Saint's Row 2 - first impressions [Archive]

Virtual Machine

10-05-2008, 07:55 AM

Managed to spend about an hour or so with Saint's Row 2 a few nights ago.

Thus far i'm really not impressed. There's some good, the robust character creation tool from the first game is back, which is great (and your ingame avatar is no longer a mute), but the whole thing is cocked up something fierce. There's no separation for male and female options, which basically means you can make a 400 pound black man with a Pippy Longstocking hairdo. guys with breasts, chicks with mountain-man beards, yep, multiplayer is gonna be "interesting". It feels sloppy, though i get the feeling it was a deliberate choice, done to push the "MORE EXTREME THAN GTA!" Agenda.

The opening scene was also dull as dishwater. The Prison Escape hearkens back to the PS2 generation, games like Dead to Rights, and just feels dated and archaic. The control scheme is ported over from the first Saint's Row, which works well enough, but shares the same problems the first one did. Technically it's solid, not the bug ridden mess that Mercs 2 was, and the framerate stays pretty consistent.

The presentation suffers as well, bland menus, generic music, adequate but far from fantastic visual effects. The narrative is also no where near as solid as it was in the original game (something Saint's Row did extremely well was keep you interested in the plot), this time it seems to have been overshadowed by tongue in cheek parody, and of course, the EXTREME nature of it all. The gangs don't seem as interesting or as memorable character-wise. Things may take off here, or i'm hoping they do anyway.

Graphically, it's not a pretty game at all. It's the first game with some grittier textures and slightly improved lighting. Don't expect miracles, you won't get miracles.

I haven't touched the multiplayer as of yet, so i can't get into any detail there, but that was one area the first game managed to trump GTA4 in, so i'd assume this one will be at least as good.

Overall there's just not much there for me to recommend the game as a purchase. Much like Mercenaries 2, it will probably offer gamers a distraction for a few days before it gets tired. If you HAVE to lay mitts on an open world game a la GTA3 (not in the same league as GTA4, not even close!), you could do a lot worse. My advice? Save your cash and grab Farcry 2!

DangerousDaze

10-05-2008, 08:21 AM

I just saw a clip this morning on a UK TV show called "Playr". I wasn't too impressed to be honest but then I never really liked GTA either. There was a clip of your character on a wetbike pulling up to a pier and climbing off - and by "climbing off" I mean disappearing from the bike and reappearing instantly, standing on the pier. That's pretty cheap right there and doesn't give me a lot of confidence as to the game's overall level of polish.

Stoke

10-05-2008, 02:31 PM

Vandabo

10-05-2008, 03:16 PM

Were there funny minigames, like insurance fraud and rampages? That was one of the big things for me in the first one. I also get obsessed in these games with finding the 'hidden packages/pigeons/cds' so I figure I'll do whatever that is in this one.

Virtual Machine

10-05-2008, 05:16 PM

My question to you after seeing this is, Did you like GTA4? I'm looking forward to SR2 and haven't picked up GTA4 since it's not what I'm looking for, and I think we may be looking for different things.

Oh i loved GTA4, i think it's a marvel of design and execution - that said, i found it ran out of momentum about 2/3rds of the way through, and the friendship system was a gigantic pain in the ass. I was, however, a HUGE fan of the original Saint's Row - which had just the right mix of tongue in cheek and gritty realism, combined with an interesting three pronged narrative that served to drive the game forward and to keep it interesting. SR 2 ramps the absurdity factor to the max, basically trying to be the polar opposite of GTA 4. The (EXTREMELY!) over the top nature is a dealbreaker for me. I don't mind a bit of carnage, but when you get into cartoon levels of rediculousness, i check out. It's like the "Larry the Cable Guy or Jeff Foxworthy" of open world games.

Telefrog

10-06-2008, 12:17 AM

I played this for about 30 minutes at PAX. I suppose it was an earlier build because the models exhibited some horrendous clipping with the environment. (Heck, in one firefight I got into, a cop was actually floating above a rock while shooting at me!) The issues people are seeing now sound like not much changed from what I saw.

Meh. I'll probably pick this up cheap after the new year.

Sandman

10-06-2008, 12:31 AM

I enjoyed the first one with the group we had going but from what you described with the options for creating an avatar it sounds more like it will attract the crowd I'd want to avoid on xbl.

Deadend

10-06-2008, 12:37 AM

Well, does the game seem open-ended on how you do things... or open like GTA IV where the missions were so heavily scripted making it impossible to... say shoot out the tires on a guys getaway car before he runs to it, or not going into the subway to escape from the cops during a bank heist, or chasing down a biker that can't be hurt until you reach the park. In GTA IV... the Open World HURTS the missions, as the areas for missions are poorly designed for the missions.

I also think that SR2 is meant to be played with a friend and while not stone faced sober.

pomeroy

10-06-2008, 01:12 AM

I enjoyed the first one with the group we had going but from what you described with the options for creating an avatar it sounds more like it will attract the crowd I'd want to avoid on xbl.

Try and tell me you don't want to play this online with civil.

You can't. Because you know his creations would be amazing.

JayK47

10-06-2008, 05:10 PM

Damn it all. I was looking forward to this game. I was REALLY looking forward to coop. But it sounds like another Mercs 2 letdown this holiday season. Honestly, will we get any decent console games this season? What is left for me to give a crap about? Fallout 3? God I hope that doesn't disappoint. I too am turned off by over the top Mountain Dew wannabe realism. Hopefully a demo is available.

So how did you get your hands on this game already?

pomeroy

10-06-2008, 05:17 PM

Honestly, will we get any decent console games this season? What is left for me to give a crap about? Fallout 3?

