Saints Row 2

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Saints Row 2
"Saints Row 2" box art
Developer(s)	Volition, Inc.
Publisher(s)	THQ
Designer(s)	Scott Philips James Tsai[1]
Series	Saints Row
Engine	Havok[2] Custom
Native resolution	640p (PS3) 720p (360)[3]
Version	1.30 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)[4]
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows,[5] PlayStation 3,[6] Xbox 360
Release date(s)	October 2008 PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 NA October 14, 2008 AUS October 16, 2008 EU October 17, 2008 JP December 4, 2008 [7] Microsoft Windows[8] NA January 6, 2009 EU January 23, 2009 AUS February 5, 2009
Genre(s)	Sandbox, third-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer, co-operative play
Rating(s)	BBFC: 18 ESRB: M[9] OFLC: MA15+[10] PEGI: 18+
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL, download by Steam
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse; Gamepad

Saints Row 2 (abbreviated to SR2) is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It is the second title in the Saints Row series. The game was preceded by Saints Row and a sequel to the game has been rumoured.^[11] Saints Row 2 was released in North America on October 14, in Australia on October 16 and in Europe on October 17 in 2008, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC version of the game was released in North America on January 6, in Europe on January 23 and in Australia on February 5, in 2009.^[8] A smaller variant of the game has also been published for mobile phones.^[12] Three downloadable content packs have been released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems; the first, Ultor Exposed, was released on April 23, 2009,^[13] the second, Corporate Warfare, was released on May 28, 2009,^[14] and the third, The Unkut Pack, was released on June 11, 2009.^[15]

The game follows the unnamed protagonist — referred to as male in this article — who leads a fictional street gang known as the 3rd Street Saints,^[16] to whom he followed in Saints Row until he was betrayed and landed in a trauma-induced coma after a staged yacht explosion. After escaping from prison five years later and bringing the Saints to power again,^[17] the protagonist takes on the gangs who now control the city Stilwater on a quest to bring it to the Saints' power, who had controlled it in Saints Row. The game is composed of elements from third-person shooters and driving games in open world gameplay. The main game can be played through in single-player or through online co-operative play.^[18] The game also contains competitive multiplayer modes.^[19]

Since its release, Saints Row 2 has been generally praised by critics and fans alike and has received generally positive reviews. The game went on to gain numerous awards, including best freeplay game of 2008 by IGN and was given several mentions as one of the best games of 2008. However, there are common complaints of bugs and glitches and the PC port for the game was criticized for its poor performance. Also, the game has been known to freeze in some instances for all three ports of the game. As of January 2009, Saints Row 2 has had more than 2.6 million units shipped for all three ports.^[20]

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Customization 1.2 Combat and response 1.3 Respect system 1.4 Multiplayer 2 Synopsis 2.1 Plot 2.2 Setting 2.3 Characters 3 Soundtrack 4 Production 4.1 Development 4.2 History 4.3 Release editions 4.4 Promotion 4.5 Windows version 4.6 Downloadable content 5 Reception 5.1 Critical reception 5.2 Controversies 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Saints Row 2 has gameplay structured similarly to its predecessor Saints Row. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming, climbing and jumping, as well as utilizing weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat.^[21][10] The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. After the player completes a tutorial mission the entire environment can be fully explored. Although storyline missions are necessary for game progression, players can complete them at their own leisure, after filling up a bar full of respect, in-game currency which is used for missions.^[22] Should the player fail a mission, the option of instantly retrying the mission is available and numerous checkpoints throughout each mission save the player's progress. In addition, the player can replay missions from any of the in-game safehouses. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam and explore the environment, spend money on various shops and participate in mini-games called activities which earn the player more money and respect.^[23] However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities and rival gangs.^[24] The player can employ street members of the Saints gang and a mobile phone can be used to call contacts and businesses, and input cheat codes.^[25]

Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles many of which are recycled versions from Saints Row, but new vehicle types have been introduced in the game. These include boats and jet-skis,^[26] helicopters,^[27] fixed-wing aircraft,^[28] motorcycles,^[24] and numerous other inclusions.^[29] A cruise control system has been introduced on land and sea-based vehicles, which has been stated to make drive-bys and car chases much easier. While the player is swimming, the option of instantly warping back to shore is available.^[28] Waypoints can be placed on destinations on the map, leaving a green trail on the map between the player and the destination and the player can hail a taxi cab which will take them to most destinations without having to manually drive.

[edit] Customization

In-game customization allows for in-depth character modelling. An expansion on Saints Row's character customization, Saints Row 2 allows for numerous new character modifications. These include the option of playing as male or female,^[30] changing ethnicity,^[16] body shape and age,^[30] and choosing from voice,^[31] movement and combat styles,^[25] taunts and compliments and more.^[29] In addition, new clothing and accessories are available for purchase.^[32] Clothes items, piercings, tattoos and more can be bought, then worn and coloured in different fashions.^[27] The player can buy and save outfits at their crib and reload for later use. The player also has the ability to customize land-based vehicles, after being taken to one of many garages located across the city. Here, the player can equip numerous performance modifiers like hydraulics, nitrous oxide and tire upgrades, but can also add body mods and paint schemes.

