Saint's Row 2 - first impressions

Virtual Machine · 10-05-2008, 06:55 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, 07:21 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, 01:31 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.

Vandabo · 10-05-2008, 02:16 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, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoke

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 · 10-05-2008, 11:17 PM

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 · 10-05-2008, 11:31 PM

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 · 10-05-2008, 11:37 PM

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, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandman

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, 04:10 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, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayK47

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, 08:57 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, 10:33 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, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virtual Machine

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, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by National Kato

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, 02:20 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.

Karak · 10-09-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virtual Machine

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, 03:45 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, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karak

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, 05:39 PM

Reviews are starting to pop up. IGN 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.

10-05-2008, 06:55 AM	#1
Virtual Machine Wasteland Ronin Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 752	Saint's Row 2 - first impressions 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!

10-05-2008, 11:17 PM	#6
Telefrog Natural 20's! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lakewood, WA Posts: 4,866 Blog Entries: 3	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. __________________ Gamertag: Telefrog \| Zunecard: Telefrog \| Steam ID: Telefrog \| Impulse: Telefrog

10-09-2008, 05:39 PM	#20
Wedge Resident Saint Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 563	Reviews are starting to pop up. IGN 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. __________________ It's a trick. Get an axe.

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10-05-2008, 07:21 AM	#2
DangerousDaze Clearly the worst blue Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2,178	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.

10-05-2008, 01:31 PM	#3
Stoke Not quite dead Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Little Rock Posts: 3,422 Blog Entries: 1	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.

10-05-2008, 02:16 PM	#4
Vandabo Guise srsly Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 6,199 Blog Entries: 1	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.

10-05-2008, 11:31 PM	#7
Sandman Libratorr Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Almost Florida Posts: 6,079 Blog Entries: 3	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.

10-05-2008, 11:37 PM	#8
Deadend Done Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Detroit Area, MI Posts: 4,145 Blog Entries: 2	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.

10-06-2008, 04:10 PM	#10
JayK47 On Ignore Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: plymouth, mn Posts: 2,819	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?

10-06-2008, 08:57 PM	#12
JayK47 On Ignore Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: plymouth, mn Posts: 2,819	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...

10-07-2008, 10:33 AM	#13
Virtual Machine Wasteland Ronin Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 752	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.

10-09-2008, 02:20 PM	#16
Virtual Machine Wasteland Ronin Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 752	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.

10-09-2008, 03:45 PM	#18
Fubl Colonist Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Rockville,maryland Posts: 1,015	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.