I'm a huge GTA fan and have not played the previous Saints Row game, but it was recommended that I try this one. And I'm so glad I did :) I really didn't know what to expect, but straight away it was clear it's in the same vein as GTA, but it has SO much more to offer. From the start you get to choose how your character looks, so you can base it fairly close to yourself. Everything from skin colour, to age, weight, facial features and voice. Great fun :) From there on, you get to begin free roaming, and this is where GTA 4 loses out. Whereas the graphics in GTA 4 are unrivalled, the game-play was fixed and VERY short lived. But S R 2 is the opposite - there's SO much to do and everywhere to go! On top of which you can customise your look, your cars, your cribs and your crew and partake of loads of missions, side activities and diversions (like ambulance driver, taxi, police woman/man, insurance fraud (so much fun), races, hit-man and more!). It's a truly great game and very underrated and under appreciated. If these guys were to combine this game (or their next one) with more advanced graphics (which are already very good) then they would sure as heck give Rockstar a run for their money. Go get it and have yourself some fun!
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angie291112 June 2009
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I recently wrote an article concerning Saints Row 2 for Ezine which is in the process of being reviewed by the editors and may be out in a few days if approved. I had hailed the game for staying loyal to its roots and circumscribing to pure wild game play instead of realistic game play. The over-the-top violence and characters give us a game that makes us laugh, curse and grind our teeth till we make our way through swarms of enemies without straining our minds towards the core story. This makes the game a cooler in a time realistic games with great emphasis on story, characters and emotions have come to the forefront, a perfect example of 'mindless fun'.
Saints Row 2 is gigantic in its scope and may take more than 50 hours to get 100% completion. It has plenty of core missions, secret mission, activities and diversions, strongholds that are mostly tongue-in-cheek in tone; so you never feel sorry for executing someone gruesomely, even your close ones in the game. While some may call this insensitive, I say 'why so serious?', as many gamers don't really play games to fall in love with their characters; ask my friends who still play that outdated Counterstrike, rejoicing when they shoot their foes dead! Most of the missions involve heavy shooting and explosive cut scenes that are likably cheesy and humorous. The best part is that the game does not spoon-feed by beginning with simple tasks like drive to destination, drop someone etc. It knows that the gamers buying this have murderous desire to wield their guns at the first person in sight. However, I do find the game to be limited in a way that most missions take place in the city and isn't as diverse as 2005's magnum opus GTA San Andreas that took you from the city to countryside, desert, industrial area and back to the city.
The main character can be customized anytime, and everything about him/her body and physique can be altered. This feature, while making the character malleable according to the gamers' fancy, gives the protagonist no individuality. It sometimes feel that Volition has just thrown the game to us without any lead and has given us the freedom to create someone who just finishes the game rather than seeking redemption, which by the way, is the main aim of the game. I still remember Niko Bellic, because there is only one Niko in the GTA series, and he is the Russian who has come to America, to fulfill his dreams and stay at his cousin Roman's place but Roman made false claims regarding his life in America and therefore Niko has to live in the shabby quarters. The story continues .. While in Saints Row 2, all I remember is that this main dude/ girl is in the hospital with another patient and they escape and take over the gangs. That's the most I can tell about the protagonist.
But again, when a weak story is compensated with terrific fun, one just forgives the negative aspects of the game. The game is definitely worth the bucks on the console systems but is extremely lagging on the PC. Do not get discouraged by the chintzy cover art on the box, thinking that it's a shadow of GTA 4. It has an independent identity and should be regarded as a great game.
My Rating: 9.2 out of 10 -
Severinplates85317 January 20229.5/10 S tier. I really think if there were graphical and performance improvements this would be my favorite open world game. As well as changes to some of the bosses. Veteran child is so awful and one of the worst bosses I have ever played. Mr sunshine is ok but not that good. The ronin bosses were interesting and are fine but were also not that good. Mero's boss fight is really easily broken but the monster truck one was ok.
The Ultor guy boss was just easy and not really a boss. Also the game just throws enemies at you and whilst this can be funny with cars crashing into you all the time, it is really fustrating. Apart from these flaws I loved all of it. Some of the best customisation of any game. So much to customize and change to make you character. The world and shops are so good. So many great locations, the mall, Chinatown, airport. The houses and house customisation is great too. As well as this the story is actually good. Giving you freedom to choose from any gang to take on in any order.