The player can also buy and unlock a numerous amount of in-game cribs. Cribs allow the player to withdraw daily earning, change clothes, replay missions and more.^[16] The overall style of the cribs can be changed and in addition the player can apply and change various items like televisions and mini-bars.^[29] Additionally, two docks can be bought to store boats, as well as an airport hangar which is used to store fixed-wing aircraft. The player can also modify street members of the 3rd Street Saints gang. Gang "styles" affect the outfits worn by gang members, and the gang "sign" and "tag" can be changed.^[33] The player may also select from a list which vehicles the gang members drive and this will serve as the main method of transportation for members of the gang.^[33]

[edit] Combat and response

Combat in Saints Row 2 is based upon the original Saints Row, but contains a more varied array of features and weapons, although the basics of hand-to-hand combat and 360-degree free aim weapon firing are still the same.^[21] With melee-based combat, the player can perform combos,^[32] charge up attacks and execute a finishing move if three consecutive hits are dealt.^[25] With a gun equipped, the player can perform a groin attack. A fine aim camera has also been introduced. ^[31] The player can also employ the use of human shields,^[25] and can use makeshift weapons pulled from the environment e.g. fire hydrants, cement blocks.^[16]

The player is capable of firing over forty different weapons, about half of which have been recycled from Saints Row. The player can dual-wield pistols and submachine guns. An expanded list of weapons allows for the use of new melee weapons, rifles,^[27] special weapons etc,^[10] examples of which include satchel charges,^[34] flamethrowers,^[24] laser-guided rocket launchers,^[25] chainsaws and more.^[35] Many weapons can be bought from weapon stores across the city however some need to be unlocked throughout the game.

Should players either commit illegal activities in the presence of the police, or harm rival gang members, they will earn various notoriety levels from the police or the rival gang. Should the player continue to incite these groups, the notoriety level will increase and will bring about a more proactive response, such as SWAT teams from the police, and will continue to chase the player until the player is captured or killed.^[24] To reduce their notoriety, the player either must find a way to hide from the police or gang and wait for the notoriety meter to "cool off", or they can attempt to seek out a drive-through confessional to clear their status for a small fee.

[edit] Respect system

The respect system is a recurring element in the Saints Row series to date. Respect is in-game currency used to unlock missions and progress through the storyline. The overall amount of respect earned can be increased through increasing the player's style rank by upgrading cars, cribs and clothes. Respect can be unlocked by completing activities and diversions.^[22]

Activities were first seen in Saints Row, but Diversions are new additions to the series. Most of the Activities available from the original game reappear in Saints Row 2 but have been touched up slightly. Each activity is playable in two different locations in the fictional city of Stilwater at six levels of increasing difficulty. New activities have also been introduced in Saints Row 2;^[23] for example the underground "Fight Club",^[32] and the COPS TV show parody "FUZZ",^[36] and each of them has been designed to fit co-operative play.^[37] Diversions are a sort of mini-Activity and do not have specific start points. Dozens of Diversions feature in Saints Row 2,^[36] including acts of indecent exposure,^[36] combat and driving stunts,^[10] car surfing,^[38] and the mini-game Zombie Uprising, where the player must fight hordes of zombies with a limited amount of weapons.^[39] Completion of these Activities and Diversions not only grants the player a cash and Respect bonus, dozens of added bonuses e.g. extra health and reduced falling damage, can be unlocked throughout the game.^[28]

[edit] Multiplayer

Saints Row 2 can be played in a "drop-in/drop-out" co-operative manner with one additional player who takes the role as a homie to the first player.^[31] Nearly all missions and activities can be played together in this manner, with both players being credited for the completion of the missions. The co-op mode is seamless;^[26] there is no limit to how far away the players can be from each other.^[18]

There are three competitive multiplayer modes in Saints Row 2.^[19] "Gangsta Brawl" and "Team Gangsta Brawl" are basic deathmatch games, while "Strong Arm" pits two teams to earn $100,000 by completing tasks head-to-head with the other team. The player's performance in multiplayer can earn them "badges" for specific goals, such as by killing thirty other players with a vehicle. These badges can be displayed in multiplayer lobbies and be used in the main single player mode to buy clothing reflecting those achievements.

Multiplayer mode has been criticized by users of the THQ message board for Saints Row 2. Many players often complain of glitches or bugs that cause the game to freeze.^[40][41][42] Another common complaint is that "random strangers" will join a single-player game in progress, then immediately disconnect; this typically leaves affected player with a message that the departing player had cheats enabled and that new save games will be flagged as utilizing cheats. THQ moderators and other players have suggested simply reverting back to the most recent save game to avoid this flagging.

