Back 2 The Row | A Saint's Row 2 Retrospective

[@joshiesworld77]

Also I think it's implied that Troy never truly left The Saints, hence why he can be called as a homie and the fact that he still wears purple. I think that's supposed to be what we take away from him, like he's the chief of police, so he has a job to do, but he still considers The Saints his friends like he said in the phone recording

[@afroviewer11]

He wears purple?

[@joshiesworld77]

@@afroviewer11 Yes, his suit is actually purple

[@DannyMorrs]

He actually has lines alluding to this, like when he says "Once a Saint, always a Saint." He's probably not actively in the gang, but is instead still respecting the relationships and loyalties he made while with the Saints. He is called out for being soft on the Saints, and during the story its clear that he doesn't want to help the other gangs

[@sofakingimmature]

@@DannyMorrs His loyalty is also mentioned at the beginning of the 3rd game. The cops on the helicopter yell how they aren't the chief of police.

[@peytongonavy]

Okay, cool. Somebody mentioned it. Settle down, settle down. 😮‍💨

[@brandonramirez2758]

"It's a bad time to be fucked up" is something that was added to my list of references no one gets but I say anyways the moment I heard it. Granted, I had to wait to start drinking to say it but still

[@lunarnocturne]

I remember waking up with a bad hangover after a night of drinking when I was 17 and uttering those same words lmao. So many quotable lines from this game.

[@trickovec15]

1:14:30 The Ronin guy literally calls dibs on Gat mid-fight("Ore no wa!" - "He's mine!"). Absolutely wild. Awesome vid as always by the way.

[@lunarnocturne]

Jyunichi wanted that fight so bad that he didn't want his own men to kill Gat. Absolutely fucking crazy lmao.

[@Lonewolf1997dark]

This is literally the most in-depth Saints Row Retrospective video out there. It saddeneds me, we may never touch this greatness again with how the gaming atmosphere is now.

[@lunarnocturne]

I won't lie to you, the 9th generation (outside of the Switch and a few select titles on PS5 and XsX) has been pretty stale. It feels like yesterday that month after month, players were being treated to back-to-back bangers from dev teams. I still have some hope left though.

[@trenchgaming2166]

"Where you learn to shoot" "It's something I picked up while in a coma" Peak 2000s comedy 😂

[@lunarnocturne]

I love the banter between Gat and Boss during that whole mission

[@trenchgaming2166]

@@lunarnocturne Their dialog is great in every scene they're in together. Can't wait ti see you do Gta4

[@STAXXX313]

It feels like Peirce's plan was what someone in the Dev room started to propose and Gatt's response was another's. The head of the meeting thought it was funny, so they put it in the game.

[@shadow9743]

When gat buries shogo my thought was always well he did say he wouldn't "kill" shogo at the funeral

[@lunarnocturne]

Lol at least he followed up on that promise.

[@shadow9743]

@LunarNocturne great video btw bro love your personality and the way you break it down

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man I'm glad you had a fun watch!

[@GodOfFire5496]

Did you know, Shogo is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal, the guy who voiced Peter Parker in the Insomniac Spider-Man games

[@FIoridaMan]

@@GodOfFire5496wtf wow! that dude was literally everywhere back in the day lmao. Even now lol. If i remember correctly he’s also the english dub voice actor for Sasuke in Naruto. Crazy.

[@Sticky_icky420]

R.I.P. Mike Watson. The legend that made one of my favorite games playable on PC

[@lunarnocturne]

He will be immortalized through his work.

[@GodOfFire5496]

I think the Bodyguard costumes for the Saints are the best

[@lunarnocturne]

I always choose those when I'm in the closing chapters of the game to show that Saints have grown from a petty street gang to damn-near whatever Ultor was.

[@BoiNation_NC]

Still got this game 🔥 definitely my top favorite game of all times

[@themaskedwander]

I found "Ridin In That Black Joint" by Wale only seems to exist for SR2. On YT all uploads of it r for SR2 and the song isn't even on streaming. Idk y but for such a good song. It's kinda hidden if u don't play SR2 Also fun fact, Arif (Pierce) has also voiced a few of the VK's from SR1. Arif has said that he likes to say Pierce was a lost soul in the VK's before he finally found his place in the 3rd Street Saints during SR2

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah I was unfortunately never able to find out what album Ridin' In That Black Joint" was on. All signs DO point to Wale being drafted by the Volition sound team to make a song for this game. The song also surfaced online in 2008, and Wale began his career in 2005, which furthers the idea that the song was made for SR2. And I'd believe it too. Pierce being a lost VK before the events of SR2 is a good headcanon.

[@themaskedwander]

@@lunarnocturne I don't know much about Wale but I do believe there r a couple songs made for/launched by SR2. While SR2 has music (like the pause menu theme) it took until SR3 to even get an actual OST. It's always cool to see songs released/made for games tho. Makes them that bit more special

[@lunarnocturne]

Wale's a legend where I'm from, so it always feels nice hearing him in SR2 (especially at a time when he was starting to blow up) The guy worked with Lady Gaga on his debut album, said debut was a success, so much good going for him.

[@AHappyBlackGuy]

Ahhh so thats why they made Pierce lead the Vice Kings in Agents of Mayhem

[@beardedweirdo790]

I'll never forget the first times I clapped eyes on the Vice kings bright yellow Compton car on S1...fell in love instantly

[@kylekopsi7039]

I don’t think the whole island city thing is that big of a deal when you factor in the docks and airport. That’s how people get there, and can get stuff shipped by air or sea. It’s like a second Hawaii, but like if Detroit floated out into the sea

[@lunarnocturne]

Nah I never thought it was a big deal. I just thought it'd be fun to joke about the idea of it being an island city.

[@Snippyyy]

know this is a old video, but man, carlos' death never ceases to hit me hard, they somehow gave someone like the boss a emotional moment that makes sense for his character, the boss is damn near psychopathic in the game, so it makes sense that hes not crying or anything, but the way he does show emotional is believable and fits with his character so well. im really glad you let that cutscene play out in full. i forget how good the writing and story used to be for these games

[@lunarnocturne]

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." -Napoleon Bonaparte Crazy part is that all Rockstar had to do was sit and watch Saints Row make a mockery of itself until the company destroyed themselves.