Taking over the city one piece at a time is really satisfying and progression is perfectly paced. There are so many great and impactful cinematic moments. I feel the story is a bit too fast paced but these moments make the game for me. Carlos death was just brutal, Aisha's was so cinematic and shattering. The monster truck revenge was just so brutal. The end where you shoot him out the window, flying off into the distance, just brilliant. The side missions were hit and miss but were really great overall. I loved septic avenger, trail blazing and of course insurance fraud. Although I do find insurance a bit fustrating I still love it.
The music is all great but I did feel the game repeated allot of the same songs to much, considering the large library you can add to your playlist. The homie system is actually incredible. It's easy to get a bunch of saints and they even follow you into missions. Falling down like you in insurance fraud. Overall such a great game but is incredibly fustrating. I did play it on ps now, with better graphics but the game still ran very poorly. It was still ok for the most part but when a large amount of things were on screen it was unbearably glitchy.
A great game hampered by tech limitations, needs allot of work but is my favorite saints game. -
UltraN0V429 August 2023If you're playing it for the first time in 2023, don't mind the graphics. The game has this weird glow or blur filter on that makes your screen look dirty. The story has a good balance between fun and a serious tone. The radio/song selection, Yes, you can drive to a music shop and curate your playlist, has to be one of the best things in gaming history. Having been released a couple of years before we were graced with GTA: V's radio stations. I never understood why they removed the aspect of crib customization with almost every installment after this release. I liked having a luxury penthouse downtown and the option to live in a lighthouse. That brings me to the map too. For a game that came out a while ago, Stillwater has to be one of the most interesting. You could explore museums, find secret entrances to military bases in said mountain, raid an Alcatraz-type prison, grab some burgers, gamble, and even pretend to be on the show 'Cops.' I could go on, but I'd rather save it for anyone who hasn't taken a trip to Stillwater.
So, play this game. -
qhxhpzjy18 August 2022Nothing else quite like it. Supremely unique experience. Writing, Characters & Story are top notch. Gameplay is outstanding.
For a 2008 title, this game was way ahead of it's time. It's up there for me. -
Analog_Devotee3 August 2021Phenomenal entry in the open-world crime genre. I played this game over and over, getting every achievement with my buddies in co-op and even enjoyed some of the competitive multiplayer. The story is pulpy and incredibly engaging.
Unfortunately, after this game, the series would go right down the toilet. But this one is still worth your time! AMAZING! -
barbaradavis-395784 November 2017saint row 2 is a fun game i played this game back in 2010 and it was so fun this game brings back so many memories but i looked up ign i search up saint row 2 on ign.com ign gave saint row 2 a mediocre rating like what this game is so good ign you know what screw you ign go die in a fire this game is so good i gave this game a 9/10 this game is amazing
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ary-0932518 May 2018(WARNING! : This review may contain spoilers. maybe....)
I played Saints Row 2 on the PC for 2-3 hours, and I really loved it. I knew that this game had one of the worst PC ports ever, So, I played it with IdolNinja's Gentlemen of the Row. This mod makes the game a lot more better than the vanilla version, The game had a lot of great reviews and Saints Row fans liked this game. A lot and a lot of people wanted to play this game, even though it has been backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox One X.
So, lets dive right in into the full review and why I liked this crap from 10 or 11 years of release!
PLOT - I have to copy the entire story in Wikipedia, So, here is the full story.
After the explosion on Alderman Richard Hughes' yacht, the player fell into a coma and was taken to Stilwater's maximum security prison to undergo extensive plastic surgery. Five years later, Carlos Mendoza, the brother of a former Saint, infiltrates the infirmary and helps the player escape. After arriving at the city, the player is informed by Carlos about the demise of the 3rd Street Saints; Julius went missing, Troy Bradshaw became the Chief of Police, and many Saints members were either killed or jailed. After arriving at a bar, the player discovers that Johnny Gat is on trial for 387 murders and looks set for death row. The player breaks into the courtroom and rescues Johnny, taking him to Aisha's house, where they discuss on how to revive the Saints. After learning that the church was turned into a tourist trap, the player and Johnny take over an underground mission and establish as their new headquarters, and soon recruit high-ranking lieutenants for the Saints in Carlos, Pierce Washington and Shaundi. The player then officially becomes the new leader of the Saints and is then referred to as "the Boss" by the rest of the gang.