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Plot

At the end of Saints Row, the protagonist was put in a trauma-induced coma while onboard a private yacht which had a bomb detonated on it. In Saints Row 2, five years have passed and the player is in a prison hospital ward, given extensive plastic surgery and meets Carlos Mendoza, a fellow inmate and brother of a former 3rd Street Saint. The player agrees to let Carlos help him escape and after returning to home-city Stilwater, rebuilt from a devastating earthquake, busts former Saints Johnny Gat from his courtroom proceeding and enlists the help of Johnny's friends Pierce and Shaundi, thus resurrecting the Saints.^[28] The plot follows the Saints; led by the protagonist, or the Boss- on their quest of elimination for three rival gangs in power over Stilwater. Thus, the main storyline is divided into three separate missions arcs completable in any order.

A story arc introduces Maero, leader of the Brotherhood Stilwater gang and his offering to split Stilwater with the Saints. The Boss and Carlos, enraged at the 20/80 split offer, begin a feud with the Brotherhood and the Boss poisons tattoo ink with radioactive waste, causing burns to the left side of Maero's face. Subsequently, the Brotherhood respond with more damaging results: Carlos and Maero's girlfriend Jessica are killed in the process. Through tips from Maero's tattoo artist and frontman of the Feed Dogs rock band Matt, the Boss begins to learn of a large weapons shipment being overseen by the Brotherhood. Maero pressures the Ultor Corporation to release Brotherhood members from prison, much to the disfavour of the chief of police Troy Bradshaw, but the Boss intercepts the escorts carrying the inmates, cutting numbers within the Brotherhood. The Boss learns of an illegal weapons shipment being overlooked by the Brotherhood and captures a large stash, crippling the Brotherhood after a raid on their hideout resulting in Matt's death and forcing Maero to flee from their homeground, Stoughton. The Boss is challenged by Maero for a final faceoff, but is able to get the better of him.

Shaundi is tasked with gathering information on the Sons of Samedi and in the subsequent story arc, the Saints learn of the Sons' distribution of the "Loa Dust". Various assets for the creation of "Loa Dust" are targeted by the Saints and the Sons' leaders, The General and Mr. Sunshine, order agent Veteran Child to stop the Saints. Veteran Child kidnaps Shaundi, a former girlfriend, however the Boss eliminates him and saves her. After the Sons' assault Saints' headquarters, Mr. Sunshine is killed by the Boss in a meat-packing plant. After this, The General is then also killed after a group of Saints attack his convoy, ensuring an end to the gang.

As Johnny and Pierce assist the Boss to take down the Ronin in a story arc, they identify various rackets the Saints can hit to recover territory. However, their activity does not go unnoticed by the Ronin and leader Shogo Akuji orders an attack on Johnny and his girlfriend, retired R'n'B singer Aisha resulting in Aisha's death at the hands of Shogo's friend and henchman Jyunichi. Shogo's father and international leader of the Ronin Kazuo Akuji flies in to Stilwater and after Jyunichi is killed in a face-off with the protagonist, disgraces his son and shows regret at giving him power over the Ronin. At Aisha's funeral, Shogo attacks Johnny and the Boss but is given a Texas funeral after being caught. Kazuo threatens the Boss' longtime friend and leader of the Triads, Mr. Wong, and is finally killed by the Boss during a Chinese New Year's celebration after being bested in a swordfight and being impaled, pinning him to the deck of one of the ships used during the celebration as it explodes.

In each case, excepting the Sons of Samedi, the gang reports its troubled cases to the Ultor Corporation, but Dane Vogel, who has been overseeing Ultor's redevelopment of the city, refuses to help or severs its ties to the group. In the aftermath, Vogel uses the Saints' overthrow of the city to stage a coup within Ultor, indirectly convincing the protagonist to kill the rest of the board. However, when Vogel attempts to take control of Ultor, the Saints stage an assassination attempt at a press conference. After fleeing to safety in the Phillips Building, Vogel is met face-to-face by the Boss, who shoots the still-talking Vogel in the mouth, sending him out the window of the Phillips Building, crippling the Ultor Corporation and ensuring the city under the Saints' control.

Wiretap conversations reveal that of the surviving members of the original Saints, Dex Jackson took up a job offer with Ultor and former Saints' leader Julius Little planted the yacht bomb from five years ago hoping to kill the Boss and let the Saints dissolve, through threats from Troy. A side mission becomes available and the Boss contacts Dex, telling him to meet at the old Saints' church. Upon arrival, the Boss finds Julius, who was also told by Dex to meet there. The two are ambushed by the Ultor Masako Team and make an impetuous escape attempt. After they flee to the Eramenos museum, Julius is killed by the Boss out of vengeance for losing five years of his life.

