Just finished Saints Row 3, didn't expect it to be that good

[heyheysg]

Given that Saints row 1 and 2 looked like gangster wannabe versions of GTA, I was pleasantly surprised by the change in art direction and fantastical elements of SR3.

Are there any other games out there that are just based as fun and have such a high level of polish?

 

[hazabaza1]

Just Cause 2 has a similar scratch for that Sanbox itch. PC version has a bunch of mods too.
I do also recommend checking out Saints Row 2 if you haven't. If's still pretty fantastical and mental, not quite as much as the Third, but still, it's there.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.
EDIT:
A billion quotes! A million billion quotes!
Yes I know there are many people that did, but unless we live in different worlds, the large majority enjoyed 2 more.

 

[hazabaza1]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Well hi there.
Now you know one. Just felt like sharing.

 

[Doclector]

I actually also like it. Saints row 2 struck a perfect balance, true. It had absurdity and fun, but it was still just about believable that the saints could be a real, if mightily insane, gang. It was your choice in many ways, how far you wanted to stretch reality. It also had some rather sudden solemn moments.

Saints row 3 is full on absurdity. While saints row 2 allowed you to be a crime boss who believed himself to be a super villain, saints row 3 allowed you to be...well, a super villain. I also loved the new graphical style, further dragging it away from reality.

I'll admit that there's a lot saints row 3 did wrong, some of which was a development risk, some of which was flat out dumb, and as such, I can understand people's disappointment, but personally, I like it better.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Well hi there.
Now you know one. Just felt like sharing.

Well that's one then

I don't know about you though, but from what I've seen, almost everyone has preferred the second. The third's hardly a bad game, but the second is just awesome.

 

[Tayh]

On the other hand, the second was a horribly, awfulll glitched console-port.
Driving controls, anyone?

 

[Rack]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Yo. SR2 was good, but 3 just worked for me. I found the gangster theme a bit stuffy and overplayed in 2 and particularly felt it ground to a halt whenever it segued into "You play activity now. Come back when you have had x fun." which seemed to be every 10 minutes or so. It didn't help that the PC version was so bad that I had to play on PS3. Also there were just loads of really great little gameplay improvements.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Yo. SR2 was good, but 3 just worked for me. I found the gangster theme a bit stuffy and overplayed in 2 and particularly felt it ground to a halt whenever it segued into "You play activity now. Come back when you have had x fun." which seemed to be every 10 minutes or so. It didn't help that the PC version was so bad that I had to play on PS3. Also there were just loads of really great little gameplay improvements.

I never actually had to stop because I didn't have enough respect, but that's really an issue practically everyone's complained about in 3. That the sidequests are just dull, and not fun, but you have to do them otherwise you just can't continue.
And the theme and style of SR2 is what made it for me, I really liked the gangs and the characters. The boss was awesome.
I don't think anyone's really saying the gameplay in 2 is better. It's the city, the writing, and just the feel of the game that made it more fun.
The PC port was garbage though, I'll give you that. That was really annoying.

 

[Baralak]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Yo. SR2 was good, but 3 just worked for me. I found the gangster theme a bit stuffy and overplayed in 2 and particularly felt it ground to a halt whenever it segued into "You play activity now. Come back when you have had x fun." which seemed to be every 10 minutes or so. It didn't help that the PC version was so bad that I had to play on PS3. Also there were just loads of really great little gameplay improvements.

Saints Row the Third was really a big one step forward, one step back, kinda deal.

Bigger, more insane ways to get around? Check.
Insane weapons like an 8-bit tank, mega buster, and dildo bat? Check.
New cartoony art style that'll age better and is still really emotive? Check.
Loss of a good 50% of customization options? Check.
Loss of freedom in how to advance the story? Check.
Loss of amount of fun side activities? (subjective, I know) Check.

So yeah. I had 2 on the 360, and it was excellent. 3 was good, too. It's a real small difference in overall quality, though. Like the difference between an 8/10 and a 8.5/10. Both are fantastic games.

 

[Smertnik]

Saints Row the Third was really a big one step forward, one step back, kinda deal.

Bigger, more insane ways to get around? Check.
Insane weapons like an 8-bit tank, mega buster, and dildo bat? Check.
New cartoony art style that'll age better and is still really emotive? Check.
Loss of a good 50% of customization options? Check.
Loss of freedom in how to advance the story? Check.
Loss of amount of fun side activities? (subjective, I know) Check.

