Saints Row 2

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Saints Row 2
Developer(s)	Volition
Publisher(s)	THQ
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows[1], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date	NA October 14, 2008[2][3]
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse, Gamepad

Saints Row 2 is an upcoming sandbox-style action-adventure video game for Microsoft Windows^[1], PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is being developed by Volition, published by THQ and is due for release on October 14, 2008.^[2][3]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Location 3 Gameplay 3.1 Customization 3.2 Gangs and characters 3.3 Activities and diversions 3.4 Weapons 3.5 Vehicles 3.6 Multiplayer 4 Development 4.1 Marketing 4.2 Collector's Edition 4.3 Soundtrack 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Plot

The game is set an unconfirmed amount of years after the events of Saints Row. However, roughly 15 years of development would've been necessary to get Stilwater to where it will be in Saints Row 2. The protagonist was disfigured from the climax in Saints Row, and undergoes plastic surgery, giving the player the chance to create or recreate their character. ^[4]. The plot will continue on from the first game with "a much darker and more sinister story that leads your character down a path of betrayal, revenge and redemption against the city that has left him for dead." ^{[5][6] [7]} A preview by GameSpot states that the game is centered around the rebuilding of the 3rd Street Saints gang some time after the release of the first game with three new gangs now in power around the city of Stilwater. Troy Bradshaw is the new police chief. Julius Little is confirmed in an article on IGN, and Johnny Gat is said to be on death row in the same article. This has led some fans to believe Johnny is in the prison island that will be appearing in the game.

[edit] Location

Main article: Stilwater

The new Stilwater is roughly 150% of the size that it was in Saints Row. New locations include a graveyard, trailer park, university and a new marina. There will also be a prison island west of the inlet that separates the two halves of the city, much like Alcatraz. The new Stilwater will now be powered by a new nuclear power plant. There will also be underground sections of the city. There will be major expansions to the west of Stilwater, particularly Misty Lanes. Saints Row has been turned into high rise buildings and apartment blocks. There will be a new suburb called Waterman Plains, with a rural feeling to it. The seaport that dominated the southern areas of the southern island has crumbled into the ocean and has been abandoned.

[edit] Gameplay

The entire single player campaign will be playable in online co-operative mode. The game will include additional weather effects. Pedestrians will be much more responsive to both environmental stimuli (such as opening umbrellas at the sign of rain) to possibly crowding around someone that has just been shot, allowing the player to use the distraction to get away. Alternatively, the player can attempt to use other characters in the game as human shields.

[edit] Customization

Character customization has made from the original game, with the option of playing as a female character. You can also customize how your character walks, talks and holds their weapon. Personal modifications eg age, height, weight etc can also be changed. A new feature in the game is a taunting system; the player can insult and incite the people of Stilwater.

Vehicle customization will remain the same, except perhaps with slightly more detail. It has been confirmed that the player has the ability to tune the performance of their car.

Gang customization has also been confirmed^[8], but little information is known at this time.

Crib customization is a new feature in Saints Row 2, allowing the player to buy up to nine^{[citation needed]} locations around Stilwater, varying in size, and upgrade them with three pre-set designs. The player can also buy objects to be placed in their cribs eg furnishings, electronics etc. These cribs can serve as a hang-out for fellow gang members.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gangs and characters

Main article: List of characters in the Saints Row series

Saints Row 2 will feature some new faces and some old characters from Saints Row.

A game trailer introduces a corporation called Ultor Unlimited (first featured in the Volition's earlier game Red Faction). Dane Vogel is CEO of the corporation, and will play a role in the storyline, the 'big boss' who is trying to take down the four gangs that are still in power through town. The corporation was referenced in Saints Row at different times. The Ultor Arena, one of the southern island's major landmarks, appears in the game, as well as Ultor's very own brand of sunglasses. The Stilwater Police Department has been overrun by employees of Ultor, acting as patrollers, and also as the helicopter drivers, SWAT team etc. It is safe to assume that Stilwater would have been almost the same as it was in the first game if the corporation had not risen to power. The company has spent millions cleaning up and rebuilding Stilwater, however, some areas have still deteriorated and become deserted e.g. Stilwater Marina. The company is largely responsible for the clean up and reconstruction of the city in the game, turning beach side neighborhood Saints Row into an urban utopia.

