Like a fine wine never tasted, this game just is not appreciated the way it should be.
It makes me sad how quickly dismiss this game, they just compare it to GTA and that's that. Are you kidding me? I love GTA as well, but did people actually play this game? It's fantastic!
Graphics
Great graphics, everything is smooth and looks great. The models are very nice, deep details and there's some very nice damage that shows up on cars as they take a beating. Explosions are ...shockingly fantastic to see in this game.
Game play
Much like GTA, but more refined. Obviously GTA IV will change the market again, but for now Saints Row is as good as you can get. The hand to hand fighting is great, driving is fantastic in all the different type of cars and trucks, and shooting is equally good. My only gripe is there are no motorcycles, no boats, and no planes/choppers.
Honestly, this game plays better than any of the previous GTA games. The city feels busy and bustling, drug dealers dealing, hookers trying to some green, cops stopping offenders. It really does feel like there's more to the world than just you.
There are also solid physics in this game, which I can promise you add an entire new level of fun and engagement into the game. Flying down a stretch of road only to have some poor chap step in front of you and his body slam off the front of your car (which shows the damage by the way) is just fantastic. A lot of fun things can be done and seen with the system.
The game takes advantage of it too, there is even a mini game based around the physics.
The world itself is huge, and there are plenty of stores and buildings you can walk into and just hang out or buy stuff.
Sound
Fantastic! The guns all sound really nice, the cars are great, the screams from people.
Story
I personally thought it was a solid story. It has plenty of plot twists and interesting cut scenes, they did a good job of defining who each person is. The main story line is pretty simple, kill off gang X, Y and Z. But it's done in a manner that doesn't seem so repetitive. The characters in the game having personality may actually drive you to push harder against another gang as well.
Overall
A totally underrated game, this is better than San Andres. That's not open for discussion, it is an overall better and more enjoyable game.