Poll: Saint's Row vs Grand Theft Auto

[YukaTakeuchiFan]

I'm a little torn on the issue- I do enjoy both series (I've actually played GTA since the very first game), but nowadays I'd have to say that Saints Row is the series for me.

I like the stories in the Grand Theft Auto games, but the problem for me is that they haven't really shook up the gameplay all that much in the past few games, and it feels like there's very little enjoyable to do in terms of actually playing the game once you've beaten it (no, I've NEVER enjoyed that "hidden package" crap, rewards or no, that is invalid). To me, that problem came to a head in GTA4- it just felt like there was a huge story/gameplay disconnect between Niko Bellic in the story and Niko Bellic, Sandboxing Jackass that made me feel like I wasn't doing something right (of course, taking away most of the silly or fun weapons and making most of the high-powered weapons prohibitively expensive didn't help my sandbox jackassery, either).

Maybe it's just because I'm enjoying lighthearted media a lot more these days and the huge push for REALISM!!! in games is starting to bore and annoy the hell out of me, but I enjoy the increasingly silly tone that Saints Row has been taking. The games make no mistake that Storyline You and Sandboxing Jackass You have little to no disconnection, so every insane thing, stupid stunt I do, or hideous outfit I force my poor avatar into never feels out of character or out of place. And oh are there a LOT of insane things, stupid stunts, and hideous outfits to subject yourself to. And if I ever get bored with the activities that the game lets me do for special perks (and I'm quite excited by the RPG-like perk system that's being used in the third game, by the way), I can always just fly a helicopter on top of a building and play a rousing game of "Can Pimps Fly?" with the throw button.

I just feel that GTA is starting to coast on its brand name (I'm quite baffled by how people got as excited as they did for a trailer that tells nothing about the game and close to nothing about the story), and I don't like how the last game in the series felt so much more restricting than San Andreas was. The Saints Row series has me covered in the "here's a city, go nuts" department these days, and I think that unless GTA5 goes back and has a good look at what made it a fun GAME, I may be waiting a while to pick it up.

 

[Zeckt]

Saints row by FAR! I played all the gta 3's and psp knock offs and I was really dissapointed by the seriousness of GTA4. It did not feel like a game, it felt like a movie. Mind you a movie where I don't care for the characters. Too much realism and seriousness in my game.

 

[])rStrangelove]

I don't see much of a point destroying traffic with a jet or beating up pedestrians that don't even fight back. The reason why SaintsRow fails is that every game needs some rules to master and play around with, and there are no rules, no consequences in SR.

If i choose to mess around in GTA, something happens and it usually takes about 5 minutes to shake off.

GTA wins.

 

[ColeusRattus]

I like me both of them sanboxes games!

Do get more in depth: I loved every GTA ever, including the old 2.5D ones, but I also very much liked Saints Row 2 (no xbox, so no part 1 for me).

And even though they share a similar core concept, I think they're different enough to warrant liking them both. GTA I see as a kind of satire on modern culture and media, while Saints row is more of a satire on games. It could also be summarised as GTA being more high-brow, while SR is more low brow, but that isn't meant as a measure of quality.

On a sidenote, I think the two franchises are developing in opposite directions, at least as of GTA IV / Saints Row: The Third:

GTA started off as a quite bonkers game that got more "serious" (yet still funny) with each new entry.

Saints row started on what I gather was GTA's San Andreas level of seriousness but got more bonkers afterwards.

So as it is now, with SR3 coming out in two weeks and GTA V's release not even yet announced, I don't see a point in chosing. You can simply buy SR3, play it through multiple times until GTA V launches and then get that.

But if both would appear around the same time, battling for the money in my wallet, it would truly be a tough call

 

[Squilookle]

GTA isn't even in the race anymore. It's now Saints Row vs Just Cause.

 

[Dogstile]

I like both games (SHOCK HORROR) and i'll end up getting both. They aren't the same game anymore. Vs threads are silly sometimes

 

[Togs]

Well the old point that gets raised is that GTAIV filled a new niche in the sandbox market- some players like a slice of realism and sim whislt other people like Just Cause and Saints Row.
If you were to ask around I bet the large majority likes one or the other- proof if any was needed that the games have very different audiences, making any comparisons pointless.

But for the record? Saints Row, no competition.

 

[JohnDoey]

GTA.I like Saint's Row but to me the GTA games are of much higher quality and have more interesting stories.

 

[babinro]

inFamous wins the sandbox wars in my opinion.

I've only ever played GTA games and don't care for them (with exception of the original overhead ones). I'd say Saint's Row is better in the hope that it's actually fun for more than 10 minute spurts.

 

[flamingjimmy]

I don't get the people who say that GTAIV isn't fun. It's loads of fun, its just different fun to Saints Row. I like both but I'd say I prefer GTA for sure.

 

[SpireOfFire]

saints row doesnt take itself so seriously and thus is more fun.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

This is as good as place as any to ask I guess.

How do you people live with the terrible controls in SR2? I recently bought it for my 360, figuring I'd see what the deal was. I quite playing after a minute in the first car. It felt like I was driving a shopping trolley. How is that not a deal breaker to anyone else?

Aside from that, I hope Rockstar craft another city I can inhabit. Because that's another problem with SR2: the city is dead. It's just robots walking around, compared to Liberty City.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Saint's Row. because you can beat people to death with a three foot long purple dildo.

Also featured in San Andreas.

 

[ColeusRattus]

How do you people live with the terrible controls in SR2? I recently bought it for my 360, figuring I'd see what the deal was. I quite playing after a minute in the first car. It felt like I was driving a shopping trolley. How is that not a deal breaker to anyone else?

That's actually my biggest gripe with saints row, and where GTA IV especially shines. But many people feel the other way, prefering the simpler SR driving model over the more realistic and complex GTA IV one.

Still, copmared to GTA, SR's driving plays a less important role, thus it is bearable.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Wasn't impressed by the GTA V trailer. GTA stopped being fun after the story turned to utter crap and they added all this realism so it felt exactly like real life.

Saints Row all the way.

 

[Crazy Zaul]

San Andreas is better than Saints Row, But Saints Row is better than the other GTA games. I thought San Andreas was unanimously agreed to be the best GTA game but then when the GTA 5 trailer came out everyone started sayin how much they like GTA 4.

 

[MercurySteam]

No poll, OP? Oh well.... I'll side with Saints Row. Shameless fun, but with a good story and great characters to match. I'm hoping that Saints Row the Third will be a sturdy contender for GotY.

 

[everythingbeeps]

Definitely Saints Row, particularly SR2.

SR1 was average, and I guess it held up with the best of GTA.

SR2 is still one of my favorite games ever.

And GTAIV was unbelievably dull and tedious. Mostly because of the constant babysitting, but I also hated the "realistic driving physics", if only because there were so many fucking chase missions. And yeah, I pretty much hated every character I met, including (especially) Nico.