Saints Row 2 Review
- Posted October 26th, 2008 at 16:10 EDT by
- 26 Comments
Review Score
- PSU Review Score
- 8.0
- Avg. user review score:
- 7.1
Summary
Saints Row 2 isn’t Grand Theft Auto, but that's a good thing. With strong replayability and wacky mini-games, the game will remain relevant for months down the road.
We like
- Brilliant online co-op
- Excellent character customization
- Mini-games keep you coming back for more
We dislike
- Disappointing friendly AI
- Framerate hiccups and poor collision detection
- Random freezing problems
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
The original Saints Row was often looked at as a Grand Theft Auto rip-off. A lot of gamers displayed their distaste for the game's lack of originality and merely thought of it as the bridge to Grand Theft Auto IV. Little did they know that Saints Row would display the staying power and appeal that it did to warrant a sequel. Unlike Liberty City, the streets of Stilwater provide gamers with an over-the-top, open-world gangsterpalooza of mayhem that strays away from realism and instead offers up an entirely different style of gaming. Let's step into that crazy world and find out what it’s all about.
Imagine losing two years of your correctional life to a coma because of a yacht explosion. It would be devastating if it wasn’t a quick way to pass your jail sentence. A lot can change in that span of time and Stilwater is no exception. The streets have been taken over by new gangs and colors, but all of that can quickly change with the pull of a trigger. It’s time to regain consciousness, break out of this prison and get your crew back together. It’s time to take back Stilwater.
Following the steps of the first installment, users start the game off by creating their own custom protagonist. While this is one of the best parts Saints Row has to offer, it’s a slight disappointment to only have three male and female voices to choose from. Outside of that slight limitation, users are granted a plethora of options within every category imaginable, including full facial sculpting capabilities in order to make your gangster truly personalized. If you’re not quite happy with your original decision, don’t fret; Saints Row 2 offers plastic surgeons that can alter your appearance at any time. On top of that convenience, there are several different apparel options you can earn along the way, one of which includes Borat’s infamous swimsuit.
Now that your gangster is ready to start cappin’, it’s time to bust out of that confining prison lifestyle and free your long-time gangbanging friend Johnny Gat. From here on out, the two of you will do what’s necessary to rebuild those famed Saints, recruit new lieutenants and take back what’s rightfully yours -- Stilwater.
As you’d expect, breaking out of prison ends up being a lot of fun and a nice change of pace over the usual lackey jobs you’re stuck with at the start of open-world titles. Instead, the action is hot and heavy right from the get-go, sliding you to the edge of your seat as you mow down pursuing cops from a gun boat in your escape from the joint. Don’t expect to Taxi anybody around to get your footing, this is your city and it’s about time you remind people why.
The biggest draw of open-world titles is their pure, untempered freedom. Unlike Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row 2 doesn’t force you to unlock small sections of the map bit by bit. After you complete the first couple of missions, you have full exploration capabilities right out of the gate. This is both a positive and a negative; while you get to check out everything from the start, you don’t have any new territories or sections to look forward to.
The mini-games are what set Saints Row 2 apart from the competition. You can take part in a sex-based mini-game or try your hand at Septic Avenger (yes, that’s you read that correctly). My personal favorite is Trail Blazer. After donning a flame-retardant suit and mounting an ATV, your objective is to race through the streets of Stilwater while lighting pedestrians and vehicles on fire. This results in some beautiful explosions and crazy outcomes. For those fans of the original, you can still commit insurance fraud, go on helicopter assaults and take part in races. Again, mini-games are where Saints Row shines, not only because of the remarkable variety they pffer, but due to the simple entertainment value of each one.
Mini-games don’t only serve as side distractions though, as they’re also used to progress the main story. These games result in you gaining respect, and certain missions require a particular level of respect in order to ... (continued on next page)
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Comments
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marcindpol
- 1:45pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 4
have rented this game, was playing for 10 minutes, thats all
it deserves no more than 6, its one of the worst games i have ever played
do not recommend
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1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 2:44pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 7
i bought it and returned it the next day, i give it a 4! lol i said to the gamestop employye. "it sucked really bad, the graphics were so horrible i thought i was playing a ps2 game and there was no damage to vehicals. i'm getting little big planet instead tomorrow. don't buy saints row 2!! maybe saints row 3 will be better nbut, highly doubt it! when i was playing it, i wanted to pop in GTAIV instead.
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edward_moffet
- 3:32pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 10
hmm alot of the cons seem like they could be fixed with a patch
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Neo_Aeon666
- 7:16pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 13
Errr i dunno guyz. Seriously the fun factor of this game is 10 times better than gta. When i started this, i was like: EW god!!! now i praise GTA4 for its graphics compared to that crap.... BUT they are not so bad that it was going to stop me from playing. And Believe me the gameplay is WAY more fun than GTA4... Its like all the stuff GTA took out of their game (because they focused on graphics and on porting and on realism.... ) is now in Saints Row 2. Heck you don't have to play with a dirty ruffian comming from a dump. You can make your character ( OK the characters arent all that pretty and the girls have banana boobs) BUT you still feel more like ITS you playing and you have loads of fun!!!
Saints Row 2 went more for an Arcade//Fun direction. While GTA regressed in everything but graphics.... lol
So give this game more than 10 mins GOD I LOVE going around and beein on fire on an ATV making everything around ME GO BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
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Rafaelcbf12
- 8:28pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 16
Graphics are overrated. The most important thing in a game is game play, then story, and finally, graphics.
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Neo_Aeon666
- 9:40pm EDT - October 26th, 2008
- 18
I agree the first one was pretty crappy. But this game is great. Its a blast. Alot of fun customisation and a heck of a whole lot of minigames. Those of you who say the opposite just didnt play it more than 10mins or you just looked at other comments to make your opinion. Or you just didnt give it a try since its a gta rip off lol. But hey. Who cares if its a rip off... Sry but since GTA4... the GTA franchise died for me... That game was so lame. I felt like we regressed in terms of the number of things we could do since last gen. Like WTF i dont want a GTA girlfriend with some dood always calling me to date his freaking sister!!!! Id rather have a katana and leanr alot of fighting styles... enter fight clubs... do crazy races.... flight helicopters and planes with nice controls and a good targeting system for the missiles, and so much more.... Its like this : GTA4 took GTA3 downgraded the environement to focus on smaller stuff for great graphics and took out alot of elements AND added some annoying ones (like the freaking girlfriend crap and online dating... wtf) And saints row 2 just took off from GTA3 and made it more arcade with more features for more fun. OK the graphics dont compare and the story isnt serious BUT its so much MORE fun. Theres so much to do. Dont talk crap about this game without REALLY having played it. The only reason you could hate it is because ur a graphics maniac and cant play games that dont look the best they could on that system. But then you wouldnt like games like disgaea 3 or nice Jrpgs that are just so nice because the gameplay is lotsa fun. Just like this game but in another way lol. --_-- Neway if you enjoy killing stuff with blood and realism while keeping an arcade feel. This game is for you. Dont listen to all the talk trash. Rent it and see for yourself lol.
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sideshowrob
- 3:32am EDT - October 27th, 2008
- 20
I been playing this game non stop since it came out and haven't noticed any freezing or A.I. issues. But anyway if people would just stop drinking the kool aid and actually play the game, you'll probably prefer it over any other in the genre.
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