miss it as well, but could survive without it tbh), as it is, you're just done with it by the time you're feeling like the real story should be starting.

Spoiler

Also, Gat's death? Seriously? He dies in the first mission? I was waiting for a surprise comeback the entire game, not so much because I missed him or anything, but it was just ridiculous to lose one of the main characters right off the bat for no real reason. Don't get me wrong, main character deaths are cool when done right, but his was just "oh yeah btw, I'm about to blow up, so... enjoy the rest of the game without me, bye!"

 

[FFHAuthor]

They turned the characters into dull, flat standees of their former selves or killed them off. That one near the start was inexcusable. I really thought it was a fake out it was so inconceivable they would actually do that.

I spent the ENTIRE game thinking, "No, they didn't, they couldn't...seriously? No...it's just a trick...". I thought there was going to be some triumphant return, or the character was brainwashed into a baddie I had to fight, or there was going to be an f'ing clone.

Nope, nothing. My favorite, hell, MOST fan's favorite character, and they whack 'em. Inexcusable.

Killing him off wouldn't have pissed me off so much if they put some meaning into it. Having him die off the way he did RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING is what made me mad.

Worst thing is that I think they TRIED to give it meaning, The lone wolf sacraficing himself for someone who he's built a camaraderie, loyalty and friendship with over two other games...but it was just so damn contrived! This is Johnnie Gat for god's sake, it was only ten guys with machine guns and a Belgian (Not even Poirot!).

He shouldn't have died, but of course, it's another of those fatal mistakes in gaming, your characters can survive things in the game that kill them in cut-scenes.

 

[Hisshiss]

You left out the biggest failure of all, the fact that they removed the ability to replay missions and watch cinematics entirely. So once you beat the game your just flat out stuck with absolutely nothing to do, as opposed to number 2 where me and a friend would just play through the entire game over and over again with redesigned characters, it was 80% of the entertainment.

Its a huge shame too, but SR3's missions and cutscenes are leaps and bounds ahead of number 2. In the end thats the only reason I returned the game, I managed to repress all those other complaints until I realized they cut out the replay.

 

[The Random One]

I wouldn't call it laziness. I think it was a new design philosophy. A bad one, that had they focus where they needn't and forget what they shouldn't, but still a consistent one.

I loved the game, it was my favourite game this year, but it's definitively nowhere as good as SR2. That just goes to show how great SR2 is.

But one thing that I'll never understand will be people complaining about the characters being dumbed down. The characters were already dumb in SR2 and just became a different shade of dumb in SR3. Shaundi was defined by the sole character traid of 'she sleeps around a lot' and is now defined by the sole character trait of 'she sure misses that guy who was killed'. And Pierce's singing in SR2 was so hilarious that people apparently forgot that he had no personality whatsoever in the last game, and his only trait this one is that he's been around for a while. At least the new characters have a bit of the charm the SR1 original crew had.

The vehicle theft is just broken. I found a vehicle in the area it was supposed to be in, but because there was no icon on the map it didn't count. Another time there was an icon on the map for the vehicle, I got in it... and the icon disappeared. I had to then drive around looking for it

Actually it seems the vehicle theft is changed - you now need to find a specific vehicle of that make in the area. Though even when it shouldn't that still happens. And sometimes when the vehicle is parked somewhere the game will tell you it's been destroyed even when it's right there in front of me stupid game.

 

[JohnDoey]

There's a bunch of issues in this game that are starting to piss me off. I'm gonna vent them here

1. The bridges. The goddamn fucking bridges. I wish there was a way to get them lowered. I'm
9. And last but not least;

Spoiler

I still can't believe they killed Johnny Gat!!!

Phew! Rant over!

The worst part was how they killed Gat, off-screen and no one seemed to care besides Shaundi being a homicidal maniac.

 

[JdaS]

Wow. Wasn't aware how much people didn't like this game.