Left4Dead.
Gears 2.
Dead Space.
Mirror's Edge.
Guitar Hero World Tour.

I'd say there's a LOT coming out this fall...

JayK47

10-06-2008, 09:57 PM

There is a lot coming out. I know. But will they be any good? A lot of games I am keeping an eye on will end up disappointing like Mercs 2 and Too Human. But games like Fallout 3, Saints Row 2, Left 4 Dead, Gears 2, Fable 2 and Far Cry 2 I will have a hard time with not living up to expectations. All I can do is hope they end up good. But when impressions and reviews show otherwise, you can't help but feel a little bit betrayed by all of the broken promises for what should have been a great game. Christmas is both my favorite and least favorite time of the year. So much coming out, while so much is a disappointment. Every... damn... year...

Virtual Machine

10-07-2008, 11:33 AM

Then you get into those games that you LOVE, and feel very strongly about, but were of course assreamed by critics - we seem to get 2 or 3 of those every year.

Mine for last year was Assassin's Creed.

Rest assured, Saint's Row isn't one of those.

National Kato

10-07-2008, 11:56 AM

It's like the "Larry the Cable Guy or Jeff Foxworthy" of open world games.

Oh, christ. No thanks. That's a shame, really. I liked GTA4, but thought the continued insistence/reliance on potty humor was stale. If Saint's Row ups the ante, it's just going to frustrate me more.

Inspector Fowler

10-07-2008, 01:23 PM

Oh, christ. No thanks. That's a shame, really. I liked GTA4, but thought the continued insistence/reliance on potty humor was stale. If Saint's Row ups the ante, it's just going to frustrate me more.

+1 for this. GTA4 was getting serious enough that it could be taken on its own as a crime story. The potty humor was like having a Seth Green cameo in The Godfather.

Virtual Machine

10-09-2008, 03:20 PM

Karak

10-09-2008, 04:31 PM

Played another hour and change today - and that's the end of that. I can't in any good conscience recommend this turd to anyone. It's busted, buggy, ugly, horribly written, ugly, buggy, and did i mention ugly and buggy? There really isn't a whole lot to redeem it. It feels clunky, even in comparison to the first game.

The screen-tearing is absolutely ridiculous. This is horribly disappointing for me, as I've always been a Volition-booster before now.

I hold onto hope for Red Faction.
Sadly here is where you and I disagree:( I have enjoyed my last 7 hours with this. 1 freeze during the second cutscene aboard the boat.
I really enjoyed the voice acting. To me ( I chose the Aussie) it is a step above. I have been having a blast with the main missions but the side missions are intensely fun. But here is where you and I totally part company. I have found this to be Saints Row 1.5. The graphics are the same or a bit better but its is just filled with things to do. I mean its what I felt GTA4 should have been.
I am also sad because I would have liked to play co-op if you on this game.

Fubl

10-09-2008, 04:45 PM

I dont know why everyone is expecting a miracle game from this. the first one passed under alot of peoples radars. I was one of those who was sick of the forced stuff you had to do in the GTA series. For the most part for the main story you run and gunned in SR. In Gta: san andreas (compareing at the time the latest version to SR1) you had the Danceing sequences and such. I dont have a problem if this is SR 1.5 because i found my fun in SR1.

Virtual Machine

10-09-2008, 05:45 PM

Sadly here is where you and I disagree:( I have enjoyed my last 7 hours with this. 1 freeze during the second cutscene aboard the boat.
I really enjoyed the voice acting. To me ( I chose the Aussie) it is a step above. I have been having a blast with the main missions but the side missions are intensely fun. But here is where you and I totally part company. I have found this to be Saints Row 1.5. The graphics are the same or a bit better but its is just filled with things to do. I mean its what I felt GTA4 should have been.
I am also sad because I would have liked to play co-op if you on this game.

That day may come, me being an anal retentive completist who will probably HAVE to keep this game on my shelf because i own the first and rarely trade off anything.
But yeah, i was totally hamstrung by the screen tearing and the really horrible (read Xbox 1) interiors. That and the story in the first just felt so much better to me.

We can agree to disagree, i won't hold it against you if you don't hold it against me ;)

Wedge

10-09-2008, 06:39 PM

Karak

10-09-2008, 06:41 PM

That day may come, me being an anal retentive completist who will probably HAVE to keep this game on my shelf because i own the first and rarely trade off anything.
But yeah, i was totally hamstrung by the screen tearing and the really horrible (read Xbox 1) interiors. That and the story in the first just felt so much better to me.

We can agree to disagree, i won't hold it against you if you don't hold it against me ;)

Never and maybe my sheer inability to navigate ingame can inspire you to laughter if we ever play together.

Virtual Machine

10-09-2008, 07:00 PM

Reviews are starting to pop up. IGN (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/918/918374p3.html) seems to think it is pretty good. Personally I'm skipping this one until there is a dead period and it is available for cheap.

Can't really find anything to argue with in IGN's review - he pretty much nailed it. But the excessive nature of the gameplay, combined with the aforementioned bugs were obviously more of a dealbreaker to me than they were to him. I'd give it more of a 6.5 or 7.0, but i'm a low scorer anyway.

Karak

10-10-2008, 09:59 AM

Holy cow.

The light doth shineth. This game is fucking amazing. Last night I sys linked 2 Xbox360's and did co-op.

