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==== Aftermath ====
==== Aftermath ====


In each case, excepting the Sons of Samedi, the gang reports its troubled cases to the [[Ultor Corporation]], but [[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Dane Vogel|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 d'état|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.<ref name= "saints row 2"/>
[[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Dane Vogel|Dane Vogel]] has been overseeing the [[Ultor Corporation]]'s [[redevelopment]] of the city, planning to use the gang violence to reduce property value and allow Ultor to cheaply purchase the needed land. Once all rival gangs have been eliminated, Ultor launches a major attack on The Boss and the Saints, but The Boss is able to rescue his lieutenants and regroup, and the attack fails.

With the Ultor [[board of directors]] now opposing him, Vogel anonymously supplies The Boss with the board's meeting location. Motivated by revenge, The Boss eliminates the board of directors, indirectly allowing Vogel to take over Ultor by [[Coup d'état|coup]]. However, the Saints continue their attack, staging an assassination attempt at Vogel's resulting press conference. Vogel flees inside Ultor's Phillips Building, but The Boss raids his penthouse office by helicopter, shooting Vogel at a window and sending him to the ground below. Vogel's death further cripples the Ultor Corporation and ensures the city remains under the Saints' control.<ref name= "saints row 2"/>


[[Telephone tapping|Wiretap conversations]] reveal that of the surviving members of the original Saints, [[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Dexter Jackson|Dex Jackson]] took up a job offer with Ultor and former Saints' leader [[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Julius Little|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 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.<ref name= "saints row 2"/>
[[Telephone tapping|Wiretap conversations]] reveal that of the surviving members of the original Saints, [[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Dexter Jackson|Dex Jackson]] took up a job offer with Ultor and former Saints' leader [[List of characters in Saints Row 2#Julius Little|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 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.<ref name= "saints row 2"/>

Revision as of 20:47, 14 September 2009

Saints Row 2
File:Sr2 cover.jpg
"Saints Row 2" box art
Developer(s)Volition, Inc.
Publisher(s)THQ
Designer(s)Scott Philips
James Tsai[3]
SeriesSaints Row
EngineHavok[4]
Custom
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows,[5] PlayStation 3,[6] Xbox 360
Release
October 2008
  • PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360[1] Microsoft Windows[2]
Genre(s)Sandbox, third-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer, co-operative play

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.[9] 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.[2] A smaller variant of the game has also been published for mobile phones[10] and Swedish heavy metal band Opeth announced that their music would feature in a PlayStation Portable port of the game,[11] but this is unconfirmed.[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 May 2009, Saints Row 2 has shipped nearly 3 million units for all three ports.[20]

Gameplay

The gameplay of Saints Row 2 is structured similarly to that of its predecessor, Saints Row. The core gameplay comprises elements of third-person shooting and driving in a non-linear environment, affording the player an open world in which to move around. The player's character is capable of maneuvering through the environment, utilizing weaponry and engaging in melee combat.[21][22] The player's character can instantly be warped to dry land while swimming in water bodies.[23] After successfully completing the first game mission, the player is able to explore the environment and choose how they wish to play the game. Missions are unlocked by earning 'respect' points from mini-games and side-missions[24] and although completing missions is necessary for game progression, players can complete them at own leisure. The player is granted the option of instantly retrying the missions should they fail an attempt. Numerous checkpoints save progress in each mission, and missions can be replayed from locations within the environment. Aside from attempting missions, the player can explore the environment, purchase items at shops and participate in a variety of mini-games and side-missions.[25] The player can also wreak havoc upon the environment which can provoke potentially fatal attention from authoritative forces.[26] The player can recruit members from a friendly gang and use a mobile phone to contact friends and/or businesses, as well as to input cheat codes.[27]

File:Flying in Saints Row 2.jpg
A new streaming system has allowed for fixed-wing aircraft.

The player can drive a variety of vehicles which can be stolen, bought or unlocked. Aside from automobiles, the game contains boats and jet-skis,[28] helicopters,[29] fixed-wing aircraft,[23] motorcycles,[26] and other vehicle types.[30] The player can activate a cruise control system on land and sea-based vehicles, which may aid in chases and drive-bys.[31] Waypoints can be placed on the pause-screen map, leaving a GPS route between the player character's location and the set destination. Instead of having to manually drive, the player can hail a taxi from cab services and pay a fee to travel to destinations on the map.