[edit] Setting

Saints Row 2 is set circa 2008 in the fictional city of Stilwater, primarily based upon the real-life cities of Chicago, Cincinnati and Detroit. The city consists of forty-five neighborhoods divided into twenty districts. The entire city is an expanded version of the Stilwater setting from Saints Row, being roughly 145% bigger after being rebuilt after a devastating earthquake, as the plot follows.^[31] Game developers stated that the city has very much been redeveloped and each individual neighborhood has been touched up in one way or another. According to the storyline, the in-game corporation Ultor spent more than three-hundred million dollars redeveloping the city,^[31] funding the police force turning and, as it states, turned the "once crime-ridden third-tier city" into an "urban utopia". The Saints Row district is a more notable change within the city, having been completely redesigned and serving as the location of Ultor's headquarters; a towering skyscraper referred to as the Phillips Building. The Saints Row district, as the name suggests, was once the homeground of the Saints in Saints Row however during the five-year time lapse between the two games, the district is rebuilt by Ultor as the story follows. Many old districts from the earlier revision of Stilwater have also seen changes. Examples include the expansion taken place on the Suburbs district, which is double the size of its Saints Row rendition and the Museum district, which features the Eramenos Ancient Greek museum exhibit, complete with models of the Acropolis of Athens and Theatre of Dionysus. A numerous amount of new districts have also been established within the game, granting the player full roam over them, such as the Marina district and the University district.

From the beginning of the game, the map of Stilwater is fully visible. However, shops and activities will simply be displayed as a question mark until the player discovers them. By completing missions and wiping out enemy strongholds the player gains control of the various neighborhoods the city is split into. There are over 130 interiors within the city,^[26] including over ninety shops which can be purchased when the player controls each shops' associated territory.^[33] The player gets a 15% discount at owned stores and buying an entire chain of departments will mean that the protagonist’s face appears on in-game billboard advertisements.^[33] The map features ninety shops, scattered throughout the map, including vehicle dealers, clothing departments, gun stores and many more. The game shares technology with that of Red Faction: Guerrilla, another Volition-developed game and so certain elements of the environment are fully destructable.^[25] A number of Easter eggs are placed within the sandbox, including the pop-out Easter Bunny which won "Top Easter Egg of 2008".^[43]

[edit] Characters

The characters that appear in Saints Row 2 are diverse and relative to the neighbourhoods of Stilwater they are based in, belonging to various street gangs and organizations. The player controls the nameless leader of fictional hip-hop gang 3rd Street Saints, who has resurrected the gang which disbanded during the time period between Saints Row and Saints Row 2. Many old characters return from Saints Row, including Saints' lieutenant Johnny Gat, former Saints' leader Julius Little, Julius's ally Troy (now the police chief) and aging Chinese businessman Wong Sheng Tai.

Like Saints Row, the voice actors of Saints Row 2 include a variety of notable celebrities, including Daniel Dae Kim, Eliza Dushku, Sy Smith, Michael Dorn and Neil Patrick Harris.^[28]

[edit] Soundtrack

Like its previous title, Saints Row 2 features a soundtrack that can be heard through radio stations while the player is in a vehicle or at one of their cribs. The mobile MP3 player does not return. Stilwater is serviced by eleven radio stations, playing a wide array of music. Talk-back radio stations are no longer included. The stations feature music from a range of genres, spanning different decades and also taken from modern day music. Notable inclusions to the game's soundtrack include Avenged Sevenfold, Big Pun, Duran Duran, Jet, Joss Stone, Kasabian, Kelis, Lamb of God, Loverboy, Mastodon, MSTRKRFT, My Chemical Romance, Ne-Yo, Panic at the Disco, Deftones, Paramore, Plain White T's, Run-D.M.C., The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Used, Wolfmother and Young Jeezy.^[44] The theme song of Saints Row 2 is "Hands Up" performed by Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent. A custom radio station, My Radio 85.5, allows players to listen to in-game songs from the Scratch That music store and rearrange them in a custom playlist.

The game uses a similar music system to that of Saints Row. As with the radio stations in Saints Row, each sound file is held separately and "mixed" randomly, allowing songs to be played in different orders, announcements to songs to be different each time and plot events to be mentioned on the stations.

[edit] Production

[edit] Development

Work began on Saints Row 2 months before the release of Saints Row, in mid-2006.^[22] A large team of game developers worked on Saints Row 2, some of whom had worked on Saints Row as well. The game uses the Havok physics engine, which allows interaction between objects or other characters in real-time and by giving objects physics-based qualities in three dimensions.^[45] Volition, the game's developer, also uses a custom physics engine.^[46] Prior to the release of Saints Row 2, the close proximity of it's release date to Grand Theft Auto IV's was thrown into question but in an interview, lead producer Greg Donovan said, "We wouldn't be releasing this year if we didn't think we could be competitive. The only thing I know about GTA is what I've read. [...] It seems like [Rockstar Games are] going in a more realistic direction."^[47] He later commented on Saints Row 2's release date, "I think having some separation between us and competitive product is good. We've got to remember that open-world is a genre and so there's room for more than just one game in that genre. [We think] Saints Row 2 is offering a much different experience than the competition. [...] It's a very different experience than what some other games are looking to do."^[21]

The game has many similarities with Saints Row, however the sequel pays more attention to style and tone. However, notable improvements have been made to the game in order for it to offer a more immersive world with improved visuals compared to that of the original. During the development phase of the game, the custom-written game engine from the original was rebooted to allow noticeable quality improvements to the game.^[46] Textures and dynamics have been reworked so the city looks more realistically detailed and colorful. A greater level of detail in the game results in people, cars and explosions being given enhanced aethetics; lighting and shadows have been improved as well as additional sky and weather effects can be seen.^[33]