You never really understand co-op like this until you get into the game where you can do anything and go anywhere like Crackdown. Its just amazing. We played for 9 hours.
No crashes(That was nice). Amazing time. We ended up getting in a contest to throw passerbye's into traffic and see how far they shot. We ended up stealing a plane and doing loops under the bridge of Still Water. We got into food fights. Played Dueling Motorbikes on the bridge seeing who launched the farthest when we crashed. We raced boats through the harbor, we unleased hell on cops for over an hour.

We laughed till we cried when my character(Transvestite with the drunk face and purple makeup) tried to show off his/her pimpwalk and actually got beat down by pimps only to be saved by my pal the crankfiend muscle man with the high girls voice who drove in on a harley and ended up sticking one of the pimps onto his handlebars and drove off with him still screaming.
This game needs replay.

We had fun.
Last night was what games are fucking about.

JayK47

10-10-2008, 01:39 PM

Holy cow.

The light doth shineth. This game is fucking amazing. Last night I sys linked 2 Xbox360's and did co-op.

You never really understand co-op like this until you get into the game where you can do anything and go anywhere like Crackdown. Its just amazing. We played for 9 hours.
No crashes(That was nice). Amazing time. We ended up getting in a contest to throw passerbye's into traffic and see how far they shot. We ended up stealing a plane and doing loops under the bridge of Still Water. We got into food fights. Played Dueling Motorbikes on the bridge seeing who launched the farthest when we crashed. We raced boats through the harbor, we unleased hell on cops for over an hour.

We laughed till we cried when my character(Transvestite with the drunk face and purple makeup) tried to show off his/her pimpwalk and actually got beat down by pimps only to be saved by my pal the crankfiend muscle man with the high girls voice who drove in on a harley and ended up sticking on of the pimps onto his handlebars and drove off with him still screaming.
This game needs replay.

We had fun.
Last night was what games are fucking about.

Thanks Karak. Perhaps the game isn't as bad as Virtual Machine says it is. I'll keep an eye on reviews and hope for a demo. If nothing else, I'll wait for it to drop down to $30 or so and pick it up.

Mortis

10-10-2008, 01:43 PM

People said the same kinds of things about SR1 and I had more fun with it than I have had with any GTA game, including 4. The GTA games aren't bad, I just had more fun playing the game overall with SR1. Playing SR2 in co-op is going to be awesome.

Karak

10-10-2008, 02:48 PM

Thanks Karak. Perhaps the game isn't as bad as Virtual Machine says it is. I'll keep an eye on reviews and hope for a demo. If nothing else, I'll wait for it to drop down to $30 or so and pick it up.

Well each to their own. And I mean it when I say it, technology sucks this time around. I have gone through 3 PS3's at my work and no 360's. I am probably the only person who can say this. So just because Saints DOES NOT crash on me but does on VM doesn't mean it doesn't crash. That's what sucks anymore with technology.

I will say this.
If it runs and you enjoy anarchy and over the top its just a fucking hoot. I will have stories for months to come about last night. We even named 2.

The Great Ball Splitting of October the 9th, and Drive a Pimp of a Cliff and then shoot him in the water only to have him crushed by the car you were driving as it falls off the same cliff.
Gawd damn good times.

Deadend

10-10-2008, 03:06 PM

So... it's a B-grade game compared to Mercs 2 C list and GTA IVs A-lister?

If it was a movie, it would be Shoot Em Up?

Karak

10-10-2008, 03:20 PM

So... it's a B-grade game compared to Mercs 2 C list and GTA IVs A-lister?

If it was a movie, it would be Shoot Em Up?

No it is FAR better than Mercs 2 and I actually like this.
It has more going on, tons of explosions(not the enviroment sadly) and even more to do.
It would be The Rock.
Mindless action with a fucked up looking main character running around and accidently winning.

Deadend

10-10-2008, 03:24 PM

No it is FAR better than Mercs 2 and I actually like this.
It has more going on, tons of explosions(not the enviroment sadly) and even more to do.
It would be The Rock.
Mindless action with a fucked up looking main character running around and accidently winning.

Well, Shoot Em Up as in kinda silly. The Rock was SRSSLY SRS.

But I am glad it's better than Mercs 2, which the demo of... well, it brought back memories of playing the first one... as it was the same game in HD. In fact, Mercs 2 felt like a 1st gen 360 game.

Talanvor

10-12-2008, 01:56 AM

To me, GTAIV had better presentation and storyline than SR1. But the actual gameplay mechanics, if you can ignore the bugs anyway, were better in SR1. The driving was better, I didn't feel quite as handcuffed as to how to complete missions, the world had more life in it (such as the sales at shops, doing robberies, the gang turf wars, etc), the goddamn chase missions actually had an indicator to let you know you were going to fail, rather than just randomly deciding the mission's over. That right there pissed me off more than anything about GTAIV, even more than the friends system.

Initially, seeing those commercials about all the X-Treme!!! stuff you could do in SR2 kind of turned me off, but hopefully they'll be putting out a demo soon so I can see how it plays.

I'm guessing you don't get to keep your money/bling from the first game? That would have been nice.

UnderHero5

10-12-2008, 03:58 PM

Saints Row 2 looked cool to me until I bought the first Saints Row.
I didn't buy SR1 until after I had already played and completed GTA4 (the first GTA I ever actually finished). I just couldn't like Saints Row. Everything about it felt amateur and broken. The running animations and player movement were horrible. The driving physics felt like crap. The graphics were terrible. Not to mentioned I encountered more bugs within the first 15 minutes than I have playing the entirety of my 360 and PS3 collection (not exaggerating. My first car ride ended with my vehicle getting stuck in the middle of the road and going invisible for ~3 minutes, then finally turning visible again and exploding soon after).

