Saints Row 2 vs Saints Row: The Third
Which one is worth buying now, with today's prices and each game's recommendation.
Saints Row: The Third wins 10 of 14 head-to-head metrics. Saints Row 2 is $0.66 cheaper.
Metric by metric
The winner of each row gets a ✓. No row weighs more than another; the recommendation is calculated separately.
| Metric | Saints Row 2 | Saints Row: The Third |
|---|---|---|
| GameValio scoreRecommendation: Maybe × Worth It | 68 | 75 |
| Quality | 73 | 92 |
| Value | 79 | 77 |
| Popularity | 33 | 38 |
| Current Best Price (USD) | $1.34 | $2.00 |
| Steam Review Score | 75.3% positive | 95.5% positive |
| Average Concurrent Players (14 days) | 118 | 182 |
Where to buy
The 3 cheapest stores for each game
Side by side over time
Saints Row 2Saints Row: The Third
Details and requirements
| Item | Saints Row 2 | Saints Row: The Third |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | January 7, 2009 | November 14, 2011 |
| Developers | Volition | Volition |
| Publishers | Deep Silver | Deep Silver |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows | Linux, Windows |
| Supported OS (minimum) | Windows XP or Vista. | — |
| Processor (minimum) | 3.2 GHz Intel Dual-Core Pentium IV or equivalent or AMD Dual-Core Athlon XP or equivalent | Any Quad Core Processor (Intel® Core i5 or AMD Phenom™ II X4) or 3.0+ Dual Core CPU |
| Memory (minimum) | 2 GB system RAM | 4GB System RAM or more |
| Graphics (minimum) | 256MB 3D graphics card with Shader Model 3.0 support (i.e. 8800 NVidia card or better, ATI HD3850 card or better) | 1GB Video RAM GPU w/ Shader Model 4.0 support. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 400 series or better. ATI Radeon™ HD5000 series or better |
| DirectX Version (minimum) | DirectX 9.0c | — |
| Sound (minimum) | DirectX 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound card | 100% DirectX® 9.0C compliant sound card or equivalent onboard sound |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Saints Row 2 or Saints Row: The Third?
Saints Row: The Third won the comparison against Saints Row 2 based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.
How is the comparison calculated?
The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.
Is Saints Row 2 worth buying over Saints Row: The Third?
Based on the metrics, Saints Row: The Third won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.
Which game has better player reviews?
Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.
Which game offers better value for money?
The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Saints Row 2 currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.
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Analysis updated: Oct 24, 2026, 01:44 PM UTC