Saint's Row 2 Preview

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.