I'm definitely not trying to hate on the game, or series. When I first started seeing stuff about SR2, I was excited. The premise and ideas are great. It looks like there are a lot of fun things to do in it. Once I played the first, however, I lost all faith in the second game. If driving alone is similar to the first game, then I want nothing to do with it. The car physics felt like a low budget PS1 driving game, if that.

I just couldn't have fun with the game. It all felt so poorly made. I know it's all about the fun, and production value definitely doesn't come first... but when the basic mechanics of the game feel broken, I just can't have fun with it, no matter how many cool things there are to do in the game.

I'm still doing to hope for a SR2 demo. Hoping they fixed the core things that I felt were poorly done in the first.

IncredibleScott

10-12-2008, 11:47 PM

Saints Row 2 looked cool to me until I bought the first Saints Row.
I didn't buy SR1 until after I had already played and completed GTA4 (the first GTA I ever actually finished). I just couldn't like Saints Row. Everything about it felt amateur and broken.

I agree the glitches and the driving physics are pretty awful, and I don't expect you to go into SR2 expecting much else in that regard. Among many people, Saints Row is a hit or miss game.

I was able to look past much of it it though, and while it doesn't have the big-budget feel of the GTA series. The fun activities, character/car customization, and territory control were what shone for me in the first game.

From what I played at PAX 08 and from much of the previews, it looks like the dev team built much on what made the first game very fun. The character creator has many more options (there's a couple of Youtube videos of a player playing as the Joker), your able to customize your gang in many different aspects, crib customization, more vehicle customization, a better plot, and there's the addition of aircraft and motorcycles.

It's a shame this comes out the same day as Dead Space :(. Both games look fantastic.

Karak

10-13-2008, 09:19 AM

A little bit more.

I am digging ALL the pads you can buy in the game. It seems like they took the stuff people liked and just turned it to 11. Each pad has a totally different feel and after unlocking 1 during a missions I literally could not believe how big it was. I mean its a damn building. It's massive. It's actually a tad too massive but my friend who is playing loves it. So each to their own.
Then you can change the gangs AND their cars. So when you call for help they come in vehicles you designed. It gives a good feeling of flow to the game.
I think you guys will dig this big time.

Mashidar

10-13-2008, 10:18 AM

I have my copy for the 360 on the way for Gamefly. I wanted to check out the multiplayer this time around because I did enjoy that in the first one.

Virtual Machine

10-13-2008, 11:15 AM

Glad you're digging it Karak. I just can't get into it.

Will probably get my "gold" back sometime this week or next and give the multiplayer a try.

I put it on par with Mercs 2 personally.

Karak

10-13-2008, 11:30 AM

Glad you're digging it Karak. I just can't get into it.

Will probably get my "gold" back sometime this week or next and give the multiplayer a try.

I put it on par with Mercs 2 personally.

Ah that's cool.
I am a firm believer in each to their own for sure. For me this hits my
Stupid over the top, co-op destroy shit button nicely.

I am still trying to decide if I like or dislike Mercs 2...

Karak

10-13-2008, 11:33 AM

I have my copy for the 360 on the way for Gamefly. I wanted to check out the multiplayer this time around because I did enjoy that in the first one.

The MP is a damn site to behold. I like this even more than Crackdown which is FUCKING stupid as Crackdown is amazing.
Last night we had the two of us driving about 70 with a 4 star rating and hit a sloping fountain/mounument. We end up in the air, like 100 feet the car on fire and both of us without speaking eject. The car slams into the armored trucks waiting for us and gave us just enough time to steal another car and get away.
We died within view of a Forgive and Forget, both of us sprinting towards it and ended up getting killed by a fucking minivan that was on fire and blew up in front of us.
Pure Bliss

Soap

10-13-2008, 11:42 AM

Things to do in Still Water:

1) Join Fight Club! (What's Rule #1 about Fight Club?)

2) Zombie Uprising! (Video Game that is in your crib. Surprise it's about fighting Zombies)

3) To be added in later....just work on 1 and 2 first.

JayK47

10-14-2008, 05:26 PM

Gamespot liked it if you give a damn what they think;) They gave it an 8.0. I'm thinking I'll be picking this up sooner than later. I may have a friend who is interested in coop play, so that would definitely seal the deal. I like games that let you customize, and it sounds like this game lets you do plenty of that. I also plan to pick up Dead Space hear pretty soon. I'm about to be overwhelmed in gaming goodness. I suddenly feel sick. I think I'll have to take a few sick days;)

Fubl

10-14-2008, 09:36 PM

Karak

10-14-2008, 10:32 PM

I started earlier. got two missions done and just started exploreing. God this game feels huge. Did a few mayhems, completed the domes fight club, Completed the HO-ing mini game to get the pimp suit, Ohh and crowd control is hard but Enjoyable nothing like being a bouncer and throwing someone into an oncoming train
.

There are all kinds of wicked things. Its like a mini game simulator in a game, simulating a mini game.
Ha joking but there is a shit ton to do.

Fubl

10-15-2008, 12:18 AM

yeah i know just bought the frat house. Ive still only done the 2 missions. just finished one set of the septic avenger missions, lvl 5 for crowd control is hard....but you do get to throw people into Jet engines for fun or up Luggage conveyer belts

IncredibleScott

10-15-2008, 12:47 AM

I've been playing this the whole evening, really enjoy it so far. The customization options are incredible.

It's also interesting comparing the game world with the original Saints Row. Te designers did a really good job fleshing out a decent story (very different than the generic story in SR1) and making the environment feel like a lot really has changed. I can barely recognize some of the old areas, while there are still a few familiar landmarks here and there.