[@chesterstevens8870]

I think I speak for a lot of guys when I say that we all wish we had a chick like SR2 Shaundi.

[@lunarnocturne]

Lmao we all do. She's chill

[@lunarnocturne]

Lol as long as you don't simp out like Veteran Child did when she called to request Paramore.

[@jaredsheldon3496]

A gang member who is high all the time and has slept with half the town? Lol

[@marquishaile8]

They're out there. It's just a lot more rarer when they're cute now

[@markmagician2471]

The looks of SR 3 Shundi but the chillness of 2s

[@diamondinthesky4771]

I like to do all of the gangs in a randomized order I do the first Brotherhood mission first because the game literally prompts you to do it first and Maero's deal wouldn't make sense otherwise (Though it IS laughable that he says you should only 20% of the city EVEN when you already control 80% lmfao). Basically, all of the fourth missions (Red Asphalt, Bleeding Out and Veteran Child) get done around the same time which makes that a real "Darkest Hour" for the Saints. I also don't do the hospital mission until after the other gangs are finished, that way after Gat is back it's pretty much the Saints just entirely focusing on the Ronin. Doing it this way for me makes Carlos and Gats' absences in the other missions less jarring, because Gat is hospitalized relatively early while Carlos dies around the same time.

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah I always tackle the 1st Brotherhood mission while I'm in the middle of one of the other arcs. Wouldn't make sense otherwise lol. Also, I really love the level of thought you put into this. I never really thought about how high-stakes the fourth mission of each storyline was. My issue with this mission structure is that it makes killing off just about anybody incredibly difficult. It happened with Lin in the first game and it happened to Carlos here in SR2. It's a good system, but it comes at the cost of creating jarring moments and having character deaths seen from a mile away. The only solution to this would be gating off certain missions in one arc until you complete certain missions in another.

[@diamondinthesky4771]

​@@lunarnocturne Yeah I kind of think the game could have benefited from some Bioware/Mass Effect style thing where the cutscenes/interactions are different depending on who's still alive, until you do the mission where they die or get laid out lol. But I understand Volition is not the size of Bioware, so implementing a system like that would've taken too long. And ye. It's just my personal play style. The specific mission order I do can be random though. Like the only constants I have are fourth missions back to back and finish Samedi & Brotherhood before Gat's hospital mission. I know most people do the ol' "1 arc at a time" system though which is still valid. It is hilarious indeed that they didn't think to make a variation of the Maero cutscene where the Boss just says "Bitch I ain't giving you my fucking territory, I already own 80% of this city you should be on YOUR hands and fuckin' knees right now" cuz legit doing the Brotherhood last makes Maero seem like he's high off some Loa Dust lmfao.

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah this could've been better thought out. That's why none of the main cast in SR3 dies. The Maero cutscene does become a lot more humorous when you play his arc last too lol. It's like, dude, did you not see or hear about the attack on the casino or the junk shootout?

[@DevinRyanVitek]

I’ll never forget booting up the game for the first time and Jeezy’s “I Luv It” start up! So hype. I love how the game has dark moments but times where you feel like you’re truly the king of the city. So many of my fav songs came from this game like Deftones’ “Hole in The Earth” and more. I must have a ridiculous amount of hours on this game between my time playing it on both PC and PS3 first.

[@nikifalcon]

For me it was Lloyd Banks and 50

[@FezTheMoose]

Always loved that the boss would do anything for his gang. Being betrayed and blown up by your leader will make you that type of guy.

[@MDP112]

The Hustlers Ambition edit is very much appreciated

[@lunarnocturne]

That edit was a LOT of fun. Ran out of songs from the first two games to use, so I decided to edit using that one and it paid off. Thank you so much!

[@csrph]

SR2 was the only game i played in the series, and i think you captured it pretty damn well in this vid. Awesome stuff dude, seriously.

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks so much! I really wanted to capture that balance of detailed analysis of gameplay and story, and humor of course.

[@bestbro1018]

Just replayed this game. I forgot how amazing it is definitely a underrated masterpiece

[@kelendalkazama9926]

Absolutely stellar work. This is exactly the kind of video I was hoping to find when I searched Saints Row 2 Retrospective. No notes. Subbed and I'm probably gonna watch every vid you have.

[@lunarnocturne]

Glad I was able to deliver what you were looking for! And I hope you enjoy the stay. I've got years worth of content, but I'm sticking with in-depth retrospectives. Thanks so much!

[@courttheshort87]

1:49:30 Tell me where you live without telling me where you live. I felt that in my soul bro.

[@lunarnocturne]

IM GLAD SOMEONE GOT THAT! The worst road in the DMV is exit 170 near the Baltimore exit lmao.

[@courttheshort87]

@@lunarnocturne yes! I mean it makes sense the closer you get to the capital the lower the IQ gets. Absolutely detest driving through Manassas and Dumfries

[@lunarnocturne]

Once you make it to S Capital St, you'd better clear your schedule lmao. And no matter what part of Nova you're driving in- Prince William, Alexandria, hell even Arlington- one thing is clear: Someone will find a way to absolute fuck up your commute.

[@ajb.311]

yo i used to love this game and still do, fire retrospective big dog

[@lunarnocturne]

Ha! Thanks dude! Glad you got a lot of enjoyment out of this!

[@CleverCover05]

I've watched a bunch of retrospectives on this series and yours made me smile the most. And somehow, you're also the only one that matched my playthrough with the gangs. So that's fun. Can't wait to see more from you.

[@lunarnocturne]

After my first playthrough of this i felt like there was some kind of "order" that the gangs had to be tackled in. I deduced that the gangs had to be tackled in the order I went with because of both the power they held in Stilwater, and because of events and character actions that would suggest so. I'm so glad that I was able to make you laugh with this series! I'm currently working on the script for Saint's Row The Third whilst also tackling other projects, so it's gonna take some time. Thanks so much, man. This means a lot.

