SR2 has a lot more personality than 1 and manages to find its own identity. It's a mix of serious and comedic that none of the other SR games nail. The map in this game is very well made and has a ton of variety and secrets. There's an absurd amount of hidden detail to the way city life works in this game that most players won't even notice. I'd give this a 4 but it's got a fair amount of jank to it these days, even before factoring in the abysmal PC port. It's also, just like the first Saints Row, a game that reeks of being written and developed by a bunch of white dudes in the Midwest. I don't mean that as a negative, it's just the vibe the game has.

I know it's cheap to compare it to GTA but this truly is more fun. As much as I like the later installations, they can seem try hard in comparison to this. Whilst it's still a little dated in feel, I love how this game plays. The customization is insanely versatile and fun; Music selection is actually fantastic; and the amount of wonderfully weird game modes feels endless.

It doesn't have a grounded feel and that's ok. Saints Row isn't trying to teach or parody anything like its competitor, yet I say its biggest detriment is how the main story just feels like aimless murder sometimes. Again, the random and shocking humor you can get from this is hilarious and I love the feeling of building a gang in this faux-New York. Totally underrated.

This game is perfect in every which way. The activities are now all fixed, shorter (6 level standard), and rewarding (ex:unlimited ammo). Each gang mission is now fleshed out, so not every single mission is "go to place, shoot, repeat." Instead now we get REAL boss battles, turret sections, and ruining a Feed Dogs concert cause they suck. The Brotherhood, Ronin, and Sons of Samendi are the best gang antagonists in the entire franchise. They have such distinct and fleshed out personalities which makes taking them down, so much sweeter. The homies are also incredible. Still got Johnny Gat, but the new appearances are the hilarious Pierce, chill af Shaundi, and the wing ridden angel Carlos. Decking your saints out with the tags, new cribs, and fits feels great. The customization has been ranked up to the max. Now I can dress up as an alien and go down to the red light district to beat hookers over the head with a baseball bat. It's great! I've beaten this game a dozen times over the year, so needless to say, I love it. The multiplayer was dead in 2018 and it's still dead, so unfortunately i've never played it lol. However, co-op in these missions are hilariously fun. Also, the DLC is great as well introducing us to Tera Patrick (Pornstar who's also in backyard wrestling 2, love her) and evil Dex. Those missions are fun as well. The guns feel great, the cars can be pimped out, and Stilwater mogs every other city in open-world gangster games. GTA ain't got shit on Saints Row 2. This game is endless fun. It's an absolute masterpiece. Plus, the soundtrack is killer! LCD Soundsystem, DJ Quik, Opeth!? This game is perfect!