So, why do people dislike Saints Row the Third anyway?

[D-Class 198482]

Okay.
I'm gonna start off and say I played Saints Row 2 first, and a year later I played the Third.
I prefer the Third. Every complaint I've seen about it is that SR3 is silly.
Okay?... What's wrong with that? I get that SR1 was serious and SR2 was not as silly, but what's wrong with it being silly?
I seriously need an explanation for this. The fact that people are going 'Saints Row 4 is going to be an abomination' and the most I can gather from their reasons is that the game is obviously going to be silly...why is this such a major issue?

 

[FalloutJack]

I think perhaps you don't hear from the people who like the game often because they don't have anything to say, while those who don't like it will naturally complain. To whit, you can't please everyone. However, it can't be that big a complaint if there's yet another game coming.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

No idea. I preferred Saints Row 3 for its unabashed stupidity. Those OTT crime spree games tend to be deeply ridiculous at the best of times, so the fact they just stopped trying and accepted the idiocy of the genre was refreshing.

 

[oplinger]

Nothing's wrong with it being silly at all. The problem people are really having is less with the silly, and rather the fact that they're building off of being silly. Which is fine, but it can only go so far. Think of it like Dragonball. Dragonball was great, DBZ was fine at the beginning, but quickly got out of hand. Dragonball GT was just dumb as all hell because things could only go upwards.

It's the same with Saints Row, they can only really go one way. And it's not more serious, else it'll just be GTA. And they're at the level where only the most silly, most insane nonsense will cut the mustard to outdo 3.

I think if they just kept the silly on the level with 3, they'd be okay. They can't however, as they have to do -more- in a sequel, that's how the market's been bred.

Personally I love 3. I didn't like 2 much at all. 3 is one of my favorite games now, and the silly nonsense may actually be what did it for me. So I'm looking forward to SR4.

 

[Little Gray]

People dislike Saints Row the Third because it was a shit game.

They took what was a half decent gta knockoff series and went full retard on it. The story stopped being coherent about two hours in and the farther in you get the more random shit they through at you that makes absolutely no sense at all. Then after the next mission everybody acts like that shit never happened at all. The series was far better off when it was trying to copy San Andreas instead of trying to do the stupidest shit possible.

 

[Doom972]

I love this game, but I don't bother posting whenever someone bashes it, and I assume other people who like the game don't bother either.

As I understand it, many people who liked SR2 don't like SR3 due to the change in tone and the death Johnny Gat. Personally, I didn't like SR2 very much - but that might be due to the fact that I have the PC version, which wasn't very well ported.

If I want a serious plot, I can play GTA IV + Liberty City stories, or the upcoming GTA V. If I want silliness I can play SR3 or the upcoming SR4. Seems good for me.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Okay.
I'm gonna start off and say I played Saints Row 2 first, and a year later I played the Third.
I prefer the Third. Every complaint I've seen about it is that SR3 is silly.
Okay?... What's wrong with that? I get that SR1 was serious and SR2 was not as silly, but what's wrong with it being silly?
I seriously need an explanation for this. The fact that people are going 'Saints Row 4 is going to be an abomination' and the most I can gather from their reasons is that the game is obviously going to be silly...why is this such a major issue?

Saints Row 1 was considered a parody and a joke by people. Theres a reason Volition has pretty muched disowned it and you can't even get DLC for it. It was trying to be a straight urban game and in all actuality is racist as all hell for it, but it goes over most peoples heads so yeah.

Saints Row 2 on the otherhand had this really rather delightful tone of making the playcharacter feel like a batman villian. Actually I've repllayed this game several times with the Joker as my avatar for this reason. It can be silly as hell at times, and at others you're tricking one of your rivals to crush his girlfriend with a monster truck and blow up some poor saps hand just to send a message. It's a nice balance, and it works. People wanted more of that.

Saints Row 3 comes along and all those delightfully dark twisted bits get shoved to the side instead for whackyness. And theres a lot I like about Saints Row 3, don't get me wrong. I'm a wrestling fan, so I love Killbane as a villian as a character and that whole bossfight where you right him in the ring, and some of the things he says are things only a wrestling nerd like myself would get. I love that he just breaks that bitches neck after calling him by his real name (never call a wrestler by their real name) but that's also kind of the problem.

I want the player character to be snapping bitches' necks like popsicals because they angered him. Character went from being a pyschotic blood thirst sociopath to such a fucking pansy. They ruined the fuck out of Shaundi too, she use to be the cool stoner girl and now shes some diva?

Johnny Gat said it best at the start of the game. The Saints sold out, and that's the exact reason why they had to kill him. Gat was telling the audience the truth about the product.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

What I've heard is that many prefer the contrast between the silly and dramatic in Saint's Row 2. To them, the silly parts stood out more because they were juxtaposed against poe-faced crime drama and the dramatic bits were more powerful because these were funny characters that you were watching suffer.

