Tuesday 02 Dec 2008

Play the first hour of this game and you might just think it is Saints Row (the original game) all over again. Play another four hours and it becomes apparent that this has been fine tuned to very nearly reaching perfection. So, have they gone the GTA4 way? Nope, they don’t seem really worried about what Rockstar is up to as they are pimping a different brand of chaos.

Satchel charges attach to cars form rolling bombs; explosions send enemies, cars and nearby fences raining from the sky; and an AI with a sense of humour sends pedestrians vaulting over seven foot fences in vain attempts to flee your wave of destruction.

Instead of being handed a character, your very first objective is to create the character that will stand by your side for the rest of the game, even though you are still playing as the same character that you played as in the original Saints Row. So, how in the world can you change the look of your character if it is supposed to be the same person? Well, very cleverly they make it clear that a bomb exploded in your face and that you required plastic surgery. Once you’ve chiseled some good looks from your flambéed noggin you pick your clothes and even your walk – from crazy shuffle to pimp strut – and taunt. The taunts range from positive remarks like “Everything is A ok” to your vulgar colourful concoctions of a middle finger…which is one of the more polite negative taunts.

From there you are dumped straight into the middle of the action as you escape from the hospital gunning down all guards until you make your way outside with a massive gathering of cops trying their utmost best to shoot you down.

Basically it continues from where you last played in the first installation in the franchise as you yet again head-up The Saints. The church, your save haven in the previous game, is no more and you are out to find a new hideout. You do so by eliminating some homeless people in an abandoned underground shelter and then restructuring it with the help of Johnny Gat (who you rescued from prison after leaving the hospital). The three main rival enemy gangs are back: The Sons of Samedi, The Brotherhood and The Ronin (and a fourth gang which you will encounter later in the game), all with their own unique styles and all out to take The Saints down.

The original Saints Row made an attempt to take some thunder from the GTA franchise and as a result failed in most aspects. In this game they have really worked on their own unique concepts. To do missions you need to earn respect and to earn respect you need to complete activities. Throwing yourself in front of cars, throwing people off buildings, playing as a cop and eliminating crime your way, driving a sewage truck spraying properties with sewage disposal, protecting drug dealers, assassinations and many other activities keep you intrigued. The options have quadrupled.

Once you have enough respect you are then on to the missions, which have been given a mature overhaul. The original Saint Row’s script is like an angry teenager with Saints Row 2 being the matured 25 year old. Instead of every second or third word being a swearword, it now handles the dialogue with some substance, giving it more meaning and getting you much more involved with the story this time round. At one point one of your good mates is kidnapped by The Brotherhood and dragged behind their car while you try and bring the car to a halt. Once you get that done and make your way towards your mate you realize that he is pretty much near the end of his life and you have no option but to watch your character put him down like a dog by sticking a bullet through his head.

The shooting mechanics have not really changed, with the “circle” button being pressed, bringing up a selection of all your weapons and food (to replenish health) and selecting the weapons in a circular motion with the left analogue stick and the food with the four directions of your D-Pad. It works very well all-and-all and has not been tampered with. Once you have selected your gun, it is a simple application of aim and shoot, which is exactly like the first game.

Driving vehicles has also not changed but there are some very welcome additions to the game that really makes it shine. Motorbikes, boats, helicopters and airplanes are all there for your enjoyment. In a sense one nearly feels as this is actually the genuine follow-up to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with everything you are capable of doing. Base Jumping, Poker Games, Black Jack Games, Car Surfing, Fly-bye’s (with a chopper)…it’s all there and is an absolute pleasure!

Now, all of this is loads of fun but anyone with half a brain would realize that if you could do this with a mate by your side it would be more fun. Volition realized this and added drop-in and out co-op to the game, which includes the main mission. Once you play that this game suddenly becomes the next best thing to Gears of War when it comes to co-op as the mechanics just work so freakin well! Rockstar can but dream of this in GTA. I applaud Volition. Not to mention that there is also your normal deathmatch multiplayer modes in it.

But there is one small little problem surrounding all the goodness…the graphics seems to have stagnated. Also, Stillwater is still the same Stillwater you played before with some new sections added like the airport which now has a function. So, it all feels…well…very same-e. It just looks exceptionally drab in comparison to GTA4 and that is a little bit of a bummer. It is not terrible, if it was on the PS2, but this is the PS3 people.

So, all and all this is a fantastic game let down by the graphics. If graphics aren’t that important to you and you love these free-roaming sandbox games then this should definitely sit next to your copy of GTA4. For bare-faced silliness Stillwater is now a top destination.

Pros: Fly planes and choppers; improved storyline; throwing people off buildings.

Cons: Mediocre graphics; some difficult missions.

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Contributor:	Dawid

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