Saint’s Row 2 – PS3 – Preview 2

Things sure can change when you are
in a coma. That’s what the protagonist of THQ’s Saints’ Row 2 finds out.

THQ held an event in Las Vegas on
Thursday to give journalists a chance to play the game. The weather outside the
Four Seasons Hotel was hot, but while the hotel room may have been much cooler,
the action mirrored the Las Vegas environment.

Saints’ Row 2 picks up the action in
a prison where a key member of the now-defunct Saints’ gang rouses from a coma.
He, or she, finds out that a corporation has renovated the city and the
gang that once seemed to rule the roost is no more.

It seems our protagonist was caught
in an explosion and has been hooked up to life support for a couple of years.
The game’s first level revolved around rousing from the coma and then being
“unveiled.” Just before this moment, another prisoner – the victim of a shanking
– is wheeled in. The medic in charge begins to take the bandages off to reveal
you – which segues into character creation.

Character creation allows players to
pick a gender, race, body build and age. While not overly deep, you will get the
opportunity later on to refine your looks when you visit a plastic surgeon. The
surgeon offers a much deeper ability to tweak facial features than what you get
as the game begins.


The first goal is the prison break.
This segment acts as a tutorial more than anything else and is mostly confined
to melee and ranged weapon battles, across the rooftops of the prison and then,
once you hit the ground, you will be able to drive a vehicle, man a boat-based
machine gun and eventually you arrive at the city. It has been years since the
protagonist has been awake and the city has changed a lot. Notably, the Third
Street Saints are gone. With the city being built up, and no one to lead them,
the gang fell apart. There are a few new gangs in the area, but you – as the
former prisoner – are left in a wide-open world starting anew.

From there you buy clothes, and
discover, while in a bar, that Johnny Gat – a prominent member of the Saints –
is at the courthouse, about to be sentenced. The next quest is obvious – free
him.

While the game is mission driven,
there is still an expansiveness that makes for an entertaining romp. You can
access the forgive-and-forget machines to erase notoriety, for a price, and
dying will also cost you to be revived at the hospital. The coin does not flow
as easy as it evaporates.

Saint’s Row 2 is really not for the
faint of heart. You can be as bad as you want to be. If you want to ease through
the game, fracturing as few laws as possible, that is your prerogative. However,
even when you jack a vehicle, driving with little regard for other vehicles or
even pedestrians often gets you from point A to B faster. As you progress down
the mission path, collected under the title of 3rd Street Saints (and then
divvied up into subclasses such as the Appointed Defender, in which you bust
Johnny out of the courthouse), you will unlock items.


Remember, this is an expansive city,
so there is lots to explore and do, and that does not mean just the prominent
main quests. SR2 is rife with side quests. Jack a car that is carrying a
passenger and you may be able to run a ransom race (drive fast, with the police
in hot pursuit, until the hostage antes up some currency).

Graphically the game does fine. It
does not stretch the PS3’s graphics capabilities, but the rag-doll physics do
provide a sense of entertainment, and the GPS tracking is a valued resource. The
GPS will provide waypoints to various activities (all accessed through the pause
menu), and that means there is no need to wander aimlessly about – unless you
truly want to. You can find plenty to do in this game.

The music is tied to the 10 radio
stations, while the main themes can go from gangsta to rap, with a few stops in
between, and the voice work is actually not bad. Again, the rating on this game
will reflect the language used as well as the violence. But because there are
four races involved, as you switch races, you also get fresh vocal tones. This
is a nice touch.

The heads-up display (HUD) has
several elements. Not only is your health bar prominently displayed, but you
also have a respect meter. One you earn enough respect, you unlock missions.
Earning respect comes in several different ways. You can perform driving stunts,
which are under the Diversion HUD, to earn some quick respect. Diversions
include Collection, Jobs, Stunts and Minigames. There are 10 minigames ranging
from Blackjack to streaking to zombie uprising. Stunts include combat tricks,
driving stunts and base jumping.

The character customization elements are also key. You could throw on anything
and play the game, but you can also earn style points for upgrading the look.


While SR2 is an action title, the
game does have some arcade elements infused into the world. Icons appear on the
map and in the environments to let you know what is available. You can collect
ammunition and such as you work through the world, as well.

The game has so many objectives
sprinkled throughout its length. There are more than 40 hoods you can take over.
And the game is full of character. At a point early in the game, after a new HQ
is secured for the Saints, the following conversation takes place …

“So, what do you think?”

Misgivings are expressed.

“Oh, a stripper pole, some plasma
TVs, nicer furniture …”

“You had me at stripper pole.”

That becomes a bit of a running joke
in other conversations that take place during the game.

Once you unlock your hideout , you
can use it to customize your gang style and vehicles.

Saints Row 2 has the potential to be
an entertaining ride. The build played was not complete, but still THQ looks to
be on track with this title.