Saints Row 2 is considered an "over-the-top" game, meaning it consists of deliberately unrealistic gameplay. Lead designer James Tsai commented that "[Saints Row 2] is something gamers can count on to satisfy their wild and outrageous side".^[48] Donovan also commented that "[Saints Row 2 is] all about over-the-top memorable moments, hyper-realism, things that are going to make players go, 'Holy crap!'".^[21]

The city of Stilwater itself has become more "alive" as a result of added levels of depth. Each district in Stilwater attempts a different "feel" and the city has been expanded and redeveloped so it does appear brighter and more interesting compared to its predecessor.^[49] Donovan said that "Stilwater in Saints Row 2 is very different from Saints Row. In fact, every degree has been touched to some degree or another. [...] I think that what will end up happening is that people who played Saints Row or are fans of the franchise are going to have a great time exploring the city and looking for new things. [Also], people that are new to Saints Row 2 are just going to be presented with a huge, very dispersive and very different looking environment, it's very well polished and detailed."^[21] The city is fully explorable without any interferences; load screens only exist between missions and cutscenes. A notable touch to the city is the vast amount of buildings the player can explore and the expanded city has seen the addition of many new landmarks unique to Stilwater (although some are based upon real-world landmarks).^[26] Saints Row 2 also features underground segments of the city which can be explored. The game's streaming engine was completely rewritten during the development phase of the game. Major improvements have been made to provide a smooth, interactive world, with significant decreases in terms of glitches, bugs and pop-ins; however, Donovan admitted that the game wouldn't be bug-free, stating that "It won't be bug free. I don't think any game is. But part of what we did was to start development early on. Our development schedule is all about getting the gameplay in and even though this (version of the game shown to press) is pre-alpha, we're all about iterating the gameplay now"^[50] while later reassuring that "95% of gamers aren't even going to come across them."^[22]

An improvement in Saints Row 2 is the game's AI.^[51] NPCs undertake more realistic actions and respond to the player's actions in the world. Tsai commented that "from the start of development, it was a goal to create a world that exists independent of the player - a very lifelike place where the citizens have a purpose and behave in believable fashion in addition to reacting to all the things the player does."^[52] NPCs perform such actions like smoking, talking on cellphones, drinking coffee, opening umbrellas at the chance of rain and sitting on benches and cuddling, which would not have been possible in Saints Row because the physics, animation and action node systems could not support two people interacting that closely. Numerous NPCs can be seen around Stilwater e.g. barber shop quartets, fire eaters, mimes, skydivers and yoga. There are over 20,000 hand-placed nodes all over the city.^[51] According to developers, placing these took a long time and it only happened very late in the game's development, once most of the action node types worked and the city art was more finalized. Even so, there would be more than 20,000 nodes in the final product as those were only the ones the designers placed by hand. It is estimated that there would be three to four times as many if nodes were automatically created and attached to objects in the level, such as park benches, chairs, stools, bus stops, blackjack tables and stripper poles.

Character artists spent a great amount of time creating special character types. Dozens of character types were created, though the game was not able to load all of these at once. To alleviate this issue, certain character types appear at different times of day and at different places. Volition employed only one prop artist whose job was to design the objects NPCs hold. The citizens of Stilwater carry a large array of objects, including umbrellas, laundry baskets, bike helmets, cigarettes, jackhammers, guitars, and laptops.^[51]

The story of Saints Row 2 was put together by three of Volition's script writers. By the time the script was finished, the game had roughly 80,000 lines of dialog, which was twice the amount of dialogue used in Saints Row.^[51] The story has a strong cultural and cinematic influence. Each character is vibrant and unique and are sometimes even based upon real-life characters. Developers have stated that the game's story was influenced by Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed 1994 film, Pulp Fiction.^[53] Tsai commented that "There's definitely a strong Tarantino vibe in Saints Row 2. [...] Stylistically, we drew a lot from Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill."^[54] The story blends black comedy and gritty realism to illustrate the vibrant narrative. Lead producer Greg Donovan commented that "Saints Row 2 has a much darker and more sinister story that leads your character down a path of betrayal, revenge and redemption against the city that has left him for dead, although we've blended that with the same light-hearted humor from the original".^[54] Tsai also commented that "There's this over-the-top, socially distorted lens through which we're telling these gang stories. [...] But at the same time, we have some very dark elements in each mission arc that push the bounds of brutality, sadness, anger and empathy".^[54] The story of Saints Row 2 has received far better acclaim than that of its predecessor's, largely due to the fact that the player character says many more lines in the game. Tsai said that "from a storytelling standpoint, it's been very liberating. [...] The attitude of the main character is very empowering this time around.^[54] The script to both titles and also a third, had been written during the development of Saints Row and beyond.^[55]