So yeah. I had 2 on the 360, and it was excellent. 3 was good, too. It's a real small difference in overall quality, though. Like the difference between an 8/10 and a 8.5/10. Both are fantastic games.

Yeah, SR3 improved a lot of elements but changed a lot for the worse as well. What I also missed from SR3 was the melee combo system (seriously, why would take that out?) and the memorable and actually likable, in a certain sense, characters (both enemies and allies). And the game kinda felt like it was trying too hard to be crazy and wacky.
2 and 3 are both great games but I enjoyed 2 noticeably more.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

SR3 was better than 2 in almost every way except plot and pacing. The more over the top stuff was fun, but would have been much better if the game could stay focused for more than half a minute. More than half the missions in 3 were mini game tutorials, and characters drop in and out with hardly any reason. I looked away for a second during the assault on the syndicates tower and I didn't even realize that the guy had died. It's a stark contrast to

Spoiler: SR2 spoilers

Burying the Ronin kid alive and stuffing the girl into her own trunk and having the Brotherhood leader run her over.

Short version: the new toys are fun, but SR2 had a better story. And replayable missions, whoever left that out of SR3 needs a slap to the head.

 

[Shinsei-J]

I'm going to second Just Cause 2, Wasted many hours on both these games and loved it.
Other than those two I can't think of much else.

 

[evilneko]

On the other hand, the second was a horribly, awfulll glitched console-port.
Driving controls, anyone?

It's not so much the controls as that the game seemingly couldn't keep up with itself when driving the faster cars. That's why I stuck to the cop car. Fast enough to get around in, but not fast enough to be difficult to drive. Plus people get out of the way when you pop the siren. Or at least try. XD

I actually also like it. Saints row 2 struck a perfect balance, true. It had absurdity and fun, but it was still just about believable that the saints could be a real, if mightily insane, gang. It was your choice in many ways, how far you wanted to stretch reality. It also had some rather sudden solemn moments.

Saints row 3 is full on absurdity. While saints row 2 allowed you to be a crime boss who believed himself to be a super villain, saints row 3 allowed you to be...well, a super villain. I also loved the new graphical style, further dragging it away from reality.

I'll admit that there's a lot saints row 3 did wrong, some of which was a development risk, some of which was flat out dumb, and as such, I can understand people's disappointment, but personally, I like it better.

Gee, I kinda looked at my SR2 character as something of an extreme Anti-Hero. >.>

I didn't really think anyone was tending toward super-villainy until SR3, where pretty much everyone wears the super-villain hat at one point or another.. or even all the way through.

 

[Euhan01]

I played SR2 and SR3 and prefered 3, was really surprised how much I liked it.

 

[Link55]

I played it as well and beat it. I thought the second Saints Row was better because you could do pretty much anything you wanted. Although I did like how you could ajust somethings on there.!)

 

[The Wykydtron]

I'm going through SR3 again at the moment and I still really love it. I think i've played too much SR2 and SR3 is just fun as hell.

I don't do much gunfighting in that game... I just jump on them in hilarious different ways then occasionally shoot someone.

The plot did kinda suffer in 3 for some reason. Some really stupid design decisions were made and I think they went a little to far towards the "tell, don't show" mentality in certain places.

Still think it's better than 2 just because y'know it's awesome but it could have had better pacing and plot direction in general

 

[theultimateend]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

Saint's Row 2 is remarkably good.

The story is silly but the serious moments really do capture you .

 

[BLAHwhatever]

I'd recommend Just Cause 2, too.
Also Bulletstorm and Orks Must Die!!!
They're just plain fun with fitting graphics/atmosphere/aestheics.
No open world-feature though in those two

Edit: And to some extent Dead Island. Though that game misses quite a lot of polish. Stomping, mutilating and tearring Zombies limb from limb was really fun though. For a couple of hours at least.

 

[9thRequiem]

Please play saints row 2.
It's much, much better, and not wannabe versions of GTA. The fanstastical elements are appreciated even more in that game because not everything is batshit. I've not known anyone who's played both that thought 3 was better.

I did.
Don't get me wrong, I loved SR2 so much, but I prefer 3's story, with all the bizarre, over-the-top craziness that went with it, and all the amazing dialog that followed. I just found it more fun from start to finish.

OT : I'll agree with everyone who said to try number 2. Avoid SR1, but you don't really need it.