This.Shoggoth2588 said:I strongly prefer Saint's Row as a series compared to Grand Theft Auto. Saint's Row is more light hearted and lets you make your own character which are both fine and dandy...but the side missions like racing, assassinations, etc are optional in Saint's Row. I feel like GTA likes to lock you out of plot missions if you don't want to go on a mandatory race mission or, training session. Saint's Row will have those elements in missions but there are clearly marked side missions versus the clearly marked plot missions. I liked Saint's Row 2 more than 1 or 3 but 3 is still a really, REALLY solid game.
One thing I hated about the GTA series was that in the games I played(VC and SA), I had to go through some stupid, difficult and mandatory races and activities I really didn't care about and never seemed like they had any effect on anything else. SR has races and such, but they're almost entirely optional(The forced insurance fraud mission in 3 got on my nerves but other then that).
OTOH, the activities in SR are pretty much always fun, varied and most importantly optional. Don't like Snatch? Good. Don't play snatch. Snatch doesn't care. The worst thing is that you miss out on getting the free kobra pistols and unlimited ammo unlocks from one of them. Want to play the demo derby? Have at it.
Some of them, like FUZZ(COPS Parody, with an emphasis on using chainsaws and flamethrowers on the people you're supposed to be arresting) and Septic avenger(Spraying liquidized shit out of a septic truck), are just fricken hilarious for their anti-social over the top nature.