Saints Row

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Aug 29, 2006
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 285 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 190 out of 285
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 285
  3. Negative: 30 out of 285
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  1. CalebHs
    Nov 10, 2008
    8
    No matter how awful the acts you commit in this game, no matter how many people you killed for no reason, no matter how many times you evade the police, the story line always maintains one central idea: Justice.
  2. tigger
    May 23, 2012
    9
    Brilliant classic Gangster-game. The graphics are good, the story is awesome and the gameplay is really cool. You can do so much funny missions or even free-roam around this city and build your Third Street Saints-gang. Explosions look and sound gorgeous and the controls are really smooth. I loved this game not just because of the mor believable story than GTAs but the gameplay, theBrilliant classic Gangster-game. The graphics are good, the story is awesome and the gameplay is really cool. You can do so much funny missions or even free-roam around this city and build your Third Street Saints-gang. Explosions look and sound gorgeous and the controls are really smooth. I loved this game not just because of the mor believable story than GTAs but the gameplay, the vehicles and the weapons are simply better. Great Game!… Expand
  3. Rahsmoove
    Sep 16, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Saint's Row really captures the 4 gang banging hood life in a weird way. The customization is totally spot on, and there are so many unforgettable charaters Johnny Gat, Lin, Julius, Troy, Dex, and Ben King. The activites are endless, and clothing is great. The gang AI was sort of spot on, and the shooting mechanics were awsome. The graphics were great for their time. The storyline was great, but for the most part I was forced to do strongholds. I mean before doing the final mission for the gangs (The Rollers, The Vice Kings, The Los Carnales) doing all those stronng holds felt boring The cons of it however were 2 things.

