Saints Row: The Third

One of my favorite games of any genre. Fun for fun's sake.

Pro-tip: Don't skip the satchel charge weapon. I have probably spent 20 hours finding new ways to use those sticky menaces—my favorite being sticking them to the elderly and tossing those grannies into traffic. Behold, the gran-ade!

This game is crazy, irreverent, and chaotic. It's so much fun. Especially love doing co-op with a friend!

For a game that loves its explosions there's a lot of missions where you fail because you made something explode.
A shame Saints Row 2 doesn't run well these days as it's a game I'd recommend over this one every day.

i like old games last in CC best

This game marks the franchise's full descent into madness. It's great mindless fun in a big open world. What's not to love about that?

THE best game in the franchise in my opinion. If you somehow cannot afford GTA, then this game is the BEST Cheaper Alternative

Ah, the perfect perfection of perfectness in its untouched glory. Awesome mix of unhinged absurd hilarity, dumb jokes, NSFW appendages to club your foes with and of course Genky's famous FUNTIME activity with exactly one winner. Uncensored, crazy, wonderfully optimized and about as good of a game as one could expect from that era. Getting some online achievements is impossible though and enabling in-game cheats completely borks any and all achievement progress but you know what?

It is FUN!!! With awesome soundtrack!! And Shaundi!

TL;DR: What are you waiting for? A special invitation?

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☑ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☐ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☑ 9
☐ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

i like driving in this game yeah. me and isa wanna work at leather and lace :3

Stupid, good, fun time. Graphics might not have aged very well, but if you can see past them this is a good and entertaining game.

This game is awesome because I can see boobjes

Last good footsteps in the series.

It is really not as good as I remember it being when I played it as a child, but it is still a fun game and I have good memories with it. But yeah it's a mid game.

This game is in every way a crude facsimile of its direct predecessors. A shallow, hollow experience that trades Saints Row 1 & 2's trademark contextual absurdity mixed with grounded, character-driven storytelling, for a deluge of cheap, unfunny, and dated pop culture references. This is all complemented by the game's complete and total mischaracterization of any returning characters who were deprived of the good fortune to have died in the second story mission of the game, its lackluster selection of gang leaders who more closely resemble C-tier comic book villains, and its utterly dull industrial city of a world map, totally deficient in interesting landmarks or unique explorable interiors. On top of all that, Volition really went for broke by removing the traditional story mission structure of SR1/2, and replacing them with glorified side activities, most of which are directly copy-pasted from Saints Row 2! And who can forget the new, improved engine that is somehow more buggy, clunky, and has more brain-dead AI than the SR1/2 engine could ever be accused of? Nobody that's ever actually played this game for more than an hour, that's who. Thank goodness for that engine upgrade though, because it really fits well with the horrendously boring, lazily designed, bullet-spongy combat. The video game equivalent of serving your dinner guests an exotic new recipe you've been perfecting on an expensive fancy plate, except the recipe consists of spider legs and fecal matter, and the plate is actually scraps of a cardboard box held together with duct tape.

Don't buy this game. Take the $10 and spend it on something more useful and fulfilling, such as Schedule I narcotics.

there is a big naked muscular man
10/10

Saints Row: The Third—where I traded my dignity for a tank, a nun costume, and a whole lot of mayhem.

it's pretty silly, but if you want an arcade-y crime sandbox to mess around in, it's fun.

If you can stomach old smelly graphics, Saints Row 2 is a more complete package and a better story.

this one's alright tho

ok love you bye

silly more fun version of GTA!

loved this game, been wanting to get saints row 2 to work but is quite complicated, though the general consensus is that the third game was also the downfall for saints row, and I can see why

it just crashes in the begging no matter the setting a xbox 360 can run this but a gaming pc cant great feel scam

this game is the best!!!!!!!!! i love it, it makes me cream!!!!!!!!!!!!!

played this when i was younger. still fun now as it was then

I LOVE this game ever since i was a kid and im an adult and still enjoy the game

Ngl I don't understand the hype of this game, got bored of it sooner than expected.

wonderful story and visuals

Still an absolute banger! £5.50 for the game and all DLCs? Now that's walking around money

I was missing playing the OG experience of Saint's Row 3.
Don't get me wrong, the Remaster version makes justice to the game and it is a LOT better in the graphic aspect for new generations, But going back to the old cartoony but "runable" version in my PC and reviving the moments when i first played in my PS3, it's a throw back to an Nostalgia factor.
Of course the game in he's pure state (or OG version) still has some of the bugs and glitches we know and buying for separately (without the DLC) doesn't offert you a discount in the rest of the content, but it's a shot to try if you don't have a Nasa's PC or just to retry it for memories.

