As many of the comments have proved over on this article, a decent chunk of players really love the newer 'balls-out' direction Saints Row has taken in the last few years, and although it might seem like a strange thing to say, GTA could stand to learn a few things from the franchise that once ripped it off wholesale. That key lesson goes under the name of 'fun', and it's something that's compiled from a combination of charm, good dialogue, relatable characters and overall intention to give you a positive experience. Now it seems Rockstar aren't in the business of making dour games; instead the nihilistic escapist fantasies of the GTA games are part and parcel of why people flock in their tens of thousands to the franchise itself. However - and we could be totally alone on this - there's something about GTA's IV and V that just made their progression something more of chore rather than the outright fun that we had with the last generation instalments. Missions were undertaken and completed for the sake of reaching the endgame, because at the heart of it are enough gameplay elements that when they occasionally line up can be spectacularly memorable - there's just not enough of them. Huge chunks of GTA are taken up by the negative aspects we've mentioned earlier in the article such as journeying across large expanses of the city for the sake of indulging in some character-based dialogue that - although it's necessary to the characters - could and should've taken place whilst we had something to do other than just press on ahead. That's not to mention the combat too which at this point in the series has seen the introduction of a cover system, and aside from the most basic 'powers' you could think of - slow motion, a rage mode and better driving - absolutely nothing else in the way of innovation. Almost every encounter in Saints Row, from combat to dialogue and even travelling across the city to get collectables, is immensely entertaining, and you come out the other end as the dust settles with a giant grin on your face. For whatever reason the combat and general approach to missions within GTA has become almost completely stale, with the overall notion when a mission wraps up just being "Okay then, onto the next one!" Which other games do you hope Rockstar take notice of for GTA VI? Do you want another like V, or a more serious sequel like IV? Let us know in the comments!