[@CleverCover05]

@@lunarnocturne I'm excited. I thought this would be a video to listen to while I work out, but your use of memes is masterful. If I enjoyed the video so much I didn't even notice an hour went by, I gotta subscribe.

[@lunarnocturne]

@CleverCover My favorite edit was the Home Alone one since I came up with that idea on the spot after my relatives and I finished watching the movie while I was still making the video. I thought, "wait, I'm talking about the sounds of gunshots, why not put in that scene from Home Alone?" Another favorite of mine was LowTierGod banning one of his mods while lip-sanc to Aizen. Had me laughing in my chair so much. And thanks dude, that means a lot. I'm glad I let an hour slip by like that.

[@TheLittlePlatoon]

I’m looking to branch into games coverage at some point, and I’d have been damn proud to have produced something of this quality. I’d look at cutting the length of the pre-vocals intro, and some of the music/footage interludes. Ideally we’d be captured first by what you’re saying and how you’re saying it, then by your editing. And definitely look to vary up your vocal inflection/cadence a bit. If you listen to the opening sentence of each paragraph, you tend to adopt the same speech melody (first word rising, second/third syllable stressed, then falling) - it’s unnaturally repetitive, and makes it clear you’re reading from a script. You are, of course; but ideally it wouldn’t sound like you are. Speaking more conversationally - and you’ve got a good voice for it - would be more engaging. (If you’ve got an Audible account, it’s worth listening to the narrator’s technique. Long-form videos really aren’t dissimilar to audiobooks, and the same rhetorical tricks apply to both.) Beyond that, great vid. Definitely stuff for me to learn from - I’m subbed. Always happy to support a fellow Longman!

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah my biggest issue, even during production, was and is my vocal inflection. I've done so many retakes of me reading the same line over and over again and it would sound worse the more I tried to make it sound natural and less scripted and robotic. I'm actually listening to other video essays so I can get an idea on how I should let my voice sound when doing these. Thanks SO MUCH for the constructive criticism. Stuff like that helps me out in the long-run.

[@mitchelldiedrich]

​@@lunarnocturne I feel this in my bones, dude. why does standing behind a microphone make me forget how to talk like a human? lmaoo

[@lunarnocturne]

@@mitchelldiedrich I have autism too, so that doesn't help. Despite that, I still love hopping behind the microphone and expressing myself. It feels therapeutic in a way. The less robotic I think I sound, the better the take is to me. That's why I should proof-watch these vids more with friends and family. Still, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who struggles in that area.

[@ArdillaLoco]

Whoa! Not only did Little Platoon watch your video, but he left constructive advice and he subbed too!? That's dope!

[@lunarnocturne]

@@ArdillaLoco I know! It felt unreal seeing Platoon's comment and constructive criticism. I'm still working on my skills behind the mic too. So dope.

[@Billi336-rk5jh]

I’m still remember, always looking at the game case when I bought a game with my mum, we would go for something to eat and I want to just be looking and waiting at the manual the whole time

[@lunarnocturne]

That trip back home from the Pentagon City mall was the longest, yet shortest ever once I got my hands on SR2.

[@doctoradventure413]

This was the first M rated game I ever played. I have good memories of playing this in the basement with my cousins.

[@lunarnocturne]

This was the first non-GTA sandbox game I'd experienced as a kid. It felt like a breath of fresh air compared to Grand Theft Auto. Better aiming controls (at least for those on console), better checkpoint system, and there was more side stuff to do. My first M-rated game was GTA San Andreas. The fact that my parents kept trying to hide it from me just made that game and other M-rated titles all the more enticing.

[@JungleRunnin]

Just as I thought, it's bussin'! Another banger!

[@lunarnocturne]

I always deliver.

[@JuleZz__z]

Sr2 story & open world + The Warriors melee & gang system + maxpane3 shooting w gore = the Perfect game

[@DakotaSheppard96]

2024 rn and i still play 1-4 (+ gat ) I’ll always love this game on Xbox One

[@DarkVideogamer]

I love your reasoning for the path you took in your saint playthrough. I've always done Brotherhood first then Ronin then Samedi For me the story always played out as... The Brotherhood is Boss thinking he can run things the old way, and with the hype of this younger member. He has high hopes to bring back the saints and the dreams of a newbie inflating his ego. But with the lost of Carlos, it's a reminder that he doesn't have the same power he used to, so he gets personal and dirty. And while in the end he wins, he did lose someone who trusted him. So boss vows not to let it happen again. Then the Ronin are a reflection of the old saints (boss/Gat) and the new saints (shandi/Pierce) with a parallel of Pierce being made thr but of jokes as a mirror of Shogo getting constant criticism. Aisha's death affected Gatt, but Gatt was also trying to forcibly do things the old way without even thinking about the danger Aisha was put into. But it also affected the boss who just swore he wouldn't let another saint die like Carlos did. Then with the Samedi. the saints who've now been grounded and humbled, have to face a gang seemingly untouchable and unkillable. Maybe even truly magical. So the boss is more protective of Shandi and goes out of his way to ensure that only her Ex is the one he shoots, even though it would be easier to just shoot the jerk. But in the end Boss realizes the Samedi are just mortal men who can make mistakes and die like anyone else. So now the saints will move forward with a mix of the older ways and the newer ways of being a gang. But Dex, Troy and Julius returning drags him back to his older way where he gets personal with it and realizes the saints weren't quite on top. There was one Goliath of an enemy who needs to be taken down before the city truly belongs to the saints. And in the end Julius was right. Despite everything boss didn't change, he just turned the saints into the Kings but in purple. But yeah I still really like your retrospectives, good job. Sorry bout the wall of text.

[@lunarnocturne]

Excellent analysis! What I like about the non-linear nature is that it lets you build your own stories in your head about why certain story beats are taking place. And a lot of your reasoning sounds plausible! Story order also allows you to get an idea on character motivations as well. Your interpretation of events holds a lot of weight too. Also, no need to apologize for writing long comments. I actually love reading and responding to these the most!