Old and weird but still fun nowadays

very underrated game cant decide which is better between this and saints row 4

It's not as deep as SR2 but it's also not as shallow as SRIV.
Overall fun sandbox shooter thingy.

Kanye west music in the game only thing worth playing for

This entry into the Saints Row series is far from perfect, especially coming from someone who has played absolutely everything, DLCs included. The character writing could use some work in places (they did my girl Shaundi real dirty, turned her into a generic 2012 "tough token girl" stereotype instead of the much more interesting characterization she got from SR2), and the PC version of the game crashes semi-frequently (I tend to get 1 crash per 8~12hrs of gameplay). However, it's a great deal of fun to do up the character customization, run the challenges and achievement hunt, and the combat is pretty smooth and fun.

The most balanced Saints Row experience. A solid middle ground between the serious tone and somewhat tedious activity grind of SR2 and sheer fun insanity of SR4 and Gat. The only entry in the series which has both the iconic style of the Saints and GTA-like gameplay (as opposed to the superhero genre of SR4 where you don't even have to ride cars).

The best game to start exploring the Saints Row universe with.

WAY better than the shitty remake from what i heard....

Steam has problems counting how many hours I've played. I've played a LOT more than 12 (what it claims) because this game is hilarious and amazing. Characters are interesting and I found myself caring about the plot and completing everything I could. 2 might be the best in the series, but this was plenty entertaining.

Score: 0/5
Unplayable.

Extreme lag/stuttering every 3-10 seconds, even in main menu and settings menu, at the lowest graphics settings on a modern machine.

It's a very nice game for fans of GTA. In fact I would argue it has more content than GTA. It is also more 'silly', less realistic.
I think that for its price it's a game worth to try.


---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☑ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☑ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☑ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☑ 9
☐ 10

Randomly felt the need to pick this game up again a few weeks ago and I'm so glad I did. While it is a lot shorter than I remembered Saints Row 3 is still a damn fun time. The game does have a tendency to freeze up every now and then (at least on Steam Deck) though I never had any problems with crashing or mission breaking glitches (minus those damn vehicle theft missions). The gameplay is just as much of a blast as I remembered it being, with a huge collection of weapons and vehicles for you toy around with (especially so if you get the DLC which I highly recommend, the Genki stuff is incredible).

An extremely awesome and fun game, very replayable. 10/10

yes, i cheated at story mode. what you are gonna do abt it?

okay, so my goal when i make reviews is to make them totally unbiased, even if the game is a huge part of my childhood.

with that being said,
saints row: the third is one of the most outrageously fun open-world games ever made. it fully embraces chaos, humor, and player freedom in a way that few other games do. the story follows the 3rd street saints, a former street gang turned media empire, as they go to war with the syndicate, a powerful criminal organization that wants a cut of their success. the game is completely self-aware, throwing players into an absurd, action-packed narrative filled with hilarious dialogue, ridiculous scenarios, and some of the most unpredictable moments in gaming. from skydiving into a rival gang’s penthouse to fighting off military tanks in the streets of steelport, every mission feels unique and over-the-top.

one of the biggest strengths of saints row: the third is its insane level of customization. players can create absolutely any kind of protagonist they want, from a muscle-bound action hero to a walking fashion disaster in a hot dog costume. the sheer variety of options, including different voices (even a zombie growl), makes every playthrough feel personal. beyond character customization, the game allows players to modify their gang’s appearance, upgrade vehicles, and even deck out their headquarters in ridiculous ways. this freedom extends into gameplay as well, where players can choose how to approach missions, what weapons to use, and even whether to wreak havoc or take a slightly more strategic approach.

the gameplay itself is fast, fluid, and completely unhinged. the shooting mechanics feel great, and the game provides an arsenal of weapons that range from standard firearms to absurd choices like a giant purple dildo bat. the combat encourages creativity, rewarding players for taking down enemies in ridiculous ways. vehicles are just as diverse, with options ranging from sports cars and motorcycles to tanks and hover jets. the driving is smooth and arcade-like, making high-speed chases and stunt jumps incredibly fun. the game also features some of the most entertaining side activities ever put into an open-world game, including insurance fraud (where players throw themselves into traffic for cash), tank mayhem (where destruction is the goal), and professor genki’s super ethical reality climax (a twisted game show filled with deadly traps).

