Never before has a videogame so accurately allowed characters to pantomime taking a dump on a slain enemy. Years from now, when every game has a dozen user-selectable taunts built into it, we'll all look back on August 26's Saints Row 2 as the game that started the virtual dumping trend. And as this article was posted, in the comparison between Saints Row 2 and GTA IV, only the former could claim the virtual, pantomimed dump. Your move, GTA IV.There's more to Saints Row 2, and the rest of it also caters to adolescent boys (or the adolescent boy in us all). You can play co-op with a friend online and just fly helicopters, drive boats, race cars and motorcycles, and otherwise play in the updated Stillwater setting. If you want to follow the story missions--purported to be "darker" than the original by developers--you can both drop in and out of a single-player game in a way that keeps track of each players progress, so you don't miss any content.
But, who are we kidding? THQ had fans of Saints Row at "pantomimed dump."
Saints Row 2 is set in the same town as the original, although the developers say it's about 45-percent bigger. Partly underground areas and aircraft give it a sense of height.
And customized characters continue to play a big role. When creating the ideal thug, gamers choose body attributes -- female characters are now included -- clothing, and even favorite gestures. Yes, the pantomimed dump is only one of a few dozen gestures that characters can perform. Others include "thumbs up," "you're dead"-style neck slice, and the popular, "I'm pretending that your corpse is fellating me." Your gang headquarters is also customizable from the pool table to the stripper pole. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.
Fans of Saints Row -- or this sub-urban action genre -- will appreciate other updates. You can grab a human shield in a firefight, and enemies will likely hold their own. New weapons are available, including satchel charges for the perfect I'm-walking-away-slowly-while-something-blows-up Michael Bay moments. New vehicles, including fixed-wing aircraft join the setting. And in vehicle missions, for example, one player (or the AI) can pilot while the other can fire guns.
All together, Saints Row 2 seems like a worthy successor to the original. It's offensive, explosive, potentially humorous, and a big playground.
