It's pretty much right. Originally Saints Row was like GTA but more fun and cranked up, and hten kept going down that route with a dramatic escalation to taking over corporations to cities to now countries. The best way to describe the series in SR2 was probably a few things like the 3 gangs where the boss goes brutal on them for something done.. it has its levity but it also has this dramatic note. People miss that. Then SR3 came out, and ity lost some of the gritty connection but at the same time ramped the 'hilariously awesome' up to 12. What other game involves an aerial skydiving combat.. in a tank? SR4 took it the only way left, with superpowers.
In turn, the GTA series was a lot more.. grounded? SR3 was fairly silly at times, but could be brutal. Vice City moreso, and then San Andreas took that and added a long story and massive area. I think it's the best of the games, myself, both with breadth of stuff to do and the perfect balanced tone. Then GTA4 came in and.. it dove head-first into the gritty brutal end of the games. I think it lost a LOT in the same way. It's almost like the two serieses tried to distinguish themselves from each other, the Saints Row series and the GTA series. GTA5 looks a lot the same as 4, but the three players bit looks interesting (like theystoleborrowed inspiration from other games out there including The Heist, which makes sense considering their story. It's not a bad thing, I figure if something works in a game feel free to use part of that and make it your own). At the same time they might have some levity back, as three characters is great to play off of.
The problem though isn't that anyone is 'butthurt' about anything, or we're being 'fanboys'. It's simple human social psychology. You like something, you identify with it, and in turn you identify with the group for it, and that introduces a heavy polarizing effect to those things that are similar, where you want to distinguish yourself. Thus you get console wars, where the two consoles are all but interchangable, and they fight each other, the third console which they both bash because they're compared to it, and PCs which all the console gamers bash because it's all gaming (I think PCs are better simply because they are superior by nature, but they do have a high pricepoint to reach that, and a lot of the games are quite bluntly the same as on consoles because of lazy ports). It's human nature, again, but you can extend your mental group to encompass a genre, hence people can like both games because they can identify themselves with the genre which both SR and GTA are part of.
One thing I have to say though is until R* allows modding again, Saints Row series takes the lead. The best game for modding in the GTA series is probably still San Andreas, the last one before they axed it, with the culmination being Multi Theft Auto which remains one of the biggest modding accomplishments I've seen to date. Saints Row however has a lot less of the quantity of mods, but in turn we now have official support, and devs who are not only listening but working to that regard. If Hot Coffee hadn't killed R*'s interest in modding I probably would be writing here how it's great Volition is taking a page from a similar dev and it can only help but make the genre better, but instead now I have to say that they picked up the torch R* threw aside and are carrying it proudly. Until then, two styles of the same rough genre (open worldy sandboxy driving/carjacking like game thing, a label vague enough to even cover something like that Lego City Undercover) can coexist just fine. You don't like one? That's fine. No one says you have to like both. That doesn't mean it's less a game, just a different type. I don't do GTA4, the style rubs me the wrong way, but I can understand its virtues (it captures a lot of the feel just right) and its failings (like taking the relationship mechanic from SA too far)
Phew. I intended a little quick blurb saying a "Neither is better, but human nature comes into play so just try not to feel too smug you can encompass both groups but thanks for doing it". Instead, essay. Oh well
In turn, the GTA series was a lot more.. grounded? SR3 was fairly silly at times, but could be brutal. Vice City moreso, and then San Andreas took that and added a long story and massive area. I think it's the best of the games, myself, both with breadth of stuff to do and the perfect balanced tone. Then GTA4 came in and.. it dove head-first into the gritty brutal end of the games. I think it lost a LOT in the same way. It's almost like the two serieses tried to distinguish themselves from each other, the Saints Row series and the GTA series. GTA5 looks a lot the same as 4, but the three players bit looks interesting (like they
The problem though isn't that anyone is 'butthurt' about anything, or we're being 'fanboys'. It's simple human social psychology. You like something, you identify with it, and in turn you identify with the group for it, and that introduces a heavy polarizing effect to those things that are similar, where you want to distinguish yourself. Thus you get console wars, where the two consoles are all but interchangable, and they fight each other, the third console which they both bash because they're compared to it, and PCs which all the console gamers bash because it's all gaming (I think PCs are better simply because they are superior by nature, but they do have a high pricepoint to reach that, and a lot of the games are quite bluntly the same as on consoles because of lazy ports). It's human nature, again, but you can extend your mental group to encompass a genre, hence people can like both games because they can identify themselves with the genre which both SR and GTA are part of.
One thing I have to say though is until R* allows modding again, Saints Row series takes the lead. The best game for modding in the GTA series is probably still San Andreas, the last one before they axed it, with the culmination being Multi Theft Auto which remains one of the biggest modding accomplishments I've seen to date. Saints Row however has a lot less of the quantity of mods, but in turn we now have official support, and devs who are not only listening but working to that regard. If Hot Coffee hadn't killed R*'s interest in modding I probably would be writing here how it's great Volition is taking a page from a similar dev and it can only help but make the genre better, but instead now I have to say that they picked up the torch R* threw aside and are carrying it proudly. Until then, two styles of the same rough genre (open worldy sandboxy driving/carjacking like game thing, a label vague enough to even cover something like that Lego City Undercover) can coexist just fine. You don't like one? That's fine. No one says you have to like both. That doesn't mean it's less a game, just a different type. I don't do GTA4, the style rubs me the wrong way, but I can understand its virtues (it captures a lot of the feel just right) and its failings (like taking the relationship mechanic from SA too far)
Phew. I intended a little quick blurb saying a "Neither is better, but human nature comes into play so just try not to feel too smug you can encompass both groups but thanks for doing it". Instead, essay. Oh well
