I’ve been looking forward to this game for ages, it’s one of those things, especially since GTAIV was awesome-yet-boring.
GTAIV was a real feat in terms of what an engine can achieve overall but it doesn’t help that in some areas it is really lacking. Feature cuts from previous versions of GTA — No car modding, barely any character customisation, no real-estate apart from what’s given to you, no more diverse gang warfare! It’s a very different story in Saints.
On the other hand, GTAIV did have amazing damage physics, detailed paints specks and very detailed environments that do leave me with wanting in Saints Row 2, wanting a hybrid GTA/Saints Row baby that is — but what I have got is a really fun laugh-out-loud experience that leaves you in a good mood compared to the somber gamestyle of GTAIV. I feel like there’s enough of that in real life.
While GTAIV delivers an epic punch, I can’t quite help feeling it missed on the obvious. THQ must have pinched themselves, this was exactly the sort of gap in the market that Saints Row 2 could easily fill. I’m glad they didn’t just do the bare minimum, they really did go beyond the call of duty when they added in all the extras.
It must have helped them to use the same city map in Saints Row 2 as Saints Row 1, a huge amount of development time that can be recycled. The story mode really helps you forgive them for giving you the same setting — Ultor, the government type body in the game has tried to rid the city of the grimy aspects of life. That includes yourself. While you’re vying for the top spot once again, you realise it’s not just a repeat on Dave — This is a whole new game.
The first time I sprayed a Chapel with human waste I was shocked, appalled and enthralled with laughter. Spraying Police with human excrament has never been so fun! The game isn’t all cheap laughs, the character customisation is seriously the best I’ve ever seen — I’m also sure that each pedestrian is randomly generated (I’m not just talking clothes, I’m talking body shape, mass, face dynamics, behavioural dynamics). I wouldn’t be surprised if you bumped into someone you actually recognise.
The options for character customisation seem endless, there is even a store where you can buy gladiator headsets and armour. You’re also able to customise what you gang looks like (I opted for 80’s style, I couldn’t resist the nostalgia) and what vehicles they drive!
I know that THQ have been damaged by some pretty awful franchises in the past, I’m really sure Saints Row 2 will give players a boost in respect for the publisher and hopefully Saints Row 2 is a big middle finger to Rockstar. I say hopefully, we all know it is.
