With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV now less than two months away you could be forgiven for forgetting all about Saints Row 2. After all, Volition's upcoming sequel to the other open-world crime-themed action game doesn't even have a tentative release date yet. We're told that it'll be arriving this year, though, and we recently had an opportunity to check out an early version that already incorporates plenty of new features.



Set a few years after the events of Saints Row, the sequel will see you reprising the role of a Saints gang member who, in the years since the first game, has risen to power and become the leader of the gang. With that said, the first game forced you to play as a male character, but that's not the case in Saints Row 2. We spent some time with the new character customization system during our meeting, and it's clearly something that Volition has spent a lot of time improving. You can not only play as a male or a female but, since those options appear at either end of a sliding scale, you can choose to play as someone whose appearance isn't obviously either of the two. Other sliding scales you can play around with will affect fitness level and age. You'll also be able to determine your character's ethnicity and modify his or her facial features.

Character customization in Saints Row 2 won't end there, though. After settling on a look for your gang leader, you'll want to figure out how he or she moves. You might choose a guy who walks like a gorilla, a ballerina, or any of the numerous options in between. You'll also need to choose a voice, favourite taunt and compliment actions, and fighting style. Available taunts--which are presumably intended for use primarily in multiplayer games--will include such classics as the middle finger, the tea bag, and the wanker. Compliments will include a salute, thumbs-up, riverdance (don't ask), and many more. The number of fighting-style options available to you will increase as you defeat gangs in the story mode and add their moves to your arsenal.



The story mode will pit you against three rival gangs, all of whom are hoping to fill the power vacuum resulting from the Saints' fall from grace. It's a similar setup to that in the first game, but there appear to be plenty of changes and improvements planned for Saints Row 2 that'll make it a worthy sequel. For starters, the city of Stillwater is now considerably larger and barely recognizable as the same location from the first game. This, we're told, is the result of urban renewal efforts on behalf of a large corporation. All of the existing neighbourhoods have been given a face-lift, and all-new neighbourhoods have been created as a result of the city's expansion to the west. You'll be able to visit the interiors of well over 100 of Stillwater's buildings this time around, including no fewer than nine gang cribs that you can make your own as you progress through the game.



For the most part, Saints Row 2 plays similar to its predecessor, as you have the option of completing the story missions, finishing side quests or just going on a personal killing spree. With that said, you'll be able to play through the story mode alongside a buddy in the game's co-op mode, available via Xbox Live and the PlayStation network. Furthermore, the objects you pick up transfer back to your offline game and you'll enjoy unique co-op missions.

In addition, the game features a ton of vehicles, such as cars, trucks, jet skis, World War II fighter planes, an attack helicopter (there's a helicopter mission where one player flies and the other operates the chain gun) and motorcycles, all of which catch fire and explode after sustaining excessive damage.

Missions range from protecting your "homies" to ripping through a trailer park, the standard, criminal fare. You'll accomplish your goals using a series of weapons, from shotguns and automatic rifles to demo charges and a bazooka. There will also be downloadable content, but THQ isn't ready to discuss what that entails.



From our limited time with it, we feel Saints Row 2 will offer a fun experience that differs from Grand Theft Auto. On paper, they're very similar, but THQ's game is much more over the top, and we feel its character creator and off the wall dialogue will set it apart from its competitor. At the same time, it doesn't look nearly as impressive, with jagged character models and bland looking environments that pale to the glory that is GTA IV's Liberty City. Keep in mind, however, that Volition still has several months to polish the game.

We thoroughly enjoyed the previous Saints Row, so we're more than willing to embrace its feature-packed sequel. At least our desire to conquer the criminal underworld as a short, emaciated old grandmother won't go unrealized. Just refrain from throwing up your gang signs in public.