[@mtndew4746]

DUDE! This is one of the best videos I've ever seen! You should have at least 100k subs!

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man! I'm glad you had a good watch!

[@IchibanAC]

SMT IV overworld map music on the SR2 map screen, Tekken 7 customisation music when changing your clothes in SR2. Placement of music is genius and you've got great fucking taste. another amazing retrospective. 👌

[@lunarnocturne]

I was contemplating using the map theme from 4A, but I felt like the one from 4 was more appropriate. Also, Midnight Closet from Tekken 7 goes so hard. I like to put that on in the background when I'm working on my bicycle.

[@bennygoodmanisgod]

I think when it comes to the unraveling of Shogo, in that while yes he was naive and arrogant in not taking the Saints seriously from the get go, he was overall a competent gang leader (especially with the agreement with Ultor). I’d actually argue that it was actually Kazuo’s arrogance in not understanding the Saints and American culture, as well as his incessant shaming of his son for everything (even things that were out of his control) that inevitably drove Shogo off the deep end and doomed the Ronin This in no way excuses what he did by defiling Aisha’s funeral, but a man can only be pushed so far before he snaps. And I can only imagine the pain Shogo felt when his father did everything he could to degrade him, especially considering the culture they hail from. But I disagree with the notion that Shogo was an arrogant little shit who got everything that came to him. But that’s just my opinion and it’s something I’ve given much thought about. And it speaks to how deep and profound what on the surface just looks like a mindless and goofy open world game can provide brilliant commentary on culture and the psychology of the criminal mind. Kudos to the writers ❤

[@lunarnocturne]

Kazuo's arrogance is definitely what destroyed the Ronin. Like you said, he's not familiar with American corporate or criminal culture, and he takes any suggestion as an insult. Him severing ties with Ultor meant losing their backing and any all protection. I do admit that I pinned a lot of the blame on Shogo for messing up their org, but Kazuo was also largely responsible. And yeah this game does have a ton of deeper themes that tend to be overlooked in the face of all the violence and mindless fun you get lost in, but once you unravel those themes, it's hard to look at certain characters and even the story the same way again. I love it.

[@christopherjohn7442]

No Shogo definitely deserved what happened to him

[@lunarnocturne]

Oh definitely, especially after the failed attack on the funeral.

[@spielmann1647]

I really enjoyed watching the video, keep up the good work !

[@lunarnocturne]

Thank you!!

[@m.u.n3424]

Best saints row vid I seen in a minute

[@m.u.n3424]

2:07:44 😂😂”fuck your homie” caught me off gaurd

[@ThaUnderdog]

SR1 was sooo different to me back then I already put it over GTA just because of the customization aspect. SR2 perfected the open world gangster games.

[@lunarnocturne]

SR1 also had a helluva lot more to do than GTA as well. SR2 perfected the formula like you said, but imagine seeing the crazy potential being unleashed in SR3 instead of being wasted.

[@ThaUnderdog]

@@lunarnocturne Maaan I remember them rumors of Rockstar paying them off to make the game take a different route 😂 the more time goes by the more I gravitate towards that conclusion.

[@futurecar6750]

Me see this gameplay and seeing the new games gets me so depressed! Why couldn't they just make this but with better graphics?!?!? 😭😭😭

[@lunarnocturne]

Ugh it kills me seeing what Saints Row 3 and onward could've become.

[@braydengarcia9129]

I NEED a SR 1 & 2 remaster SO bad😭😭

[@lunarnocturne]

We all need it in our lives.

[@masterdale1155]

I have a answer as to why Troy wasn’t in his office is cause he’s scared what The Boss’s reaction was when he (The Boss) wanted to know what happened on the boat and that’s why Troy left the tap wiring for The Boss to listen to and it’s his way of saying sorry and to tell him “I didn’t set you up here’s who did it, you do what you have to do”

[@mementomori771]

Carlos reminds me of Jackie from sleeping dogs just with none of the development

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah Carlos was a real letdown. I was looking forward to his interactions with the other Saints and seeing him grow. Hell, his growth from a shy baby gangster to a full-blown Lieutenant would've made his death all the more sadder.

[@RollingxBigshot]

You doing good brother, great content. Primm brought me here.

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man. Primm an all-star.

[@GI_Georgie1]

Oh hey, I found this certified hood classic in my recommended again!

[@lunarnocturne]

Glad it made its way back into your recommended!

[@wadephony9954]

I have a particular way I like to play the story, starting with samedi, then setting up the brotherhood halfway through that. But I usually didn't do the Ronan until last, it felt like shogo wouldn't even notice the saints taking over the southern part of stillwater. It was interesting to see someone play in a different way, I love the freedom this game gives you in every aspect like that

[@lunarnocturne]

That's an interesting point about the Ronin not noticing the Saints took over. I always felt like the Saonts took on the Ronin after getting cocky about their victory over the Samedi and biting off more than they could chew. As for the Brotherhood, it feels like the first mission occurred some time during the Samedi arc, a time when the Saints were new in town and nobody knew their name. I like your take on the timeline of events!

[@wickthetrickster461]

Just wanna say I appreciate all the SMT music use as background. Didn't think I'd be hearing Devil Survivor OST in a Saints Row 2 vid but here we are.

[@lunarnocturne]

I always have fun adding the BGM to these vids, and Devil Survivor 1 and 2 are my top picks when it comes to OST. The OST in those games really do a great job with setting the tone. Also, thank you SO MUCH for this comment. I love it when other SMT fans notice the OSTs I add.

[@thediaryofnunu]

Oh yeah I definitely thank you for the content I love saints row n seeing how it is now . I needed to go back

[@lunarnocturne]

I'm glad you're enjoying this series of videos! I plan on covering all of Saint's Row (might or might not do Agents of Mayhem tho. Game is sooo bloated lol)

[@GodOfFire5496]

When you execute a human shield without a gun, Boss will snap the person's neck instantly

[@lunarnocturne]

I forgot about that animation lol. I always have a gun when I capture human shields.

