Saints Row 2
Encyclopedia
Saints Row 2 is an open world
action-adventure
video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ
for the Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
, and Xbox 360
systems. It is the second title in the Saints Row
series, after the release of Saints Row
in 2006. It is succeeded by Saints Row: The Third, released on 15 November 2011. It was released in North America, Australia and Europe in October 2008 for video game consoles and ported to Windows in January 2009. Before the game's original release, it was ported by G5 Entertainment to mobile phone
s. Three downloadable content
packages were developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; Ultor Exposed
, Corporate Warfare
, and The Unkut Pack.
Set in the fictional city
of Stilwater, players control the same nameless protagonist, who has survived the yacht explosion from the first game, and leads the Third Street Saints gang. Assisted by the gang, the protagonist seeks to eliminate three rival gangs who have formed during the five-year period between Saints Row and Saints Row 2. The game is presented as a third-person shooter in an open world
, with action-adventure
and driving
sequences. Online co-operative play and competitive multiplayer are allowed.
The initial release versions of Saints Row 2 were met with general approval. The Windows port was met with more mixed reviews. Praise was directed at the game's fast-paced action sequences and nonlinear gameplay; criticisms were directed at technical issues. In its first month of release, the game sold an estimated 400,000 units. It has sold in excess of 3.4 million units as of September 2010.
combat warware. 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 minigame
s and side-missions and although completing missions is necessary for game progression, players can complete them at their 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 the aforementioned mini-games and side-missions. The player can also wreak havoc
upon the environment which can provoke potentially fatal attention from authoritative forces
. 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. It should be noted that entering cheats will disable Xbox 360 achievements.
The player can drive a variety of vehicles which can be stolen
, bought or unlocked. Aside from automobiles, the game contains boats and water craft
, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft
, motorcycles, and other vehicle types. The player can activate a cruise control
system on land and sea-based vehicles, which may aid in chases
and drive-bys
. Waypoint
s 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 taxicab
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. The player may also modify the player character's interactions in the game, i.e. the player's movement, fighting style
and personality traits. Clothes, tattoos and piercings can be purchased for the player character, and the colour or style of individual items can be modified. 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 safe house
s, known as 'cribs', can be purchased by the player. At a crib the player can withdraw from the player character's earnings, alter the player character's outfit, replay missions/cutscenes and save game progress. The player may also alter the interior of cribs by applying themes and purchasing items like television sets and pool tables. Boats and fixed-wing aircraft can be stored at docks
and hangar
s, respectively. The player can select from preset clothing fashions, vehicles, 'signs' and 'tags' for recruits of the player character's street gang.
The combat systems from Saints Row have been updated but many of the basics remain unchanged. While engaging in melee-based combat, the player character will perform combos and charge up attacks, and can execute a finishing move if three consecutive hits are dealt. With a gun equipped, the player can perform a groin attack
, and can zoom in for a finer aim reticle. The player can also employ the use of human shield
s, and can use makeshift weapons pulled from the environment e.g. fire hydrants, cement blocks. 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. 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 charge
s, laser-guided
rocket launchers, chainsaws and more. 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.
The Respect 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.
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. Examples include an underground fight club, a parody of the COPS
television show known as FUZZ and numerous others. 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. Most Diversions do not have specific start points. There are numerous Diversions playable in the game, such as acts of indecent exposure
, combat and driving stunts, car surfing
and a survival horror mini-game called Zombie Uprising.
or through System Linking, the player can progress through the game with a cooperative
partner. While in co-op mode, both players can explore the city and progress through the game's storyline missions and minigames. Both players are rewarded and credited for completion of such activities, and the players can furthermore play against each other in competitive metagames
. 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.
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 its team-based variant, "Team Gangsta Brawl". Another mode, known as "Strong Arm", puts two teams against each other fighting for control over the neighborhood. 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. While in a party
, players are free to roam around a lobby. The player can rank up
in multiplayer and displays this by earning various "badges" which are displayed next to the player's name. By ranking up, the player can unlock more expensive clothing for their multiplayer character.
when a bomb exploded on the yacht leaving the fates of Hughes and The Protagonist (Player Character) unknown. In Saint's Row 2, it is revealed that Hughes was killed and The Protagonist was put into a coma. Five years pass and the Protagonist awakes in a prison hospital ward
and received extensive plastic surgery
. The protagonist meets inmate Carlos Mendoza and the pair escape the island and return to the protagonist's home city Stilwater, rebuilt by the Ultor Corporation after a devastating earthquake that left parts of the city below sea-level. The Protagonist then rescues his friend Johnny Gat from a courtroom proceeding, enlists the help of Johnny's friends Pierce and Shaundi, and begins to rebuild the divided Third Street Saints gang. The protagonist, referred to as the Boss for most of the game, leads the Saints on a quest to retake the city. The main storyline is divided into three separate story mission arcs, completable at any time and in any order.
In one story arc, the Boss and Carlos meet with Maero, leader of the Brotherhood of Stilwater, and becomes enraged at Maero's offer of a 20/80 split of an unknown shipment between the Saints and the Brotherhood. This sparks a feud between the Saints and the Brotherhood, and after shaking up mechanic and Brotherhood member Donnie, a former Westside Roller, the Boss burns Maero's face by poisoning his tattoo ink with radioactive waste
. The Brotherhood retaliate by kidnapping and brutally torturing Carlos by dragging him behind a truck, forcing the Boss to end his suffering with a mercy kill. The Boss exacts revenge by kidnapping Maero's girlfriend Jessica, and arranges for her to be inadvertently killed by Maero in a monster truck
rally. After interrogating and crippling Maero's tattoo artist, Matt, the Boss begins to uncover information about a large weapons shipment. Maero confronts Dane Vogel (voice of Jay Mohr
), CEO of the Ultor Corporation, demanding the release of arrested Brotherhood members. Although freed, the prisoners are intercepted by the Boss and when an enraged Maero threatens Vogel, he is informed that Vogel will seize the weapons shipment. The Boss intercepts the shipment and launches an attack on the crippled Brotherhood's Hideout. Near the end of the battle, Matt is killed but Maero and Donnie escape. Maero then challenges the Boss to a final face-off, but loses the fight and is shot in the head by the Boss, with his last words being "Go to hell".
In another story arc, Shaundi begins to gather information on the Sons of Samedi gang, and learns of their illegal drug trade
. The Saints then target various assets in the production of the 'Loa Dust' drug. Gang leaders The General and Mr. Sunshine order the lieutenant Veteran Child to kill Shaundi, his former girlfiend. Although he succeeds in kidnapping her, the Boss kills him and saves her. The General then kidnaps and drugs the Boss and orders an attack on the Saints, but the Boss escapes and the Saints are able to hold off the attack. Through tips from an addict, the Boss uncovers Mr. Sunshine's hiding place, a meat-packing plant, and the Boss kills him there, decapitating him and tossing his head along with an assembly line. The Saints then co-ordinate an attack on the General's convoy
and kill him in the mall as he flees.