While it's certainly far from GOTY material, it certainly racks up there with some of the better games this year.

Also, some of these new activities are a blast! Crowd Control and Trailblazing a lot of fun!

Mortis

10-15-2008, 11:37 AM

Played it last night alone for a bit and for 4 hours in co-op, pure awesome. This game is just flatout fun, even more than the first. The variety and customization options are great, there are a TON of activities I have not even done yet (can't wait to base jump). I really like how it's the same city but updated in areas, it feels familiar and fits in well with the story. Voice acting and dialogue so far are great, funny and well written.

Technically I have only seen some very minor glitches so far which is good. Graphically I was surprised, the cutscenes sometimes suffer a bit but in game it looks pretty damn good. Animations look better and the gunplay is pretty solid. I have not had to turn vsync on yet, I barely get any tearing on my display, maybe certain areas have more issues with this but it has not been a problem for me. The framerate does drop fairly often but never approaches a crawl, even in mass chaos.

With only 6 hours played I can say that this is one of the best games of the year. You should give it a shot, unless you don't like fun.

Fubl

10-15-2008, 11:50 AM

i was just playing some coop with lekon. Getting mroe activites done ITs great. Coop makes fight club alot easier. so after about an hour this is just great.

Restlessavenger

10-15-2008, 12:11 PM

I hope TRU has this game tonight. For some some reason their site lists the game as releasing on Friday.

Mortis

10-15-2008, 12:18 PM

I hope TRU has this game tonight. For some some reason their site lists the game as releasing on Friday.

Good luck man, I went to 2 local stores and they had the worst selection of games I had ever seen. The only new game they had was Fracture. It wasn't like the good games were sold out, they just didn't have any. :( Last year they were great and had all the new releases. Probably just my area though.

Restlessavenger

10-15-2008, 12:21 PM

Elrik Murder

10-15-2008, 12:35 PM

Good luck man, I went to 2 local stores and they had the worst selection of games I had ever seen. The only new game they had was Fracture. It wasn't like the good games were sold out, they just didn't have any. :( Last year they were great and had all the new releases. Probably just my area though.

Not just you my friend. The only one near my city is terrible. The last time this deal came around I was hoping to snag Odin Sphere and the Orange Box. Mind you, the Orange Box had only been out for a 1.5 weeks, but the employee helping me had no idea what I was talking about. They even had posters up for games from the previous holiday season. So, I just stopped by Best Buy, gave it a shot with the ad in hand, and they honored it. If your frustration has peeked I suggest doing the same. I'll give them a shot, but most likely I'll be taking my own advice.

Mortis

10-15-2008, 12:38 PM

So, I just stopped by Best Buy, gave it a shot with the ad in hand, and they honored it. If your frustration has peeked I suggest doing the same. I'll give them a shot, but most likely I'll be taking my own advice.

Really? Damn I wish I would have know that, I already bought Saints Row 2 and Dead Space. Good info and worth a try for anyone with the same problem.

Deadend

10-16-2008, 12:12 AM

Wow, ignore the naysayers. Saint's Row 2 is FUN. The plot is weaker than GTA IV... but like the trailers for the game say "would you rather bowl with Roman... or throw fanboys into helicopter blades?"

Restlessavenger

10-16-2008, 12:56 AM

Picked up the game after work and spent the last hour or so with it. I have to say I am having a lot of fun with the game thus far. Like the first game it has it's fair share of bugs, but the variety of things to do and the sheer joy of causing chaos makes it well worth the purchase.
Of course the fact that I got it as a part of the TRU deal doesn't hurt.

Mortis

10-16-2008, 10:48 AM

Co-op trailblazer and co-op insurance fraud = pure fucking win.

Telefrog

10-16-2008, 11:16 AM

Hmmm. I may have to eventually pick this up sometime after the holidays. It sounds fun, but frankly, there are too many games this season I really want to play.

National Kato

10-16-2008, 11:36 AM

Telefrog, I literally had SR2 in my hands when I went to pick up Dead Space yesterday. I decided against buying it. I've been reading the impressions on this site and seeing some of my 360 friends playing it last night...and today, I drove past the local retailer and almost stopped in. Again, I forced myself to conserve cash as I already have the following preordered:

Far Cry 2
Fallout 3
LittleBigPlanet
Fable 2

I just can't buy this now amidst all of those. I just hope when I do get around to playing it, other people still will be online and playing.

Karak

10-16-2008, 12:41 PM

How do you upgrade the MAIN saints row 2 Underground Crib. I can't find the major upgrade point.

pseudopseudo

10-16-2008, 03:13 PM

Karak - as far as I can tell, you can't. I think that it's something that'll progress as you get further in the main storyline. On a pad upgrade note - I'm glad that once you buy the best option for the home restyling, the cheaper ones automatically unlock for you.

I played this damn game until 6am this morning. I'm hooked all over again. I don't know why, but I'm digging the activities a lot more than I did in the previous game. I LOVED Fight Club, the Septic Avenger is hilarious, and FUZZ has some of the most ridiculous lines ever.

"We need backup - pirates and ninjas are fighting."

JayK47

10-16-2008, 05:12 PM

"would you rather bowl with Roman... or throw fanboys into helicopter blades?"

That is an easy answer. I'd prefer to toss tossers into helicopter blades :D

Picked this up along with Dead Space. Damn. Console gaming is expensive. When you realize two games cost well over $100, it busts the balls a bit.

Restlessavenger

10-16-2008, 05:17 PM

All I have to say is that any game that gives you an achievement for shooting 100 dudes in the balls is ok by me.