[@Vuer89]

Primm brought be here. Good shit, bro

[@lunarnocturne]

Ayy thanks man. Hope you enjoy the stay.

[@MistahJay7]

107.7 The Mix is the best. Also I think it's pretty cool how that Radio station is only dedicated to the area around the West Side of the map since it's a local station from the University.

[@lunarnocturne]

It's a pretty great station and has plenty of good throwbacks, I'll give it that. As for it being dedicated to the western portion of Stilwater, I think you might be mixing that up with Underground. Its broadcast range covered most of western Stilwater.

[@MistahJay7]

@@lunarnocturne Oh shit forgot to write in underground when mentioning that second part lol yea I know.

[@lunarnocturne]

It's all good lol

[@RSans4210]

I'm glad I watched this, great vid

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks Rocco!

[@ryankelley5160]

I could drive up skyscrapers with monster trucks and motorcycles. 10/10

[@Trainalf]

I caught it 20 minutes after upload, watched the first hour and then paused to do some house work. Came back and it was gone. Now I can finally finish it.

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah sorry about that. While I was scheduling the upload, I'd mistakenly set it up to upload at 6:30 AM instead of PM. Glad you can enjoy it now! Sorry for the inconvenience.

[@hulk559atogc]

Boss with the black airforces 😂

[@lunarnocturne]

I'm glad someone finally noticed it 😂😂

[@Tomahawk.01]

44:20 the ar 50 sound is the exact same used for the turret on the general’s bulldog and not only is the ar 50 with the grenade launcher my favorite gun in the game it’s also my favorite firing sound

[@lunarnocturne]

Dude, it's the best in the game to have for sure, especially since you don't have to switch to grenades in the weapons wheel.

[@Tomahawk.01]

This gun is the main reason I try to complete all hitman missions asap cuz it gives infinite ammo for all assault rifles and the one sniper in the game

[@lunarnocturne]

Man, i never did complete all the Hitman missions. Maybe I should in my next playthrough.

[@Tomahawk.01]

Yeah the hitman missions are handled better in 2 but like in the first game some of them are just a coin toss on whether they’ll spawn or not Also when you do another playthrough of this game and want infinite ammo on all your weapons Pistol: Fuzz projects district Smg: Snatch downtown district Shotgun: Drug trafficking airport district Assault rifle: All hitman missions Rockets: Ultor family fun day (corporate warfare dlc only) Unfortunately no infinite throwables unless you use an infinite ammo cheat

[@Aupixa]

Saints Row 2 will forever have a special place in my heart if only I could go back in time and play it over again

[@lunarnocturne]

I'm getting flashbacks to when I finally got the game for myself and fired it up for the first time. The customization, combat, music- everything about it blew me away.

[@awsomewaver]

A 2 hour video about saints row? Let me sit my black ass down and watch

[@lunarnocturne]

It's a wild ride, dude. Hope you enjoy every second.

[@swempytimes]

I remember downloading the saints row 1 demo and playing that so much. Soooooooo much. I memorized the lines, the songs on the radio, the layout of the saints row district in Stillwater. And saints row 2 was a fantastic Super Villain simulator

[@lunarnocturne]

I miss when developers put out worthwhile demos. Those definitely would get you hyped for the full game!

[@GAMER3Productions]

As a fellow Virginian driver: I was offended by your comment, we all know that some Maryland drivers are so bad that it feels like their Driver Instructor literally gave them their license just so they won’t have to deal with them anymore…..Other Than That, This Was A Great Video!!!

[@Reigndolph]

So 2 things about this.... 1)i know I should have said this on your Saints Row 1 video but ill say it here because it applies to both saint's row 1 & 2 but it's just a better idea to gain as much respect near the start of the game so you dont have to worry about side activities later if you know what you're doing. 2)saint's row 2 is almost sad in a way since we'll never get anything like it *ever* again. They (volition & deep silver) should have just remastered saints row 1 & 2 while they were at it.

[@lunarnocturne]

I actually prefer getting Respect as I play along because I hate burning through the story. I also just love driving around Stilwater and taking in the scenery. Yeah the open-world market is oversaturated as hell and there aren't many, if any, crime games out there anymore. The reason why Volition couldn't do remasters of the first two games is because the source code was lost (although SR2's was found in 2019). It's not known if they're gonna move forward with remasters of the first 2. Not helping is that Volition is in the dire straits due to poor sales of SR Reboot. They're hanging on by a thread right now and their future is uncertain

[@themaskedwander]

​@@lunarnocturne unfortunately it's a known fact that Volition don't actually like SR1 and 2, most of the devs r only new to the studio and probably only worked on 3 on wards if even a SR game and say the tones and style of those games r a product of their time and aren't suitable as a game in 2020 on. Then we got SR22....... So yea. Other than the likes of IdolNinja doing gods work himself (before he passed) we'd never even have had the hope of the infamous PC patch. Tho it has kinda been hinted at that that has even been cancelled silently and hoping the community just forgets it

[@lunarnocturne]

@@themaskedwander Yeah it's more than clear that the new blood is ashamed of the edgy sometimes politically incorrect humor of the previous titles. It is true though that they are a product of the 2000s. Despite that though, I do think that Volition overdid it with trying to course-correct in SR Reboot with the humor. That PC patch is one of the biggest tragedies to go down in the history of mods. PC players, being forced to put up with a broke-ass port for years almost got a taste of what would've been a good fix, but it was lost due to things outside of IdolNinja's control. The quiet cancellation stings the most.

[@themaskedwander]

@@lunarnocturne I lost all my respect pretty much soon as the reboot was released, from how they treated the community, the state they launched the game in and the last straw was the legacy of Mike Watson being spat on. His one goal in life was to fix SR2, see that game flourish and have mod support. He passes and everything just goes silent. Then we find out they canned his dying wish. He lived for SR2, the community of all the games and even the studio. They can't even respect his dying wish. I get if there was internal reasons but that's no reason to even let the community work on it if needed

[@TheTyrant079]

That SMT IV Music tho 🔥🔥🔥

[@lunarnocturne]

@@TheTyrant079 Adding those tracks was so much fun

[@MICcinema1393]

Great choice on tvat intro beat

[@GodOfFire5496]

Did you know that after you destroy the Samedi's drug labs, you can actually see firefighters trying to put the blaze out

[@lunarnocturne]

The small attention to detail in the world of SR2 is so beautiful.