[edit] History

Saints Row 2 was first announced by THQ's CEO Brian Farrell in late February, 2007 in a conference call, alongside the announcement of six other THQ-owned franchise continuations for the 2008 fiscal year.^[45] In early May, 2007, THQ's executive vice president of worldwide publishing said that "The original Saints Row gained critical acclaim [...] The game's worldwide success shows the growing fanaticism for open-world gaming and our talented team at Volition is now using their proprietary technology to revolutionise the genre yet again".^[6] On May 14, 2007, THQ's CFO Edward K. Zinser confirmed this at a conference call.^[6] A PlayStation 3 port of the original was scrapped to focus resources on Saints Row 2.^[56] First details of the game began to surface in May, 2008 after the launch of the first teaser trailer, with game aggregators like IGN and GameSpot getting a first look at an early build of the game. The official website launched in late May 2008 and a short teaser for the game was unveiled.^[57]

On April 3, 2008, THQ set the release date for August 28, 2008 and the game was then made available to pre-order from various retailers; in addition, the website underwent an overhaul.^[58] On May 28, THQ announced that Saints Row 2's release would be pushed back by about two months, from August 28 to October 14, 2008 in the USA.^[59][60] Senior vice president of marketing Bob Aniello told Reuters that "product quality is a huge driver of a game's success and this move allows us to polish the game. [..] There is a bigger trend within the industry to build big marketing events within a bigger time window. This allows us to lead up to the holiday timeframe".^[61] To coincide with the heavy promotion and sponsorship of the game, the official website and community page were launched on July 15, 2008.^[62] This was the third website redesign since it was first announced and the old forums site (developer.saintsrow.com) was redirected and renamed "The Row Community". On July 23, 2008, it was revealed that the game had passed the OFLC classification body without having to be edited and was given an MA15+ rating with a release date set for October 16.^[10]

[edit] Release editions

There are three separate "Collectors Editions" available. Both contain a copy of the game, along with several extras. The Saints Row 2 "Initiation Pack" is exclusive to Australia and New Zealand packaged in Freckle Bitch's pizza box and includes a poster, limited edition art book, metal money clip, 1GB gold bullet USB memory stick with buddy icons and wallpapers and content including a basketball singlet, videos, a Saints ID card and a "Saints Rule" book.^[45] The Saints Row 2 "Gun Pack" comes packaged in a gun mould case and includes a poster, limited edition art book and a 1GB gold bullet USB memory stick with buddy icons and wallpapers. The Saints Row 2 "Gift - Buka Edition" is exclusive pack for Russia and CIS packaged in standard DVD-box and includes a limited edition art book, two posters and 1GB gold bullet USB memory stick with buddy icons and wallpapers.^[63]

[edit] Promotion

Prior to and up to the release date for ‘”Saints Row 2’’, the game has been marketed and promoted heavily through the use of numerous Internet and TV trailers. In addition, contests and competitions have been enterable by fans with various paraphernalia, including special editions of the game itself, available as prizes. For marketing considerations, the original release date of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports of the game were pushed back.

Since Saints Row 2 was first announced, full-length trailers have been released to help promote the game:

The first trailer was released in March 2008 and gave a brief insight into how the fictional Ultor Corporation has helped to clean-up the streets of Stilwater.^[64] The trailer also details some of the new weapons and vehicles in the game.

The second full-length trailer was released in early June 2008,^[65] gaining controversy as it poked fun at Grand Theft Auto IV for its lack of side-play in the game. The trailer shows four of many new activities playable in Saints Row 2, including Septic Avenger, FUZZ, Fight Club and Trail Blazing while comparing to (and mocking) GTA IV's activities like bowling, going to cabarets, and watching TV within the game. It also lists several of the game's many diversions, in-game actions which can be performed at any time to earn money and respect.

The third full-length trailer was released in late June 2008 and gives gamers an introduction to the storyline and the new gangs in Saints Row 2.^[66] The trailer details the protagonist busting out of prison with fellow inmate Carlos and riding a patrol boat back to Stilwater, where he gets a shock as he realizes just how much the city has changed in five years. The trailer gives insight to the storyline and missions in the game and serves as a basic introduction to the Brotherhood of Stilwater, Sons of Samedi and Ronin, the three new gangs that inhabit Stilwater and also an introduction to the Ultor Corporation, which serves as the main antagonist faction in the game.

The fourth full-length trailer was released during the E3 Media and Business Summit in July 2008, and details the new customization options in Saints Row 2.^[67] The trailer is set out as a fictional TV show titled Trick My Life and follows Randy the Trandy, a poorly dressed mid-30s man whose life is also the subject of the trailer, showing him being dressed up as a woman. The trailer also demonstrates the crib and gang customization in Saints Row 2, showing numerous features available to the player that can be modified or changed to their liking.

The fifth full-length trailer was released in early September 2008 and shows the co-op gameplay available in the game.^[68] Numerous co-op features are shown in the game. The trailer gained popularity as it makes fun of two American presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, showing two in-game characters that look like them walking through Stilwater causing death and destruction.

The sixth, and final, full-length trailer was released in early October 2008 as the Saints Row 2 official launch trailer.^[69] The game takes a heavy look at the storyline, particularly the Ultor Corporation and what they have done for Stilwater. It features the song Real Muthaphuckkin G's by rapper Eazy E prominently in the second half of the trailer. In addition, a launch trailer for the PC port of the game was released.