Karak

10-16-2008, 07:50 PM

Anyone who wants co-op give me a hit on xbox
Malanthrax
I jump on for some multi-great game

Alkanos

10-16-2008, 07:54 PM

I've been really thinking about trying this out, but I never played the first game. :( Should I play 1 first or just skip right to 2?

Karak

10-16-2008, 07:56 PM

I've been really thinking about trying this out, but I never played the first game. :( Should I play 1 first or just skip right to 2?

Skip to 2.
THough for the price 1 can be had for a steal. They are both good games man. Really good.

Gerbs

10-16-2008, 11:34 PM

A commercial for Bukake Ninja followed by Paramore? Sold!

bean

10-17-2008, 01:31 AM

The graphics engine sometimes is disappointing (oddly moreso in certain "cut scenes" than in actual gameplay), but I'm really loving the game. It's more of the same from the first game but I loved the first game, and it has improvements.

If you loved Saint's Row; you'll love the sequel. If you didn't like it, you won't like the sequel.

I've only played a few hours, but I've already played the hilarious Snatch activity again, but I've also played a new activity where you drive a four-wheeler that shoots rockets and gain more time in a race as you blow crap up. Another great new game mode that I loved has you riding along in a septic tank truck shooting crap all over buildings.

Mortis

10-17-2008, 08:28 AM

Last night my friend and I stole one of the prop planes from the airport, our plan was to skydive into the city. I jumped first and did some air tricks before opening my parachute, then I heard my friend let out a "nooooo!", he had been hit and killed by the out of control plane on his dive. While laughing I glided toward the ground with my parachute, suddenly I noticed a hitman target appear on the map, I landed about 10 feet from him and mowed him down. That's how you execute a hit right there, pro. :D

I haven't been able to find where you customize your gang either, I have unlocked a different type of homie that can be selected when you choose your gang style. We have only done two or 3 story missions so far though so it might open up later.

Another thing I really love is seeing what you unlock for doing level 3 and 6 of activities. Almost everything you do in the game unlocks something cool, I got a kobra handgun and infinite handgun ammo last night, they're awesome dual wielded. The game also keeps a list of what you unlocked and how so you can tell others how to get things.

Restlessavenger

10-17-2008, 10:18 AM

I haven't been able to find where you customize your gang either, I have unlocked a different type of homie that can be selected when you choose your gang style. We have only done two or 3 story missions so far though so it might open up later.

I know you can get car customization when 15% and 45% of all hoods are taken over. Not sure about the gangs themselves.

Mortis

10-17-2008, 10:25 AM

I know you can get car customization when 15% and 45% of all hoods are taken over. Not sure about the gangs themselves.

Nice, where do you do it? Does something appear at the HQ? We only have a small percentage of hoods right now, we are focusing on activities to get the bonuses and unlocks.

Restlessavenger

10-17-2008, 10:47 AM

Nice, where do you do it? Does something appear at the HQ? We only have a small percentage of hoods right now, we are focusing on activities to get the bonuses and unlocks.

I'm not too certain really. I just read it from GameFaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/code/939458.html) listing of unlockables.

Wilkz07

10-17-2008, 10:55 AM

I did like GTA IV as well as the First Saint's Row and so far what I've played I am enjoying SR2 more than the first and slightly more than GTA IV.

There is more to do in SR2, the activities alone have kept me busy so much so that I haven't even finished the prologue section. Character customization is greatly improved over the first game and driving is slightly better. Plus it has drop-in/out co-op which is always great.

SR2 will keep me busy for awhile.

CES

10-17-2008, 12:46 PM

Nice, where do you do it? Does something appear at the HQ? We only have a small percentage of hoods right now, we are focusing on activities to get the bonuses and unlocks.

All the customisation options are in the Hideout, on the main floor. Regardless of what you unlock, you use it there.

bean

10-17-2008, 10:10 PM

All the customisation options are in the Hideout, on the main floor. Regardless of what you unlock, you use it there.

By the main floor, he means down in the main floor of the hideout which is of course down a shit ton of stairs.

CES

10-17-2008, 11:12 PM

By the main floor, he means down in the main floor of the hideout which is of course down a shit ton of stairs.

That too. It's down 5 or so flights of stairs, where Gat plans to put in the stripper pole. There's a little room with a bar just off of it, the gang/vehicle customisation is there.

The HQ seems to upgrade itself depending on how many missions you've done.

Wilkz07

10-18-2008, 03:25 PM

382 civillians killed and still going strong. Just bought the University crib and wanted those fackers off my dock!

JayK47

10-19-2008, 10:14 AM

I'm glad I gave this game a chance. I'm loving it. It did crash on me once though. The original one did too. These are the only games that have ever crashed my 360. And it requires me to get off my ass and turn the system off at the console. A hard core crash. Besides the crash, which will keep me saving frequently, the game is fun. So much fun it crashes my 360;)

bean

10-19-2008, 11:19 AM

So I'm nearly done with the game now, and I've sampled most of it's treats if not devoured them. My game is only at 66% completion, but I have beaten 2 of the 3 rival gangs and have the 3rd on the ropes with 46 missions completed. Here are some more thorough impressions.