steelport, the game’s setting, is a vibrant and chaotic playground filled with rival gangs, absurd encounters, and endless opportunities for mayhem. while it may not be the most visually detailed open-world city compared to more recent games, it’s packed with personality. the city truly comes alive when the player starts causing destruction, with police, rival gangs, and even military forces responding to the escalating chaos. the presence of memorable characters adds to the experience, with fan favorites like johnny gat, kinzie kensington, and zimos (a pimp who speaks entirely in auto-tune) delivering hilarious dialogue and helping push the absurd narrative forward.

what really sets saints row: the third apart from other open-world games is its sheer dedication to fun. while many games focus on realism, this one throws realism out the window in favor of ridiculous, over-the-top action. every mission is designed to surprise the player, whether it’s a high-speed cyber heist, a wrestling match against a gang of masked luchadors, or an all-out war against futuristic assassins. the game also supports full co-op multiplayer, making the entire experience even more entertaining when played with a friend. pulling off insane stunts together, causing citywide destruction, or just messing around with the game’s ridiculous mechanics makes for some of the best co-op fun in gaming history.

even years after its original release, saints row: the third remains one of the most enjoyable open-world games ever made. the remastered edition brings improved visuals and performance, making it the best way to experience this classic. while some open-world games have come and gone, few have matched the sheer joy, humor, and insanity that this game offers. with its fantastic customization, explosive gameplay, hilarious writing, and unpredictable missions, saints row: the third is an absolute must-play for anyone looking for a game that prioritizes fun over everything else. it’s a masterpiece of open-world mayhem, and it still stands as one of the greatest sandbox games of all time.

Can't open the DX11 version and all my saves are gone also I can't create new ones because it keeps telling me that I don't have enough storage. Don't buy it.

it just shows a blank image making so i can play and does not let me refund

this game is amazing, my first hour playing this i loved it, the UI is pure eye candy, especially the NLM store 🙃
i understand why people might not like it as its been said many times, this is where saints row kinda fell off and died in a hole, but this game is fun, i really enjoyed playing this and 100 percenting it :) ofc theres the average jank to the game but i didnt need a patch for this to work nicely, i did experience a bug where the esc menu didnt appear or disappear which meant i had to restart my game, but that seemingly went away after some time! all in all, this game looks nice and is nice anddd, theres plenty of content especially with this one having achievements compared to SR2.

Go beat black Barbie doll looking creatures on the street with your massive rod on a stick in reminiscence of J Gatty

Look, I MUCH prefer Saints Row 2 to this one, but lets be real here, Saints Row 3 is pretty good still. Sure the city is lifeless, it feels odd, and there's no challenge in the game basically whatsoever, but it's still fine enough.

Rating: 8/10

Overview: Saints Row: The Third, developed by Volition, is a chaotic, over-the-top open-world action-adventure game that pushes the boundaries of the genre with its outlandish humor, absurd combat, and larger-than-life world. Released in 2011, it is the third installment in the Saints Row series, continuing the story of the Saints, a gang that has risen to the top of the criminal underworld and now runs the city of Steelport. The game is known for its wild, exaggerated gameplay and comedic tone, offering a stark contrast to the more serious, gritty nature of other open-world games, such as the Grand Theft Auto series.

Story: The story of Saints Row: The Third picks up after the events of Saints Row 2, with the Third Street Saints now a global brand. The gang has gone mainstream, and the members are living large as pop culture icons. However, when they try to pull off a heist in the city of Steelport, they encounter the Syndicate, a powerful criminal organization led by a group of eccentric and dangerous individuals.

The plot is a fun, ridiculous ride that involves heists, betrayals, and full-on warfare with the Syndicate. Throughout the game, players take on the role of the leader of the Saints as they battle for control of the city. The story is filled with absurdity, goofy characters, and over-the-top moments, making it a refreshing take on the open-world crime genre. It's more about embracing the chaos than presenting a serious narrative, and that’s part of its charm.

Gameplay: Saints Row: The Third delivers an action-packed, chaotic experience with a blend of exploration, combat, and customization. The game takes place in the city of Steelport, a sprawling open-world environment full of missions, side activities, and plenty of mayhem to indulge in.