I understand this point of view, as many of my favourite stories mix humour and drama to make you care about the characters before they DIE but I didn't think Saint's Row 2 handled it very well. It felt more like it didn't know what it wanted to be. The comedy was OTT and silly and just didn't sit well with me when put against some of the much darker and down to earth scenes that peppered the plot. Or maybe that should be the other way around; if I could remove any element from the game it'd be the dramatic element. I just don't think the serious scenes were all that well done. That's just me, though.

It's worth pointing out that Saint's Row 2 had a much more comprehensive character creator and such, though.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

There were some things I really loved about Saints Row 3 (the Upgrade System, the gameplay choices, the utter absurdity of it all) but at the same time...

1) They cut out a lot of the clothing options, which sucks a bit.

2) They really cut down The Activities and Diversions, which sucks a LOT! Where were all the awesome things like FUZZ, Septic Avenger, all the random crazy races etc. and replaced them with what? Guardian Angel and other glorified escort missions?

 

[aba1]

I don't hate 3 but I like number 2 ALOT more and I will share my reasons since you asked ^^.

1). The characters

The characters in the second game were great they were funny and had you laughing all the time all the while when we needed they could still be serious and have some great character development. The third game took the characters that you had grown attached too and loved and said lets make them not even remotely the same anymore randomly for no reason. Then they killed of Gatt who was one of the most important characters in the franchise without even clarifying if he is dead or not it was so confusing anticlimactic and just awful. Shandi was literally a different character who didn't have a thing to do with the second game and was the same literally in the name alone even the voice actress was different and they even changed her look to the point they even made her white randomly.

2). The customization

The customization in the second game literally blew my mind. I was so excited for even more with the third game and while it was solid it was no where near the level that saints 2 was at. In saints row 2 if you could think of it you could likely do it they had crazy amounts of depth in the outfits you could put together. You could literally put on a bra then undershirt with over shirt then sweater then a jacket on top of it all then a costume on top of all that and all the while having custom colours and patterns and even ways you wear it. In number three you can still choose what to wear but you can't customize patterns, you had less colours and, you couldn't chose how to wear things. They also took out all the layering leaving you with shirt, coat, and maybe a bra and thats it. Also they had a fraction of the options in clothing you could wear. The second game had tons of different stores that sold all kinds of different clothing which was all scraped for maybe 2 or 3 places which all had the same handful of outfits.

Almost all of the above applies to the vehicles as well while I will say three had some cooler vehicles they had a fraction of the options of cars to choose from that the second game had. The second game had a TON of different cars that all felt unique. While the third had a good few they had a fraction of the amount from saints 2. Also in the second game you could customize you car much like clothing down to insane detail which a lot of that was scrapped for fewer choices.

I will just save some time and say they did the same thing for character customization (which was the most detailed creator I have ever seen), crib customization, gun options, gang customization, radio station customization, taunt customization, walk customization, even fighting style customization.

3). The story

The story of the second game was actually really engaging with character trials and some really sad moments that had you going "holy shit did that just happen" all the while having random humor and some really awesome randomness to keep you laughing. The third game took the balance and threw it out the window for pure randomness for the sake of randomness. The story was straightforward and a chunk of the humor was really forced and luckily there was humor cause the seriousness was really awkward and stilted with characters being angry for no reason and nobody really changing and nothing truly being resolved or even making all that much sense. It also really sucks that they pritty much ignore that the other games happen at all for the most part thus eliminating almost all story progression you had been engaged in.

One thing I liked about the mini games as well in the second game is that they would have a story sequence to explain why you are doing what you are doing usually something really funny but it made sense they took this out of the third game leaving you with "I am doing this because.... well I just am" so you are just left going er ok sure why not.

4). The side quests

They had some really really fun side quests in the second game and I can't really think of any one I didn't like at all they were all a blast. The third game kept some but got rid a lot of the more popular ones and added in some really annoying bland ones instead. I mean driving around with a tiger is funny for a few min but the joke stops being funny when you are forced to drive into a lake with no control of your own thus eliminating the idea of skill.

5). The upgrades

The second game had you earning upgrades with cheats for if you wanted them which was awesome there was stuff to be earned but if you wanted to say screw it the cheats were there for you as well. The third game made it so you earn things but can never turn them off ever thus eliminating any challenge from the game and making it really boring. Then they kept cheats but made you have to buy them which is really stupid.

6). Forced new and online pass

In order to force players to buy new they added a online pass for something that was previously free they did the same thing with clothing cheats and various other things which was a real spit in the face to long time fans.

7). The Map

Saints row 2 had a huge map with tons of different areas with different themes and just in general a very large and diverse city with lots to see and experience. The third game cut the map size in half and got rid of all the different areas and made it just city and suburbs more or less. The second game had a ton of random cpu actions so no matter where you go different things would be happening and the city would really feel alive not to mention the computers were hilarious. The third game features people walking around a barely that.

