aints Row: The Third is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by
Volition and published by THQ. It is the sequel to 2008's Saints Row 2
and the third installment in the Saints Row series. It was released on
November 15, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360,
and May 10, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. The game's single-player story
follows the same unnamed player-created character from the first two
installment, who became the leader of the fictional 3rd Street Saints
gang. Five years after the events of Saints Row 2, the Saints have grown
into a media and consumer empire with their own brand, and find
themselves stranded in the fictional city of Steelport (based on New
York City), controlled by the international crime organization, the
Syndicate. While becoming caught in a war against the Syndicate, who are
trying to destroy their reputation, the Saints must also contend with
S.T.A.G., a violent paramilitary contracted with restoring order to
Steelport.

Development of Saints Row: The Third began in late 2008, shortly after
the release of Saints Row 2. There was high staff turnover from the
previous Saints Row team, with only one-fifth of the final 100-person
staff having worked on a previous title in the series. They aimed to
improve on the series by giving the game a coherent tone, and found it
in films such as Hot Fuzz and the game's signature sex toy bat. Saints
Row: The Third was built using a proprietary engine known as Core
Technology Group and the Havok physics engine.

The game received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised
its general zaniness and customization options. Criticism was aimed at
the new setting, which many critics felt was flat and underdeveloped
compared to Stilwater, and the lackluster humor. On the contrary, others
thought the game perfected the Saints Row formula. It was a nominee for
Best Narrative at the 2012 Game Developers Conference, an IGN Editor's
Choice, and a recipient of perfect scores from GamesRadar and G4. A
complete edition including the three downloadable content packs was
released in 2012, and its planned Enter the Dominatrix expansion became
the game's sequel, Saints Row IV, released in 2013. A remastered version
of Saints Row: The Third, titled Saints Row: The Third Remastered, was
released by Deep Silver on May 22, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One,
Microsoft Windows and on March 5, 2021 for Stadia, and on May 25, 2021
for Xbox Series X and S and PlayStation 5.