Saints Commits Few Sins: Saints Row 2 Reviewed

In 2006, a wake-up call was delivered to Grand Theft Auto developer, Rockstar. For far too long, ballistic combat in the GTA games had evolved little, remaining wonky and unintuitive. We recall playing GTA 3: San Andreas, and cursing at the screen after the game repeatedly locked on to the wrong enemy. With GTA 4 still years away, and without a single screenshot to tide them over, gamers became impatient for an urban, gangster-centric sandbox game. When Saints Row was first announced, many were rightfully skeptical of the title, after seeing a multitude of disappointing GTA clones. Fortunately, developer Volition listened to the criticisms of GTA and responded accordingly- gone was the inept combat system, skillfully replaced with a targeting reticule. Saints Row also blended the two disjointed play styles of GTA;  missions attempted to capture the exuberance of those freeform killing sprees the Rockstar’s series was famous for.

Saints Row 2 picks up right where the last game ended, with the main character of the game awaking from a coma. Before the first mission begins, players are given an elaborate set of tools to construct their avatar. Not only can the gamer adjust the physical appearance of the protagonist, but they can also choose from three different accents for each of the two genders. As the game begins, you learn that in your absence, the Saints have lost their foothold on the city of Stillwater. Your goal is to reclaim the different districts, as your restore the splintered Saints gang.

                                            “Call me a wiener again, and I’ll turn you into hamburger meat”.

Unlike other sandbox style games that have put restrictions on cooperative gameplay, Saints Row 2 allows two players to carry out their urban bedlam without requiring players to be tethered. Friends dropped into our story mode effortlessly, and assisted in some of the brilliantly designed collaborative activities. While the single player game is engaging, the game becomes exponentially more enjoyable with another human.

The game eclipses its sandbox- style competitors in its variety and the ingenuity of missions. Before advancing the main story, players must accumulate enough ‘respect’ earned while playing side missions. Whereas the non-essential tasks are commonly the Achilles’ heel of the genre, they are one of SR2’s greatest strengths. Players are challenged to amass thousands of dollars in property damage, or covering houses in raw sewage. Frequently, we would spend hour-long bursts in a single mini-game, neglecting the main storyline. Thankfully, they are all entertaining and there are no duds in the bunch.

                                                      The game even has Tech-Gaming headquarters in it. 

Graphically, the game isn’t as polished as GTA 4– Saint Row 2’s world appears slightly more polygonal, as models seem to use less geometry. While on-screen activity is exceedingly busy, the game displays both the occasional v-sych and framerate falters. Likewise, the city of Stillwater can be inexplicably glitchy. Cars and pedestrians we passed instantly disappeared as we looped around, and we have been trapped in our cars on rare occasions. Overall, some of these offensives are forgivable as the title desperately tries to maximize its open-world environment. Where the game excels is in the small details, from comical facial reactions to the airy clouds that are observed when players take flight. Sonically, SR2’s music palette is diverse and well chosen; Tears for Fears, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, seems especially poignant during our hyper violent maulings.

                                                      Ok, someone cue up Flight of the Valkyries for us

Overall, Saints Row 2 offers players a disk full of mayhem to soak in and explore. While the title can be a blast for a single participant, the cooperative game stands alone as one of the best examples of a two player experience currently available in any game. Just be aware the overall experience comes with its fair share of glitches, a price to pay for all the variety the game offers.