[@arjunsatheesh7609]

Another good retrospective.

[@ghost_emre_a7710]

My first game was Saints Row The Third. My sister's Ex boyfriend gave it to my brother as a gift in 2015, but I played it too. My cousins had that game too when we visited them. After that my bro got the newer Saints Row game and lastly I bought Saints Row 2. I like it. It was something different and interesting.

[@lunarnocturne]

My first game was also Saint's Row The Third and I got it as a Christmas gift a month after it came out from my sister's ex. I went and played the series backwards and ended up enjoying SR2 the most.

[@kgldude]

Loved the review. I've seen a few other retrospectives of the SR series and none of them go into as much detail about the narrative as you do, critiquing the finer points of the story and the characters. Very good stuff. My only quibble is, what do you have against definitive articles? They're called THE Boss and THE General. They're THE only ones.

[@lunarnocturne]

Thank you! That was always my goal when making these retrospectives. I like diving deeper into the meat and potatoes of a game's story with my scripts. As for the definitive articles, it wasn't for a lack of trying. The reason why I eliminated nearly every single one for the Boss and the General was because saying the articles messed with my flow when recording, and I felt like it would throw off certain sentences. Thanks for the feedback!

[@kgldude]

@@lunarnocturne Fair enough.

[@user-wb3qe6pv1u]

While I get the sentiment that Carlos should of done more in other storylines I think they were trying to show how dangerous and fleeting this life can be through his character. That it could be over just like that easily before you even really start especially for the inexperienced.

[@ChrisSealy1997]

From what Ive seen the xbox 360 version of Saints Row 2 is the best version especially if you have installed the game to your hard drive and have v sync turned on

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah the PS3 version was very glitchy since it's an early PS3 game and all.

[@ChrisVicious]

Actually double Capos was nightmare fuel in Tekken Tag 2, but the less said about that the better 🙃

[@lunarnocturne]

FUCK. THAT. You might as well forfeit the match if you're about to run a set against two capo users lmao.

[@xbinzur6956]

These vids deserve more attention same with the og saints row games, u made a solid video man

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks dude! These were and are my favorite vids to work on

[@drparadox7833]

As a guy who played first 2 games a few months ago for the first time gotta say they still hold up.

[@lunarnocturne]

Yes they do. Saint's Row managed to beat GTA to the punch when it came to the open-world crime genre at the time. You could drive-by from any direction, had absolute freedom on which missions to tackle, and there was more to do.

[@drparadox7833]

@@lunarnocturne Yeah Gen X and Kryhme stations were a blast from the past and no BS monetazation.

[@lunarnocturne]

They really were a reflection of the era of their respective genres. I wish KRhyme in Saint's Row 2 had more modern, underground tracks, and Volition dumped the R&B and old-school songs onto what was supposed to be the second iteration of Sizzurp 101.69

[@seijuroakashi9178]

I think we both begin and end with the brotherhood for the gang stories, starting with the early brotherhood missions, stuff going quiet with them, the Sons and Ronin being taken out, before Brotherhood picks up again then concludes. My personal gang mission order anyways

[@lunarnocturne]

I also play it in that order too when replaying SR2. The dialogue alone indicates that Maero and Boss meet some time during the conflict with one the other gangs. It just makes sense

[@marakii2x]

32:57 i'm dead😂😂😂

[@HersheyHemi1]

I don't know if you ever done this before. But I download SR 2 on my PS3. And one of my favorite was to find a medium or large vehicle. And drive to any gas station and crash into a pump. The game 95% of the time would send me in my car flying across the map! It was fun as hell! Just don't get a motorcycle because well...The Motorcycle would blow you along with it! So if you want to do this tell me what happened if you want. Like I said I DL'd the game on my PS3 but it did not get patches. So if it does not work sorry for wasting your time, If it DOES work have fun!

[@lunarnocturne]

Yep! This works on all versions of the game! That blast would send you KILOMETERS away! My cousin and loved doing that before moving on to the main story. Memories.

[@Thebroshow13]

Great retrospective bro , I’ve always felt like the reason to why the boss is so protective over shaundi is because of what happened to Lin in SR1 . I always figured that boss has some guilt of not being able to save Lin , so to make up for lin’s death , the boss constantly makes sure to not include shaundi in their activities . Just my personal opinion , let me know your thoughts .

[@lunarnocturne]

Hey sorry it took me so long to respond! You make a geat point for as to why Boss is so protective when it came to Shaundi. Him remembering the kidnap and murder of Lyn might've sparked that sense in him to leave Shaundi behind the frontlines, and it surely paid off. That's legit something I've never thought about and now it makes me look at Boss' interactions with Shaundi in this game in a whole new light.

[@silentjoker45]

A great video man

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man!

[@robertparker6280]

To me this is the best sandbox game, if not one of the best. IMO it beats most GTA games. Yeah I said that.

[@cyrussharp3097]

sick ass video. Very nostalgic

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks dude! Glad ya loved it.

[@greatrieck]

Leaving another comment because I wanna help a homies algorithm I wanna point out the interesting parallels of each of the big new members of the Saints to old members they replace and enemies from the last game. First is Shaundi, her plotline is a slightly more comedic version of Lin's where she has a relationship with a member of a rival gang (Lin had DOnnie, Shaundi had Veteran Child), however she also has a lot more in common with Tanya from the Vice Kings in that she has a lot of "relations" going around to be kind about it. Though unlike both she is much more carefree but also loyal. Next is Carlos, who has a lot of similarities, at least in terms of being ready to handle their responsibilities, to Angelo of Los Camales, in over his head and as such pays the price for being too far in where he doesn't belong. Now he also is in my mind a prototype of a character from a game that people call a GTA clone but is more an SR Clone Sleeping Dogs in Jackie Ma. Unlike Jackie he doesn't get enough screen time for it to land like finding poor Jackie at the end of that game. Last is Pierce, and who does Pierce resemble with all his smart plans and shit? Dex from the old Third Street Saints. He is a genius and knows good plans but he is ignored and I feel its a subconscious reason: Dex lead them through all their smart plans that worked but... Dex was also a traitor to the saints, having betrayed them to work for a big corporation that controls everything. Whether they know it or not, their dislike of Pierce's plans is subconsciously because he is a lot like Dex but isn't Dex. So in turn he is shrugged off as a joke. Just my analysis watching this for a third time in the last week.