As Johnny and Pierce assist the Boss to take down the Ronin gang in a story arc, they decide to rob a Ronin owned casino. However, they end up stealing money from Ultor, who are under Ronin protection, and Vogel demands that action be taken against the Saints. Leader Shogo Akuji orders an attack on Johnny and his girlfriend, retired R'n'B singer Aisha, the result is Aisha sacrificing her own life to warn Gat of an ambush, and Jyunichi stabbing Johnny Gat, hospitalizing him. Shogo's father and international Ronin leader Kazuo Akuji arrives in Stilwater and after Jyunichi is killed in a sword fight 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 buried alive
after being captured. Kazuo threatens the Boss' longtime friend and leader of the Triads gang, Mr. Wong. Kazuo is killed by the Boss during a Chinese New Year's celebration after being defeated in a swordfight.
In the aftermath, Dane Vogel uses the Saints' overthrow of the city to stage a coup d'état
within Ultor, tricking the Boss into killing 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 Philips Building, Vogel is met face-to-face by the Boss, and he/she shoots him in the mouth, killing him instantly, crippling the Ultor Corporation and ensuring the city under the Saints' control. Wiretap conversations
reveal that of the surviving members of the old Saints, Dex Jackson took up a job offer with Ultor, and that former Saints' leader Julius Little planted the bomb from the original game's climax hoping to kill the Boss and let the Saints dissolve, through threats from undercover cop Troy Bradshaw. A mission becomes available and the Boss contacts Dex, who tells the Boss to meet him 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 are forced to flee. Julius and the Boss drive around the city while being chased by Ultor Masako APCs, until they crash in the Amphitheater. The Boss then shoots Julius in the chest. Shocked, Julius explains that the Saints never solved a thing, having become the same as the gangs they had been fighting. The Boss then takes revenge by shooting Julius in the head.
referred to as the Phillips Building. 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, and hidden events can be triggered by some, including over ninety shops which can be purchased when the player controls each shops' associated territory. The player gets a 10% discount at owned stores and buying an entire chain of departments will mean that the protagonist's face appears on in-game billboard advertisements. The game shares technology with that of Red Faction: Guerrilla
, another Volition-developed game and so certain elements of the environment are fully destructible. A number of Easter eggs
are placed within the sandbox, including the pop-out Easter Bunny
which won "Top Easter Egg of 2008".
'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. 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". On May 14, 2007, THQ's CFO Edward K. Zinser confirmed this at a conference call. A PlayStation 3
port of the original was scrapped to focus resources on Saints Row 2. 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.
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. On May 28, THQ announced that Saints Row 2s release would be pushed back by about two months, from August 28 to October 14, 2008 in the USA. 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". To coincide with the heavy promotion and sponsorship of the game, the official website and community page were launched on July 15, 2008. 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.
physics engine
, which allows interaction between objects or other characters in real-time and by giving objects physics-based qualities in three dimensions. The game also uses a custom physics engine which was originally utilized by Saints Row, but was rebooted during Saints Row 2s development phase. 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.
As Donovan states, a fundamental goal for the game's development team was to create a game that would "further distinguish Saints Row from other non-linear games, and carve out a distinct identity in the genre". He said that the game needed to broaden the competitive window by reiterating gameplay from Saints Row, while adding new features and mechanics. He admitted that the game wouldn't be bug-free, stating that "[Saints Row 2] 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" while later reassuring that "95% of gamers aren't even going to come across them." He commented on the game's instability and challenges during its development phase, stating that "Build stability was a real problem. It wasn’t until late in the development cycle that anyone could play the game for more than a couple of hours without crashing". He said that "Top-level, our instability was caused by failing to take systems and features to completion [...] Programmers rushed to fix bugs that came late in development, and design and art expectedly fell behind on polish and iteration. Therefore, Q/A wasn’t able to progress through test plans efficiently, and we couldn’t conduct extended playtests until late in development".
An improvement in Saints Row 2 is the game's AI
. 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." Non-playable characters perform realistic actions such as 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 systems could not support two people interacting that closely. There are over 20,000 hand-placed nodes all over the city. 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.
The game became subject to comparison with sandbox-style action game Grand Theft Auto IV
, which has notable similarities with Saints Row 2. 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." He later commented on Saints Row 2s 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."
's critically acclaimed 1994 film, Pulp Fiction
. 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
." 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". 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". Tsai said that "from a storytelling standpoint, it's been very liberating. [...] The attitude of the main character is very empowering this time around. The story was written in three parts, Saints Row 2 being the second of these three. Tsai said of the story, "Saints Row 2 will definitely have its share of surprising moments in the story, but I don't want to say whether we're going to do anything that would be a cliffhanger of the scale that you saw at the end of Saints Row, at the risk of doing a spoiler [...] We needed to make a very compelling story but one that is still accessible to people who haven't played the first, so we have to bridge that gap between people who did play the first, those who didn't play the first, and create a good entry point".
The characters in Saints Row 2 are highly stylized and have different personality traits and identities. In an interview, Tsai said that "In Saints Row 2, we definitely had the general ideas for the characters down first because we had our story that we wanted to tell, and we knew that certain characters are needed to service these roles in the story. As far as the personality quirks and the way the characters are expressed in cut scenes, a lot of that does come back to the voice acting, how do they say things, what are their mannerisms, you try to anticipate what they're going to do. You also have some leeway when you're doing the lip synch in the cut scenes, so definitely, it's kind of a two-way street. You have the base role for the characters, and the actors were great about reading who the characters were and coming in prepared for the roles and understanding what we wanted to do with them, but also letting them infuse some of their own personality into it and put their own spin on the characters as well." He also stated that "All of the actors took hold of their roles and brought them a real sense of weight and personality that they didn't have previously. It's a pretty amazing process to build a character from scratch, design their look, create them, put them in game, and then when voice is finally recorded to see that character become a real person in the world." An array of popular film and television stars voice characters within the game, such as Neil Patrick Harris
, Michael Dorn
, Jay Mohr
, Keith David
and Eliza Dushku
.
, hip-hop, heavy metal
and 1980's pop
. A particular radio station, My Radio 85.5, allows the player to create a custom soundtrack from the music featured in the game. Musical artists such as Duran Duran
, Lamb Of God
, My Chemical Romance
, Avenged Sevenfold
, Paramore
and Run-D.M.C.
have some of their works featured in the game. Lead audio designer Frank Petreikis stated that "We've doubled our budget for more current and big-name talent for the programmable radio stations plugged into the gameplay. We have a dozen in-game stations with a broader variety of music genres and twelve or thirteen tracks per station for 150-plus songs, compared to 140 in [Saints Row]".
An objective for developers was to try and depict the Ultor Corporation as a large presence within the media of the game. As such, many of the in-game radio advertisements promote Ultor-branded products; demonstrating how Ultor maintains control over the city. 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. 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. Many of the in-game commercials went through several drafts and developers found this writing process to be a challenge. The in-game radio was used as a way to effectively tie-in the over-the-top atmosphere of the game with the radio advertisements. Lead designer James Tsai stated that "As far as the commercials go, you'll definitely find that humour in Saints Row 2. We're making a concerted effort to tie it to the game world, and what happens in the world".