8). The music

While this is more of a preference call I vastly preferred the music in the third game which featured more types of music and in general more selection. This one is a preference mostly but it counts for something.

9). Mini Games

They just straight out took out most of the diversions and fun little side activities that were fun side options in the second game. There is the occasional one still around but most are gone

10). Picking up random stuff

In the second game you could literally pick up a hydrant and throw it at a man like the Hulk which was really fun once in a while and it gave you lots of options. Don't feel like using a gun just pull out that stop sign and start swinging.

11). The collectables

In the second game they had tons of collectables to find and collect which added a lot more depth to the map encouraging you to explore and mess around. They made you find CD's, Jumps, Tags etc there was a tonnnnnnn to find.

There is more too this is all just off hand I likely missed things as well and I didn't even get into a few things I only mentioned mostly in the customization department.

 

[Smertnik]

SaneAmongInsane said pretty much everything I have on my mind regarding this topic as far as the writing goes (although I found pretty much every character, both on the allied and the enemy side a total bore fest).
I also disliked some of SR3's technical shortcomings, such as more limited customisation options, smaller city or the lack of melee combos.

 

[Dead Seerius]

Some people love the amount of wackiness in SR3, others feel like it's overkill after experiencing SR2's less balls-out usage of it. It essentially comes down to different strokes for different folks.

I will say that the optional activities in SR3 were a bit disappointing and I know some people feel like SR3 was simply a weaker game overall because of instances of weaker open world gameplay. But yeah, a lot of people are upset that the series is deviating in tone from the earlier games. I don't really care much either way. At least I don't mind the wackiness.

 

[Andy Shandy]

My only problem with SR3 compared to 2 is that it's just ALL WACKY ALL THE TIME! I love ridiculousness, but with SR2 it was balanced by some more serious moments. It was a good balance.

 

[go-10]

all the above answers are good and each hold some validation but the real answer is

they haven't played it yet

 

[Hubbl3]

Never played SR2, because the PC version just doesn't work on my PC, but I love SR3. Way better than GTA4 in my opinion. Maybe a little short (30h for 100% completion?), but I had a lot of fun playing it.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

For me, it was just over the top retarded with pretty shallow gameplay. I'm not a fan of overly silly shit. GTA San Andreas is a good example of a not-so-serious game that didn't take it to downright stupid levels.

 

[The]

It's a solid game, but I feel like once you've seen the first few hours, you've seen it all, so the over-the-topness kinda dragged on. I prefer games that can balance their comedic and dramatic elements.

I remember at the time of its release, there was nothing BUT praise. Now it's going in the opposite direction.

 

[Something Amyss]

Every complaint I've seen about it is that SR3 is silly

I don't know where you've been hanging, but silly isn't the problem.

Where to begin.

Saints Row 2 expanded Stilwater into a much larger, more vibrant experience. We had all sorts of diversity, including a college campus, and amphitheatre, a pirate ship, caverns, and Easter Eggs up the wazoo.

Saints Row 3 introduces a smaller, homogenous experience with only a couple of areas that provide any difference in locale. Most indoor locations are removed, there are few Easter Eggs.

Saints Row 2 had a lot of clothing and customisation options. Saints Row 3 trims this down and sells a lot of it back as DLC.

Saints Row 2 was black humour almost at its finest. Saints Row 3 was dick and fart jokes.

Saints Row 2 still managed to have some pretty poignant moments, even while it satirised the genre. You slaughter thousands of people, start a gang war over a trivial slight, and kill someone's girlfriend (admittedly, not exactly innocent in all this) to up the stakes, but when one of your buddies dies, it's TOO FAR!

What does Saints Row 3 have? Even the dual climaxes don't carry much weight. Gatt getting bumped in the first part of the game offscreen doesn't help much, either. Probably the best moment is when your actions in Stilwater get called back upon by STAG. And that means you're referencing a better game for your best moment.

Saints Row 3 is a short, shallow experience. Almost half the short runtime is tutorial in one way or another, much of which is for the side missions. Mandatory side missions are generally a bad idea, moreso if it's to pad the game time. SR2 had real missions with very little turtorial once you got out of prison. You could also approach whichever gang you wanted, rather than a scripted set of events predicated on finishing side quests.

I never counted the instances of minigames, but I'm pretty sure there are fewer, anyway. There's also less variety. Gone are some of the more liked ones, like Fuzz and Septic Avenger (which, admittedly, I could give or take). Instead, we get a second form of Escort...Yay...

Even the sandbox elements are much less fun to screw around with in my opinion, because the map is less interesting. Steelport is kinda...Boring by comparison, and even VTOLs and hoverbikes can't make up for it.

But you know what? It's fine to like the game. Nobody's forcing you to hate it. Just don't pretend the only gripe people have is that it's silly.