Saints Row 2 Review
Saints Row 2 Review Saints Row, when it was released back in 2006, never really appealed to me as a game. I had heard that it was just trying to be GTA with a bit of gang killing thrown in. After playing Saints Row 2, my opinion somewhat changed. Saints Row 2 Review Saints Row, when it was released back in 2006, never really appealed to me as a game. I had heard that it was just trying to be GTA with a bit of gang killing thrown in. After playing Saints Row 2, my opinion somewhat changed.
Saints Row, when it was released back in 2006, never really appealed to me as a game. I had heard that it was just trying to be GTA with a bit of gang killing thrown in. After playing Saints Row 2, my opinion somewhat changed. This isn't a mere copy of the Grand Theft Auto series, it is a fantastic game in it's own rights with it's own unique style of play; and in fact, it could even be seen as better than Grand Theft Auto.You begin the game from where the last one left off. It's not really a spoiler, but in the end of the last one, you are seen getting blown up on a boat. In the beginning of the second game, you are in jail on an island. Awaking from a 20 year coma, you are introduced to the player editor. The idea behind this being, that you were “horribly morphed” from the boat explosion.
The editor itself is fantastic. If you think, Spore’s Creature Creator meets human, then you can picture this. It's truly outstanding. I mean, who would think that you can change 14 different things about your ears alone. As well as it being thoroughly extensive, it is absolutely hilarious. You can choose either a male or female character, but no matter which one you choose, they can still have the same traits. For example, you could have a male character with a woman's voice, or a female character that taunts her enemies by tea-bagging them! It's genius.
After you finish editing your either strangely masculine female or over feminine male, you get into the real game. The movement of your character is very easy to get hold of, and you are introduced to some other basic stuff early on. Weapon shooting and weapon changing is done very easily but can take some getting used to, especially if you are a GTA player.
Once you get off the island you were imprisoned on, your mission is to regroup your gang. Twenty years have gone by, and the city of Stilwater, has changed a bit. A company called Ultor have taken over the city and turned it into a modern metropolis. Their wish is to keep everything perfect, but there are of course gangs of people that want to ruin that peace. You are part of one of those gangs. After breaking out of jail, you meet up with a fellow gang member from the last game with a goal to rebuild your crew and re-take control over the city.
In the second game, there are now 4 gangs: 3rd Street Saints (your gang), Ronin (pimps), Brotherhood (tattoo freaks) and the Sons of Samedi (druggies). Each gang controls one part of the city. Your main goal is to take out each gang, one buy one. By doing so, you need to wipe them out in various different ways. Take the Sons of Samedi for example, they mainly specialise in importing, exporting, growing and selling drugs to anyone they can. Once you have wiped out their business, their members and their leaders, then they are eliminated.
One good thing about Saints Row 2 is that you can't just complete the game instantly. You have to take time exploring the city, completing various side missions and gaining enough reputation to continue playing along these main story lines. This idea that THQ have brought in, instantly adds hours to the game length, which is great for everyone that wants the best for their money.
Some of the side missions are ingenious, and then again, some aren’t. An example of a fantastic one, is Insurance Fraud. It makes the best and most out of a brilliant physics engine that the game has, by encouraging you to quite literally throw yourself in front of cars to claim compensation. After doing so for a certain period of time, adrenaline mode starts, where every time you hit a car, the physics engine overloads and sends you flying into the air, it's brilliant to watch, and to play. Other good examples are Mayhem; where you destroy everything you can in a certain time with unlimited ammo; and Septic Avenger, where you go around spraying everything you can with toxic waste. As I said though, there are some bad ones. Heli Assault is one, the idea is that you fly around, protecting your 'Homies' as they run certain errands. Sounds simple enough, and usually it is. The problem is, the helicopter flying is terrible. Saying it was unpredictable, would be an understatement. You could be flying, quite causally over your 'Homie', take a turn, and be flipped upside down in mid air. Once this has happened, there is no way of counter acting it; so you are quite simply, doomed to fail.
As I am on the subject of bad points, I may as well state the few others there are. On many occasions during some side missions, the AI can be very stupid. An example would be the AI attempting to turn the corner and repetitively ramming into a wall whilst I get shot to pieces in the passenger seat. The only other real gripe I have, is the lack of checkpoints. All too often during missions, I get a long way through, get killed, and start all the way back at the beginning of the mission. It can be a tad annoying sometimes but there is a simple solution for this; not to die.
Humour is something that works brilliantly with Saints Row 2. I found myself laughing out loud at a lot of the cut scenes during the game and various acts that take place during play. The voice acting is something that adds to the effect, which each and every character having a quirky impact throughout the entire game. Some crack jokes, some look funny and some are just plain wacky. I haven't enjoyed playing a game in such a way for a long time.
The game shows off a lot of cool features that make you think more often than not: “Oh, that's quite a cool little feature”. During the few loading screens there is in the game, instead of there being random artwork, you are presented with various screen shots of previous cut scenes you have viewed. As well as this, there are times in the game where you are destroying drug stashes. If you get to close to the drugs after they have been eliminated, there is a possibility you will get high, and the screen will turn into a frantic mass of waves and psychedelic colours.