[@oblivionrocks222]

where/how did you get that all over print hoodie you have on at @1:21:27? is it modded? never seen it before. great video btw👍🏻😊

[@lunarnocturne]

@oblivionrocks222 That hoodie is part of this DLC called the Unkut Pack. The DLC is free too!

[@Thebroshow13]

One thing I always liked about the boss is that He/she did surpassed Julius in terms of leadership , not only did the boss wipe out the rival gangs but also fought a million dollars cooperation backed up the military . Unlike Julius , Whenever a saint member dies , the boss makes sure to make the rival gang pay in a personal way , keep in mind , Julius sad that in SR1 that Lin’s death and Johnny’s injury were just part of the war and he didn’t seem that sad about Lin’s death in my opinion , I do wish we could’ve gotten a cutscene of the main saints at Carlos funeral . Another thing I’ve noticed is that the boss while yes is a psychopath like Johnny if not worst , has shown mercy to at least two rival gang members , the gang members that I’m referring to are Matt and Donnie , for Donnie , I believe that the Boss deep down knew that Donnie didn’t have nothing to do with what happened to Lin , so he only threatens to kill him but he never does , and maybe I’m going to much into it , but the boss definitely didn’t blame Donnie for what happened to Lin , when it comes to Matt , I do think the boss did go to far by burning Matt’s hand ✋ , ofc just like Johnny , he/she seems to take pleasure from seeing his/she enemy’s suffer . But Matt wasn’t a direct gang member unlike Donnie . When it comes to Julie’s betrayal of our character, while yes the Boss is a psychopath and is way worse then Johnny , Julie’s didn’t know what the Boss would’ve done if he had simply ask him to stop . If Julie’s had simply asked him to stop , he would’ve listened, the boss would’ve never attacked Julie’s because Julie’s at the time of SR1 was his mentor and a father figure to him and Johnny , while Johnny wasn’t going to stop , that doesn’t mean the player wouldn’t had Julie’s handled the situation in a better way . Great video .

[@zodiacmartnio7256]

awesome game that ever played

[@Thatguy27250]

This video is some QUALITY!! I love the edits you made with the beginning of each gang! Keep up the good work brother

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man! The edits at the start of each chapter were my favorite parts to put together.

[@Thatguy27250]

@@lunarnocturne they are very crisp!! Cannot wait to see what u do in the future!! You can only get better!

[@lunarnocturne]

I got a retrospective planned for Saint's Row The Third and Persona 3 planned out. I can't wait for yall to see it.

[@yaboyz5277]

Dope vid bro

[@lunarnocturne]

Thanks man!

[@Mert_Yanik]

"Kneel before the son of samedi" 💀

[@DanialTarki]

Also, me personally, my order is The Brotherhood, The Ronin, and The Sons Of Samedi, especially considering that it would be beneficial for the Saints to TRY to get some more allies considering there are two other gangs to deal with, and we get to see more of Carlos earlier on (even more so when you consider the “washed up gangers” line); also Carlos never ever appears in the other two sets of gang missions. Your order’s fine, too.

[@lunarnocturne]

I've mentioned this in different reply, but reading the order in which others have tackled the gangs and their reasoning for their choice always gets my imagination going, building headcanons for how and why the Saints took on each gang when they did.

[@ljanki7658]

Yeah, I wish they had given carlos more character development

[@lunarnocturne]

Even worse is that you can see Carlos' and Lin's death miles away

[@pollyd8548]

I personally like doing the brotherhood first, because it gives Pierce as a homie, and since Pierce is a part of other gang missions, you can have 2 pierces on some missions

[@MrSquaky]

great video!

[@lunarnocturne]

Thank you!

[@bradchesser2211]

I first saw this game in gameinformer magazine with a still taken of a motorcycle jumping off a ledge with the rider drawing a sword

[@joshiesworld77]

To your point about Pierce, I was REALLY hoping that SR3 was going to be about him turning on The Saints because of the disrespect he constantly got, causing him to start his own gang to rival The Saints,it would've been good character development for him and something of a payoff for how he was treated.

[@angrybrony]

it's a shame we never got a SR game that let you diside if you wanted to be like julinen or a complete psychopath. take back the hood or be a crime lord, something like that.

[@lunarnocturne]

Would be an interesting idea- a Saint's Row game with more emphasis on choices like that. SR3 did that and there'd be dramatic changes in Steelport, but not the story.

[@angrybrony]

@@lunarnocturne i mean sr3 kinda just did it for like the very end and choosing what boosts you'd get from a few missions. nothing that really mattered.

[@lunarnocturne]

Kinda wish we got more from SR3 doing that

[@angrybrony]

@@lunarnocturne shame they stopped there really.

[@MICcinema1393]

Classic game

[@fredosupremetheamericandre6577]

Far too many great points made in this video to list here, I approve of every word you said here. It's a great game, the only problem is, as you said, the DLC missions are much more poorly written (I didn't consider Ultor Exposed as shilling Red Faction until you pointed it out, kudos). On a side note, did you notice the checkpoints in the second Corporate Warfare mission are kind of busted? But honestly, I love this game. I got it digitally on PSN for $10 (game+paid DLC) in 2016, and I thought it was amazing then, and it still is.