In order to further promote the game, Volition hired film actor Gary Busey and pornographic actor Tera Patrick to spread marketing campaigns for the game.^[70][33] ‘Street Lessons with Uncle Gary’ are short movies starring Busey as he gives players an in-depth look into gameplay elements of the game.^[71] Over the months before the game’s release, ten videos were released; Costumes,^[72] Flying,^[73] Heavy Weapons,^[74] Motorcycles,^[75] Nut Shots, Police Abuse,^[76] Satchel Charges,^[77] Taunting,^[78] Throwing People^[79] and Wieldable Props.^[80] An eleventh video titled The Women of DLC was also released to coincide with the release of the Ultor Exposed DLC pack.^[81] Patrick’s marketing contribution was part of a developer diary video previewing the game.^[82] Also, weekly trailers were released in August with information on each of the three new gangs in the game.^[83][84][85]

Saints Row 2 has received heavy funding and sponsorship and has appeared at game conventions with its own booth. Saints Row 2 has appeared at E3, THQ Gamer's Day, Comic Con, PAX '08 and Leipzig Games Convention. In addition, Saints Row 2 provides funding and markets itself with the Myspace Music Tour. Also, numerous competitions have been launched giving away merchandise etc for players who enter. Numerous competitions include Pimp Your Crib, Summer of Bling, a T-shirt design contest and a minigame giving players the chance to design their own box art for the game. Saints Row 2 has also supported Movember 2008, an Australian fundraiser for men's health. A special November issue of the game is available to purchase containing exclusive downloadable content.^[45] In November, 2008, THQ signed a deal with Massive Incorporated to include in-game advertisements on their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 products. Saints Row 2 was the first game to follow through and players connected to Xbox Live or PSN will be able to find movie posters throughout the city promoting upcoming releases.

[edit] Windows version

System Requirements

Minimum Recommended Microsoft Windows[86] Operating System Windows XP or Windows Vista CPU 2.0 GHz Dual-Core Processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2) 3.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2) Memory 1 GB Availabe System Memory 2 GB Available System memory Hard Drive Space 15 GB Available Hard Drive Space Graphics Hardware 128 MB 3D Video Card w/Shader Model 3.0 Support (Nvidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1300) 256 MB 3D Video Card with Shader Model 3.0 Support (Nvidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD3850) Display DirectX Compatible Display Capable of 640×480 16-bit Color Resolution DirectX Compatible Display Capable of 1024×768 in 32-bit Color Sound Hardware DirectX 9.0c Compatible 16-bit Sound Card Network Broadband Connection for Internet Multiplayer

THQ confirmed to Big Download that a Microsoft Windows port of the game was in development on June 2, 2008.^[5][87] No official release date was given out and the port was not released with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, delayed to January 5, 2009 (later changed to January 6) in North America.^[8] The official specifications were unveiled on December 16, 2008.^[86]

Although a setup guide for the Steam digital distribution platform was posted,^[88] the port was delayed on Steam after minor issues,^[89] while the retail version was released in North America as planned.^[90] THQ's vice president of global brand management Kevin Kraff stated that "Saints Row 2's console release was met with heavy praise from press and consumers alike. [...] [The game's] debut on Windows PC will introduce the truly unique, highly entertaining open-world experience to PC fans worldwide".^[90] Volition's vice president of product development and general manager Mike Kulas said that "We've spent a great deal of time optimizing system specs for Windows PC to ensure gamers get the high quality experience no matter what system they choose".^[90] The port was released on Steam and also on Direct2Drive on January 7 while the European and Australian version releases were confirmed for January 23 and February 5 respectively.^[91][92]

The port underwent marketing with the release of a PC launch trailer on January 8,^[93] and a patch for the port was confirmed on January 22.^[94] The patch was made available on January 26 after the release of the European version, correcting graphical and technical issues while allowing for a 120% performance increase, significantly reducing in-game crashes.^[95]

[edit] Downloadable content

On September 25, 2008, lead producer Dan Sutton stated in an interview that "Definitely we have [plans for downloadable content], yes. We haven't announced them yet, but we are looking at bigger stuff definitely."^[11] On December 13, 2008, a theme pack for Saints Row 2 was released via Xbox Live, followed by a picture pack on December 18, 2008.^[97][98] A premium theme was also released on April 23, 2009.^[99]

The first downloadable content pack, Ultor Exposed, was released on April 23, 2009,^[100][101] and features an in-game representation of American pornographic actor Tera Patrick.^[96] The second downloadable content pack, Corporate Warfare, was released on May 28, 2009 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems,^[14] and focuses on the struggle between the Saints and the Ultor Corporation.^[102] The pack features the successor to Dane Vogel, Eric Gryphon and also a former Saint from the original game,^[102] Dex Jackson.^[103] The third and final downloadable content pack, The Unkut Pack, was released on June 12, 2009 for free,^[15] adding over sixty new clothing and tattoo items.^[104]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 83% [107] Metacritic Xbox 360: 81% [105] PlayStation 3: 82/100[106]
Review scores Publication Score Eurogamer 9/10 Game Informer 8.75/10[108] GamePro [109] GameSpot 8/10[110] IGN 8.2/10 [111] Official Xbox Magazine 9.0/10 Official Xbox Magazine (UK) 9/10