Maero, the leader of the Brotherhood, calls a meeting with Carlos and the Boss. The Brotherhood and The Saints's meeting is interrupted by cops. After escaping the police, they go back to The Brotherhood's headquarters. Aware that the Saints have very little influence left, he offers to give them 20% of Stilwater while The Brotherhood gets 80%. Insulted, the Saints refuse and declare war on the Brotherhood. With the help of Donnie, a former Westside Rollerz member who now works as Maero's head mechanic, the Boss blows up several of the Brotherhood's prize trucks and laces Maero's private supply of tattoo ink with toxic waste, leaving him with severe facial burns. As revenge, the Brotherhood kidnaps Carlos and drags him through the streets tied to a moving vehicle. With his injuries too severe for medical treatment, Carlos begs for the Boss to put him out of his misery, which the Boss sadly does so by shooting Carlos in the head while holding his hand. Furious at Maero for causing Carlos's death, the Saints abduct his girlfriend Jessica at a bank and lock her in the trunk of a car which is then destroyed by Maero during a Brotherhood-sponsored demolition derby, crushing her to death. With most of his remaining allies locked up, an enraged Maero forces Ultor CEO Dane Vogel to pressure Troy Bradshaw to release them. However, The Boss blows up the prison buses and prison boats before they reach their destination. Vogel orders his company's security forces to confiscate a Brotherhood weapons shipment as "compensation", but the Saints steal it first. Using the stolen weapons, the gang lays waste to the Brotherhood's dockside headquarters. While there, The Boss kills Matt, Maero's personal tattoo artist, for helping Maero escape. Maero calls the Boss to the Ultor Dome, where he and his surviving thugs plan to kill him/her in a demolition derby. The Boss then kills them before confronting the dying Maero. Before Maero can finish his last words, the Boss shoots him in the head, killing him and putting an end to the Brotherhood.
Working alongside Shaundi, the Boss moves to take down The Sons Of Samedi by killing their dealers and destroying their drug farms and labs. DJ Veteran Child, Shaundi's ex-boyfriend and a Sons Of Samedi lieutenant, has her kidnapped and brought to his club, where the Boss confronts and kills him. The General, the founder of The Sons of Samedi, arranges for the Boss to be drugged while his men assault the Saints at their base. Despite being severely intoxicated, the Boss rallies the Saints to fight off the attackers. Mr. Sunshine, the creator of the gang's product, is killed by the Boss whilst attempting to defend his manufacturing plant from a Saints raid. Unable to locate the General, Shaundi and the Boss pose as repair workers and hack the police station's street surveillance cameras to find him. Finally, the Saints organize an ambush of the General's motorcade, eventually tracking down and killing the General in the Stilwater Mall.
To get the Ronin's attention, Pierce, Gat, and the Boss rob their most profitable casino. Fearing disgrace, their leader, Shogo Akuji, orders his enforcer Jyunichi to use Aisha to lure Gat into a trap, which results in Aisha being decapitated and Gat getting severely wounded after losing a katana duel with Jyunichi. After killing Jyunichi in a fight at a restaurant and saving Johnny from Ronin hitmen trying to kill him at the hospital, the Boss receives the location of the Ronin's headquarters from Vogel, angered by Shogo's father, Kazuo, cutting all business ties with Ultor. As a last-ditch effort, Shogo leads a group of Ronin to kill Gat at Aisha's funeral. However, Gat and the Boss kill Shogo's men and bury him alive in a coffin as revenge for Aisha's murder. Kazuo, after surviving an attempt on his life at Wardill Airport, orders a direct attack on The Saints, but fails. Mr. Wong, an old ally of the Boss, is subjected to another attack at his heritage festival in a bid to lure The Saints out. After rescuing Mr. Wong, the Boss beats Kazuo in a sword fight and leaves him to die on a burning boat.
