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THQ Takes Lid off of Saints Row 2

THQ Takes Lid off of Saints Row 2

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV may be delayed for the time being, but fans of open-world gaming will be pleased to know THQ’s imitator title Saints Row will be getting a sequel. The company announced Saints Row 2 on Monday with a press release and the launch of SaintsRow2.com.

The game will again be developed by THQ’s in-house studio Volition, Inc., using the same engine from the original. THQ claims the game’s new features will include vastly expanded customization options, a totally transformed and expanded city of Stilwater, all new vehicles, sandbox tools and toys, plus both online co-op and competitive multiplayer.

The story for the new game picks up where the original left off, with a protagonist seeking revenge. Players will be able to select their own gender, age and voice, as well as crib and gang options. New vehicles will include motorcycles, boats, helicopters and planes.

Saints Row 2 has a much darker and more sinister story that leads your character down a path of betrayal, revenge and redemption against the city that has left him for dead, although we’ve blended that with the same light-hearted humor from the original,” said lead producer Greg Donovan, in a statement. “Couple that with the most robust open-world feature set ever developed in the genre, and Saints Row 2 promises a gaming experience that will offer players the perfect balance of gripping narrative and compelling gameplay options.”

Saint’s Row 2 will appear for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2008.

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Volition -- the studio behind series like Saints Row -- has been shut down by Embracer Group.
Volition was first founded as Parallax Software in 1993, and made a name for itself over the past 30 years with series like Descent, Red Faction, and Saints Row. The studio has had many owners over that period, first being acquired by THQ before being sold to Plaion, which placed the developer under its Deep Silver label. Plaion and Deep Silver were then acquired by Embracer Group in 2018. Its most recent game, a reboot of Saints Row, was released last year to mixed reviews, which caused Embracer Group to then shift ownership of the studio over to Plaion's sister company, Gearbox Entertainment.
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"This past June, Embracer Group announced a restructuring program to strengthen Embracer and maintain its position as a leader in the video game industry," the message explained. "As part of that program, they evaluated strategic and operational goals and made the difficult decision to close Volition effective immediately. To help our team, we are working to provide job assistance and help smooth the transition for our Volition family members."
We reached out to Embracer Group for comment to see if it could provide more specific insight into why it chose to close Volition and will update this article when we get a response.

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