Saints Row 2 has received generally positive reviews. Official Xbox Magazine (UK) (November 2008, p. 67), Saints Row 2 review. OXM. Future Publishing The Australian edition gave Saints Row 2 a 9 of 10 review, praising the game's co-op and side-quest missions. IGN awarded it an 8.2 of 10, stating, "the core gameplay experience is extremely enjoyable",^[111] while IGN's Australian site gave it an 8 of 10, calling it "big, dumb fun".^[112] Total Video Games raved in its 9 of 10 review, pointing out the game's co-op mode and calling it "brilliant".^[46] Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw of The Escapist's Zero Punctuation, gave Saints Row 2 a favorable review, saying that it is better than Grand Theft Auto IV in the fact that it drops realism for mindless fun. Later he gave the game his Game of the Year, saying he "had more fun with it than any other 2008 release."^[113] However the PC version as of release has performance issues and IGN PC only scored the game with 6.3/10, stating, "The technical shortcomings are the only truly bad part of Saints Row 2 and, sadly for PC gamers, it pretty much kills their experience unless they can play with the bulk of the visual settings turned down or off".

Despite positive reviews, including stating that the game gives a player "a larcenous good time" and giving it a "B" grade,^[114] Entertainment Weekly later called the game "Racist, misogynistic, crude, cynical, humorless and stupid" and labelled it the worst game of 2008.^[115]

Saints Row 2 has sold generally well since its release. The game shipped two million units within the first two weeks of its release,^[116] and it is estimated that around 1.5 million units for the Xbox 360 and 500, 000 units for the PlayStation 3 have been sold. THQ has since shipped 2.6 million units by January 2009.^[20]

Following the critical acclaim it received upon its release, Saints Row 2 has received awards from various critics and publications, including Official Xbox Magazine awarding it Sandbox Game of the Year. IGN awarded it for best Freeplay game of the year. Video Game Awards awarded it for best Freedom in a game of 2008.

[edit] Controversies

Since the release of Saints Row 2, the game has been subject to some controversy. New York City figures including NYPD union boss Patrick Lynch, Governor of New York David Paterson and lawyer Leslie Crocker Snyder have expressed concern about the game. Disbarred anti-video game lawyer Jack Thompson (who himself was parodied, although unseen, in the game) has criticized the game for its violent nature.

The game did not gain a favourable response from New York City officials and police. City spokespersons want to see the game pulled from its shelves and NYPD union boss Patrick Lynch has criticized the game, stating that "these horrible and violent video games desensitize young people to violence while encouraging depravity, immorality while glorifying criminal behavior".^[117] Jack Thompson, a former Florida lawyer and longtime critic of violent video games, called Saints Row 2 a "Grand Theft Auto ripoff," and said that "as is true with pornography, as is true with violence, the subsequent products tend to push the envelope even more".^[118] On Tuesday, October 14, 2008, the game's US release date, candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder and others spoke out against the game, surrounded by police union members who support her bid.^[117] Gov. Paterson signed a bill in July, 2008 requiring prominent display of age ratings on video games and mandating parental control on game consoles by 2010.^[118]

The version of Saints Row 2 released in Germany and Japan was edited to remove content to allow the game to meet their classification systems. However, in Australia, the game did not have to be edited to meet the OFLC classification systems and was sold as an MA15+ game unedited.

In early June 2008, a trailer was released for the game which sparked controversy among gamers as it poked fun at Grand Theft Auto IV, a sandbox-style action-adventure video game to which the Saints Row series has similarities.^[65] The Would You Rather? trailer posed the question as to whether players would rather play Grand Theft Auto IV or Saints Row 2. The trailer attacked Grand Theft Auto IV for its lack of gameplay variety, comparing its relationship system and in-game television to Saints Row 2's activities and diversions. As such, many fans of the Grand Theft Auto series were angered by Volition's risky marketing approach and further attacked the game as being a "Grand Theft Auto clone".^[119] Entertainment analyst Mike Hickney dubbed the trailer as "unusually pompous" and stated that "the trailer directly attacks Grand Theft Auto IV in game content, an unusually pompous position in our view, considering GTA IV is estimated to be the highest grossing 1st week entertainment release of all time - and is currently the highest quality scored game on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 according to Metacritic.com".^[120]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Saints Row 2 site
• The Row Community
• Volition, Inc. home page

v • d • e Saints Row series Games Saints Row · Saints Row 2 (Ultor Exposed  · Corporate Warfare) Characters Characters of Saints Row · Characters of Saints Row 2 Soundtrack Soundtrack of Saints Row · Soundtrack of Saints Row 2 Other Stilwater · List of gangs in the Saints Row series · Ultor Corporation Category