The player is granted the ability to alter the player character's appearance; modifying the gender, ethnicity, fitness, voice, facial structure and hair of the player character is allowed.[16][32][33] The player may also modify the player character's interactions in the game, i.e. the player's movement, fighting style and personality traits.[27][30][33] Clothes, tattoos and piercings can be purchased for the player character, and the colour or style of individual items can be modified.[29][34] Set outfits can be bought or created and saved for later use. The game allows the player to modify land-based vehicles, after being taken to a chop shop. The player can equip performance modifiers like hydraulics and nitrous oxide, apply body mods and apply paint schemes to the vehicle. In-game safehouses, known as 'cribs', can be purchased by the player. At a crib the player can withdraw from profit rackets, alter the player character's outfit, replay missions/cutscenes and save game progress.[16] The player may also alter the interior of cribs by applying themes and purchasing items like television sets and pool tables.[30] Boats and fixed-wing aircraft can be stored at docks and hangars, respectively. The player can select from preset clothing fashions, vehicles, 'signs' and 'tags' for recruits of the player character's street gang.[35]

Combat and response

File:Saints Row 2 combat.jpg
The player engaging in combat while commandeering a jet-ski.

In Saints Row 2, the combat systems from Saints Row have been updated but many of the basics remain unchanged.[22] While engaging in melee-based combat, the player character will perform combos and charge up attacks,[34] and can execute a finishing move if three consecutive hits are dealt.[27] With a gun equipped, the player can perform a groin attack, and can zoom in for a finer aim reticule.[33] The player can also employ the use of human shields,[27] and can use makeshift weapons pulled from the environment e.g. fire hydrants, cement blocks.[16] Should the player either commit illegal activities or incite rival gang members, they will provoke potentially fatal attention from authoritative figures or rival gangs. The notoriety bar is a visual representation of the proactivity of the opposing figures' response and continual inciting of these groups will bring about a more powerful response, such as SWAT teams from the police. The player will continue to be chased by these groups until captured or killed and must reduce the notoriety bar by either hiding from the police or gang and wait for it to "cool off", or by seeking out a drive-through confessional which will clear the notoriety bar for a small fee.[26] Should the player character be apprehended or killed, a small percentage of the player's earnings will be removed and the player will respawn at law or healthcare institutions. The game contains over forty different weapons, many of which have been recycled from Saints Row .The game allows the player to utilise new weapon types, examples of which include satchel charges, laser-guided rocket launchers, chainsaws and more.[36][37] The player has the ability to dual wield handguns and submachine guns. Weaponry can be purchased
by the player from specific stores or unlocked throughout in-game progress.[23]

Respect system

File:Saints Row 2 BASE jumping.jpg
The game contains several new Diversions, such as BASE jumping.

The Repect system is a scoring system where the player earns Respect points to unlock missions and progress through the storyline. The player can partake in storyline and stronghold missions only after filling up at least one bar of Respect, and Respect points are removed when the player starts a mission. The 'style rank' is a modifier of how much Respect the player can earn; this is increased by purchasing items for the player character. Respect points can be earned in two ways; by progressing through side-missions called Activities and by completing mini-games and stunts called Diversions.[24]

There are a broad range of Activities and Diversions available for the player to progress through. Many of the game's Activities made appearance in Saints Row and a variety of new Activities have also been introduced in the game.[25] Examples include an underground fight club, a parody of the COPS television show known as FUZZ and numerous others.[34][38] Each Activity can be initiated from various locations and plays out over six levels of increasing difficulty. The Activities have been designed to suit solo and co-operative play.[39] Most Diversions do not have specific start points. There is a large selection of Diversions available in the game,[38] such as acts of indecent exposure,[38] combat and driving stunts,[21] car surfing,[40] and a survival horror mini-game called Zombie Uprising.[41]

