8. Saints Row
Another example of a game that isn't exactly egregiously bad, and to its credit, has with its sequels managed to overcome its labelling as a GTA clone and actually make a name for itself in its own right. The series has indeed come a long way, and though the first game might seem like little more than a distant memory now, back at the time of release, it was pawned off by many as a meek GTA clone, trying to evoke the same daft thrills of the GTA games (before GTA IV arrived and got all serious). While Saints Row was relatively straight-forward and silly but not
that silly, its sequels actually managed to establish their own identity by become even more insane and ridiculous than the GTA series has ever been. You have to give Volition some credit; they've really turned things around and actually managed to carve out a niche that allows them to graduate beyond the criticism that the series is just a cheap and nasty GTA knock-off. It started that way, though, and there's not really a lot to the original Saints Row, but the other titles in the series offer a lot more in terms of humour and entertainment.