I'm gonna pop a cap in yo ass (said with an uptown British accent)

Saints Row 2 (2008)

There was a lot of issue over the first Saints Row because it was essentially a rip-off of GTA which I will not argue to the contrary. However, Saints Row introduced us to a world where we could hang with our "homies" while slapping our "beotches" about. The world of GTA was too simplistic as it was all mission based and to earn money you had to do missions no matter how boring and repetitive and repetitive and repetitive they really were. In Saints Row, and Saints Row 2, we had the option to entertain ourselves with other activities, also known as "Diversions". It was these "diversions" that allowed us to throw ourselves in front of speeding cars and commit insurance fraud, the very games that took the literal meaning of "pimp-tossing" (more a Saints Row 2 feature), it is these games that let us escape the realism of games like GTA and enjoy being catapulted across the entire city.

Saints Row 2 is essentially the same as Saints Row which sparked confusion in fans as to why it was taking so long to make if they were just going to use the same city and such. The reason for this, it seems, is that they recreated the entire game engine they were using to try and improve it. i.e. make it better in case you didn't understand thus far. They have also incorporated a new character creation in the game (if you don't understand how this is possible since you are playing the same person you played in the first game then you will have to get the game to find out) which was wasted on me as I can never be bothered messing around with all the buttons and such too much. The basic story of the game is that you escape from prison, find out the Saints have disbanded and three new gangs have taken over the lovely fictional city of Stilwater. It is then your duty to destroy these new gangs and take back what is yours. Pretty simplistic but considering that they've already started work on Saints Row 3 I can't really say I was expecting the story to be written by one of the many on the list of the top Hollywood director (George Lucas was omitted from this after that bullshit he splashed into cinemas at the end of summer). One of the great features of Saints Row 2 is that you can customize your "crib" which you have about 7 of. Most of mine are "pimp" but there's one or two that are classy and are yet to have the stripper pole put in. It is also possible to buy shops and businesses within your gang territory meaning you get more of that lovely money early instead of acting like the most disgusting looking bastard on the face of the earth in your rat filled apartment (see Niko Bellic in the start of GTA IV).

So, that's the gist of it without ruining key parts for you. I hope many of you will buy this and run round with all your friends shouting words like "gangsta", "playa" and "nig nog" (That last one was omitted from the final production of the game due to unknown reasons).

9.1/10