Multiplayer

Saints Row 2 has various multiplayer components implemented throughout the game. Through an online network or system link, the player can progress through the game with a co-operative partner.[33][42] While in co-op mode, the players can explore the city and progress through the game's storyline missions and minigames.[18][42][43] Both players are rewarded and credited for completion of such activities,[42][44] and the players can furthermore verse each-other in competitive metagames.[45][46] The co-op mode is "drop-in/drop-out" and there is no limit as to how far the players can be away from each-other.[18][28][42]

The game contains competitive multiplayer modes, supporting between four and twelve players in a match. There are two standard deathmatch modes; the free-for-all "Gangsta Brawl" mode and the team-based "Team Gangsta Brawl" mode.[19][47] Another mode, known as "Strong Arm", pits two teams against each other fighting for control over the neighborhood.[19][47] In "Strong Arm", the first team to earn $100,000 dollars wins and money is earned by competing head-to-head in activities, controlling "tag spots" which serve as bonus modifiers or by eliminating members of the opposing team.[19][47] While in a party, players are free to roam around a lobby.[19][47] The player can rank up in multiplayer and displays this by earning various "badges" which are displayed next to the player's name.[19][47] By ranking up, the player can unlock more expensive clothing for their multiplayer character.

Synopsis

Plot

See also: List of characters in Saints Row 2
File:Saints Row 2 prison island escape.jpg
The player escaping from Stilwater Penitentiary

At the end of Saints Row, The Protagonist was put into a trauma-induced coma while on board Alderman Richard Hughes' 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, where he has received extensive plastic surgery, and also where he meets Carlos Mendoza, a fellow inmate and the brother of a former 3rd Street Saint. The player agrees to let Carlos help him escape and the two return to the city of Stilwater, which is revealed to have been rebuilt by the Ultor Corporation after a devastating earthquake. The protagonist, hearing about the pending execution of a former Saints lieutenant Johnny Gat, breaks into the courthouse and rescues him from his courtroom proceeding. With an eye on rebuilding the 3rd Street Saints, The Protagonist, now known as The Boss, enlists Johnny's friends Pierce and Shaundi, as well as Carlos, as his new lieutenants, thus resurrecting the 3rd Street Saints.[23] The plot follows the Saints, led by The Boss, on their quest to eliminate the three new rival gangs controlling Stilwater and re-take the city for their own. The main storyline is divided into three separate story mission arcs, completable at any time and in any order.[48]

The Brotherhood

One story arc introduces Maero, leader of the Brotherhood. Carlos manages to arrange a meeting between Maero and The Boss in the Stilwater Caverns, and after evading a police ambush attempt, the two begin to negotiate splitting Stilwater. The Boss, however, is offended when offered the small end of a 20/80 split, and so begins a feud with the Brotherhood. The Boss initially shakes up Donnie, a former Westside Rollerz member and the current mechanic of the Brotherhood, and forces him to rig Brotherhood trucks with explosives.

When the Brotherhood becomes more secretive and Carlos is unable to find any ways of striking at them, The Boss decides to simply rile them up, and so poisons tattoo ink with radioactive waste, causing burns to the left side of Maero's face. Maero's girlfriend Jessica retaliates by kidnapping Carlos and haves him tied to the back of a truck to be dragged face down around the docks, forcing The Boss to put Carlos out of his misery by killing him after killing the truck driver dragging Carlos. The Boss, in turn, kidnaps Jessica, and tricks Maero into killing her himself by crushing her car in a monster truck rally. The Boss then interrogates Maero's tattoo artist and frontman of the Feed Dogs rock band Matt, searing his hand and ending his career in the process. From this, the Boss begins to learn of a large weapons shipment being overseen by the Brotherhood.

After a coordinated but unsuccessful attack on the Saints, Maero confronts Dane Vogel of the Ultor Corporation, demanding his arrested Brotherhood members go free and threatening him with lethal force. Vogel successfully pressures chief of police and former 3rd Street Saints second in command Troy Bradshaw in turn, but the Boss intercepts and eliminates the transports carrying the inmates. An enraged Maero tries to threaten Vogel again, but backs down when faced with a heavily-armed Ultor security force this time, and Vogel informs him that Ultor will take his inbound weapons shipment as payment.

