Saints Row 2 Preview

If you think that's not merciless enough, there's an additional feature that allows you to grab people and use them as human shields. In certain situations this will prove to be a huge benefit. Cops will hesitate to shoot if you're blocked by a civilian target. If you wish, your hostages may be put out of their misery by quick headshots. Members of opposing gangs, on the other hand, will fire; civilian or no civilian. Still, the civilians provide an adequate shield for a time.

Overall, while Saints Row 2 may please fans, it does seem to have enough to entangle new-comers to the series too. There's quite enough lined up to warrant many hours of kick-ass next-gen-style action. Furthermore, combat should feel rewarding and a lot more intuitive than before. This time the game uses the over-the-shoulder view for aiming, which should be a decent improvement over the original. Vehicles are in the picture as well; cars, bikes, choppers and so on. Each of these may be used in co-op. For example, when flying the helicopter, one player can take the pilot seat, while the other operates a powerful chaingun.

Of course, even with all the promised additions, Saints Row still relies heavily on GTA mechanics and as such may not appeal to those who are looking to experience something innovative. Also, by the time Saints Row 2 hits the market, it'll have a rather serious contender - GTA IV.

Still, the GTA likeness didn't stop the first game from becoming a success and THQ and Volition are, obviously, hoping history will repeat itself in that respect.