[Preview] Saints Row 2 - 10 hours of playtime!

[Knightshade Dragon]

I got to play Saints Row 2 with no PR folk in site for 10 hours straight!  I've churned out a little preview for ya:



Any questions?  (and yes, that is a picture of a hooker chainsawing another hooker in half...)

[Bullwinkle]

My eyes must be going funny.

[Knightshade Dragon]

My eyes must be going funny.

Eh?

[CeeKay]

OK, I call shenanigans...



there's no way a Pirate and a Ninja would be working together... the Pirate would have his cutlass stabbed through the ninjas throat, and the corpse would be dragged behind the jetski as the Pirate drove away.  I mean seriously, leave WBS and Damage's sexual fantasies out of the previews KTHANXBYE!



 

[happydog]

This was totally under my radar... now I have another game that I don't have time to play coming out. 

[Nth Power]

Should I play the original before I start the sequel?  This game looks fun and KD's preview makes it sound even more enticing.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Should I play the original before I start the sequel?  This game looks fun and KD's preview makes it sound even more enticing.

Well, the intro spells out pretty much all you'll need.  You won't have as much of a connection to guys like Johnny, but no biggie.

[Lockdown]

Great preview, Ron.

You sold me.  (well, the fact that it's got drop-in co-op multiplayer didn't hurt, either).

[Bullwinkle]

My eyes must be going funny.

Eh?

Your line about the hookers, right under the preview image was confusing, is all.

As for SR2, I'm IN.  I actually just finished the first one this week.  If you don't get bogged down in the activities (which I had for a long time), it's not too long of a game.  Not to say don't do the activities.  Some of them are very fun.

[hepcat]

   When i read your tag line for this preview my initial thought was, "10 hours!?!  It's THAT friggin' short!?  I'm OUT!". 

[kathode]

  When i read your tag line for this preview my initial thought was, "10 hours!?!  It's THAT friggin' short!?  I'm OUT!". 

Yeah I read the headline as indicating that the game ranged from 2-10 hours in length depending on how you played

[CeeKay]

hmmm... apparently I ordered the collectors edition-  I'll have to change that seeing as it doesn't have enough to warrant an extra 20 bucks.

[Fuzzballx]

Wow, totally gonna read that preview right now...this was already definitely a must buy on my list though.  Unlike any GTA games in history, i actually finished Saints Row 1 and had a blast all the way...

Neither can i say about any of the GTA games, and i've played (bought) them all..i never finished one and never had pure fun playing them.

Saints Row 2 is gonna KILL it.

[metallicorphan]

i really loved the first,and was also pretty much the first sandbox game i had completed


i do want this one as well,but from the trailers i have seen the graphics,look no where near as good as the first game(one trailer i saw it was the insurance jobs side missions i think and the guy throws himself in front of the train,but it looked nearly last gen)

am i right or am i just remembering SR1 too fondly?

[Knightshade Dragon]

i really loved the first,and was also pretty much the first sandbox game i had completed


i do want this one as well,but from the trailers i have seen the graphics,look no where near as good as the first game(one trailer i saw it was the insurance jobs side missions i think and the guy throws himself in front of the train,but it looked nearly last gen)

am i right or am i just remembering SR1 too fondly?

Graphics are vastly improved over the previous title.  I'm not sure what they did to those trailers or how old the build was, but trust me - the graphics are a far sight better.

[Caine]

  When i read your tag line for this preview my initial thought was, "10 hours!?!  It's THAT friggin' short!?  I'm OUT!". 

Yeah I read the headline as indicating that the game ranged from 2-10 hours in length depending on how you played

same here.

great preview ron, as always.  

i'm looking forward to this.

overall, does it play like sr1 in H2H, gunfights, and driving or did they change anything?  other than the hostage grab, of course.  what kind of odd weapons did you see?  can you still store and reuse vehicles in a garage?  what about the choppers?  control, variety, customization.  it's obvious they went with the lighter side instead of gta iv's realism, but how detailed are the environments?  how immersive is it?  what about the sounds and music?  little touches really helped liberty city come alive, so how well does stilwater compare?  

thanks as always ron.  there's a reason i go here first for previews and reviews.  

[Destructor]

great preview ron, as always.  

i'm looking forward to this.  

Same here. The worst part? I never played the first, yet I want to play the sequel. This looks to be the game that GTA IV wasn't (go go 'optional' man-dates).

[Caine]

great preview ron, as always.  

i'm looking forward to this.  

Same here. The worst part? I never played the first, yet I want to play the sequel. This looks to be the game that GTA IV wasn't (go go 'optional' man-dates).

i have a copy if you want it.  you could go through it pretty quickly if you stick to the main stuff.  a month is certainly enough to get a lot of play time in it.  granted, it doesn't look like much of sr1 knowledge is necessary (heck, ron spoils the ending to sr1 in the preview, so it has to be an item mentioned in sr2 ) , but it's still worth playing in it's own right.