There are a ton of activities both new and old in the game that are a great deal of fun. These are things to do outside of standard missions like the "Snatch" game where you steal hos from pimps and bring them back to a brothel you have an interest in, or have escorts ride along with you while they trick and you avoid crazy news teams. You can also race cars, do a 4-wheeler race that extends your time the more things you blow up (you are indestructible and your 4 wheeler shoots rockets), ride along with a drug dealer protecting him, pretend to be a cop for a COPS parody and brutally fight crime, fly an attack chopper in assault, blow things up in mayhem missions, take tons of damage in insurance fraud activities, and I'm sure there is more I'm forgetting. The point is that there are tons of fun things to do outside missions. Plus, they are rewarding. Completing all 6 stages of a Fuzz mission unlocks the best pistol and unlimited ammo for it. Do the other 6 Fuzz (this is the police brutality activity) and you unlock the best shotgun and unlimited ammo. Very cool stuff.
Oooh, the ones I'm forgetting are actually among my favorites, so I'll mention them here (I beat them all is why I forgot). Fight Club is what it sounds like, you beat people up using melee in a cage match. Demolition Derby is back and now you can upgrade your derby vechicle each time you win. Septic Avenger has you driving around town spraying crap on things to lower their property value, hitman has you doing special hitman like things to draw out hitman targets, and chopshops ask you to steal and deliver specific cars.
If that isn't enough for you, there is also a really nice real estate bit to the game. In addition to buying cribs, you can buy docks and an airport hangar as garages for your helicpoters, planes, and boats. Plus, if you "own a hood", you can buy stores in that hood that increase your daily take.
The radio leaves a bit to be desired honestly. There are some great songs on there, but there is no talk radio station and thus less comedy to enjoy. Plus, by now I'm really tired of the good songs because I've heard them all a bunch. They should remove a lot of the crappy regae and hip-hop to get more songs everyone likes.
The story of the game is pretty much what you would expect. There are surprises and they rely too often on old characters from the first game. It makes sense to me, and I enjoy it, but people new to the series are not going to care about characters that have not been given much time in THIS game.
Customization is much more advanced, and I'm loving it. This is not only true for your appearance, but you can also customize your fighting style, your gang's appearnace, your gang's cars, and your cribs. People on the streets react to your appearance too, which is fun.

I'm glad I gave this game a chance. I'm loving it. It did crash on me once though. The original one did too. These are the only games that have ever crashed my 360. And it requires me to get off my ass and turn the system off at the console. A hard core crash. Besides the crash, which will keep me saving frequently, the game is fun. So much fun it crashes my 360;)

I never had this issue with either version. Are you using the auto-save feature? I turned my 360 off once (stepped on DVD remote controller) and only lost about 5 minutes of game time. I think it is saving when you are on the mission complete screen. . . unlike other games with auto-save, I never really see the "save". Nice and seamless.

Psykoboy2

10-19-2008, 12:33 PM

Fuck that fuzz bullshit.

I can't even complete the 3rd stage of that shit and I've been working on it all morning.

CES

10-19-2008, 12:47 PM

Fuck that fuzz bullshit.

I can't even complete the 3rd stage of that shit and I've been working on it all morning.

If it's chainsaw bonus footage they want, just mow all but one down using another weapon and chainsaw the last guy. Quick, easy and you still get most of the bonus. Level 3 is the hardest of all FUZZ challenges because your equipment sucks. Level 4 and up you unlock the rest of the weapons.

Fubl

10-19-2008, 02:45 PM

Level 6 i run out of time on one of them. Im almost 20 hours in and ive done 8 missions. I have alot of the side stuff done though.

pseudopseudo

10-19-2008, 05:07 PM

Fuck that fuzz bullshit.

I can't even complete the 3rd stage of that shit and I've been working on it all morning.

Really? I mean... really?

I thought all the Fuzz stuff was really easy. I think I had to restart Level 4 (or 5?) once, because the last batch of people (environmentalists or something) had rocket launchers, and owned my shit.

My brother's a madman... he's finished with almost all the side-missions, and I think he's maybe done one or two of the actual storyline missions.

One thing I can't stand about SR2 - to me, the multi is basically broken. I can't stand it.

Purple Santa

10-19-2008, 07:03 PM

I didn't like the first SR but not sure if I gave it much of a chance. The second lured me in since I love GTA like games and if I can go and blow stuff up etc, i'll give it a try. I just started so not sure if the love will last but...loving it so far. I'm just fooling around killing innocents and collecting some cash when I do. The destruction part is fun...eventually I guess I will try the missions...but this game is going to keep me busy.

Fubl

10-19-2008, 08:55 PM

I am around 42% and have yet to do more than 10 missions. only have about 8 neighborhoods. im down to very few activites left. Im nto even going to bother with the races.

National Kato

10-20-2008, 01:48 AM

It's better than I expected. I'm only about 10% through, with only 3 neighborhoods, but the number of diversions and integrated co-op will keep me coming back.

I know I've complained about the amount of 'lowest common denominator' humor in the trailers, but I've seen less dick and fart jokes in my first few hours than in the first few minutes of GTA4.

Pesikar

10-20-2008, 07:25 AM

Mortis

10-20-2008, 08:34 AM

I finished all the main activities and the hitman lists Saturday. Going to have to chip away at the story missions when my friend is available because I want to do 100% of those in co-op. I did about 50% of the activities alone. The game just doesn't get old, there is always something to do and it is all fun.

pseudopseudo

10-21-2008, 01:57 PM

How is the handling of the cars compared to Saint's row? I didn't really like the handling in SR, although I got used to it. And the top speed of most of the cars was way to low, is it higher in this version?

Reading all your impressions makes me want to buy this game.

The handling of the cars is almost identical to SR1... except maybe a little tighter. The speed really depends on what car you drive. Most can get pretty wicked fast, and they even have cruise control in SR2 - if you want to concentrate on driving/shooting and not the gas, you just hit the Left Bumper to set the speed.

