When does Saints Row: The Third get good?

Hooks you almost right away. In the first 2 hours 1 in 5 reviews are negative (19%); after 20h it's 1 in 45 (2%). Fully opens up by hour 15.

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Saints Row: The Third

Nov 14, 2011 Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive

Hooks you almost right away

Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Fully opens up by 15h rated like by long-time players

Started playing 90% of owners

Steam reviews 96% positive of 69,781

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 5 reviews are negative (19%); after 20h it's 1 in 45 (2%).
Fully opens up by hour 15.
The opening is criticised less than in 76% of games we track.
The biggest drop-off is between “The Welcome Wagon” (Complete 'I'm Free - Free Falling') and “Opulence, You Has It” (Complete 'Party Time'): from 97% to 70% of starters.
90% of owners got the first achievement.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 69,898 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 298 reviews: 19.2h for positive, 12.4h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (89.9% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Dead Presidents Complete 'When Good Heists...'. 100%
The Welcome Wagon Complete 'I'm Free - Free Falling'. 97% −3
Opulence, You Has It Complete 'Party Time'. Most players quit here 71% −27
We're Takin' Over Complete 'We've Only Just Begun'. 58% −12
Gotta Break Em In Complete 'The Ho Boat'. 43% −15
Titanic Effort Complete Act 2. 36% −7

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (83)