Transport throughout the game, with the exception of helicopters, is very good indeed. It isn't realistic in the slightest, but it is defiantly a good feature. If you are in a car, and wish to go on a frenzied killing spree, you can press LB and switch on Cruise Control. This gives you the freedom of shooting at objects outside your car, without worrying about holding down the accelerator. Bikes are also very good to handle and planes aren't too bad either.
Achievements that can be unlocked throughout the game reflect how the makers of this game want you to play - thoroughly. You only get a couple achievements in the beginning, and a single one each time you successfully wipe out a gang. The rest are more specific in things such as completing each and every level of a side mission and doing special moves in free roaming. Of course there are secret ones too which I can only assume are for successfully tagging each and every specified spot around the city with your spray can, and collecting all the CD's you find around the city.
Co-operative mode is a great input into the game as it gives you a chance to run a around rampant with your friend sitting either next to your, or online somewhere across the world completing missions and destroying structures in endless ways. Although the single player is massive, it's always a lot better to have something like a co-op mode just to enhance the gameplay that little bit more.
Saints Row 2 is in a word, fantastic. In the games that I have played where free roaming and mindless killing have been involved, I haven't had more fun. It's fast paced, frantic action packed fun. It doesn't get boring, it doesn't get annoying and it's definitely one that will keep you playing for a very long time. Even if you haven’t played the first game, this is one that will surely keep you entertained visually and mentally.
Saints Row 2(Reviewed on Xbox 360)
Excellent. Look out for this one.
Saints Row, when it was released back in 2006, never really appealed to me as a game. I had heard that it was just trying to be GTA with a bit of gang killing thrown in. After playing Saints Row 2, my opinion somewhat changed.
| System: X360, PS3, PC | Review Rating Legend | |
| Dev: Volition | 1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid | 4.0 - 4.4 = Great |
| Pub: THQ | 2.0 - 2.4 = Poor | 4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy |
| Release: Oct. 14, 2008 | 2.5 - 2.9 = Average | 5.0 = The Best |
| Players: 1-2 | 3.0 - 3.4 = Fair | |
| ESRB Rating: Mature | 3.5 - 3.9 = Good | |
Saints Row 2 Ratings
As far as murder simulators go, GTA is king. However, it's not the only game town. Volition and THQ are looking to further cash in on GTA's success with the latest addition to the Saints Row franchise, Saints Row 2. We went ahead and took the Pepsi Challenge, but we weren't fooled by the competition's 'flava.' GTA is by far the more refined and worthwhile series, but Saints Row could work in a pinch.
Saints Row 2 (SR2) takes place a couple years after the original title. After going through an impressive character customization utility that allows for near-limitless possibilities, players wake up to find themselves in Stilwater prison's medical facility. Apparently, you survived the horrific burns you sustained in Saints Row and have awoken from a coma. While you were out, several new wannabe gangs, including The Brotherhood, Sons of Samedi, and The Ronin, have taken over your turf and have all but obliterated the Saints' control. What's more, these poser gangs have not been able to keep the Ultor Corporation from gentrifying your former stomping grounds. As such, you'll first have to escape your incarceration, save your closest homie Johnny Gat from a date with the electric chair, and then find a new crib as a base of operations in order to reestablish the Saints as the true power in Stilwater, which, other than terrorizing the city and going on a virtual killing spree, is the ultimate goal of SR2.
Saints Row 2 takes place in a massive open world; Stilwater has grown significantly since the series left off and Ultor Corp came to town. The multinational has pumped millions into infrastructure, and players will benefit from this greatly as they wreak havoc throughout the now refurbished city. This open world is not nearly as detailed as Liberty City, but the resemblance between the two sand boxes is strikingly similar; the city is chocked-full of shops, leisure opportunities, and places to commit crimes.
Thankfully, getting around Stilwater is made easy by a detailed overworld map and waypoint system that is reflected on the ever-present mini-map. Using the excellent mapping tools to their advantage, players can easily occupy their time with various Diversions and Activities that help garner respect and money in the game world and take up hours of time in the real world.
Saints Row 2 Review Gamespot
Cash and respect are vital to your success in the main story. Missions that advance the overarching plot won't become available to you until you accrue a sufficient amount of respect, and getting these jobs done effectively requires the right tools, i.e. cash. The best way to advance the story is to take out rival gang members and tool around town, participating in the multitude of Activities.
Activities are extremely varied and over-the-top in SR2. Unlike GTA, SR2 is meant to have a much more arcade-like feel to it. Truly, the experience is meant to be out of this world. Accordingly, side missions involve running drive-bys for drug dealers, dressing up as a cop and stopping crime for a reality TV show, defacing public property by spraying human excrement from a septic truck, throwing your body at oncoming traffic to collect on the insurance, and even murdering rival pimps and taking over their stable of 'hos.' Of course, there are also more mundane activities like participating in fight clubs, tagging the Saints logo around the city, taking on work as a celebrity bodyguard, and racing around town á la Burnout Paradise. All these activities, and several more, will net you the requisite amount of cash and respect to advance the main story, which is only slightly less tongue-in-cheek.
One of the biggest things this game has going for it is its online play. Players can hop online and play the entirety of the campaign with a co-op partner. Unfortunately, there is no local co-op support; the days of split-screen action seem to be numbered. But I digress. Players can also participate in up to 12-player multiplayer battles that are either kill or objective-based. Online multiplayer functions smoothly, and the mix of modes will definitely keep gamers' guns blazing.