    The physics. The car's were very arcadish, and the falling feels like you have no weight.
    The Bugs. There were quite a few bugs in this one, but they were very annoying however.    … Expand
  4. BLAZETHEMCKIDD
    Nov 2, 2014
    10
    better than every saints row game this is the most fun and insanly entertaining criminal activity open world game ive ever played its my number 3 best game of all time
  5. BlueFalcon
    Nov 9, 2007
    10
    I hope gta4 is this much fun. At the moment this is the best game on the xbox 360 (yes better than gears of war, yes better than halo 3, and yes better than bioshock, oh and yes better than the orange box). To address some other comments i see... after 30+ hours of gameplay I haven't come across any noteable glitches. Calling this a gta clone doesn't do it justice. It improves I hope gta4 is this much fun. At the moment this is the best game on the xbox 360 (yes better than gears of war, yes better than halo 3, and yes better than bioshock, oh and yes better than the orange box). To address some other comments i see... after 30+ hours of gameplay I haven't come across any noteable glitches. Calling this a gta clone doesn't do it justice. It improves upon the sandbox formula in a lot of memorable ways.… Expand
  6. TheChaser1985
    Apr 1, 2011
    8
    I like the Saints Row story better than Grand Theft Auto's. I love that you can customize you character. The controls are decent and it shoots as good as GTA. The cars drive better than GTA as well, but that part still sucks. There's plenty of guns and liked the choices of cars. I really felt like I was a part of the story.
  7. hollowfication
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    I love this game this game i preordered this with dead rising when i got into this game i said **** i love it so much better then gta action many objective and side mission all awesome
  8. AidenW.
    Oct 3, 2006
    10
    This game is the best game ever it is even better than all of the GTA games put together.
  9. joes
    Apr 20, 2008
    10
    this game is so awsome it took some ideas from grantheft auto. but still they made sainnts row alot better than grand theft auto.
  10. HelloValium
    Aug 26, 2013
    8
    Saints Row 4 blows the Third directly out of the water. I can never go back to simply driving a car. It's a game that's easy to pick up and put down, or play for hours on end. The music is excellent, the story is fulfilling, and the powers are polished and execute in a very satisfying way. At the risk of sounding like Old Shaundi, this game is an expression of joy. It's impossible toSaints Row 4 blows the Third directly out of the water. I can never go back to simply driving a car. It's a game that's easy to pick up and put down, or play for hours on end. The music is excellent, the story is fulfilling, and the powers are polished and execute in a very satisfying way. At the risk of sounding like Old Shaundi, this game is an expression of joy. It's impossible to feel unhappy while leaping from rooftop to rooftop as a huge, balmy moon hangs lazily in the distance. This game is beautiful, and even though Saints Row 2 will always be my favorite and very dear to my heart, I don't regret this entry in the series one bit.… Expand
  11. ChrisW.
    Sep 3, 2006
    8
    I like this game much better that GTA. It feels like you have a lot more freedom that in the GTA games. The graphics look great in HD. Along with Oblivion, this is a must have 360 game.
  12. AldekJ.
    Jul 7, 2007
    8
    In some ways better then GTA; though, it does take a while to get in to the game. For $30 it
  13. CiaranG.
    Dec 8, 2006
    9
    Like many games, not perfect but definitely one of my favourite games on Xbox 360. I've been playing Saints Row for months and it is impossible to get bored of it. If you fancy a quick police chase (FBI, SWAT, helicopters etc...) or if you want to go shopping (gun shops, jewellery shops, clothes, plastic surgery, drugs and liquor shops, record stores, nightclubs, strip clubs etc.) Like many games, not perfect but definitely one of my favourite games on Xbox 360. I've been playing Saints Row for months and it is impossible to get bored of it. If you fancy a quick police chase (FBI, SWAT, helicopters etc...) or if you want to go shopping (gun shops, jewellery shops, clothes, plastic surgery, drugs and liquor shops, record stores, nightclubs, strip clubs etc.) You can shop in these places, or you can do some daylight robbery or break in at night) You can take people hostage, knock people down, beat people up, get help with your homies by phoning them or whatever. Activities include hijacking, escort, hitman, mayhem, racing etc. etc. There are 22 activities. You can also go to car showrooms, go the arena for destruction derbies and one of the best bits - pimping up or tuning vehichles. The options available when pimping up cars is like something out of Pimp my Ride, you can turn rusty bangers into flashy nitro machines.. or add hydraulics, interiors, alloy wheels, tinted windows, body modification etc. The story missions are great fun and exciting. The story is far more exciting and it stays like that right throughout the game. There are also 'strongholds', which are buildings or areas of land taken over by rival gang members, you can earn cash and respect by reclaiming the building. After reclaiming, you can use the building as a save point. Also, rival gangs can take over neighbourhoods and it is your job to reclaim them so as you're daily income from that particular neighbourhood returns. Neighbourhood takeovers are very satisfying, exciting and great fun. You can get your homies to ride in your car to help you through the gang war. This is all