Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 299 sampled Steam reviews (271 positive / 28 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing15% mention it
- Bugs & crashes7% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers7% mention it
- Music & audio4% mention it
- World & exploration4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing29% mention it
- Bugs & crashes25% mention it
- Combat18% mention it
- Performance18% mention it
- Progression & loot14% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
83%
54 reviews
5-15h
94%
64 reviews
15-40h
91%
90 reviews
40-100h
90%
68 reviews
100h+
100%
23 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 84 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 77 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 90 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 79 | 19 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 82 | 36 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 70,575 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 103 reviews sampled · 83 total reviews in window · weighted 68.6 up / 9.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (69)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 88
“Like Saints Row II, but bigger. The game concentrates on giving you fun, which helps mask some of the flaws. Saints Row: The Third may not have a huge improvement in terms of mechanics over its predecessors, but it is far more fun.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“It's a soothing respite from GTA's pompous self-seriousness and subtle social commentary, because it never takes itself seriously. Sarcasm aside, SRTT is remarkably adept at balancing Naked Gun-style zaniness with a joyriding celebration of gory headshots, radiant explosions, and consequence-free carjacking.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Saints Row: The Third doesn't play like recent THQ efforts have -- all bark and no bite -- but instead feels like a labor of love. It feels like the developers had fun, and they wanted you to feel it too. And I promise, you will.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Saints Row: The Third is a consistently thrilling and addictive streak through the sandbox genre's most popular avenues, even if it is as shallow as the 'GTL' lifestyle it strives to promote.”
read full review ↗ - 93
“An incredibly fun experience that fans of the series will have a blast with. The new diversions and ridiculousness like Professor Genki's stuff just appeals to the crowd. Never once will you take this game seriously, and you shouldn't, but when it grabs you it never lets go until you are simply done having fun. I was never frustrated at the game. If I failed a mission I simply went back in and did something more bizarre, which is the beauty of Saints Row. As long as you know that going in, you will have a blast. I can't recommend this game enough, though. It simply defines what it means to have fun playing games.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Volition has done an excellent job of giving you a place to play and toys to play with, so grab a partner, an SMG, and start making your own stories.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Despite its flaws, Saints Row: The Third succeeds because of its mandate to focus on fun. The story may not be epic and the graphics may not be mind blowing, but when all is said and done, Saints Row: The Third probably has more "holy sh*t!" moments than any other game currently on the market. Combine this with a twisted sense of humor, and you have a recipe for success.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Feels like a game whose designers have found the note-perfect tone for the series while also wielding their own talents with razor-sharp precision. It's the game Volition - a studio whose successes go back 15 years to the original Descent - was born to make.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Steelport is a glorious sandbox with fun around every corner and the well-written story and easy-to-use design make Saints Row 3 a fantastic package.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“There are traces of that excess here, but they arrive too late and change the formula too little to really make a meaningful difference. It's still a cynical slice of dirty fun, but the most damning aspect of Saints Row: The Third is that where the all-important lulz are concerned, there's precious little here that you couldn't already do in Saints Row 2.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Fantastic missions, outrageous weapons, and awesome vehicles make the open-world mayhem of Saints Row: The Third an absolute blast.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The game may not be a technical marvel nor does it masterfully tells a compelling story but as a fun action game, it excels. If you are looking for a fun diversion and are not easily offended, I highly recommend that you check out Saints Row: The Third.”
read full review ↗
The A.V. Club
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 57 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.