The core of the gameplay is mission-based, with a mix of driving, shooting, and combat sequences. The game includes a variety of weapons, from traditional guns to absurd weapons like the "Octopus Cannon" and the "Penetrator," a giant dildo used as a melee weapon. The combat system is straightforward, allowing players to engage in intense firefights and beatdowns on foot or in vehicles.

The game encourages complete destruction, offering a range of activities that let players wreak havoc in the city. There are activities like vehicle theft, gang wars, and “Insurance Fraud” (where players throw themselves in front of cars to rack up money for injuries). These activities are both entertaining and serve to improve your abilities, providing an incentive to explore the world and have fun.

Customization is another key feature, as players can customize the protagonist’s appearance, clothing, and even vehicles. The game lets you change nearly every aspect of your character’s look, from their hairstyle to their wardrobe, allowing for a high level of personal expression.

The driving mechanics are fun and arcadey, with a variety of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, tanks, and even aircraft, adding to the variety of gameplay. The game also has a healthy amount of flying and driving missions, but they are often more about fun than precision.

The sheer amount of content in Saints Row: The Third is impressive. Between the main story missions, side activities, and challenges, there’s an abundance of things to do. The game allows for a lot of creative expression and experimentation, which is a big part of what makes it so enjoyable.

Graphics and Performance: For a game released in 2011, Saints Row: The Third holds up well in terms of visuals. The character models are detailed, and the city of Steelport is vibrant and full of life. The game has a distinct art style that complements its over-the-top tone, with exaggerated proportions and colorful environments that add to the fun.

The game’s performance is generally smooth, but some players may experience occasional issues with frame rate drops, especially in areas with a lot of explosions or chaos. However, on modern systems, the game should run well with little to no performance problems.

Audio Design: The audio design in Saints Row: The Third is just as outlandish as its visuals and gameplay. The game features a diverse soundtrack with a variety of music genres, including rock, hip-hop, and electronic. The radio stations in the cars provide a fun and immersive experience while driving around the city.

The voice acting is one of the game’s highlights. The protagonist’s humorous dialogue and the interactions with the supporting cast are hilarious and add to the game’s lighthearted nature. The villains, like the Syndicate members, are equally memorable with their exaggerated personalities and over-the-top performances.

Sound effects are also well done, with explosions, gunfire, and vehicular carnage filling the soundscape. The audio helps amplify the action and chaos, making every firefight and explosion feel satisfying.

Challenges: Saints Row: The Third is not particularly difficult, with the main challenge coming from the absurd and chaotic nature of the combat and the over-the-top missions. Some players may find the repetitive nature of certain side activities a bit tiring, but the variety in gameplay ensures that the experience remains fresh. The difficulty can be adjusted, making it accessible to a wide range of players.

Some players might also find that the lack of a deep or serious narrative weakens the experience. While the game is undoubtedly fun, the story can sometimes feel like an excuse for the chaos rather than a driving force. However, this is very much by design, as the focus is on the fun, not the seriousness.

Final Thoughts: Saints Row: The Third is a standout in the open-world action genre, offering a chaotic and entertaining experience that embraces fun and absurdity over realism and seriousness. Its mix of action, humor, and customization allows for hours of wild gameplay, whether you're following the main story or simply causing mayhem in the streets. The game’s exaggerated style, creative weapons, and humorous tone make it a joy to play, especially for those looking for a more lighthearted, action-packed experience.

Pros:

Highly entertaining and absurd gameplay
Tons of customization options for your character and vehicles
Fun and engaging combat with a variety of weapons
A large, open world with plenty of activities and side missions
Humorous story with memorable characters and villains
Fun, arcade-style driving mechanics
Cons:

Some repetitive side activities
Lack of a serious narrative may be off-putting for some
Occasional performance issues, especially in chaotic moments
Saints Row: The Third is an absolute blast for players who want an open-world game filled with over-the-top action, humor, and chaotic fun. It’s not a game that takes itself seriously, and that’s exactly what makes it so enjoyable. If you're looking for a wild ride with plenty of laughs, this is definitely a game worth picking up.

Good ole gem, had a lovely time with the homie. Feels like its gotten even buggier over the years.

Was fun on PS, and still fun to replay on Steam!

Game good. This version is barely playable in 2025 on a modern PC.