In all honesty, I never bought in to the whole craze. I blasphemously thought that GTA 4 was a better game, because it felt so much smoother. I understand why people like crazy and out of control, but I found GTA 4 much more enjoyable because you didn't feel like a tank and when you punched people, they didn't go flying, and it didn't feel like it was trying so damn hard to get you to like the game... if that makes any sense. Which it doesn't.

I guess what I'm loosely trying to say is that I really did prefer the slow paced anticipation over the "in your face" whackey gamestyle that Saints Row conveyed.

I know, right? I was always a strong supporter of the "gritty, realistic crime-drama" > "holy shit I'm hitting a grandma with a dildo" opinion. Come SR3 and I go "ah what the hell, give fun a chance right?"

The most fun you can have with it is to play it through with a friend, dicking around and kicking 43 flavors of ass. Other than that, quite unimpressive and a good reminder that GTA V: Not Fucking Ghetto Thug Life Simulator Wacky Time Adventures in San Andreas This Time Edition is on the way

 

[Uber Evil]

If you have it for PC keep an eye out for Gentlemen of Steelport.
Also, some modders have made a mod which allows mission replay through a menu on the phone, and I think that GOSP has a beta or alpha out.
Here [http://www.saintsrowmods.com/forum/index.php]

 

[Joshimodo]

I know, right? I was always a strong supporter of the "gritty, realistic crime-drama" > "holy shit I'm hitting a grandma with a dildo" opinion. Come SR3 and I go "ah what the hell, give fun a chance right?"

The most fun you can have with it is to play it through with a friend, dicking around and kicking 43 flavors of ass. Other than that, quite unimpressive and a good reminder that GTA V: Not Fucking Ghetto Thug Life Simulator Wacky Time Adventures in San Andreas This Time Edition is on the way

Each has their place, though GTAIII to SA was a good mix of the two. Gritty, slightly larger-than-life story and characters, but the option to fuck about on the side. GTAIV got the harsher reception because it was supposed to be a smashing entrance for GTA to the new generation of consoles, but ended up being a limp, almost vacant game. It wasn't bad, but it lacked GTA's signature brand of madness, for the most part. SR2 and 3 take a cartoonish approach, which is very welcome when myself and others just want to dick around for a few hours. Same appeal as Crackdown had, basically.

Most of the activities, MAYBE all, have in-game reasons for working. The lack of a cutscene only really hurts if you're playing with the sound off, at which point you might as well complain the game doesn't have any story.

Sorry, I agree for the most part, but I'm really tired of people complaining because you still get the same level of attention and story.

The activities are meant to be side-missions, not main ones. I know the story tries to segue them into it, but most of them just don't make sense as a strategy for taking over a city. Respect generating and money earning, yes - But they should remain separate side-missions.

Plus, SR3's story missions are pretty awful. There's little character development, gang development, or real villainy. The main characters (yourself and the main enemy gang bosses) have barely even shared any screentime by 50% of the way through. Plus, the missions are less varied.

 

[Something Amyss]

Spoiler

Isn't Pierce mayor by the end of it?

Spoiler: also spoilers

Yeah, in one ending. In the other, the Saints still effectively run the joint, having ousted STAG and whatnot. Since it was martial law that led to the raising of the bridges, they should come back down.

I also really love the fact that the traffic actually tries to drive over the bridges. If you're in the distance, you can even sometimes spy traffic driving across thin air where the bridges used to be.

Susan Arendt's bit about it being unreasonable to expect a flawless open-world game is true, but this was REALLY bad.

The activities are meant to be side-missions, not main ones. I know the story tries to segue them into it, but most of them just don't make sense as a strategy for taking over a city.

In-activity explanation, which is what I was referencing, does a nice job of handling that. Maybe not Tiger Escort, but pretty much every other one I can think of.

You want them to be side missions only, that's your call. But saying they don't make sense as a takeover strategy goes back to exactly what I was saying.

Now, if we're talking "Should it be part of the main campaign?" I agree it shouldn't. But city takeover wasn't really the main plot, either.

