I was suprised at this game; its excellent!
I expected it to be a two bit knock off of GTA
But while it clones the original formula of GTA it has a lot of its own original gameplay and story. The physics were bizarre but in a good way. The story felt as if it was going no where and then it skyrocketed. Here are 4 good things about this game:
#1: Character Customisation
I played GTAIV and all I wanted to do was dress Niko up in some 1930's mob suit. There were only a few suits to buy in that game. I am not saying GTAIV is bad in any ways, only that Niko is not as customisable as CJ in San Andreas. In Saints Row you have an almost limitless amount of customisation: Race, hair, eyes, facial features, a huge amount of clothing; you really can get attached to your character
#2: Combat
There is no cover system. When i first heard this i was cynical about the game. But Saints Row is not about realism. The combat is still exciting when you have to run and gun. And if you desperately need cover you can just duck behind a car or something but i garuntee you wont be after the first few firefights.
#3: Physics
Again, this game does not pride itself on its realism. When you run over someone they will fly into the air, spinning. The best use of this ragdoll physics is a minigame in which you jump in front of cars and get money on how hurt you get.
#4: Story
After the first couple of missions I thought it would just be a mindless gang war. But halfway into the game the missions start getting really interesting. You can really appreciate the story if you play Saints Row 2 and then the first again.
I got a message about how i cant review games when i reviewed fable 2. Maybe you should compare Saints Row and then Fable 2 and see what difference there is