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. In early April 2008, American film actor Gary Busey
became part of the marketing campaign for the game. 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. Two additional Busey clips were released at the end of April 2008, demonstrating heavy weapons and police response 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
. 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. A fourth trailer was released in mid-July 2008, showing some of the customization options available in the game. Two Busey clips were also released in mid-July, demonstrating groin attacks and improvised weaponry in gameplay. In late July 2008, American pornographic actor
Tera Patrick
became part of the marketing campaign for the game. A "Developer Diary" video was released featuring Patrick presenting the game. 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. Two Busey clips were released at the end of August 2008, demonstrating customization and flying in gameplay, and the improvised weaponry clip was re-released alongisde them. An additional Busey clip was released in early September 2008, demonstrating motorcycles in gameplay. 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
. The official launch trailer was released in early October 2008, a week before the game's release, taking another look at the storyline.
The "Pimp Your Crib" contest launched on July 17, 2008 for residents in the United States, offering prizes such as a 46" Samsung
HDTV
and a Logitech
cordless precision controller. The "Summer of Bling" contest launched on August 21, 2008 for residents in the United Kingdom and Germany; first week prizes included a game-themed hip flask
and bottle of tequila
. The second week of the competition offered a radio-controlled helicopter
. THQ and WorthPlaying launched a competition offering the winners a chance to attend the Saints Row 2 Multiplayer Event in San Francisco, USA and have their thoughts published in an article. A T-shirt
design competition launched on September 19, 2008 hosted by British fashion label Joystick Junkies which tasked the competitor to design a themed T-shirt; the winning entry was featured in the downloadable content pack Ultor Exposed
. The third run of the "Summer of Bling" contest launched on September 19, 2008 offering the Joystick Junkies-themed shirts as prizes. The "Trick Your Pack" tool launched on September 23, allowing the player to create their own box art for the game. The fourth run of the "Summer of Bling" launched on October 4, 2008 offering an Ultor-themed Flak jacket
. Another contest launched on October 10, 2008 offering a gold-plated Xbox 360 Elite console with the "Gun Pack" collector's edition of the game. On November 6, 2008 a competition launched in Australia offering an airbrushed 60GB PlayStation 3 system.
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
, GameStop
Expo '08 and Leipzig Games Convention
. In addition, Saints Row 2 provided funding and marketed itself with the Myspace
Music Tour. Saints Row 2 also supported Movember 2008
, an Australian fundraiser for men's health. 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.
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. The "Gun Pack" unveiled in late August and contains a copy of the game, a poster, an art book and a USB
stick with wallpapers and icons, packaged in a gun-mould case. 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.
It is worth noting that whilst the Xbox 360 version of the game contains the usual Achievements, the PS3 version of the game doesn't contain Trophies, meaning that cheats can be put into the game onto the PS3 version of the game, without the risk of Trophies being blocked.
THQ confirmed to Big Download that a Microsoft Windows
port of the game was in development on June 2, 2008. 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. The official specifications were unveiled on December 16, 2008.
Although a setup guide for the Steam digital distribution platform was posted, the port was delayed on Steam after minor issues, while the retail version was released in North America as planned. 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". 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". 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.
The port underwent marketing with the release of a PC launch trailer on January 8, and a patch for the port was confirmed on January 22. The patch was made available on January 26 after the release of the European version, correcting some graphical and technical issues while allowing a possible 20% performance increase.
On July 16, 2009, Swedish
heavy metal
band Opeth
announced that their music would feature in a PlayStation Portable
port of the game which would be released in March 2010. However, there has been no official confirmation on this from Volition or THQ.
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." 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. A premium theme was also released on April 23, 2009.
The first downloadable content pack, Ultor Exposed
, was released on April 23, 2009. The pack adds new customization options, vehicles, multiplayer maps, and a competitive multiplayer metagame
. The pack features American pornographic actress Tera Patrick
, who plays herself as a former microbiologist
for the Ultor Corporation who calls upon the protagonist to help her expose the evils within it. The second downloadable content pack, Corporate Warfare
, was released on May 28, 2009. The pack adds new customization options, including in-game recreations of the finalists from November 2008, vehicles, multiplayer maps, and a competitive multiplayer metagame. The pack focuses on the struggle between the Saints and the Ultor Corporation, featuring Ultor's executive Eric Gryphon and head of security Dex Jackson, a former Saint from the original game. The third and final downloadable content pack, The Unkut Pack, was released on June 12, 2009 for free, adding over sixty new Unkut-themed clothing and tattoo items. The DLCs are available only for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
gave the game a B, stating that it "relishes the hedonistic aspects of the open-world genre", that it has "plently of innovation" and that the "excellence in the presentation makes the world of Saints [Row] 2 a great introduction for newcomers to open world games".Eurogamer
gave the game a 9/10, stating that it "is one of the most ridiculous and enjoyable games of the year".GameInformer gave the game an 8.75/10, stating that "in its own silly, b-movie way, it's a damn fun game" and a "profanely good time".GameSpot
gave the game an 8.0/10, stating that "from beginning to end, this is one of the most fun urban chaos games out there" and that it will "keep you happily creating havoc for a long time". GameSpy
gave the game four and a half stars out of five, stating that it "offers up a shooting and driving experience that is plenty of fun" and that it is "self-consciously funny in its irreverence" and "will definitely appeal to much of its audience". IGN
US gave the game an 8.2/10, stating that "the core gameplay experience is extremely enjoyable". IGN AU gave the game an 8/10, stating that it is "big, dumb fun". IGN UK gave the game a 7.5/10, stating that it "demonstrates that there is still plenty of mileage to be eked out of open-world games" and that "there's certainly enough here to keep any fans of sandbox violence entertained". PGNx Media gave the game a 9.6/10 and an Editor's Choice Award, stating that "In terms of pure, unadulterated fun, Saints Row 2 is in a league of its own". MS Xbox World gave the game a 9.5/10, stating "There are lots of games out this holiday season, and Saints Row 2 should be one of the games that you play, as there's nothing at present that can rival its madcap adrenaline fueled flamboyance". Ben Croshaw
of The Escapist
, who is known for his 'Zero Punctuation
' reviews, gave the game a favourable review and awarded it as his personal Game of the Year, stating that he "had more fun with it than any other 2008 release." The game was awarded "Game of the Year 2008" by JustPressPlay.com. It also came runner-up in GameShark
's "Xbox 360 Game of the Year" and "Overall Game of the Year". PlayStation Beyond gave it a rating of 9.5/10, praising its high degree of customization and "a huge range of ways to put your unfortunate adversaries out of their misery".
Among positive acclaim, some publishers gave the game generally negative reviews. Edge Magazine gave the game a 5/10, stating that "few of the game's details will stick in your mind for long, and its pranky focus means it rarely gives you anything interesting to do with the toys on offer". GamingNexus.com
gave the game a C+, stating that it "has to mature, or make a more convincing argument that it's never going to – and never has to – grow up". Entertainment Weekly
flagged the game as "racist, misogynistic, crude, cynical, humorless and stupid" and labelled it the worst game of 2008, despite previously giving the game a B and calling it "a larcenous good time".
The game did not gain a favourable response from New York City officials and police. City spokespersons requested that the game be pulled from shelves upon its release; NYPD union
boss Patrick Lynch
criticized the game, stating that "these horrible and violent video games desensitize young people to violence while encouraging depravity, immorality while glorifying criminal behavior". 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". 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. 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.
