Saint’s Row the Third has some naysayers. Mostly, it was people who wanted it to have the same tone as the second Saint’s Row, aptly named Saint’s Row 2. Saint’s Row 2 is a good game but it felt very much like it wanted to be GTA with some more humor. Saint’s Row the Third took that idea and basically went completely over the top with it. Weather you liked the story and humor or not, the gameplay was fantastic, and it showed me that Saint’s Row had really broken off and found its own identity and was no longer a GTA clone. The controls were cleaned up, you had easy access to a variety of vehicles that were all customizable, your main character was completely customizable, your gang was customizable, your weapons were upgradable, and every element of your character could be upgraded to the point of almost becoming invincible. Upgrading made me want to do everything the game had to offer, where is I felt many side elements in the GTA games offered little to no reward.  Saint’s Row the Third is just a ton of fun to actually play, and that to me is the most important part.

 

Which brings me to Saint’s Row 4. The beginning of the game actually has a narrator that sort of explains the history of the Saint’s Row franchise, where it basically says they were once considered only wannabes but found their own identity. Regardless, Saint’s Row 4 is far different from 2 or 3, making it a sci-fi superhero game. I won’t go into too many details but what I will say that it still has that crazy fun factor of its predecessors. I don’t know yet if its game of the year, but it’s up there.

-Trevor