A complete edition including the three downloadable content packs was released a year after the original release, and its planned Enter the Dominatrix expansion became the game's sequel, Saints Row IV. 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. Critics thought the setting was insipid and that its humor occasionally fell flat, and others thought the game perfected the Saints Row formula.
Saints Row: The Third was built using a proprietary engine known as Core Technology Group and the Havok physics engine.The game received positive reviews, with reviewers noted its general zaniness and praised its customization options.
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.
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.