I ususally just use my pimped out sport motorcycle. It's pretty much the only vehicle that I can still control to a T when going at max speed.

I'm at exactly 50% progress in the game - I've already completely taken out the Sons of Samedi and the Brotherhood. I think before I move on, I'm going to finish as many of the activities as I can. I've already bought all the cribs (the lighthouse is pretty sweet once you pimp it out), and I'm working on buying all the businesses.

There's WAY too much to do in the game, it seems.

National Kato

10-21-2008, 02:29 PM

I love the ability to customize your vehicles individually. I added rims on my car that, at a certain speed, push rotating spikes out of the sides. Deathrace 2008. :D

Vandabo

10-21-2008, 03:22 PM

It started out slow for me, but now I'm really having a good time with this one. I've had 3 lockups so far, and the cutscenes look like ass, but the gameplay looks fine.

Insurance fraud was once again hilarious. The bonus for one of them is infinite sprinting, which is probably the best perk in the game.

Also, if you BASE jump and hit the center circle, you get a perk that totally negates your falling damage. So you can jump out of planes and off buildings without a parachute and take no damage.

I've only done about 3 of the story missions after the prologue, but I've done a bunch of activities. My plan is to get all the perks first, thus making the story missions a lot easier/more fun. It's working so far.

pseudopseudo

10-21-2008, 03:30 PM

Insurance fraud was once again hilarious. The bonus for one of them is infinite sprinting, which is probably the best perk in the game.

Also, if you BASE jump and hit the center circle, you get a perk that totally negates your falling damage. So you can jump out of planes and off buildings without a parachute and take no damage.

HOLY HELL. My brother and I were just commenting last night on how much more awesome the game would be if we were able to unlock those two things somehow. (Especially the sprinting.)

I'm going to have to try for those when I play tonight.

Restlessavenger

10-21-2008, 03:34 PM

I love the ridiculous rag doll physics in Insurance Fraud once you get your meter up. If you time a jump just right in front of a Semi you can float for a good mile and a half, bouncing off the hood of the truck every time you start to slow down.

Psykoboy2

10-21-2008, 03:42 PM

I'm kinda hoping Fable 2 doesn't show up tonight in the mail.

Restlessavenger

10-21-2008, 04:02 PM

I'm kinda hoping Fable 2 doesn't show up tonight in the mail.

I've already set Dead Space off to the side to get back to in order to play more SR2. I have a feeling that Fable 2 may go in the pile right next to it.

Inspector Fowler

10-21-2008, 06:34 PM

Wilkz07

10-21-2008, 07:55 PM

Spoilers - not sure how to do the hide text thing

ANyone doing the Ronin missions? How do you beat the one where they storm your hideout - have to keep the pillars intact. can't seem to complete it.

Fubl

10-21-2008, 08:21 PM

Okay for anyone takeing notes. Is the Brotherhood mission storyline kinda gruesome on how much violence goes back and forth.

Wilkz07

10-21-2008, 09:25 PM

Okay for anyone takeing notes. Is the Brotherhood mission storyline kinda gruesome on how much violence goes back and forth.

i've played only 1 and a half missions (got smoked) and they were all violent. blowing up stuff. but most of the missions are like that.

pseudopseudo

10-21-2008, 10:26 PM

...it said that we'd unlocked unlimited handgun ammo, but we definitely still had limited handgun ammo.

How do you take advantage of these? Don't tell me they're listed as cheats in the phone, are they? Why would I "unlock" something I can just get off Gamefaqs?

As far as I know, that just gets automatically implemented. I have the unlimited ammo for that as well, and I never had to actually do anything.

Okay for anyone takeing notes. Is the Brotherhood mission storyline kinda gruesome on how much violence goes back and forth.

The Brotherhood storyline is pretty damn gruesome. MAJOR SPOILERS!

In the 3rd or 4th mission, you steal some nuclear waste, and swap it with tattoo ink - Maero ends up getting a face tattoo with the waste, and it chemical burns that half of his face. In one mission, you're forced to mercy kill your lieutenant Carlos after he gets drug behind a truck by the Brotherhood. Also, towards the end you basically have Maero kill his own girl by locking her in the trunk of her own car - then Maero demolishes said car with his monster truck, not knowing she's inside.

neutralism

10-22-2008, 01:35 AM

I was on the fence about picking up this game until I came across this:

NSFW NSFW NSFW

MVgDXg9Wnf8

:D

Fubl

10-22-2008, 08:40 AM

okay im glad that i wasnt the only one who thought it actually went to the point of crazyness during the brotherhood.

dont forget the band guy getting his hand charbaqued on his own pyro. then the second to last mission him getting knocked out with a brick then i think getting the brick thrown at his head off camera.

Mortis

10-22-2008, 01:01 PM

So yesterday my buddy brought Saint's Row 2 over, complaining about how hard the FUZZ activity was. I beat all six levels for him, and it said that we'd unlocked unlimited handgun ammo, but we definitely still had limited handgun ammo.

How do you take advantage of these? Don't tell me they're listed as cheats in the phone, are they? Why would I "unlock" something I can just get off Gamefaqs?

It unlocks it at your hideout/house, you have to go there and select your gun then you will have unlimited ammo for it. Unlimited rifle and shotgun ammo kicks ass. Dead Space and Fable 2 are put aside nightly in my case as well when my friend comes online, SR2 co-op is probably the best co-op experience I have had.

Also I believe someone here invited me to a game last night, I was flying in heli assault with my partner (he still needs a few activities done) and was not able to respond.