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah both DLCs were not fun to play through and had some of the worst writing in the series. The checkpoints in Corporate Warfare were AWFUL. The most infamous mission in that expansion was the nuclear reactor mission because of how busted it is. It's on-par with What Goes Up from Saint's Row 1. Oh yeah and I remember that deal Sony was doing back in 2016 for SR2 and 3. They sold those two for pennies and no doubt got more people into the series.

[@fredosupremetheamericandre6577]

More cons of the DLC: The cutscenes have minimal effort (think the first part of GTA: Liberty City Stories), the plot points go nowhere, most of the new vehicles are underperforming (Valkyrie and Temptress aside), Revelation's secrecy is ruined by needing to be completed to unlock the Corporate Warfare missions (being available fresh out of the prologue), and the finale missions have a major difficulty spike. Pros of the DLC: Major cash boost early on if one can put up with the cons, and the added customization options are very good (the Feathery hairstyle really fits my Boss from my Let's Play). P.S., the Co-Op version of Corporate Meltdown has a partner drive the truck instead; do you think that makes it better?

[@lunarnocturne]

Yeah the cutscenes were clearly rushed so they could get both DLCs out on time. The cinematography compared to the main story's cutscenes is night and day. There are very few camera cuts, the camera itself is pushed in so close to everyone's faces, and the dialogue is simplistic. The Temptress is also THE BEST vehicle to come out of both DLCs. I didn't use it in the video because I felt like I'd be bombarded with questions asking me where or how I got it. Didn't wanna deal with that lmao. And yeah I don't like that the DLC is available straight out the gates. They're plastered all over the map and that alone made it difficult for me to select mission markers in the parking lot at the Saints' hideout. The customization options coming out of the Unkut packs are AMAZING. I saw that hoodie (the one I wore in the Ronin arc) and I couldn't just let myself NOT wear it when I was getting ready to cover this game. The collabs Volition did with Unkut, Crooks and Castles, and a few other clothing companies was dope like always. As for the partner driving the truck in Meltdown... I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand, the human element allows less room for errors but also introduces more. The enemy AI in this mission is VERY abusive and this can overwhelm players, causing them to make foolish decisions whilst under pressure. On the other hand, the AI controlling the truck is no better since it makes silly mistakes, sometimes even outright stopping dead in the middle of the road whilst being battered with projectiles.

[@novanity1112]

And I luv it 😎

[@lunarnocturne]

Fun fact: I ran into a video of Hulk Hogan himself singing along to I Luv It lol. Was originally going to add it to the video but couldn't find the proper spot.

[@greatrieck]

I just like to note that I love the attention to detail on where wounds are with the fight of Junichi vs Gat. Because people would assume that it would be a fatal wound, because we are used to the stab through the middle of a person, but Gat was stabbed in the side. Honestly if not for that detail Gat woulda joined Aisha. Now I may be overanalyzing and may be looking just at how the models worked with this game but I wanna stick with what I said because I wanna give these motherfuckers props for their good game.

[@lunarnocturne]

As someone who studied the human body extensively as a kid, seeing that detail made me silently nod my head in approval. Even if Johnny survived, he's paralyzed for the rest of his life lol. I love when devs go out of their way to add that level of detail even if they didn't need to. I wouldn't call it overanalyzing either. Someone in the medical field is bound to pick up this game after a long day in the ER and go like, "Gat would've died if that sword entered a few millimeters to the right." lmao

[@greatrieck]

@@lunarnocturne cuz it would have. But many games and shows go straight for the stabbing down the center no matter what and it’s a baller detail that they actually cared to make sure they weren’t lazy with.

[@felixcorona13]

This game could use a remaster

[@lunarnocturne]

Definitely. Streaming it on Playstation Now doesn't cut it.

[@felixcorona13]

​@@lunarnocturneany Saints Row 4 Rertrospective in the works?

[@lunarnocturne]

It's taking longer than ever to get off the ground thanks to me studying for my certification and wanting to spend some time relaxing away from vids for a little bit. I promise it'll get here tho.

[@ChrisSealy1997]

The secret Revelation mission was very good and was a nice reference to the Buffy season 3 episode Revelation where Buffy and Faith confront and fight each other similar to Boss and Julius also the secret mission feels unfinished because the helelicopter that can attack the church can get stuck and not fire the rocket or minigun at all in addition the Masako soldiers and APCs may not load properly and become invisible which will freeze the game even if you have it patched and installed to the hard drive on xbox 360

[@lunarnocturne]

That mission alone was just brutal because the police AI is soooo fucking relentless. I also never thought of that Buffy parallel too.

[@ChrisSealy1997]

@LunarNocturne yeah the police in Saints Row 1 and 2 were brutal especially at 5 stars when the FBI SUVs ram your car and have super human speed combined with the homing rockets from SWAT and Ultor choppers and your annihilated in seconds also there are way more parallels to both the Buffy and Angel series in Saints Row 1 and 2 than just the secret Revelation mission

[@lunarnocturne]

@@ChrisSealy1997 This was especially bad during the second-to-last mission in Saints Row 1 where you have to mess up the funeral procession and flee to a Forgive and Forget. Also, could you enlighten me on the parallels? I haven't seen Buffy in a long time.

[@ChrisSealy1997]

@LunarNocturne some of the mission names have similar names to Buffy and Angel episodes and in season 3 of Buffy Faith gets knocked into a coma by Buffy a few episodes after the revelation episode and like Playa she is bloodthirsty for revenge on Buffy for putting her into a coma like Julius did to Playa in later seasons of Buffy and early seasons of Angel she becomes a massive hypocrite because she is against being dictated but is alright with being a dictator towards others and Faith calls her out on all of this

[@ChrisSealy1997]

@LunarNocturne I can't remember every episode of Buffy and Angel but I remember scenes like principal Snyder being played by the actor for Andrew Ryan of Bioshock and how Snyder believed in And Rands objectivism of the 50s and 60s just like Ryan did in the original Bioshock

[@mementomori771]

It exists!

[@lunarnocturne]

It's no longer Star Citizen lol

[@Benny-Bronx]

America got a thang for this gangsta shit..they love it... - 50 Cent