' s sales performance have been mixed. The game sold approximately 365,000 units in total during its first month, outselling same-day release title Dead Space
and becoming the sixth-best selling title in October 2008. In an interview with Game Daily, THQ director of marketing communications Rob Cassel announced that the majority of these sales were from the Xbox 360 system, which sold approximately 270,000 units compared to 95,000 for the PlayStation 3. From THQ official fiscal results for 2008, Kotaku reported that the game shipped over two million units by early November 2008. According to Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz in January 2009, the game's sales results were well below expectations. He stated that "Previously we had been optimistic that the franchise could break the 1 million mark, given its launch on two platforms. The original Saints Row sold roughly 750,000 US units during its first four quarters in release on a single platform at a much earlier point in the console cycle". THQ financial results in February 2009 concluded that the game had shipped over 2.6 million units by February 2009, after the game was ported to Windows in January. THQ experienced a $431 million loss in revenue in May 2009, but shipped a further 200,000 units for the game, totalling 2.8 million units. From Saints Row 2s sales, the series has had worldwide sales in excess of six million, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. Due to its financial earnings, the game has joined the Xbox 360' s Platinum Hits
and the PlayStation 3' s Greatest Hits line of games.
As of September 2010, Saints Row 2 has sold over three and a half million units worldwide.
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
for the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
systems. It is the second title in the Saints Row
Saints Row (series)
Saints Row is a video game franchise created by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. Typically, gameplay is presented in open world format. Because of the mixture of nonlinear gameplay with action-adventure and racing sequences, the series is referred to as being sandbox style.After completing Red...
series, after the release of Saints Row
Saints Row
Saints Row is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It is the first title in the Saints Row series and is succeeded by Saints Row 2. A PlayStation 3 port was cancelled after protracted development time...
in 2006. It is succeeded by Saints Row: The Third, released on 15 November 2011. It was released in North America, Australia and Europe in October 2008 for video game consoles and ported to Windows in January 2009. Before the game's original release, it was ported by G5 Entertainment to mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. Three downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
packages were developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed is an episodic expansion pack for the sandbox-style action-adventure video game Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. The first of three planned downloadable content packs, Ultor Exposed was released via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for the...
, Corporate Warfare
Saints Row 2: Corporate Warfare
Saints Row 2: Corporate Warfare is an episodic expansion pack for the sandbox-style action-adventure video game Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ...
, and The Unkut Pack.
Set in the fictional city
Fictional location
Fictional locations are places that exist only in fiction and not in reality. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as backdrop for their fictional works. Fictional locations are also created for use as settings in Role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons...
of Stilwater, players control the same nameless protagonist, who has survived the yacht explosion from the first game, and leads the Third Street Saints gang. Assisted by the gang, the protagonist seeks to eliminate three rival gangs who have formed during the five-year period between Saints Row and Saints Row 2. The game is presented as a third-person shooter in an open world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
, with action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
and driving
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
sequences. Online co-operative play and competitive multiplayer are allowed.
The initial release versions of Saints Row 2 were met with general approval. The Windows port was met with more mixed reviews. Praise was directed at the game's fast-paced action sequences and nonlinear gameplay; criticisms were directed at technical issues. In its first month of release, the game sold an estimated 400,000 units. It has sold in excess of 3.4 million units as of September 2010.
Gameplay
The core gameplay comprises elements tha are third-person shooting and driving in a nonlinear environment, giving 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 meleeMêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
combat warware. 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 minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s and side-missions and although completing missions is necessary for game progression, players can complete them at their 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 the aforementioned mini-games and side-missions. The player can also wreak havoc
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
upon the environment which can provoke potentially fatal attention from authoritative forces
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. 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. It should be noted that entering cheats will disable Xbox 360 achievements.
The player can drive a variety of vehicles which can be stolen
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
, bought or unlocked. Aside from automobiles, the game contains boats and water craft
Personal water craft
A personal water craft , also called water scooter, is a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat....
, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
, motorcycles, and other vehicle types. The player can activate a cruise control
Cruise control
Cruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.-History:...
system on land and sea-based vehicles, which may aid in chases
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
and drive-bys
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
. Waypoint
Waypoint
A waypoint is a reference point in physical space used for purposes of navigation.-Concept:Waypoints are sets of coordinates that identify a point in physical space. Coordinates used can vary depending on the application. For terrestrial navigation these coordinates can include longitude and...
s can be placed on the pause-screen map, leaving a GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
route between the player character's location and the set destination. Instead of having to manually drive, the player can hail a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
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
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, fitness, voice, facial structure and hair of the player character is allowed. The player may also modify the player character's interactions in the game, i.e. the player's movement, fighting style
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and personality traits. Clothes, tattoos and piercings can be purchased for the player character, and the colour or style of individual items can be modified. 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
Chop shop
In motor vehicle theft, a chop shop is a location or business which disassembles stolen automobiles for the purpose of selling them as parts. It may also be used to refer to a location or business that is involved with the selling of stolen or fraudulent goods in general, an example of the latter...
. The player can equip performance modifiers like hydraulics
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
and nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
, apply body mods
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
and apply paint schemes to the vehicle. In-game safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
s, known as 'cribs', can be purchased by the player. At a crib the player can withdraw from the player character's earnings, alter the player character's outfit, replay missions/cutscenes and save game progress. The player may also alter the interior of cribs by applying themes and purchasing items like television sets and pool tables. Boats and fixed-wing aircraft can be stored at docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
and hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s, respectively. The player can select from preset clothing fashions, vehicles, 'signs' and 'tags' for recruits of the player character's street gang.
Groin attack
A groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
, and can zoom in for a finer aim reticle. The player can also employ the use of human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s, and can use makeshift weapons pulled from the environment e.g. fire hydrants, cement blocks. Should the player either commit illegal activities
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
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
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
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
Confessional
A confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament of Penance, often called confession, or Reconciliation. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church, but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation, and also in the...
which will clear the notoriety bar for a small fee. 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 charge
Satchel charge
thumb|right|250px|Weapons used in [[Winter War]]. The original Finnish satchel charge at left.A satchel charge is a demolition device, primarily intended for combat, whose primary components are a charge of dynamite or a more potent explosive such as C-4 plastic explosive, a carrying device...
s, laser-guided
Laser guidance
Laser guidance is a technique of guiding a missile or other projectile or vehicle to a target by means of a laser beam. Some laser guided systems utilise beam riding guidance, but most operate more similarly to semi-active radar homing . This technique is sometimes called SALH, for Semi-Active...
rocket launchers, chainsaws and more. 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.
Respect system
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. Examples include an underground fight club, a parody of the COPS
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
television show known as FUZZ and numerous others. 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. Most Diversions do not have specific start points. There are numerous Diversions playable in the game, such as acts of indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
, combat and driving stunts, car surfing
Car surfing
Car surfing is an activity in which passengers of moving vehicles perform various stunts, including hanging out of the car or 'surfing' on the hood , trunk , or on the roof of the vehicle while it is in motion....
and a survival horror mini-game called Zombie Uprising.