backed up by amazing graphics and superb physics and sound. However, their are graphical issues such as draw-rate issues like cars dissapearing in the distance on the motorway and occasionally something appearing out of nowhere, but other than that it looks fantastic. Environments are interactive, the day/light cycles are nice and there are nice details such as water effects etc. Character customization is great too. There are lots of items of clothing, tatoos and jewellry that you can play about with and wear. The range of vehichles in-game is amazing. Sports cars, cars, buses, trucks etc. The game doesn't have licensed cars, but you can see Enzo look-a-likes and BMW's etc. Character AI is also very good, radio stations have great music and is very funny.. The actual city itself is bigger than Vice City's huge city, but nowhere near as big as San Andreas.. but it's big enough if you just want to for a nice drive around and see the sights...Weapons are great fun and there's a big range, explosions and car damage is amazing and satisfying... Car damage is good , but don't expect Burnout-like crash damage. And of course online play - reasonably addictive and good fun. It's GTA - online! Only problem is that it takes AGES to get into a game... but once you're in it's absolutely brilliant! Overall, if you enjoyed GTA you'll absolutely LOVE this. I personally think that is by far better than San Andreas, Vice City and GTA3 (I've played them all).… Expand
  14. StiffE.
    Aug 30, 2006
    9
    I don't get why the magazine reviews are so low. Call it a clone if you want -- that might diminish its significance but that doesn't mean it's not fun. It is, in fact, at last AS fun as GTA. It's also less frustrating and, in many ways, deeper. Think GTA but with more time spent polishing the gameplay and less time spent coming up with Hollywood-calibre writing and I don't get why the magazine reviews are so low. Call it a clone if you want -- that might diminish its significance but that doesn't mean it's not fun. It is, in fact, at last AS fun as GTA. It's also less frustrating and, in many ways, deeper. Think GTA but with more time spent polishing the gameplay and less time spent coming up with Hollywood-calibre writing and characterization (mind you, the acting's not bad, just the writing) and you've pretty much got it. Definitely worth buying if you liked GTA but aren't, like, married to it....… Expand
  15. AtomHeart
    Aug 30, 2006
    9
    A very deep, fun game. For the first few minutes while roaming around one thinks "ah, it's just a gta clone" but then you go deeper and realize there IS JUST SO MUCH MORE TO DO! More activities, more locations...more fun stuff. Highly recommended.
  16. DerekS.
    Sep 1, 2006
    9
    Major improvement over GTA in almost every single category. Customizability is incredible. Multiplayer is flawless. You can't go wrong with this game if you're a GTA fan and boy does this ever give GTA4 a run for it's money. Unless Rockstar starts ripping Saints Row off as much as they ripped Rockstar off they don't have a chance of competing. Thank you, Saints Row Major improvement over GTA in almost every single category. Customizability is incredible. Multiplayer is flawless. You can't go wrong with this game if you're a GTA fan and boy does this ever give GTA4 a run for it's money. Unless Rockstar starts ripping Saints Row off as much as they ripped Rockstar off they don't have a chance of competing. Thank you, Saints Row team, for finally bringing us an urban chaos game without flaws!… Expand
  17. TheoG.
    Sep 22, 2006
    9
    Yes, it's a GTA clone, except with better everything (except size). So who cares if they copied the model? If you enjoyed GTA, you will love this game. Only those with some sort of misplaced loyalty to corporations will object to the obvious raid on intellectual property.
  18. DanL.
    Sep 26, 2006
    10
    This game is amazing its just like GTA which was brilliant. Its one of the best games out for the xbox 360 along side Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, the graphics in Saints Row are fantastic and also is the audio. Its just a brilliant game so buy it.
  19. KyleK.
    Sep 2, 2006
    10
    Absolutly the best game that has come to the 360. It is so fun and has good imaginative modes. It isnt a clone of GTA just because it has the same feature of open world environment. REALLY FUN.
  20. MrCotter
    Sep 3, 2006
    9
    Single player done surprisingly well. Graphics on par with next gen. Online has much potential
  21. JohnnyJ.
    Sep 3, 2006
    9
    At first i was a bit put off by the framerate while driving, but with the music off it becomes a lot smoother. When i got the bazooka cheat i spent hours just blowing up stuff and the best would have to be making train wrecks by blasting the leading train and having havok physics control there destiny. Overall a real blast.
  22. HansV.
    Sep 5, 2006
    9
    Even if this is a GTA clone, with a more dark and twisted touch than the "original", I've still had so much fun playin it. There's so much to do and see, and not like GTA San Andreas, where the game got boring after the first 20 hours of gametime, this game just continues to amaze me. The storyline of Saints Row is a bit meh, but otherwise it's pretty interesting, and you Even if this is a GTA clone, with a more dark and twisted touch than the "original", I've still had so much fun playin it. There's so much to do and see, and not like GTA San Andreas, where the game got boring after the first 20 hours of gametime, this game just continues to amaze me. The storyline of Saints Row is a bit meh, but otherwise it's pretty interesting, and you feel like you're a part of a bigger picture, instead of ruling the game world. And if you get bored with the single player storymode, there's allways the Live multiplayer, which is just a blast. I highly recommend this game. Even if it's so similar with GTA series, it still stands on it's on, and in many ways surpasses "the original". I think Volition have hit a homerun with this one.… Expand