Meanwhile, an increasingly power-hungry Vogel plans to destroy the Saints so he can expand Ultor's control over all of Stilwater. When an initial effort to kill The Saints' leadership is foiled by The Boss, the Saints respond by destroying a high-security Ultor lab. The company's board of directors try to rein in Vogel, so he sends their locations to the Boss, which he uses to kill them. Appointing himself chairman, Vogel hosts a press conference to denounce the Saints. Gat and The Boss open fire on the conference, forcing Vogel to retreat into his office. Destroying the building's defenses, the Boss enters and confronts Vogel. Vogel attempts to fool the Boss by claiming the board of directors were behind the attacks, and tries to make a truce with the Boss by saying that they could unite their resources to control the city, but before Vogel manages to finish his sentence, the Boss shoots him in the mouth, sending Vogel flying off the window to his death in the streets below.
After conquering Stilwater, the Boss has the option of visiting Stilwater Police Headquarters and listening to 3 wiretap conversations recorded under Bradshaw's authority. According to the recordings, Julius was responsible for planting the bomb on Alderman Hughes' yacht that nearly killed the Boss, believing that doing so would allow him to disband the Saints and retire. The Boss can also contact Dex by phone, in which he offers to set up a meeting at The Saints' old base to discuss turning over Julius. If the player does so, however, Julius appears there instead and it becomes clear that Dex plans to have both of them killed on Ultor's behalf. After Julius and the Boss fight the Ultor Masako units across Stilwater in a car chase, the Boss shoots him in an abandoned amphitheater. Still not forgiving Julius for his betrayal, the Boss becomes adamant to kill him. Julius states that the Saints weren't able to change anything, as they had become no better than the gangs that they had been fighting against. The Boss proclaims that Julius's betrayal did help him with one thing: learning to never act as someone's pawn again and being in charge was the better choice. Despite Julius remarking that the Boss would've died if it weren't for him (mentioning the beginning cutscene of the first game), and saying that they were now even, the Boss shows him no mercy and kills him with a headshot, while remarking "not really".
The story is darker, because of the cutscenes.
CHARACTERS - The characters are fine, Pierce, Shaundi and some of the Saints members have been your teammates. Don't get me started with Johnny Gat because he was one of the badass characters in the entire franchise. (till Agents of Mayhem.)
GRAPHICS - The graphics were outdated as hell, but the environment in the game is very awesome to explore. Stilwater has been one of the best cities in the video game industry.
CO - OP AND MULTIPLAYER - Since Gamespy servers were shut down on May 31st 2014, We can play CO - OP and Multiplayer with Tungle and Evolve.
ANIMATION AND SOUND EFFECTS - Good.
REVIEWS - The reviews were postive by critics and video game lovers by its wackiness and over the top elements in the game, but the Microsoft Windows port was criticized for its awful FPS (Frames Per Second) and its technical issues with crashes.
For this game, I was really liking it, I bought the GOG version and the entire port was improved with Gentlemen of the Row, I even played with this mod (half of it) and even liked it. Some famous youtubers like TheEscapist, mrsaintsgodzilla21 and FL1PPY actually liked this game as well, Some GTA fanboys would call this game a GTA clone, Hell, I even played Grand Theft Auto IV and it was too much realistic due to its graphics and its physics, but it was great. If you wanted to play an over the top sandbox game, I would highly recommend this game, Its just amazing.
(ESRB RATING : This game is rated M for Mature 17+, It contains violence, blood and gore, strong language, nudity and sexual content.) -
kervindonngo6 November 2022I have not played the first game of Saints Row because it's not on steam yet but when it was released for free I managed to get it and played the 2nd version called Saints Row 2
The game is pretty good! I like how they followed the story in the game of rebuilding the 3rd Street Saints and how it really ends in the game. The activities are really fun but tough. One of my favorite activities in the game is the fight club. The controls are really hard to handle before but I managed to get a hang of it. The rewards are also neat in the game however there are some things that are really off
The game is a little buggy, laggy, and glitchy, weapons like the dual katana glitch are less favorable in use, and the upgrade type of style by unlocking with activities is not really my style. But it's just before Saint Row The 3rd
The game maybe looks incomplete but still, I really recommend it. -
thomasjay-220129 July 2018A good sequel it suffers from similar issues to its predecessor yet is again perfectly enjoyable fun. A good story and character there's not much to dislike
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preethamalex5 March 2009i loved the first game ,the first sandbox game to hit the next gen consoles.The game is wonderful except for the graphics,since gta 4 made the best out of the graphics sr2 has made best of the game play.The game is a fun rollercoster the side missions are top notch ,tis is something gta 4 did not achieve.the character customization is wonderful player can change each and every detail of the player ,the crib,the gang,the vechile and much more to appreciate the game for.but since saints row2 is not gta4 it does miss some main things like cover and enemy AI is not very good,but sr2 is made for fun and to kick the ad reline out of any sandbox game fans.the game begins with the patronage with a face reconstruction,its a good excuse to start the sequel unlike the first saints row where we don't know any detail about the patronage .the weapon system and the weapons are wonderful and easy to use.Hand to hand combat has also been improved ..saints row 2 is a wonderful game ever ..i have gta 4 but still i prefer saints 2 since it is not about realism but for plain fun n sr2 gives it all.graphics are blurd but its not bad relatively,but still some touch should have been better ..but one thing is for sure saints row 2 lives up to its rank as one of the best sandbox game in the world ,,the story is also wonderful and funny at times u should all look for it you-self..anybody with the next gen console i beg you to buy sr2 and give it a try ,,u will be addicted to the game..its a Gar-dam-tee.i give it 10/10...........
