Although Grand Theft Auto IV failed to “wow” many long time fans of the series, some may think that the rival sandbox title Saints Row 2 instantly took the crown as the best criminal open world experience. Even leading up to Saints Row 2’s release I was preaching how they just might out do Grand Theft Auto and take the crown. However now that I got the chance to play Saints Row 2, I feel that anyone who thinks that Saints Row 2 did a better job than Grand Theft Auto 4 is just saying it because it’s a cliche thing to say. Grand Theft Auto IV to me remains the king of the open world sandbox genre and I will explain why I feel Saints Row 2 is no where near it’s level.

Graphics = Grand Theft Auto IV

The last generation Grand Theft Auto games kind of fell behind graphics wise, but Grand Theft Auto IV was absolutely stunning visually. On the other hand when I play Saints Row 2 I feel like i’m playing a cartoon, or something thats in between a 3d and a cell shaded art style.

Driving = Grand Theft Auto IV

Saints Row 2’s driving feels like a joke compared to Grand Theft Auto’s realistic driving mechanics. When I drive in Grand Theft Auto I feel like I need to drive with style. If I happen to mess up and cause a collision then every single crash, every hit feels remarkably legit.

Shooting = Grand Theft Auto IV

A shoot out in Saints Row 2 is a walk in the park, someone could literally be shooting me at point blank range with a shot gun yet I still live to tell the tail. Not to mention gunning everyone down is as easy as one two three. In Grand Theft Auto you have a cover system and the option to either lock on or free aim your targets, shoot outs feel realistic and in some cases you really feel like your time could be up courtesy of a goon wielding a shotgun whilst walking around that corner.

Law = Grand Theft Auto IV

Ok so even when the cops in Saints Row 2 do catch up to me (which hardly ever happens), why do I never get arrested? They seem more interested in tazing or beating the excrement out of me, in which case I can easily shoot them down and run to a next car. When you have heat in Grand Theft Auto IV, you KNOW the law is coming for your ass.

Side Activities = Saints Row 2

The one area Rockstar failed on producing for Grand Theft Auto, was giving us fun side activities to do while outside of missions. Taking your friends out gets annoying really quickly and once you complete the game theres nothing fun to do in the city besides killing. Saints Row has a whole list of side activities, some mindlessly exciting and some completely strange, but this is the one thing Saints Row 2 does really well as there is always something to take part in.

Multiplayer = Draw

Saints Row 2 includes Co-Op which is a fantastic edition to sandbox games. But what people don’t mention is that in certain Grand Theft Auto IV game modes like Bomb The Base and Deal Breaker, your required to work as a four man team, which is just like playing four player co-op as your given a mission to do.

Story = Grand Theft Auto IV

Saints Row 2 hold the stereotypical gang banging tone with its story, and although it is nice how it continued on from the last game, It fails to stand up against Grand Theft Auto IV’s dynamic stoy. This time Rockstar strayed away from the typical rags to riches tale and instead told a story about a forrigner coming to america seeking something more than just the American dream.

So there you have it, under these categories I feel that Grand Theft Auto IV is overall the better game. I struggled to see how many of my friends put Saints Row 2 on a higher scale than Grant Theft Auto IV when I feel that Grand Theft Auto 4 was a modern masterpiece. Many people thought Grand Theft Auto IV was a disapointment, but this is simply because people were expecting way too much. If you play Grand Theft Auto IV and take it for what it is then you’ll appreciate it more.

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