Lately I've been playing Saint's Row 2 for the 360. I was a bit hesitant to get into the Saint's Row series since it seemed like a cheap GTA rip-off. After playing through the game I'd say it definitely is a GTA rip-off, but they've gone in a much more whimsical (and juvenile) direction than GTA 4. Some of the activities (like Trail Blazing, Mayhem and Fuzz) are pretty fun in their own right, while others aren't much good aside from the benefits they offer. I found the difficulty a little odd (some of the bosses were much tougher than the final boss), especially given how tough some of the final GTA sequences have been (following the helicopter on the boat in GTA 4? Bah.). The checkpoint system is nice since it removes the frustration of having to repeat the easier parts of a major mission over and over if the final bit is tough.