[Destructor]

i have a copy if you want it.  you could go through it pretty quickly if you stick to the main stuff.  a month is certainly enough to get a lot of play time in it.

Problem being is that I don't have the time to play it. A few months back, sure. But 'tis the season to release all the games at once.

[Captain Caveman]

Fuck.

I might have to buy this now. 

[Soulchilde]

Loved the first game and I am getting this one! 

[Jancelot]

Loved the first game and I am getting this one! 

Likewise. 

Great preview, Ron.

[CeeKay]

great preview ron, as always.  

i'm looking forward to this.  

Same here. The worst part? I never played the first, yet I want to play the sequel. This looks to be the game that GTA IV wasn't (go go 'optional' man-dates).

it wouldn't surprise me to see them take a shot at those in the game.

[Destructor]

Same here. The worst part? I never played the first, yet I want to play the sequel. This looks to be the game that GTA IV wasn't (go go 'optional' man-dates).

it wouldn't surprise me to see them take a shot at those in the game.

They already have in the trailers that they've released. Funny as hell.

[EngineNo9]

If anyone is looking for the first one, I saw the platinum edition on clearance at Target for $10.  I thought it was a great game when I played it, but I can certainly understand the flood of upcoming titles outweighing an older game. 

[metallicorphan]

I so want this game...and i so want this version



Saints Row 2 Xbox 360 Collector’s Edition Contents include:

Limited Edition gun mould packaging (not actually a gun) <<<<thats a shame
1gig Gold Bullet USB 2.0 Memory stick
Exclusive content, including buddy icons and wallpapers
Limited edition artbook
Stilwater Map poster
Exclusive 3rd Street Saints Poster

[Knightshade Dragon]

I so want this game...and i so want this version



Saints Row 2 Xbox 360 Collector’s Edition Contents include:

Limited Edition gun mould packaging (not actually a gun) <<<<thats a shame
1gig Gold Bullet USB 2.0 Memory stick
Exclusive content, including buddy icons and wallpapers
Limited edition artbook
Stilwater Map poster
Exclusive 3rd Street Saints Poster

Holy smokes!  That is awesome!!

[Knightshade Dragon]

  When i read your tag line for this preview my initial thought was, "10 hours!?!  It's THAT friggin' short!?  I'm OUT!". 

Yeah I read the headline as indicating that the game ranged from 2-10 hours in length depending on how you played

same here.

great preview ron, as always.  

i'm looking forward to this.

overall, does it play like sr1 in H2H, gunfights, and driving or did they change anything?  other than the hostage grab, of course.  what kind of odd weapons did you see?  can you still store and reuse vehicles in a garage?  what about the choppers?  control, variety, customization.  it's obvious they went with the lighter side instead of gta iv's realism, but how detailed are the environments?  how immersive is it?  what about the sounds and music?  little touches really helped liberty city come alive, so how well does stilwater compare?  

thanks as always ron.  there's a reason i go here first for previews and reviews.  

Sorry I hadn't gotten to this.  The weekend was a little rough for me.  As for odd weapons, you can weaponize a ton of stuff in the environment.  During the jailbreak I clubbed my way through several halls using a microwave oven.  I even clubbed down somebody with a trashcan.  Once I got the Katana I was pretty happy with my melee options, but I can also see the value of the taser.    

As for storing and re-using vehicles, I don't think I touched on this in my review.  YES!!  A big resounding yes to this!  You can store vehicles in your garage and call on them, similar to what we had in GTA IV, but you can also store choppers on your roof and launch them from there as well.  With multiple cribs throughout the neighborhoods, you aren't ever far from your vehicle of choice.  Modding the vehicles (I like adding kneecapper blades to my vehicles for those pesky pedestrians who have the audacity to walk on my sidewalks) just makes it worth storing them.  When you take a vehicle out you have the option of retrieving it, or repairing it and then retrieving it.  

There is a decent amount of realism in the environment.  It is still essentially Stilwater that you knew in the first game, but little things like fires that continue to burn after you complete a mission to bomb a building are pretty cool.  That particular building seems to smolder indefinitely.  There are a ton of road signs and businesses to explore.  It isn't the nirvana of every building being an open world to explore, but it does the job well.

The sounds and music are subjective.  The voice work is top shelf (although I don't recognize any big names), but the music will be greatly improved by visiting the music store with a few grand in your pocket.  You can make your own playlists as well, so you should be able to find something you like.  Hell, there was even a Paramore song I'd not heard in here.

