I thought tomorrow was supposed to be launch day, but apparently not. I was in Wal-mart earlier and there were hordes of copies behind the glass. I guess everybody else thought tomorrow was launch day as well...

Just so you guys know, the new Johnny Gat missions for Saint's Row 4 are out today, the pack is named GAT V.

Just like GTA, you can't buy GAT on PC either, they made it free today and tomorrow.

So any of you played both? Which is better? I'm really rooting for Saints Row, because Saints Row has the heart and the sense of humor, but the fact that they recycled so much content from SRIII, measured up against the apparent massive size of GTAV, has me worried.

I spontaneously bought a copy this morning before rushing to work, so my GTA V is, as of now, still sealed. But a random drop of $ 64.99 carries some expectations. I did one quick browse of Metacritic's sloppy blowjob blurbs and drove to Wal-mart. I spent 20 minutes in the barren electronics department as I waited for someone to open the glass. I had nothing on me to tell the time. I could have been late for work.

This game better be fucking good.

As for Saints Row IV, maybe later, but I'll pass for now. SR III was the first game where I unlocked almost all of the achievements, but after I put over 100 hours on the clock it stopped being fun. I hope GTA V is a refreshing throwback to that gritty/stupid fun blend.

SR III was my first Saint's Row game, so it kind of didn't make much sense starting in, though I knew it was supposed to be over-the-top and ludicrous.

I played CTA IV on the XBox, so comparing the two, I'd say SR III was more fun overall, though I liked GTA's setting better. Ironically, SR III had me pretty much blowing through the story arc, whereas I hated having to deal with GTA's plot (and Cousin Roman) every five seconds.

I'll also say this: These sandbox games would be a lot more fun for me if they didn't have the fucking console memory limitations along for the ride. "Let's see, I'll just park my awesome-mobile over here to go into this building, I'll come out annnnnnd... it's gone. Great."

Are you guys fucking kidding me? Saints row is completely obsolete now.

I stood in line for GTA 5. I _NEVER_ stand in line or pre-order games. EVER. This was worth the bullshit cake and juice and a DJ act they tried to make us sit through while their PR guy manufactures facebook pictures for their stupid fucking social media thing.

GTA5 made me almost pee my pants laughing. Saints row will never catch up.

I've beat Saints 4, and just Started GTA V, but from what I've seen, I can honestly say they're different enough that they aren't really direct competition. I just thought the shots Saints took were pretty funny.

GTA definitely has the stronger narrative. There's some characters in this game, especially Trevor (he just pisses me off the way he doesn't take care of his own, even the saints boss isn't THAT much of a sociopath) and Michael's family, that I just plain dislike. It's clear from the beginning though, I'm not supposed to like them at all, so kudos to Rockstar on that front. Saints Row Clearly doesn't give two shits about telling a story that leaves any kind of impact. It's all about how much fun it can have and how many bad jokes it can tell along the way. It's easier to jump in and out of, not being taken seriously is as much a boon as it is a bane in Saint's case.

Grand Theft Auto V has certainly learned from IV's mistakes. The controls are tighter, especially when driving, mission check pointing actually exists now, time-specific missions now trigger a quick jump to the correct time when you start them instead of asking you to stand around doing nothing for 10 minutes until you can start, rampages are back, and most importantly, the missions are a LOT more fun. You'll have a plane within 6 hours if you're not spending too much time on diversions. There aren't 4 missions of driving tutorials with additional missions just to teach you about haircuts, the game starts strong and so far, hasn't let up. In all honesty, I still think some of the controls could be a little tighter. There's been a time or when I was trying to take cover behind one of two objects, and my character put his back against the wrong wall, or got stuck trying to jump over something (in the game's defense, I do have a tenancy to try and climb everything, so getting myself stuck here or there isn't any real surprise, and getting unstuck was always easy enough.), or jacked the wrong car when two were close together.

Both games are fun, so I guess which one really depends on the kind of entertainment you're looking for. Saints Row is wacky, fun, and fast paced, it starts with pulling apart a Nuke and swan diving into the whitehouse to become president, and really doesn't slow down from that momentum until the credits roll, 30 hours later. It's a goofy story featuring self proclaimed 'pluckish rogues' that use superpowers to punch aliens in the balls at 100mph while rocking out to the 80s (at least if you're like me). With the exception of Zinyak, who even gets in a few good lines himself, there's probably not a single character in SR4 you're going to dislike, they're all good for a laugh and make the game more fun.