Multiplayer
Saints Row 2 has various multiplayer components implemented throughout the game. Through an online networkComputer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
or through System Linking, the player can progress through the game with a cooperative
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
partner. While in co-op mode, both players can explore the city and progress through the game's storyline missions and minigames. Both players are rewarded and credited for completion of such activities, and the players can furthermore play against each other in competitive metagames
Metagaming
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game...
. 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.
The game contains competitive multiplayer modes, supporting between four and twelve players in a match. There are two standard deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
modes; the free-for-all "Gangsta Brawl" mode and its team-based variant, "Team Gangsta Brawl". Another mode, known as "Strong Arm", puts two teams against each other fighting for control over the neighborhood. 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
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
spots" which serve as bonus modifiers or by eliminating members of the opposing team. While in a party
LAN party
A LAN party is a temporary, sometimes spontaneous, gathering of people with computers, between which they establish a local area network , primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games. The size of these networks may vary from the very small to very large installations...
, players are free to roam around a lobby. The player can rank up
Rank up
In video gaming slang, and especially in online multiplayer games, to rank up is to achieve a higher ranking relative to other players...
in multiplayer and displays this by earning various "badges" which are displayed next to the player's name. By ranking up, the player can unlock more expensive clothing for their multiplayer character.
Plot
At the end of Saints Row, the protagonist was aboard Alderman Richard Hughes' luxury yachtLuxury yacht
The term luxury yacht, “Superyacht” and "Large Yacht" refers to very expensive, privately owned yachts which are professionally crewed. Also known as a Super Yacht, a luxury yacht may be either a sailing or motor yacht.-History:...
when a bomb exploded on the yacht leaving the fates of Hughes and The Protagonist (Player Character) unknown. In Saint's Row 2, it is revealed that Hughes was killed and The Protagonist was put into a coma. Five years pass and the Protagonist awakes in a prison hospital ward
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and received extensive plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
. The protagonist meets inmate Carlos Mendoza and the pair escape the island and return to the protagonist's home city Stilwater, rebuilt by the Ultor Corporation after a devastating earthquake that left parts of the city below sea-level. The Protagonist then rescues his friend Johnny Gat from a courtroom proceeding, enlists the help of Johnny's friends Pierce and Shaundi, and begins to rebuild the divided Third Street Saints gang. The protagonist, referred to as the Boss for most of the game, leads the Saints on a quest to retake the city. The main storyline is divided into three separate story mission arcs, completable at any time and in any order.
In one story arc, the Boss and Carlos meet with Maero, leader of the Brotherhood of Stilwater, and becomes enraged at Maero's offer of a 20/80 split of an unknown shipment between the Saints and the Brotherhood. This sparks a feud between the Saints and the Brotherhood, and after shaking up mechanic and Brotherhood member Donnie, a former Westside Roller, the Boss burns Maero's face by poisoning his tattoo ink with radioactive waste
Radioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
. The Brotherhood retaliate by kidnapping and brutally torturing Carlos by dragging him behind a truck, forcing the Boss to end his suffering with a mercy kill. The Boss exacts revenge by kidnapping Maero's girlfriend Jessica, and arranges for her to be inadvertently killed by Maero in a monster truck
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
rally. After interrogating and crippling Maero's tattoo artist, Matt, the Boss begins to uncover information about a large weapons shipment. Maero confronts Dane Vogel (voice of Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr is an American actor and stand up comedian. He is known for his role as Professor Rick Payne in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, the title role in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried, which ran from 2008 to 2010, and the back-stabbing sports agent Bob Sugar in Jerry Maguire.-Early life:Mohr was...
), CEO of the Ultor Corporation, demanding the release of arrested Brotherhood members. Although freed, the prisoners are intercepted by the Boss and when an enraged Maero threatens Vogel, he is informed that Vogel will seize the weapons shipment. The Boss intercepts the shipment and launches an attack on the crippled Brotherhood's Hideout. Near the end of the battle, Matt is killed but Maero and Donnie escape. Maero then challenges the Boss to a final face-off, but loses the fight and is shot in the head by the Boss, with his last words being "Go to hell".
In another story arc, Shaundi begins to gather information on the Sons of Samedi gang, and learns of their illegal drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. The Saints then target various assets in the production of the 'Loa Dust' drug. Gang leaders The General and Mr. Sunshine order the lieutenant Veteran Child to kill Shaundi, his former girlfiend. Although he succeeds in kidnapping her, the Boss kills him and saves her. The General then kidnaps and drugs the Boss and orders an attack on the Saints, but the Boss escapes and the Saints are able to hold off the attack. Through tips from an addict, the Boss uncovers Mr. Sunshine's hiding place, a meat-packing plant, and the Boss kills him there, decapitating him and tossing his head along with an assembly line. The Saints then co-ordinate an attack on the General's convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
and kill him in the mall as he flees.
As Johnny and Pierce assist the Boss to take down the Ronin gang in a story arc, they decide to rob a Ronin owned casino. However, they end up stealing money from Ultor, who are under Ronin protection, and Vogel demands that action be taken against the Saints. Leader Shogo Akuji orders an attack on Johnny and his girlfriend, retired R'n'B singer Aisha, the result is Aisha sacrificing her own life to warn Gat of an ambush, and Jyunichi stabbing Johnny Gat, hospitalizing him. Shogo's father and international Ronin leader Kazuo Akuji arrives in Stilwater and after Jyunichi is killed in a sword fight 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 buried alive
Premature burial
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally...
after being captured. Kazuo threatens the Boss' longtime friend and leader of the Triads gang, Mr. Wong. Kazuo is killed by the Boss during a Chinese New Year's celebration after being defeated in a swordfight.
In the aftermath, Dane Vogel uses the Saints' overthrow of the city to stage a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
within Ultor, tricking the Boss into killing the rest of the board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. 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 Philips Building, Vogel is met face-to-face by the Boss, and he/she shoots him in the mouth, killing him instantly, crippling the Ultor Corporation and ensuring the city under the Saints' control. Wiretap conversations
Telephone tapping
Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
reveal that of the surviving members of the old Saints, Dex Jackson took up a job offer with Ultor, and that former Saints' leader Julius Little planted the bomb from the original game's climax hoping to kill the Boss and let the Saints dissolve, through threats from undercover cop Troy Bradshaw. A mission becomes available and the Boss contacts Dex, who tells the Boss to meet him 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 are forced to flee. Julius and the Boss drive around the city while being chased by Ultor Masako APCs, until they crash in the Amphitheater. The Boss then shoots Julius in the chest. Shocked, Julius explains that the Saints never solved a thing, having become the same as the gangs they had been fighting. The Boss then takes revenge by shooting Julius in the head.
Setting
Saints Row 2 is set in the fictional city of Stilwater. 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.The new Stilwater also includes a much larger airport, a Stilwater University district, a Prison island, a nuclear powerplant island and a few more mild extensions. 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, 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 skyscraperSkyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
referred to as the Phillips Building. 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
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
museum exhibit, complete with models of the Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
and Theatre of Dionysus
Theatre of Dionysus
The Theatre of Dionysus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god 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, and hidden events can be triggered by some, including over ninety shops which can be purchased when the player controls each shops' associated territory. The player gets a 10% discount at owned stores and buying an entire chain of departments will mean that the protagonist's face appears on in-game billboard advertisements. The game shares technology with that of Red Faction: Guerrilla
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Red Faction: Guerrilla is an open-world third-person action video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in June 2009 and for Microsoft Windows in September 2009...