I'll put it to you this way - I played the game from the second the disc arrived to the second they came to pick it up.  I took a short break for lunch, but beyond that, I just wanted to keep playing.  With GTA IV I never really felt 'connected' with the characters.  Hell, I had to ask myself multiple times "Who is this Bell guy?"  I'm giving this one the thumbs up based on what I've played so far!

[Glycerine]

Man I can't wait for this.  A buddy and I were playing the original over the weekend and couldn't get over how much better, overall at least, it is than GTA IV.  I still say Rockstar has the story down, but as for game play Volition is king.

Great article, Ron!

glyc

[Caine]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

[Destructor]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

No shit. Why I hate this time of year.

[EngineNo9]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

No shit. Why I hate this time of year.

Yeah, I almost wish this one had been pushed off until early next year.  I don't know if I will be buying it with so many other releases coming. 

I hope it doesn't get totally overlooked as the first one was a very good game and this one seems to have improved on that in nearly every way. 

[Knightshade Dragon]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

No shit. Why I hate this time of year.

Yeah, I almost wish this one had been pushed off until early next year.  I don't know if I will be buying it with so many other releases coming. 

I hope it doesn't get totally overlooked as the first one was a very good game and this one seems to have improved on that in nearly every way. 

Skip something else - pick this one up while the co-op is hot. 

[Ridah]

$20 cheaper for the PC version, huzzah!

How was the framerate?

[Knightshade Dragon]

$20 cheaper for the PC version, huzzah!

How was the framerate?

In the time I played I didn't see but one frame hiccup.  It's hard to determine whether that was because it is running debug or not though.  Still, nothing to write home about.

[CeeKay]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

I have the CE pre-ordered, but

   
Collectors Edition includes:

    * Embossed Tin
    * Saints Row 2 Money Clip
    * Double-Sided Poster/Map
    * Exclusive Art Book
    * Silver Bullet Shaped 512 MB USB Thumb Drive

really isn't making me feel the need to pay 20 bucks more.

[Ridah]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

I have the CE pre-ordered, but

   
Collectors Edition includes:

    * Embossed Tin
    * Saints Row 2 Money Clip
    * Double-Sided Poster/Map
    * Exclusive Art Book
    * Silver Bullet Shaped 512 MB USB Thumb Drive

really isn't making me feel the need to pay 20 bucks more.

Realistically does anyone ever do anything with the extra shit that comes with the CE aside from the initial unpackaging? Out of the handful of CEs I've bought the farthest I've gone is taping an included poster up on my walll.

[CeeKay]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

I have the CE pre-ordered, but

   
Collectors Edition includes:

    * Embossed Tin
    * Saints Row 2 Money Clip
    * Double-Sided Poster/Map
    * Exclusive Art Book
    * Silver Bullet Shaped 512 MB USB Thumb Drive

really isn't making me feel the need to pay 20 bucks more.

Realistically does anyone ever do anything with the extra shit that comes with the CE aside from the initial unpackaging? Out of the handful of CEs I've bought the farthest I've gone is taping an included poster up on my walll.

<glances at GTA IV CE gathering dust>

[Fuzzballx]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

I have the CE pre-ordered, but

   
Collectors Edition includes:

    * Embossed Tin
    * Saints Row 2 Money Clip
    * Double-Sided Poster/Map
    * Exclusive Art Book
    * Silver Bullet Shaped 512 MB USB Thumb Drive

really isn't making me feel the need to pay 20 bucks more.

Realistically does anyone ever do anything with the extra shit that comes with the CE aside from the initial unpackaging? Out of the handful of CEs I've bought the farthest I've gone is taping an included poster up on my walll.

<glances at GTA IV CE gathering dust>

Yea, I've found the GTA 4 CE metal locker with keys makes a nice drawer sized handgun locker.  It's currently in use in my socks drawer.

The bag also works as a good carry bag, i been using it to haul stuff like my walkman and crap around.  Kinda nifty, especially with the extra large strap it has.

[metallicorphan]

sounds good ron.  that ce package looks pretty nice, so i need to decide if it's worth the extra $20.  this would be so much easier if every other FN game i was interested in didn't hit the shelf within weeks of each other.

I have the CE pre-ordered, but

   
Collectors Edition includes:

    * Embossed Tin
    * Saints Row 2 Money Clip
    * Double-Sided Poster/Map
    * Exclusive Art Book
    * Silver Bullet Shaped 512 MB USB Thumb Drive

really isn't making me feel the need to pay 20 bucks more.

huh,why have you guys only got 512mb USB stick...as posted above,we (UK)get the 1gig stick..and i believe $20...is about £10 for me...thats about 6 bottles of 2ltr Coke,thats not bad really..i have paid more for less on other special editions ..the 1gig USB stick are usually about £5 for a start,with a art book and the crap you can download,i still think its a pretty decent offer