GTA, on the other hand, is definitely more bang for you buck. I haven't beaten it yet, I'm roughly 10 hours in, but I don't see it ending in 30 like SR4. Fuck, I still haven't seen more than a 10th of it's huge fucking map, and that's not an exaggeration. Steelport is tiny in comparison to San Andreas. The game starts with smaller beginnings, and has a definite build. There's an actual story going on, with characters you're going to both like and hate. Franklin is easily the most relatable for me, while I've been secretly hoping that maybe Trevor will get killed off and replaced before the game ends. I've still got a lot of GTA to go, though, maybe he becomes more likable as the game goes on. GTA's missions are definitely more realistic than Saints', but that doesn't mean they're less fun. Realism was never what made GTA 4 boring for me, it was the lack of anything to do other than cover shooting and safe driving. V fixes that in a big way.

Lastly, a note on graphics. I got the PS3 version, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting a little more. From all the screens I saw, I was expecting something else from playing the game. There are times when things look just a little off I guess, I can't really even explain it for myself. I think it's probably just that the current hardware generation is showing it's age.

tl dr; Both games are good, and both are different enough to not truly be direct competition. Really, I'd recommenced both if you can afford them, but if you only want one, and you're in the mood fort something wacky and fast and fun that doesn't make you think too hard, Saints Row is the way to go. If you want something that's likely to make you feel for it's characters, suck you in with it's story and keep you there for hours with it's incredibly fun heists, GTA is the game for you.

Also, it's noteworthy to mention that GTA, being a console game, is not going to drop in price any time before next year, not with Christmas a few months off. Saints Row 4, on the other hand, is almost guaranteed to be part of one of the Steam Sales we'll see before the year's end. You best bet may be to go ahead and get GTA, and wait on Saint's until the Christmas Steam Sale.

your tl;dr was tl;dr

I thought this was real, too. Poe's Law is in effect here on PoeTV.

That beer helmet had better be real...

Damn. I was hoping for Grand Theft Auto V: The Sims.

When Nelson is a companion it adds a 15% bonus to your girlfriend progress meter.

Finding all the nickels in the swamp unlocks three extra channels.

If you wear the beer helmet for three hours you get an Achievement and a new bro's phone number.

If you hit too many cars you will be texted a warning from the San Andreas DMV. Hit too many more and your driving privileges are revoked until you pay a fine and get at least five gold stars in Driving School.

Occasionally you will be prompted to pull over and change tires for stranded motorists. Complete nine of these (they get increasingly harder) and you get a hat!

I would also really like it if you could stop and exchange insurance information. Maybe not with that whole type-in-the-name interface, that's just way too anal, but giving us the option to play it clean would be neat!

I used to roleplay situations like that! I'd ram into a car back in Los Santos, and then I'd pull over, stop, get out, and just stand there next to the other car for thirty seconds or so. My friend would ask me what I was doing, and I'd say, oh, I'm exchanging insurance information! I would also give CJ reasonable clothes, and sometimes I'd pretend he was a middle aged accountant going to work, and I'd have to drive a modestly priced car and obey all traffic laws, like speed limits, signaling, and traffic lights.

It sounds weird at first, but believe me, it's a really fun way to play.

I once played a GTA game where I tried to obey all the traffic signals.

I was immediately carjacked. I never tried it again.

I know what you mean! In GTA, as in life, carjackers are magically attracted to cars idling at red lights.

I liked it, though. Getting carjacked while obeying the law is one of those unscripted Zen moments. You never really stop to think about what a huge jerk you can be in GTA. You never take a moment to ponder what it must be like for those poor citizens, going about their daily lives in peace, then BAM they get run over by a tank or shot in the testicles with a sniper rifle. You never think about that sort of stuff, until it happens to you.

I'll let you know when they ACTUALLY LAUNCH THE ONLINE PORTION OF THE GAME (right now it's an empty menu).


PS I'm still grieving the loss of Johnny. Wow, I really wanted to like Trevor, and now he's my least favorite character. It's all about Franklin, now.