The Boss learns the final details of the shipment and seizes it from Ultor, then defends it from the Brotherhood sent to destroy it. Having armed themselves, the 3rd Street Saints launch a raid on the Brotherhood's hideout, but Matt attacks the Boss, allowing Maero and Donnie to escape before he dies. Maero later calls The Boss and tells him to meet up in the Ultor Dome for a final showdown, where he is ambushed by several of the remaining Brotherhood members who are using their trucks. Maero uses his monster truck for the showdown, but the Boss is able to fight his way through and finally kills Maero.[48]

The Sons of Samedi

Shaundi is tasked with gathering information on the Sons of Samedi, and discovers of the Sons' distribution of the "Loa Dust". The Saints target the assets used in the creation of the drug, as well as staging a jailbreak to recover a drug expert in order to produce it themselves. 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. The Sons kidnap and drug the Boss for a face-to-face meeting with the General in his limousine, while also launching attacks on the Saints' headquarters, but when the General orders the Boss killed, he escapes the limo and returns to successfully defend the Saints.

Faced with many desperate Loa Dust addicts, Mr. Sunshine directs them to attack the Saints and take the stolen drugs for themselves. Interrogating one of the addicts leads the Boss to a meat-packing plant where he confronts Mr. Sunshine, although it takes an inordinate number of gunshots and finally decapitation to kill him, due to implied voodoo powers. The General is then killed after a group of Saints attack his convoy, ensuring an end to the gang.[48]

The Ronin

As Johnny and Pierce assist the Boss to take down the Ronin in a story arc, they attack a casino invested in and protected by the Ronin. Ronin leader Shogo Akuji is initially dismissive of the problem, but when his father and international leader of the Ronin Kazuo Akuji discovers the theft, he declares his intent to fly in to Stilwater to teach Shogo how to lead. Shogo orders an attack on the Saints to save face, and his henchman Jyunichi sets a trap for Johnny in the home he shares with his girlfriend, retired R'n'B singer Aisha. The ambush results in Aisha's death at the hands of Jyunichi and seriously wounds Johnny.

When Akuji arrives, Shogo does not provide sufficient security, but Jyunichi escorts Kazuo to safety, demonstrating where his loyalties lie. For this snub, Shogo anonymously provides the Boss with the location of Jyunichi, who the boss kills in a swordfight. This loss of his loyal and honorable henchman only adds to Kazuo's despair, and he expresses regret at having given power over the Ronin to his son.

After the Ronin stage an attack on the hospital to attack Johnny Gat, Dane Vogel of the Ultor Corporation meets with Kazuo and demands that he reign in the Ronin. Kazuo takes offense and severs the protection agreements his son made with Ultor. Vogel immediately turns to the Saints and offers them information, allowing The Boss to eliminate most of the Ronin leadership.

At Aisha's funeral, Shogo attacks Johnny and the Boss for their disgrace to his family, 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.[48]

Aftermath

Dane Vogel has been overseeing the Ultor Corporation's redevelopment of the city, planning to use the gang violence to reduce property value and allow Ultor to cheaply purchase the needed land. Once all rival gangs have been eliminated, Ultor launches a major attack on The Boss and the Saints, but The Boss is able to rescue his lieutenants and regroup, and the attack fails.

With the Ultor board of directors now opposing him, Vogel anonymously supplies The Boss with the board's meeting location. Motivated by revenge, The Boss eliminates the board of directors, indirectly allowing Vogel to take over Ultor by coup. However, the Saints continue their attack, staging an assassination attempt at Vogel's resulting press conference. Vogel flees inside Ultor's Phillips Building, but The Boss raids his penthouse office by helicopter, shooting Vogel at a window and sending him to the ground below. Vogel's death further cripples the Ultor Corporation and ensures the city remains under the Saints' control.[48]

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 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.[48]

Setting

See also: Saints Row series § Setting
File:939458 20080212 screen003-1-.jpg
The game's rendition of Stilwater contains numerous new landmarks and districts, such as the new prison island off the west coast.