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tixsr-600019 August 2014I have mixed feelings about this game. Its some kind of mixture of spoofing and alike games like GTA series but some things are odd. There's many interesting ideas and side missions that would worked in GTAs; editing main characters looks, choosing gender and voice from multiple options (and you can change these things after beginning by "plastic surgery"), balancing on a driving car, taking hostages when stealing a car to that point they're ready to pay the ransoms, mayhem missions where your job is destroy things and "fight club" missions. Also many other things are customizable. You can smoke weed and drink and there is many things which are familiar from GTAs. In the other hand some things from graphics to the gaming experience is made in "who cares" attitude and supposedly "tongue-in-cheek" (not always in a good way) its sometimes odd. Also there is some things I like more in GTAs like a linear story telling (in Saints you get a mission by getting respect by playing side missions). Its like GTA San Andreas graphics on new generation game consoles with odd plot and sometimes unfinished experience.
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talllwoood132 September 2022Ever since they launched the latest game in the series just titled 'saints row" in 2022 everyone is back to talking about how amazing, incredible and perfect Saints Row 2 is. Seriously what is the appeal? They apparently did a massive update to this game when they found the source code that was lost for years but it's still no excuse for how awful this game is.
I started with Saints Row 3 as it was on sale and it is night and day how superior saints row 3 is. Play that last broken mission and then jump to the opening of Saints Row 3. I can deal with a bit of change and the improvements such as going from hitman contracts to blood money but I have zero idea what everyone minus those who live in the past still in their parents basements see in this. I doubt I would have played 3 or 4 if i tried this first sort of like Just Cause 3 I couldn't get into. I've gotten 100% on all the other saints row games but even playing this one on casual to get a feel for the game and the series there is no way I'd want to 100% this out dated dumpster fire. The second the story mode was done I deleted it off my hard drive.
This game is broken in so many ways. The last ultor mission I had the game crash 3 times. The game does not auto save properly, Once you start doing the Samedi (green gang) and Ultor missions the game LOVES to crash. If you just cleared a hard mission SAVE.. like right now. Since it doesn't auto save some of the more painful missions I've done twice. The game sometimes does not sync up with the frames and then either crashes or makes drive by shooting impossible. I found the Samedi gang to be way harder than the other two gangs and for no good reason. I plowed through the Asian gang and the brotherhood like nothing and try my hardest not to use RPG or cheat codes but the game decides to use RPGs whenever it feels like it, even just random enemies on a flight of stairs like the 12 year old elite gamers who wait in front of ladders or anywhere unfair for free shots in fps games online. One of which you hack into a police station and the game decides to let choppers have rockets shoot you. One infamous mission a helicopter won't blow up. Others will just crash the game by forcing it to close automatically after clearing missions. Even with all these modernized updates with mods to help fix some of the issues. One of the things that upset me the most was I had to use a mod to get the input prompts to show up properly on the HUD, they are good enough to take our money but not show us oh yes. Press this button to do that. The story is about as in complex as an adult movie for the most part like when Johnny's girlfriend dies. Though some of the deaths in the cut scenes are more brutal than GTA was at the time but if that's all it takes to create a compelling story I question someones taste.
