SR2 on PC is infamous as the port is considered to be one of the worst in history of console-to-pc ports. Volition was working on a patch to fix all the bugs and update the game's online infrastructure to modern standards. But now that they are no more, the patch might never come out so I decided to just play the PC version with a mod called Gentlemen of the Row that fixes a ton of issues with the game. Full disclosure: the game crashed a few times still and at 60fps cutscenes get a little broken with objects floating outside of hands holding them or characters twitching when moving. Outside of cutscenes however, the game works fine with the mod. Performance is uneven, but tolerable.
The game is better charecterized as Saints Row 1.5: same map, a lot of the activities from the first game return and core gameplay remained mostly unchanged. It's still a high pace third person shooter with no cover system which at the time of release was already a rarity. I like it that way, I think it makes the shootouts feel more high stakes. However I did notice a few things lacking. First of all the colors in the game are now all washed out and yellowy. Weird color-correction approach, whereas the first game felt more natural. The second shortcoming when compared to SR1: cutscenes shown when starting an activity. In SR1 every activity had a well-produced cutscene that would introduce the player to the objective as well as to the character that offers you the job. You'd see the cutscenes take place in different environments with interesting spins or gags and whatnot. In SR2 those things got a little cheaper: characters often just stand in front of each other with camera cutting from the player to the NPC offering the job. I found that to be a little disappointing especially remembering the funny cutscenes from the first game.
That's as far as the presentation goes. Gameplay felt almost the same as SR1. You take down three different gangs each having their own story branch. As you take the gang apart, you capture city parts which grants you the ability to buy businesses in those areas as well as have your gang's representatives patrolling which makes the areas safer when you catch heat from cops or rival gangs. You can also recruit your gang members and complete missions with them.
Aside from a few new activities, as mentioned above, this game is pretty much identical to the first one. But it's worth noting some unique features this series in particular has, that make it stand out. First of all, the open world truly has a lot of stuff to do. Aside from missions and activities there are diversions: actions that are too minor for a dedicated spot on the map. That includes holding up stores, taking people hostage when highjacking a car with passengers, performing drive-by shootings, assassinations and even visiting prostitutes. All of these activities earn you respect and other perks, without explicitly taking you out of the game world. That is very impressive in itself, being able to gamefy these activities as well as reward the player. In essence this sandbox structure works as a gangster simulator. Second of all: insane customization, especially at the time. You can customize your character by changing their sex, body and facial features, makeup, walking style, melee combat style and even voice. It's pretty deep and allows to roleplay as any kind of gangster. Also there are no restrictions on clothes and you can wear women's clothes as a male character and vice versa.
All of the above makes this the go-to crime game as the latter titles went in a different direction with their premise.
The story is pretty interesting. Each gang has something unique about them: a family conflict, strange and disturbing practices or simply a flimsy structure that the Saints exploit in order to destroy. The plot does have plenty of interesting twists and turns, which makes it quite entertaining. I like it better than GTA stories because it doesn't drag on too much like Rockstar's stories tend to do.
The main character was specifically made to be very cruel and aggressive, which is not something you see often in these sorts of games. Developers usually tried to make the player responsible for the havoc they cause in these realistic open-world games in order to not get criticized for making a game that promotes violence. That's why often you get penalized for killing civillians, like in Watch_Dogs or Sleeping Dogs. Here the character seems to enjoy themself alot when mowing innocents down which is no doubt a specific choice the developers made. In one of the missions one of the characters chastises the player for killing and making money off of drug sales etc. This meta commentary on gang violence gets promptly shut down with a bullet to the head which does seem a little too much, at least to me. There is a certain story explanaition for the character's ruthlessness, but it's not something developers usually go for. I think a lot of people like this game for its no-bullshit attitude and overall grittiness. It "keeps it real" but I don't really buy it as genuine. But it's not too try-hard either. It's fine.
I am interested in the gang topic of the series which is why I have no interest in sequels that all go in a different direction. I'd say SR1 just did more at the time and felt more impactful as it compared fairly to San-Andreas and other then last-generation open-world games. The sequel does very little to evolve the formula. That formula, however, is pretty great, which is why a lot of people consider this the best Saints Row.