, another Volition-developed game and so certain elements of the environment are fully destructible. A number of Easter eggs
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
are placed within the sandbox, including the pop-out Easter Bunny
Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes...
which won "Top Easter Egg of 2008".
Development
Work began on Saints Row 2 in 2005, about a year before Saints Row was released. Unlike Saints Row, the game is not an Xbox 360-exclusive title; the game was developed for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows systems. Saints Row did have a PlayStation 3 port of the game in development alongside Saints Row 2, but it was later cancelled. Despite having a general idea of the technological capabilities of the PlayStation 3, developers still found this development process a challenge. The game was first announced by THQTHQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
'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. 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". On May 14, 2007, THQ's CFO Edward K. Zinser confirmed this at a conference call. A PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
port of the original was scrapped to focus resources on Saints Row 2. First details of the game began to surface in May 2008 after the launch of the first teaser trailer, with game aggregators like IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
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.
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. On May 28, THQ announced that Saints Row 2s release would be pushed back by about two months, from August 28 to October 14, 2008 in the USA. Senior vice president of marketing Bob Aniello told Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
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". To coincide with the heavy promotion and sponsorship of the game, the official website and community page were launched on July 15, 2008. 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.
Game engine
Saints Row 2 was developed and published by Volition, Inc. and THQ, with additional development from Mass Media, Inc. Additional graphics were provided by Paprikaas Interactive and Shanghai Art-Coding Software, cutscene animations were directed by Technicolor Interactive Services, and sound and voice recording were provided by Dane tracks and VoiceWorks Productions, Inc. respectively. The game utilizes the HavokHavok (software)
Havok Physics is a physics engine developed by Irish company Havok. It is designed primarily for video games, and allows for real-time collision and dynamics of rigid bodies in three dimensions. It provides multiple types of dynamic constraints between rigid bodies , and has a highly optimized...
physics engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which allows interaction between objects or other characters in real-time and by giving objects physics-based qualities in three dimensions. The game also uses a custom physics engine which was originally utilized by Saints Row, but was rebooted during Saints Row 2s development phase. 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.
As Donovan states, a fundamental goal for the game's development team was to create a game that would "further distinguish Saints Row from other non-linear games, and carve out a distinct identity in the genre". He said that the game needed to broaden the competitive window by reiterating gameplay from Saints Row, while adding new features and mechanics. He admitted that the game wouldn't be bug-free, stating that "[Saints Row 2] 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" while later reassuring that "95% of gamers aren't even going to come across them." He commented on the game's instability and challenges during its development phase, stating that "Build stability was a real problem. It wasn’t until late in the development cycle that anyone could play the game for more than a couple of hours without crashing". He said that "Top-level, our instability was caused by failing to take systems and features to completion [...] Programmers rushed to fix bugs that came late in development, and design and art expectedly fell behind on polish and iteration. Therefore, Q/A wasn’t able to progress through test plans efficiently, and we couldn’t conduct extended playtests until late in development".
Design and graphics
Being a direct sequel, Saints Row 2 has many similarities with Saints Row. Developers on the game worked alongside some core members from the Saints Row development team, meaning that they were able to "learn from the mistakes" in Saints Row and talk to its development team about what should be looked out for. The game has noticeable improvements in comparison with the original Saints Row. Lead producer Greg Donovan stated that " Macro scale [improvements] would be technological; we've given the engine a complete overhaul, so we're able to push the technology a lot more. We're not having any of the issues that were experienced towards the end of development on Saints Row [...] I think the visual quality is layers above that on Saints Row, and I think much of that comes from the fact that we were able to work closely with the team behind Saints Row. Lead designer Scott Phillips commented that "There isn't anything that we didn't touch, rethink, polish and improve from Saints Row". Textures and dynamics have been reworked so the city looks more realistically detailed and colourful. 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. The game is considered "over-the-top", 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". He went on to say that "In the early stages of development we had some really crass stuff in the game [...] There was a lot of stuff we had in that didn't register very high on the human decency scale, so we dialed some things back". Donovan also commented that "[Saints Row 2 is] all about over-the-top memorable moments [and] hyper-realism".Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
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." Non-playable characters perform realistic actions such as 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 systems could not support two people interacting that closely. There are over 20,000 hand-placed nodes all over the city. 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.
The game became subject to comparison with sandbox-style action game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, which has notable similarities with Saints Row 2. The close proximity of its release date to GTA IV
Writing and casting
The story of Saints Row 2 was put together by three of Volition's script writers. The final script had roughly 80,000 lines of dialogue, which was twice the amount of dialogue used in Saints Row. The story has a strong cultural and cinematic influence; developers have stated that the game's story was influenced by Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's critically acclaimed 1994 film, Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
. 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
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
." 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". 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". Tsai said that "from a storytelling standpoint, it's been very liberating. [...] The attitude of the main character is very empowering this time around. The story was written in three parts, Saints Row 2 being the second of these three. Tsai said of the story, "Saints Row 2 will definitely have its share of surprising moments in the story, but I don't want to say whether we're going to do anything that would be a cliffhanger of the scale that you saw at the end of Saints Row, at the risk of doing a spoiler [...] We needed to make a very compelling story but one that is still accessible to people who haven't played the first, so we have to bridge that gap between people who did play the first, those who didn't play the first, and create a good entry point".
The characters in Saints Row 2 are highly stylized and have different personality traits and identities. In an interview, Tsai said that "In Saints Row 2, we definitely had the general ideas for the characters down first because we had our story that we wanted to tell, and we knew that certain characters are needed to service these roles in the story. As far as the personality quirks and the way the characters are expressed in cut scenes, a lot of that does come back to the voice acting, how do they say things, what are their mannerisms, you try to anticipate what they're going to do. You also have some leeway when you're doing the lip synch in the cut scenes, so definitely, it's kind of a two-way street. You have the base role for the characters, and the actors were great about reading who the characters were and coming in prepared for the roles and understanding what we wanted to do with them, but also letting them infuse some of their own personality into it and put their own spin on the characters as well." He also stated that "All of the actors took hold of their roles and brought them a real sense of weight and personality that they didn't have previously. It's a pretty amazing process to build a character from scratch, design their look, create them, put them in game, and then when voice is finally recorded to see that character become a real person in the world." An array of popular film and television stars voice characters within the game, such as Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
, Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr is an American actor and stand up comedian. He is known for his role as Professor Rick Payne in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, the title role in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried, which ran from 2008 to 2010, and the back-stabbing sports agent Bob Sugar in Jerry Maguire.-Early life:Mohr was...
, Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
and Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
.
Soundtrack and audio
The soundtrack of Saints Row 2 is a diverse selection of music, featuring roughly 170 tracks played through the in-game radio system. There are twelve radio stations the player can listen to whilst in a vehicle or at an in-game crib. Stations will play different genres of music, such as alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, hip-hop, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and 1980's pop
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
. A particular radio station, My Radio 85.5, allows the player to create a custom soundtrack from the music featured in the game. Musical artists such as Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Lamb Of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
, My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
, Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
and Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
have some of their works featured in the game. Lead audio designer Frank Petreikis stated that "We've doubled our budget for more current and big-name talent for the programmable radio stations plugged into the gameplay. We have a dozen in-game stations with a broader variety of music genres and twelve or thirteen tracks per station for 150-plus songs, compared to 140 in [Saints Row]".