Saints Row 2 is set circa 2008 in the fictional city of Stilwater, primarily based upon the real-life cities of Chicago, Cincinnati, Newark, 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.[33] 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,[33] 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,[28] including over ninety shops which can be purchased when the player controls each shops' associated territory.[35] 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.[35] 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 destructible.[27] A number of Easter eggs are placed within the sandbox, including the pop-out Easter Bunny which won "Top Easter Egg of 2008".[49]

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.[50] 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.[51] 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.[52]

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.[53] 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.[54][55] 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".[56] To coincide with the heavy promotion and sponsorship of the game, the official website and community page were launched on July 15, 2008.[57] 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.[21]

Development

Work began on Saints Row 2 in mid-2006, months before Saints Row was released.[24] Developers were able to "learn from the mistakes" in Saints Row and talk to the team about what should be looked out for.[58] 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.[59] The game also uses a custom physics engine which was used on Saints Row,[60] but was rebooted during Saints Row 2's development phase.[60] Because of this, as lead producer Greg Donovan states, the developers were "able to push the technology a lot more" and did not have "any of the issues that were experienced towards the end of development on Saints Row".[58] Unlike Saints Row, the game is not an Xbox 360-exclusive title; the game was developed for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows systems.[5][6] Saints Row did have a PlayStation 3 port of the game in development alongside Saints Row 2,[61] but it was later cancelled.[62] Despite having a general idea of the technological capabilities of the PlayStation 3, developers still found this development process a challenge.[63]

The game became subject to comparison with sandbox-style action game Grand Theft Auto IV, which has notable similarities with Saints Row 2.[64][65] The close proximity of its release date to GTA 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."[66] 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."[22]

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.[60] 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 aesthetics; lighting and shadows have been improved as well as additional sky and weather effects can be seen.[35]

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".[67] 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!'".[22]

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.[68] 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."[22] 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).[28] 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"[69] while later reassuring that "95% of gamers aren't even going to come across them."[24]

An improvement in Saints Row 2 is the game's AI.[70] 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."[71] 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.[70] 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.[70]

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.[70] 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.[72] 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."[73] 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".[73] 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".[73] 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.[73] The script to both titles and also a third, had been written during the development of Saints Row and beyond.[74]

Soundtrack and audio

See also: Saints Row 2 soundtrack

The soundtrack of Saints Row 2 is comprised of a diverse selection of music, featuring roughly 170 tracks played through the in-game radio system.[75][76] There are twelve radio stations the player can listen to whilst in a vehicle or at an in-game crib.[75][76] Stations will play different genres of music, such as alternative rock, hip-hop, heavy metal and 1980's pop.[75][76] A particular radio station, My Radio 85.5, allows the player to create a custom soundtrack from the music featured in the game.[76] Musical artists such as a-ha, Avenged Sevenfold, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Hot Chip, Jet, Joss Stone, Kasabian, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Men at Work, MSTRKRFT, My Chemical Romance, Nas, Ne-Yo, Opeth, Panic at the Disco, Paramore, Run-D.M.C., Tears for Fears, Trivium and Wolfmother have some of their works featured in the game.[75][76]

An objective for developers was to try and depict the Ultor Corporation as a large presence within the media of the game.[77] As such, many of the in-game radio advertisements promote Ultor-branded products; demonstrating how Ultor have control over the city.[77] Game developers hired a new radio commercials producer, Erik Hastings, because of their requirement to "find a contractor that was much more open to collaboration and revision", writer Steve Jaros stated.[77] Voice actors for radio commercials were recorded in the same room, instead of individually, so that they "could work off each other and in general get a stronger performance", stated Jaros.[77] Many of the in-game commercials went through several drafts and developers found this writing process to be a challenge.[77]

Marketing and release

Prior to its release, Saints Row 2 was marketed and promoted heavily through the use of numerous Internet and TV trailers. In addition, contests and competitions were 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.[56]