story milestone ending side

Dead Presidents Complete 'When Good Heists...'. 100%
The Welcome Wagon Complete 'I'm Free - Free Falling'. 97%
A Better Person Buy your first Upgrade from the Upgrade Store. 76%
Opulence, You Has It Complete 'Party Time'. 71%
We're Takin' Over Complete 'We've Only Just Begun'. 58%
Shake and Bake Complete your first Challenge. 55%
Gellin' Like Magellan Explore every hood in Steelport. 50%
Bo-Duke-En Hijack 50 vehicles - Dukes style. 45%
Go Into the Light Complete all instances of Guardian Angel. 44%
Gotta Break Em In Complete 'The Ho Boat'. 43%
Haters Gonna Hate Kill 1000 Gang Members. 42%
Ow My Balls! Do your first nutshot AND testicle assault. 41%
Tower Defense Complete Act 1 in one way. 39%
I Heart Nyte Blayde Complete 'STAG Party'. 38%
kill-deckers.exe Complete 'http://deckers.die'. 37%
Titanic Effort Complete Act 2. 36%
Once Bitten... Braaaaaaains Complete 'Zombie Attack'. 35%
Murderbrawl 31 Complete 'Murderbrawl XXXI'. 34%
Gangstas... In Space! Complete Act 3 in another way. 31%
Kuh, Boom. Complete Act 1 in another way. 29%
Public Enemy #1 Destroy 45 Police and Swat Vehicles while protecting Jimmy's car. 26%
Weird Science Complete mission 'Weird Science'. 25%
Getting the Goods Find 25% of all Collectibles. 22%
Eye of the Bee-Holder Spray 25 rabid fans with the Swarmitron. 22%
Sting Operation Destroy 5 Steelport Guard vehicles during mission 'Tour de Farce'. 21%
First Contact Destroy all enemy spacecraft during the chase scene. 21%
Tour de Farce Complete mission 'Tour de Farce'. 21%
Bromance in the Row Play SR3 Co-op for 5 hours. 21%
Pimped Out Pad Upgrade one Stronghold to its full glory. 21%
Xenaphobe Kill Space Brutina. 20%
My Pet, Monster Complete all missions for "The Trouble With Clones". 19%
Pew! Pew! Pew! Kill 35 Space Amazons with the Laser Pistol. 19%
I Do My Own Stunts Land on the Parachute Target during the rescue scene. 19%
Supaa-Excellent! Shoot down a helicopter with a Saints Flow fireball. 19%
The American Dream Customize 10 vehicles. 18%
Revenge of the Navigator Destroy 10 enemy spacecraft with the Aegean while filming. 18%
Who Loves Ya Baby Kill 50 brutes. 18%
Do a Barrel Roll! Perform all vehicle stunts with the Aegean. 18%
Tank You Very Much Complete all instances of Tank Mayhem. 18%
C-List Celebrity Complete all missions for Gangstas in Space. 18%
Too Close to the Son Complete Act 3 in one way. 17%
Storm the Yarn Destroy a mouse ATV during Sexy Kitten Yarngasm. 17%
Have A Reality Climax Complete all instances of Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax. 16%
Union Buster Kill 15 cameramen. 16%
Gender Equality Play for at least 2 hours as a male character AND 2 hours as a female character. 16%
Third and 30 Spend over 30 hours in Steelport. 15%
And Boom Goes the Dynamite Complete all instances of Heli Assault. 15%
The Johnnyguard Prevent Johnny Tag from taking damage on the Magarac Bridge. 15%
Tune In, Drop Off Complete all instances of Trafficking. 15%
Ouch. Complete all instances of Insurance Fraud. 15%
Fence Killa 2011 Complete all instances of Mayhem. 14%
Porkchop Sandwiches Complete all instances of Trail Blazing. 14%
Send in the Clones Kill a Brute using only melee damage while under the influence of Saints Flow. 14%
Your Backseat Smells Funny Complete all instances of Escort. 14%
Double Dose of Pimping Complete all instances of Snatch. 13%
Hanging With Mr. Pierce Complete all City Takeover gameplay in the Downtown district. 13%
Hack the Planet Complete all City Takeover gameplay in the Stanfield district. 13%
Mourning Stars Complete all City Takeover gameplay in the New Colvin district. 13%
Get Off My Back Destroy 5 chase vehicles (in a single instance of Super Ethical PR Opportunity). 12%
Flash the Pan Destroy all Gang Operations in Steelport. 12%
C-C-C-Combo Breaker Cause $150,000 worth of damage in a single Sexy Kitten Yarngasm combo. 11%
Warrior Princess Kill 7 Space Amazons with melee attacks. 11%
You're the Best... Complete all City Takeover gameplay in the Carver Island district. 11%
Murder in the Jungle Finish both instances of Apocalypse Genki. 11%
Bright Lights, Big City Complete all City Takeover gameplay in the entire city of Steelport. 10%
Jumped In Create and share a character online. 10%
Cowboy Up Fully upgrade one Weapon in each slot. 9.6%
Life of the Party Find 100% of all Collectibles. 8.6%
Lights! Camera! Action! Collect all 6 hidden clapboards. 8.6%
Stick the Landing Land on Magarac Island (in Sad Panda Skyblazing). 7.9%
Everything is Permitted Kill all of the hitman Assassination targets. 7.5%
Partners in Crime Beat all Missions in Co-op. 7.0%
Genki Bowl Champ Complete all activity instances in Genki Bowl VII. 6.7%
Stay Classy Steelport Kill 25 Gang Members each with 'the Penetrator' AND the Fart in a Jar. 6.0%
Flame On Fly through all of the rings (in a single instance of Sad Panda Skyblazing). 5.7%
Hi-Jack It Steal and deliver all Vehicle Theft targets. 5.3%
Love/Hate Relationship Taunt AND/OR Compliment 50 gang members. 5.1%
B.A.M.F. Hold Your Position at Technically Legal using only melee attacks. 4.4%
Feeding Time Throw 5 mascots into the water (in a single instance of Apocalypse Genki). 4.2%
Cooked To Perfection Roast 50 peds with the car’s flamethrower (in a single instance of Super Ethical PR Opportunity). 4.1%
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Kill all of the rooftop mascots (in a single instance of Sad Panda Skyblazing). 3.8%
Crew of Two Complete all instances of Activities in Co-op. 3.8%
You're My Hero! Complete ALL Challenges. 3.6%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.