Why is there no exit signs on maps or anything, you get lost in a bunch of buildings. It sounds silly but trust me the main head quarters the saints are in is a maze with all the underground nonsense.
Right away you'll notice you cannot restart missions unless you tap down on the D pad a few times it takes some time getting used to. I have no idea why there isn't an option in the pause menu. The side missions in this game are way harder than they should be. You can usually do every mission in saints row 3 or onward on casual in your first or second tries but this game just makes it as hard as it wants to. The main missions are easy but for the unlockable rewards like infinite pistol ammo get ready to curse. They just came off as really out dated or out of touch.
The pause menu is a mess. Select to pull up the map. That's it. Start does just about everything else. It's really difficult to tell time without pulling up the phone too. They got a lot of great feedback for when they did 3.... seriously why do you guys like this game? I keep saying it but it's true. I can understand some people memorized the map and all so that may not be a big deal but "gosh darn".
The game is dated, yes it's not a "next gen" game by any means where you need to see beads of sweat or 4k textures as this came out as to 12 year old gamers I made fun of earlier graphics matter more than fun. But for an Xbox 360 and ps3 in 2008 it's sad this doesn't even get the excuse oh but its the first one.. it isnt. The graphics all look faded, no shine or anything to convince us and it takes some time getting used to after playing gat out of hell. I am amazed this is a ps3 game. The only reason it sold well was because it was a gap between GTA releases. Plus the fan base from before rockstar did games on xbox. It looks like a developers first chance at making a PS1 game with an actual budget. It's just with a larger open world to explore. By 2008 GTA 4 was out and there was no question this is a cheap bargain bin game as I could seriously go back and play GTA 4 and legitimately enjoy it.. this (spits). The missions were well thought out, the story line was ok, the city looked great not like this city where you can get stuck and some parts are just tedious to get to. I don't expect to walk straight lines like in Resident evil 4. GTA games are well tested and practically bug free a few months after release. GTA4 isn't even a favorite of mine but it was better. This is like a kid wanting burger king and a dad says he can make a burger just like theirs and couldn't but got better.
Breaking the shanties very early in the game I don't know why I can't break them with a melee weapon or firearm i have to beat bums through them in the first one. The last ultor mission where you kill Dane crashes constantly and it's extremely unforgiving as the choppers weapons have a mind of their own.
It takes forever to get good guns in the stores and I have NO idea why there is a melee weapon store. Same goes for health pickups. Yes it's a tougher game especially near the end but it's insulting.
The customizations are laughable.
The way the side missions work in this game is annoying. Level 1, stupidly easy, then the difficulty goes up. It's not as balanced as you'd expect it in most. You're in the fight club. 1 on 1.. fine , then by the end 6 on 1 as all the AI pretty much gang up on you. You'd think the game wouldn't it's like playing twisted metal black. I don't understand why the side missions can't just have 6 levels why do i have to find another person wanting the same thing done.
The rail missions where you spew waste on people is too specific and unforgiving. Skip them at all costs. They are the most out dated missions in the game.
The escort missions are painful and hardly qualify as missions. Avoiding the press is dumb luck and not skill. Just drive around for a minute, then the client decides to go somewhere stupidly far away and another boring task or two. They make you drive this stupidly slow car too that at top speed a van will be near your bumper. Unless you drive like a maniac there is no way to dodge them usually.
The cars drive ok .. but..the races are painful, i see why they adopted the gran turisimo 2 turn left with all the arrows blinking now , the miami boat race you've got to pretty much break the controller even with drifting to get them to turn
the crowd control missions are atrocious, especially when there are targets you can't get to in time because the crowd cannot be hit out of the way
the hitman missions have some that work when they want or you wait way too long for some to appear. The ones involving beer the game does when it feels like it
This game has zero replay value. It's for the hardcore fans who don't realize it's not 2008 any more. If any game needs a remake it's this with even the saints row 3 engine. Most of the missions feel slapped together, only 2 or 3 missions are super long there is hardly any cars in it on the road and holy crap is it ever hard to steal a car in this game. I've played just about every open world GTA clone I could get my hands on and this tops the list for tedious.
I'm sure i can find more things to hate on this. The soundtrack is ok, the voice acting is mediocre at best. The only mechanic I liked was you can pick stuff up and toss it. That's it.