An objective for developers was to try and depict the Ultor Corporation as a large presence within the media of the game. As such, many of the in-game radio advertisements promote Ultor-branded products; demonstrating how Ultor maintains control over the city. 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. 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. Many of the in-game commercials went through several drafts and developers found this writing process to be a challenge. The in-game radio was used as a way to effectively tie-in the over-the-top atmosphere of the game with the radio advertisements. Lead designer James Tsai stated that "As far as the commercials go, you'll definitely find that humour in Saints Row 2. We're making a concerted effort to tie it to the game world, and what happens in the world".
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.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. In early April 2008, American film actor Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
became part of the marketing campaign for the game. 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. Two additional Busey clips were released at the end of April 2008, demonstrating heavy weapons and police response 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
Replay value
Replay value or replayability is a term found in combination with video games, but it may be also used to describe other kinds of games, movies, music, or theater plays. In video games, the term replay value is used to describe the entertainment value of playing a game more than once...
. 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. A fourth trailer was released in mid-July 2008, showing some of the customization options available in the game. Two Busey clips were also released in mid-July, demonstrating groin attacks and improvised weaponry in gameplay. In late July 2008, American pornographic actor
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
Tera Patrick
Tera Patrick
Linda Ann Hopkins, better known as Tera Patrick is a former American pornographic actress.-Early life:Tera Patrick was born Linda Ann Hopkins in Great Falls, Montana. While at Boise State, Patrick earned an AAS degree in nursing and a BS in Biology.-Career:Patrick moved to New York City and her...
became part of the marketing campaign for the game. A "Developer Diary" video was released featuring Patrick presenting the game. 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. Two Busey clips were released at the end of August 2008, demonstrating customization and flying in gameplay, and the improvised weaponry clip was re-released alongisde them. An additional Busey clip was released in early September 2008, demonstrating motorcycles in gameplay. An eighth trailer was released in early September 2008 previewing the co-operative gameplay, featuring in-game recreations of American presidential candidates Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, the former of which won the presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. The official launch trailer was released in early October 2008, a week before the game's release, taking another look at the storyline.
The "Pimp Your Crib" contest launched on July 17, 2008 for residents in the United States, offering prizes such as a 46" Samsung
Samsung Group
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
and a Logitech
Logitech
Logitech International S.A. is a global provider of personal peripherals for computers and other digital platforms headquartered in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland. The company develops and markets products like peripheral devices for PCs, including keyboards, mice, microphones, game controllers...
cordless precision controller. The "Summer of Bling" contest launched on August 21, 2008 for residents in the United Kingdom and Germany; first week prizes included a game-themed hip flask
Hip flask
A hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.-Description: Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel...
and bottle of tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
. The second week of the competition offered a radio-controlled helicopter
Radio-controlled helicopter
Radio-controlled helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training...
. THQ and WorthPlaying launched a competition offering the winners a chance to attend the Saints Row 2 Multiplayer Event in San Francisco, USA and have their thoughts published in an article. A T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
design competition launched on September 19, 2008 hosted by British fashion label Joystick Junkies which tasked the competitor to design a themed T-shirt; the winning entry was featured in the downloadable content pack Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed is an episodic expansion pack for the sandbox-style action-adventure video game Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. The first of three planned downloadable content packs, Ultor Exposed was released via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for the...
. The third run of the "Summer of Bling" contest launched on September 19, 2008 offering the Joystick Junkies-themed shirts as prizes. The "Trick Your Pack" tool launched on September 23, allowing the player to create their own box art for the game. The fourth run of the "Summer of Bling" launched on October 4, 2008 offering an Ultor-themed Flak jacket
Flak jacket
thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...
. Another contest launched on October 10, 2008 offering a gold-plated Xbox 360 Elite console with the "Gun Pack" collector's edition of the game. On November 6, 2008 a competition launched in Australia offering an airbrushed 60GB PlayStation 3 system.
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
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
Gamer's Day, Comic Con
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
, PAX '08
Penny Arcade Expo
The Penny Arcade Expo is a semi-annual gamer festival held in Seattle and Boston. PAX was created by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic, because they wanted to attend a show that gave equal attention to console gamers, computer gamers, and tabletop...
, GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
Expo '08 and Leipzig Games Convention
Games Convention
The Games Convention, sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention and abbreviated as GC, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment...
. In addition, Saints Row 2 provided funding and marketed itself with the Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
Music Tour. Saints Row 2 also supported Movember 2008
Movember
Movember is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com...
, an Australian fundraiser for men's health. In November 2008, THQ signed a deal with Massive Incorporated
Massive Incorporated
Massive Incorporated is an advertising company that provides software and services to dynamically host advertisements within video games. Massive Incorporated was purchased by Microsoft in May 2006 for approximately $200 million to $400 million....
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.
Retail versions
Money clip
A money clip is a device typically used to store cash and credit cards in a very compact fashion for those who do not wish to carry a wallet.-Metal :...
, 1GB gold bullet USB memory stick
USB flash drive
A flash drive is a data storage device that consists of flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus interface. flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g...
with buddy icons and wallpapers and content including a basketball singlet, videos, a Saints ID card and a "Saints Rule" book. The "Gun Pack" unveiled in late August and contains a copy of the game, a poster, an art book and a USB
Universal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
stick with wallpapers and icons, packaged in a gun-mould case. The Saints Row 2 "Gift - Buka Edition" is exclusive pack for Russia and CIS
CIS
CIS usually refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a modern political entity consisting of eleven former Soviet Union republics.The acronym CIS may also refer to:-Organizations:...
packaged in standard DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
-box and includes a limited edition art book, two posters and 1GB gold bullet USB memory stick with buddy icons and wallpapers.
It is worth noting that whilst the Xbox 360 version of the game contains the usual Achievements, the PS3 version of the game doesn't contain Trophies, meaning that cheats can be put into the game onto the PS3 version of the game, without the risk of Trophies being blocked.
THQ confirmed to Big Download that a Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
port of the game was in development on June 2, 2008. 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. The official specifications were unveiled on December 16, 2008.
Although a setup guide for the Steam digital distribution platform was posted, the port was delayed on Steam after minor issues, while the retail version was released in North America as planned. 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". 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". 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.
The port underwent marketing with the release of a PC launch trailer on January 8, and a patch for the port was confirmed on January 22. The patch was made available on January 26 after the release of the European version, correcting some graphical and technical issues while allowing a possible 20% performance increase.
On July 16, 2009, Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
announced that their music would feature in a PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
port of the game which would be released in March 2010. However, there has been no official confirmation on this from Volition or THQ.
Downloadable content
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, followed by a picture pack on December 18, 2008. A premium theme was also released on April 23, 2009.
The first downloadable content pack, Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed
Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed is an episodic expansion pack for the sandbox-style action-adventure video game Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. The first of three planned downloadable content packs, Ultor Exposed was released via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for the...