  23. [Anonymous]
    Apr 23, 2007
    8
    I'm pretty sure everyone has already made the point clear that this game is a "GTA Clone". And I would agree, but I think this game is funner. Sure, Grnad Theft Auto is fun, and I like it better, but this game is just fun. Riding the sidewalks and watching the people fly is very satisfying, where on GTA the people have a set motion that they will go through, thats horrible and I'm pretty sure everyone has already made the point clear that this game is a "GTA Clone". And I would agree, but I think this game is funner. Sure, Grnad Theft Auto is fun, and I like it better, but this game is just fun. Riding the sidewalks and watching the people fly is very satisfying, where on GTA the people have a set motion that they will go through, thats horrible and stupid. Whehn you hit someone with a car they dont just flatten out and stay in the same positon. If you're going for Story then choose GTA. But if you want some fun go with Saints.… Expand
  24. Quaid
    Aug 29, 2006
    10
    You want innovation? well, you got it in this game. The on-line feature is a great addition where you can recruit and create your own gang. Now, that right there should tell you that this is not like any of the other titles. The other titles set the bar, but this game has taken it a step further. Excellent job!
  25. JordanK.
    Aug 30, 2006
    9
    This is a great game. Multiplayer is fun and addictive and the single player is ok but not as great as multiplayer. This will hold a lot of people over until GTA4, which will probably be better, but this is still a great game.
  26. DeeM.
    Sep 20, 2006
    9
    Its a gta ripp but it also has its own unique flavor to it. Graphics are gorgeous gameplay and controls are awsome! Replay value is high. Its not as big as San Andreas but decent. The online needs some work especially when it comes to lag but hopefully it can be fixed and we hope it makes new downladable maps.
  27. JonD.
    Sep 22, 2006
    8
    Yes it may be a rip off of GTA genre, but games have been doing that for generations. FPS/RTS/Football games ect are all clones and copies with slight differences. Saints row, improves in a lot of area's over GTA. First off guns and other weapons in aiming are allot lot easier as is the responsiveness of the character and driving. HDTV is a must for the high resolution explosions and Yes it may be a rip off of GTA genre, but games have been doing that for generations. FPS/RTS/Football games ect are all clones and copies with slight differences. Saints row, improves in a lot of area's over GTA. First off guns and other weapons in aiming are allot lot easier as is the responsiveness of the character and driving. HDTV is a must for the high resolution explosions and effects which just put the icing on the cake for this game. GTA is not available on either xbox 360 or any other HDTV console so this is a good replacement.… Expand
  28. Matt
    Sep 4, 2006
    8
    Without a doubt, the best GTA clone I have seen yet. Make no mistake, this is undisputably ripped right out of the same ilk as GTA, however, a lot of the gameplay mechanics in Saints Row actually improve upon the foundations created by the Grand Theft Auto series, especially the shooting element. With that in mind, my expectations for GTA4 have risen significantly. This game may not get Without a doubt, the best GTA clone I have seen yet. Make no mistake, this is undisputably ripped right out of the same ilk as GTA, however, a lot of the gameplay mechanics in Saints Row actually improve upon the foundations created by the Grand Theft Auto series, especially the shooting element. With that in mind, my expectations for GTA4 have risen significantly. This game may not get any points for originality but the ability to customize your own character and the refined gameplay makes Saints Row well worth looking into. Did I mention it was fun?… Expand
  29. MikeT
    May 10, 2007
    10
    amazing, sure lots of people call it a gta clone, and well, it is. But who cares? why should gta own the whole freeroaming game world? saints row completely beats gta in every aspect, graphics are fantastic, anyone who has played gta knows that theyre graphics have always sucked, and only now, for gta 4 are they redesigning them. as for gameplay, its waaaay more fun, punching and kickingamazing, sure lots of people call it a gta clone, and well, it is. But who cares? why should gta own the whole freeroaming game world? saints row completely beats gta in every aspect, graphics are fantastic, anyone who has played gta knows that theyre graphics have always sucked, and only now, for gta 4 are they redesigning them. as for gameplay, its waaaay more fun, punching and kicking has never been so fun (except for godhand, but that has nothing to do with this) because the graphics and physics are so good, the first time you kick out an old womans shins and her walker falls on her, you will be in love with this game. unlike gta the characters actually seem like real people, in gta they walked, responded if you attacked them and very rarely fought each other, but saints row is great, people will go get a newspaper from those machines and read it at a bustop or walk with it, cops eat donuts occacionally lol, people talk to each other, and the dialoge is hillarious (such as when you punch a black guy and he goes "AHH N*GGAS GONE CRAZY")