The 3rd Street Saints are still active in the game, however, with the extinction of the Vice Kings, Westside Rollerz, and Carnales, three new gangs have risen to power in Stilwater:

• The 3rd Street Saints: They are the first gang and are the only surviving gang from Old Stilwater. The main character is now leader of the Saints, who have fallen into despair and have been almost completely wiped out.

• The Sons of Samedi: They are based in the new trailer park district of Stilwater. Gang members are primarily of Caribbean descent. Their gang color is green. They specialize in the drug business. The Sons of Samedi derive from Baron Samedi, the Voodoo Loa of death.

• The Brotherhood of Stilwater: They are the third gang. The Brotherhood are a biker gang that wears red. The Brotherhood is based on the Aryan Brotherhood. They specialize in destruction and violence.

• The Ronin: They are an Asian gang, and mainly hail from Chinatown. The gang's color is yellow. They specialize in gambling and prostitution rackets. In Japanese, 'ronin' simply translates as a samurai who is without a master or leader.

According to Volition's Greg Donovan, the gangs will feel more 'unique' than they did in Saints Row. They will be more various in their strategies and styles, with more realistic personas and members. Said Donovan in an interview with TotalVideoGames.com-

“

You're going to know which gangs you're fighting at the time, and you'll have to change strategies when fighting one gang against another.

”

[edit] Activities and diversions

Saints Row 2 will feature two different gameplay modes aside from the main storyline^[9]; activities and diversions.

Activities were first seen in Saints Row, illegal actions like street racing, drug trafficking etc for earning money, and also Respect, in-game currency used to progress through the storyline. Saints Row 2 includes a number of new activities, and also previous activities which appeared in Saints Row. However, original activities have been touched slightly, making them different then they originally were in Saints Row. Activities will now span out over six levels, instead of the eight that were seen in the first game.

Diversions are mini-activities new to the Saints Row world, which can be performed any time, any where. Diversions involve the player carry out small actions eg pulling stunts in vehicles, BASE jumping, racing and killing people in unique ways. Minor criminal misbehaviours also count as Diversions, taking hostages, hijacking vehicles, theft etc.

[edit] Weapons

Many old weapons from Saints Row will be appearing in the game, however several new weapons will be included in Saints Row 2. The player can now pick up and use objects from the environment as melee weapons.^[10] Dual-wielding has also been introduced on SMGs and handguns.

Some new weapons in Saints Row 2 are chainsaws, flamethrowers, katanas, stun guns and shock paddles. Remote-detonated limpet mines are introduced, and can stick to walls, vehicles and even people. ^[11]

[edit] Vehicles

Saints Row 2 introduces new ways of exploring the city, most notably giving the player the opportunity to take to the skies and the sea. Boats, planes, helicopters and bikes are among some of the new modes of transportation appearing in Saints Row 2.^[11]

[edit] Multiplayer

Not much information has been released about Saints Row 2 in regards to multiplayer, but GameSpot reported that in regards to the multiplayer aspects of the game, Volition and THQ have "learned a lot from the first game and won't be making any of the same mistakes again".^[10].

[edit] Development

THQ has stated that with Grand Theft Auto IV due out prior to the release of Saints Row 2, they plan to allow Volition enough time to completely finish the game in order to obtain the best quality game possible. Additionally, the streaming engine has been improved to reduce the amount of "pop-in" due to spawning distances that were criticized in the first game. New weapons will also be available for playable characters in the game.

On May 28, 2008, THQ announced that Saints Row 2's release would be pushed back by about two months, from August to October 2008, for "product quality and marketing considerations".^[2][3]

[edit] Marketing

Marketing has begun on the game, with online movies starring Gary Busey^[12]. Two full-length trailers have also been released, one detailing some of the new weapons and vehicles to the player, and another detailing some of the new activities and diversions available in the game. Initially, a short forty-second teaser was released.

[edit] Collector's Edition

A Collector's Edition of the game has been confirmed, and online gaming website GameStop list a Collector's Edition in their product listing.

[edit] Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Saints Row 2 is presumed to differ from that of Saints Row, and rap song 'Man Up' has been confirmed and is presumably one of the theme songs for the game.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Saints Row 2 site
• Volition, Inc. home page
• Saints Row 2 page at THQ
• Saints Row 2 To PC page at THQ

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