A trailer was released in March 2008, formatted as a tourist insight from the Ultor Corporation into the city and how Ultor had helped to rebuild the city.[78] In early April 2008, American film actor Gary Busey became part of the marketing campaign for the game.[79][80] Three Street Lessons with Uncle Gary clips were released on April 4 2008, demonstrating the use of satchel charges, taunting and throwing people in gameplay.[81][82][83] Two additional Busey clips were released at the end of April 2008, demonstrating heavy weapons[84] and police response[85] in gameplay. A second trailer was released in early June 2008, comparing Saints Row 2 to similar game Grand Theft Auto IV, poking fun at it for its lack of replay value.[86] A third trailer was released in late June 2008, giving an insight into the storyline of the game and introducing the new gangs that would feature in it.[87][88] A fourth trailer was released in mid-July 2008, showing some of the customization options available in the game.[89][90] Two Busey clips were also released in mid-July, demonstrating groin attacks[91] and improvised weaponry[92] in gameplay. In late July 2008, American pornographic actor Tera Patrick became part of the marketing campaign for the game.[35][93] A "Developer Diary" video was released featuring Patrick presenting the game.[94][95] Over a three-week period in August 2008, three trailers were released a week apart from each-other, giving an in-depth preview of each of the three main story arcs revolving around the three gangs.[96][97][98][99][100][101] Two Busey clips were released at the end of August 2008, demonstrating customization[102] and flying[103] in gameplay, and the improvised weaponry clip was re-released alongisde them.[104][105] An additional Busey clip was released in early September 2008, demonstrating motorcycles in gameplay.[106] An eighth trailer was released in early September 2008 previewing the co-operative gameplay, featuring in-game recreations of American presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, the former of which won the presidential election.[107][108][109] The official launch trailer was released in early October 2008, a week before the game's release, taking another look at the storyline.[110][111]

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.[112] 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.

Release editions

File:Saintsrowgunpack.jpg
The Saints Row 2 "Gun Pack" special edition of the game.

There are three separate "Collectors Editions" available. All 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.[113] 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.[114]

System requirements
Minimum Recommended
Microsoft Windows[115]
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 Available System Memory2 GB Available System memory
Free 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 ResolutionDirectX 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][116] 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.[2] The official specifications were unveiled on December 16, 2008.[115]

Although a setup guide for the Steam digital distribution platform was posted,[117] the port was delayed on Steam after minor issues,[118] while the retail version was released in North America as planned.[119] 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".[119] 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".[119] 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.[120][121]

The port underwent marketing with the release of a PC launch trailer on January 8,[122] and a patch for the port was confirmed on January 22.[123] The patch was made available on January 26 after the release of the European version, correcting graphical and technical issues while allowing for a 20% performance increase, significantly reducing in-game crashes.[124]

Downloadable content

Tera Patrick played herself in Ultor Exposed.[45]

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."[9] 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.[125][126] A premium theme was also released on April 23, 2009.[127]

The first downloadable content pack, Ultor Exposed, was released on April 23, 2009,[128][129] and features an in-game representation of American pornographic actor Tera Patrick.[45] 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.[130] The pack features the successor to Dane Vogel, Eric Gryphon and also a former Saint from the original game,[130] Dex Jackson.[131] The third downloadable content pack, The Unkut Pack, was released on June 12, 2009 for free,[15] adding over sixty new clothing and tattoo items.[132]

Reception

Critical reception

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",[136] while IGN's Australian site gave it an 8 of 10, calling it "big, dumb fun".[140] Total Video Games raved in its 9 of 10 review, pointing out the game's co-op mode and calling it "brilliant".[60] 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 that it drops gritty 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."[141] The PC version failed to match its console counterpart's high scores due to technical problems. IGN PC 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,[142] Entertainment Weekly later called the game "Racist, misogynistic, crude, cynical, humorless and stupid" and labelled it the worst game of 2008.[143]

Saints Row 2 has sold generally well since its release. The game shipped two million units within the first two weeks of its release[144] and shipped 2.6 million units by January 2009.[145] As of May 2009 nearly three million copies have been shipped worldwide[20] and has since joined the Xbox 360's Platinum Hits and the PlayStation 3's Greatest Hits line of games.[146]

As of January 2009, Saints Row 2 has had more than 2.6 million units shipped for all three ports. 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.

Controversies

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".[147] 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".[148] 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.[147] 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.[148]

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.[86] 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".[149] Entertainment analyst Mike Hickney dubbed the trailer as "unusually pompous" and stated that "the trailer directly attacks Grand Theft Auto IV in game content

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