    ok sure gta has bikes motorcycles and planes, but the cars and car customizing in saints row is waay better. I could go on about why saints row wupps gtas A*S but I wont, so ill just break it down.

    you can hold up any place you want

    there is no auto target which makes it more fun than holding L1 and repeatedly shooting.

    the special homies are awsome, and you can call em up with your cell, and they all are unique helpfull and funny as hell

    it has an mp3 player!!! now go buy music and listen to a wide variety of music whenever you want!

    you can create your own character and make him as pimped out or as fugly as you want.

    the cheats are way more origional and fun/funny

    the characters are unforgettable, as you play through the game you will love the characters, esspecialy the saints

    No one buckles up theyre seatbelt!! yay! hit someone hard enough and you or them/or both will fly right out the windsheild yay!

    lots of kick a*s activities to do when your bored of the story, such as insurance fraud, or stealing hoes from pimps

    the online is fun as f*ck and has downloadable content!

    gangs are not dumba*s g*y peices of crap anymore!, remember how in gta you would pimp out a new car and on your way to your home, no more than a 30 second drive, you would get shot up and have your car nowhere near perfect condition, well in saints row, the police work like gangs, piss them off and theyle beat you up, pull out a gun, they pull out a gun etc. So now you have some security if you just wanna screw around in the city without any lame interuptions.

    the inventory is well organized and you can choose any weapon almost instantly, in addition to that, theyre also are different types of food to eat and restore health, and in a different category than weapons, so you wont accidently eat when you mean to bust out your shotty

    ok now for the 2 bad things, now bad only means not as good as it could be,
    ok the first problem is not as big a place as you would hope, its more the size of about 2 gta islands or so, but deal with it this game is great!

    the second problem is that somewhat of a lack of weapons, but come on! gta has tons of machine guns and ak's etc, can you really tell the difference? so this is a problem and a good thing at the same time, 4 pistols, all with different speed and power, 2 uzis one stronger than the other 2 rifles 1 sniper, 3 shotguns, 2 are similar but the other is a riot shotgun, 1 rpg, 3 thrown weapons, pipe bombs moltov coctails and grenades, all very different types of explosisions so great variety.

    so that last one wasnt really a negative for me, but for some they might think so

    I found it funny how many people complained abiout the story HAHA as if gta actually has a good story (its there but its no halo) and the same goes for saints row, so basically SSDD.

    i decided to buy this after i played the demo, the demo is about 1/50 the size with very limited to do, and i played it for hours, so obviously the real game blew me away.

    no co-op like gta san andreas, but pft the gta one sucked so much theyre was no point anyway,.

    lets see what else... Oh the clothes, the clothes tattoos,the whole customizing idea is fantastic.

    10/10 no question, the best....ok maybe second best 360 game (dead rising is about on par with it)    … Expand
  30. julz
    Jul 25, 2007
    8
    Not as good as gta of course but still very very fun, if your not a game snob and just like to enjoy it's very fun, gameplay is more smoother and funner, gang wars are a blast and ur gangsters actually can fight if you lookin for some fun this game is right for you,
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Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2006
9
#9 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2006
14
#14 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 74 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 74
  3. Negative: 1 out of 74
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    80
    Solid - but lacks the intelligence of "GTA"... Without a doubt, Saints Row's biggest contribution to the genre is multiplayer. This also happens to be the most fun part of the game. [Sept 2006, p.8]
  2. Official Xbox Magazine
    80
    Though it might sound like a backhanded compliment, Saint's Row manages to climb atop the huge pile of GTA wannabes as the most well-excuted and enjoyable of the bunch. [Oct. 2006, p.71]
  3. Game Informer
    88
    The one area where Saints Row really goes outside of anything that "GTA" has to offer is through its amazingly diverse and highly enthralling online. [Sept. 2006, p.95]
See all critic reviews »