Saints Row 2
Last updated: 2026-02-16
- Highly praised gameplay experience
- Outstanding open-world design
- Engaging and well-written story
- Frequent crashes and poor PC optimization
- Poor console-to-PC port
- Missing DLC content
Emotions
The primary cause of frustration among players is the game's frequent crashes and poor performance, which significantly disrupt gameplay. Issues such as lost progress, difficulty in getting the game to work on modern hardware, and the need for community patches to fix these problems contribute to a frustrating experience.
Players feel nostalgic due to fond memories of playing the game during their childhood and teenage years. The game's music, characters, and open-world experience remind them of simpler times and past experiences, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia.
Players express positivity towards the game's extensive customization options, vibrant open world, and engaging storyline. The fun shooting mechanics, compelling missions, and the overall polished gameplay experience contribute to their positive feelings.
The game brings joy to players through its humorous elements, enjoyable co-op experience, and the fun atmosphere. The variety of missions, customization options, and the immersive open world of Stilwater contribute to a joyful gaming experience.
Players feel disappointed due to the game's poor PC port, frequent crashes, and performance issues. The lack of DLC content and the need for mods to make the game playable also contribute to their disappointment.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 73% Ā· Negative 27%. Score: 27 / 100
Verdict
Buggy but Playable
Summary
The game heavily relies on community patches and mods for stability and an enhanced experience. While the vanilla version is reported to have issues, the community patches such as 'Juiced' are frequently recommended and result in a significantly improved and stable gameplay experience. Score: 40 / 100
Top points
- Community Patch Dependency - High
- Mods for Stability - High
- Positive Experience with Mods - Positive
Verdict
Tinkering Required
Summary
The Steam Deck experience for this game is marred by frequent crashes, performance issues, and the need for specific setups and mods to ensure smooth gameplay. While some users report a positive experience with proper tweaks, the overall feedback highlights significant technical barriers that impact the user experience. Score: 55 / 100
Top points
- Crashes and Stability Issues - High
- Performance and Optimization - High
- Compatibility and Setup - Medium
- Controller Support - Medium
- Mods and Patches - Medium
Positives:
- Players consistently describe the game as enjoyable, fun, and well-designed. The gameplay is frequently highlighted as a strong point, with many players recommending it and finding it entertaining.
- The open-world environment is widely praised for being lively, detailed, and expansive. Players appreciate the freedom and the variety of activities available within the open world.
- The story is frequently praised for being interesting, engaging, and well-written. Players appreciate the combination of humor, seriousness, and drama in the narrative.
- The game offers a wide range of customization options for characters, including deep and in-depth customization features that players find impressive.
- Many players consider this game to be the best in the Saints Row series. It is often described as quintessential and underrated, standing out among other entries in the franchise.
Negatives:
- The game is plagued by constant crashes, which occur frequently and unpredictably. This issue severely impacts the gameplay experience, making it unstable and frustrating for players.
- The PC port is widely criticized for being poorly done, with many considering it one of the worst PC ports in gaming history. The port is seen as lazy and disastrous, with numerous technical issues.
- The game suffers from significant optimization issues on PC, leading to poor performance, lag, and technical shortcomings. Players report bad textures, poor audio quality, and an overall terrible experience with the PC port.
- The PC port lacks original DLC content, which is a significant drawback for players. Several DLC packs available on other platforms are not included in the PC version.
- The game has not aged well, with graphics and gameplay elements feeling outdated. This can be a turn-off for players expecting a more modern experience.
Gameplay:
- The game features an open-world environment with a variety of missions and activities. Players can engage in gang warfare, story missions, and side activities, contributing to a living and detailed city experience.
- The game offers a wide range of customization options for characters, including clothing layers, vehicle, and weapon customization. This feature allows players to design their characters and gang members in-depth.
- A significant aspect of the game involves gang management, territory control, and business management. Players can recruit NPCs, build and customize their gang, and engage in gang warfare to capture territory.
- The game offers a large variety of weapons, vehicles, and clothes. This variety enhances the gameplay experience by providing players with numerous options for customization and combat.
- Side missions are a significant part of the game, offering varied and meaningful rewards. These missions provide additional content and activities for players to engage in.
Performance:
- The game experiences frequent crashes, which significantly disrupts gameplay. Players report crashes occurring at various intervals, from occasional to multiple times within a short period.
- The PC version of the game is noted for its instability and frequent crashes. Players report that the PC port is poorly optimized and buggy.
- Community patches are required to run the game well and prevent frequent crashes. Even with these patches, some issues may persist.
- The Juiced Patch is essential for better performance and stability. Without it, the game is nearly unplayable due to frequent crashes and poor performance.
- The game suffers from serious optimization issues on PC, leading to poor performance and frequent crashes. Players often need to use mods to achieve playable performance.
Recommendations:
- Many players recommend using the Juiced mod to enhance the gameplay experience, improve performance, and fix various issues such as crashing.
- Despite some flaws, many players find the game worth playing for its unique experience and recommend it to others.
- The Gentlemen of the Row (GOTR) mod is frequently recommended for additional content and improving the overall experience.
- Some players recommend playing the game on console, particularly Xbox, instead of PC for a better experience.
- The game is often recommended to fans of the Grand Theft Auto series, particularly those who enjoy the 3D era of the games.
Miscellaneous:
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