 

[n00dle37]

At least it works on PC, that instantly makes it better then SR2 in my books. However on console (apart from better graphics and a great opening hour or so) the game is worse then SR2.

 

[Hazy992]

Spoiler

Isn't Pierce mayor by the end of it?

Spoiler: also spoilers

Yeah, in one ending. In the other, the Saints still effectively run the joint, having ousted STAG and whatnot. Since it was martial law that led to the raising of the bridges, they should come back down.

I also really love the fact that the traffic actually tries to drive over the bridges. If you're in the distance, you can even sometimes spy traffic driving across thin air where the bridges used to be.

Susan Arendt's bit about it being unreasonable to expect a flawless open-world game is true, but this was REALLY bad.

Yeah I know it can never be flawless, but they can do a lot better. GTA IV didn't have anywhere near as many bugs as this

 

[josemlopes]

I wouldnt call the game worse, just different in the same way that SR2 was diferent then SR1.

Also saying that the game doesnt have improvements is just lying, the thing is that some other features got downgraded, that is why for me it isnt better or worse, just diferent.

Plus, the missions are less varied.

Really? Less varied?

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

I like SR2 too but give this game a chance, I know that some things are worse but there are also a lot of things that are better.

 

[Paul]

I enjoyed Saints Row 3 a lot, though I can definitely understand some of the issues people are having with it. I'm glad they cut some of the activities (Crowd Control in particular), but I'm not so fond of how they cut down some of the customization. I understand the game is over the top and such, but some parts of it don't seem as open as the second game.

At the same time though I almost see Saints Row 3 as a reimagining of the franchise more than a continuation even with the references made to the first and second game. It doesn't really feel like the same story they are continuing with, but I agree about the death at the start of the game: that was a really poorly done sequence, even though I still found the game to be a lot of fun to play.

I'm surprised they limited the number of weapons in the game so comprehensively though. It has only two pistols in comparison to the four or five I can think of in the second game (though if you count dual-wielded weapons as well, then it's eight or ten pistols), which seems like a step down. I can understand some of the reasons things were removed from the game, but I don't know why they had to remove features that led to reasons the game was popular.

I can say I am glad they removed competitive multiplayer though since Saints Row 2 didn't have a great online component. The original game was a lot of fun in that regard, with some of the modes available being among my top online experiences even now. Blinged Out Ride was a unique idea and one that I feel should return to the series if they ever add in a multiplayer component. I'm not a fan of the on-disc DLC that is being sold but then again, who is? It's insane to pay for the game and then pay some more for content they've locked you out from getting otherwise.

 

[Sirron Kcuch]

I haven't played it, but it just looks too whacky.
Things are fun and have an effect when they aren't the normal thing.
However, if you punch people and they fly 10 meters away, go around with a dildo and skydive into a plane twice it's too over the top. You just don't give a damn about whether you are in a dick shaped tank (I've just made that up) or killing pedestrians with their own disembodied limbs (this too)

 

[ReservoirAngel]

I got Saint's Row 2 back when I first got my Xbox 360 and was still playing it right up until Christmas Eve.

I got Saint's Row 3 on Christmas Day, played it for a while and honestly? I can't find the necessary passion or desire for it to boot it up again.

 

[Cazza]

My experience with SR2 was a poor port to PC. Driving was impossible. The story was good and I enjoyed the side missions. With SR3 it ran fine so I was free to enjoy the game much more. I played most of the game in Co op. In SR2 I only played like 2 hours in co op and that was in 2-3 sessions. With SR3 I was jumping in with friends playing for hours jumping out. Then in all the time. That was great.

I was disappointed by them taking out some content but that was so the overall game would be better I can't belive people complained about it. Yes I miss choosing my socks and the sceptic tank missions etc. Though I was so busy enjoying the game I didn't miss them until I was finished with the game. I didn't even remember some of the thing that were taken out until someone pointed them out.