“Ludonarrative dissonance” is a term that’s been coined to describe this kind of situation, defined as “the conflict between a video game’s narrative told through the story and the narrative told through the gameplay.” Grand Theft Auto IV is another example. The problem is that as soon as a cutscene’s over, you can use your grappling gun to attach a hapless villager to the back of a car and watch them get dragged to their death.

You’re protecting American interests, but you’re still (just) on the side of the angels. Take the Just Cause games the cutscenes paint you as a freedom fighter, toppling dictators to save the harried local populace. Later games mellowed them, but in Saints Row 2 they’re exactly the kind of character you want from a Grand Theft Auto-style open-world game.īecause the problem with a lot of open-world games, ones where you get to interact with other living beings, is they give you the freedom to go on the rampage - then try and put a positive slant on your character. They’re driven by revenge for their own attempted murder, not remorse, and are the kind of amoral individual who’ll flirt with a bartender and then yank them over the bar and use them as a human shield. But what really makes Saints Row 2 shine is that your character simply does not give a shit.Īside from some scant loyalty to their fellow gang members, Saints Row 2’s protagonist doesn’t care who they hurt. Yes, flinging yourself around for the insurance money or spraying upscale housing developments with dung is fun. Why? Because Saints Row 2 is where the series peaks, and it’s all down to your character’s temperament.

That might not seem like a big ask, but ever since it was teased, I’ve been dreading what sort of insincere, wafer-thin motivation it might foist upon me. Īll I want from the upcoming Saints Row reboot is to be a scumbag. The following article contains spoilers for Saints Row 2.

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