, was released on April 23, 2009. The pack adds new customization options, vehicles, multiplayer maps, and a competitive multiplayer metagame
Metagaming
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game...
. The pack features American pornographic actress Tera Patrick
Tera Patrick
Linda Ann Hopkins, better known as Tera Patrick is a former American pornographic actress.-Early life:Tera Patrick was born Linda Ann Hopkins in Great Falls, Montana. While at Boise State, Patrick earned an AAS degree in nursing and a BS in Biology.-Career:Patrick moved to New York City and her...
, who plays herself as a former microbiologist
Microbiologist
A microbiologist is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists...
for the Ultor Corporation who calls upon the protagonist to help her expose the evils within it. The second downloadable content pack, Corporate Warfare
Saints Row 2: Corporate Warfare
Saints Row 2: Corporate Warfare is an episodic expansion pack for the sandbox-style action-adventure video game Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ...
, was released on May 28, 2009. The pack adds new customization options, including in-game recreations of the finalists from November 2008, vehicles, multiplayer maps, and a competitive multiplayer metagame. The pack focuses on the struggle between the Saints and the Ultor Corporation, featuring Ultor's executive Eric Gryphon and head of security Dex Jackson, a former Saint from the original game. The third and final downloadable content pack, The Unkut Pack, was released on June 12, 2009 for free, adding over sixty new Unkut-themed clothing and tattoo items. The DLCs are available only for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Reception
Critical reception
The console version of Saints Row 2 has received generally positive reviews. The PC version was relatively less well received due to frame rate issues and visual pop-in. 1UP.com1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave the game a B, stating that it "relishes the hedonistic aspects of the open-world genre", that it has "plently of innovation" and that the "excellence in the presentation makes the world of Saints [Row] 2 a great introduction for newcomers to open world games".Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
gave the game a 9/10, stating that it "is one of the most ridiculous and enjoyable games of the year".GameInformer gave the game an 8.75/10, stating that "in its own silly, b-movie way, it's a damn fun game" and a "profanely good time".GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game an 8.0/10, stating that "from beginning to end, this is one of the most fun urban chaos games out there" and that it will "keep you happily creating havoc for a long time". GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
gave the game four and a half stars out of five, stating that it "offers up a shooting and driving experience that is plenty of fun" and that it is "self-consciously funny in its irreverence" and "will definitely appeal to much of its audience". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
US gave the game an 8.2/10, stating that "the core gameplay experience is extremely enjoyable". IGN AU gave the game an 8/10, stating that it is "big, dumb fun". IGN UK gave the game a 7.5/10, stating that it "demonstrates that there is still plenty of mileage to be eked out of open-world games" and that "there's certainly enough here to keep any fans of sandbox violence entertained". PGNx Media gave the game a 9.6/10 and an Editor's Choice Award, stating that "In terms of pure, unadulterated fun, Saints Row 2 is in a league of its own". MS Xbox World gave the game a 9.5/10, stating "There are lots of games out this holiday season, and Saints Row 2 should be one of the games that you play, as there's nothing at present that can rival its madcap adrenaline fueled flamboyance". Ben Croshaw
Ben Croshaw
Benjamin Richard "Yahtzee" Croshaw is an English comedic writer, video game journalist and author of adventure games created using Adventure Game Studio software. He writes articles for Australia's Hyper magazine, a major games publication...
of The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
, who is known for his 'Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and published by the online magazine The Escapist.-Background:...
' reviews, gave the game a favourable review and awarded it as his personal Game of the Year, stating that he "had more fun with it than any other 2008 release." The game was awarded "Game of the Year 2008" by JustPressPlay.com. It also came runner-up in GameShark
GameShark
GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, who actively markets GameShark products for the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Sega game...
's "Xbox 360 Game of the Year" and "Overall Game of the Year". PlayStation Beyond gave it a rating of 9.5/10, praising its high degree of customization and "a huge range of ways to put your unfortunate adversaries out of their misery".
Among positive acclaim, some publishers gave the game generally negative reviews. Edge Magazine gave the game a 5/10, stating that "few of the game's details will stick in your mind for long, and its pranky focus means it rarely gives you anything interesting to do with the toys on offer". GamingNexus.com
GamingNexus.com
Gaming Nexus is a multiplatform videogame website that operates out of Columbus, Ohio. Its coverage is focused on reviews and news, although the website does offer previews and other articles...
gave the game a C+, stating that it "has to mature, or make a more convincing argument that it's never going to – and never has to – grow up". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
flagged the game as "racist, misogynistic, crude, cynical, humorless and stupid" and labelled it the worst game of 2008, despite previously giving the game a B and calling it "a larcenous good time".
The game did not gain a favourable response from New York City officials and police. City spokespersons requested that the game be pulled from shelves upon its release; NYPD union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
boss Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch is the name of:*Patrick Neeson Lynch , Catholic bishop during the American Civil War*Patrick Lynch , Irish Roman Catholic bishop...
criticized the game, stating that "these horrible and violent video games desensitize young people to violence while encouraging depravity, immorality while glorifying criminal behavior". Jack Thompson, a former Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
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". On Tuesday, October 14, 2008, the game's US release date, candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder
Leslie Crocker Snyder
Leslie Crocker Snyder is an American lawyer and former judge, most notable for her challenge of Robert Morgenthau in the Democratic Party primary for the Manhattan District Attorney election in 2005. Morgenthau did not seek re-election in 2009. Snyder ran again. Once again she finished second,...
and others spoke out against the game, surrounded by police union members who support her bid. Gov. Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
signed a bill in July 2008 requiring prominent display of age ratings on video games and mandating parental control on game consoles by 2010.
Sales
Media reports for Saints Row 2Dead Space (video game)
Dead Space is a survival horror third-person shooter video game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was made available on Steam on October 20, 2008...
and becoming the sixth-best selling title in October 2008. In an interview with Game Daily, THQ director of marketing communications Rob Cassel announced that the majority of these sales were from the Xbox 360 system, which sold approximately 270,000 units compared to 95,000 for the PlayStation 3. From THQ official fiscal results for 2008, Kotaku reported that the game shipped over two million units by early November 2008. According to Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz in January 2009, the game's sales results were well below expectations. He stated that "Previously we had been optimistic that the franchise could break the 1 million mark, given its launch on two platforms. The original Saints Row sold roughly 750,000 US units during its first four quarters in release on a single platform at a much earlier point in the console cycle". THQ financial results in February 2009 concluded that the game had shipped over 2.6 million units by February 2009, after the game was ported to Windows in January. THQ experienced a $431 million loss in revenue in May 2009, but shipped a further 200,000 units for the game, totalling 2.8 million units. From Saints Row 2s sales, the series has had worldwide sales in excess of six million, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. Due to its financial earnings, the game has joined the Xbox 360
Platinum Hits
Platinum Hits is a term used to refer to a line of select Xbox games that were considered by Microsoft to have sold considerable units on the platform in the nine months after release, and have dropped in price from their original MSRP to a newer, lower price, generally that of US$19.99, although...
and the PlayStation 3
As of September 2010, Saints Row 2 has sold over three and a half million units worldwide.
External links
- Saint's Row™ 2 at PlayStation.Com