Saints Row 2

Saints Row 2

Developers
	Volition
Windows	CD Projekt Black
Linux	Virtual Programming
Publishers
	THQ
	Deep Silver
Release dates
Windows	January 5, 2009
Linux	April 14, 2016

Warnings

GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).

Saints Row
Saints Row 2	2009
Saints Row: The Third	2011
Saints Row IV	2013
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell	2015
Saints Row: The Third Remastered	2020
Saints Row	2022

Key points

Many recommended mods add new features and fix some bugs. See Mods.

Reports indicate this title is a poor port.

The GOG.com version contains a 30 FPS limit, which can be removed. See High frame rate.

A performance patch is in the cards, finally bringing enhancements to the PC version of the game as well as all DLC.

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Amazon.com
GOG.com
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store
Steam

For the longest time, the DLC was never released as developers dropped support for PC and never patched the game further until 2019, when the source code was found. DLC is still TBD.

The German version of the game is heavily censored and will not work with mods and tools. German copies are also not available for Linux.

Essential improvements

Timing related issues

Depending on the speed of your CPU, Saint's Row 2 can run at either double or triple the intended speed.

Fix timing issues (Command Prompt)
Open Command Prompt as administrator Copy and paste this line: bcdedit /set useplatformclock true Restart your computer

Use Saint's Row 2 Powertools[citation needed]

Extract the contents into <path-to-game> Run install.cmd as administrator Edit Powertools.ini and set speed value percentage = 1.0 - default value and results in no change percentage = 0.78 - game runs at 78% speed Determining the right value Install the stopwatch test Follow the instructions in the readme file Notes This method is generally not recommended anymore; use only if above fix doesn't work Powertools will only work correctly with the GOG.com and Steam versions

Mods

Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod

Gentlemen of the Row offers bonus content with over a hundred new items, music, and customization options in-game, as well as tweaks and bug fixes.

Installing Gentlemen of the Row

Extract the contents of the mod into a new folder Run Create_Custom_GotR_v1.9.2.bat Follow the on-screen instructions and create a custom configuration When finished, press P in the main menu to create a patch The custom patch will be located in MY_CUSTOM_PATCH Place patch.vpp_pc, preload.tbl, and preload_anim.tbl into <path-to-game> Notes In order to play co-op with this mod, you both must have the exact same configuration Back up the original files before replacing them

SuperUI

Tweaks many aspects of the user interface to be more intuitive.

Ability to purchase clothes and ammo from any crib.

Requires Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod.

SuperUI settings won't save if changed from pause menu.

Installing SuperUI

Open the folder where you extracted Gentlemen of the Row Open optional_mod_stuff, then 1-MODDERS_-_PUT_YOUR_OWN_PERSONAL_MODS_HERE Extract the contents of SuperUI into this folder Open vint_lib.lua with NotePad and change settings if necessary Run Create_Custom_GotR_v1.9.2.bat and create a new patch Recommended Settings SUI_PLATFORM = "PC" - Change this to XBOX360 or PS3 if using a controller SUI_MODERN_HUD_LAYOUT = false - Disables Saint's Row 3 styled HUD layout SUI_TUTORIAL = false - Disables tutorial messages

High Quality Radio mod

PC Port of Saints Row 2 has a very poorly compressed audio with quality of 22050 Hz mono.

High Quality Radio mod replaces PC sound banks with high quality sound banks from the Xbox 360 version (32000–44100 Hz stereo).

Skip intro videos

Delete or rename video files
Go to <path-to-game>\Videos Delete or rename logo_thq_hd.bik and logo_volition_hd.bik

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\
Linux	$XDG_DATA_HOME/volition/saintsrow2/AppData/Saints Row 2/

This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\
Linux	$XDG_DATA_HOME/volition/saintsrow2/AppData/Saints Row 2/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video settings

Display settings.

High frame rate

The GOG.com version has a forced 30 FPS cap to fix cutscene issues.

Disable frame rate limiter

Go to %PROGRAMDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\support\1430740458\1430740458\add\NVI\. Open Nvidia Inspector and click the button next to the Driver Version. Type Saints Row 2 in the search filter, go to the bottom and select Frame Rate Limiter. Click on the rightmost button to change it to its default setting, or select PS_FRAMERATE_LIMITER_DISABLED. Click on the apply changes button. Also GOG modded the executable to cap the framerate. You can disable it by downloading this patcher. Run it from game executable folder, click "Patch it", and get uncapped executable along with backup in case you need to go back.

Input settings

Control settings.

Audio settings

Audio settings.

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Czech
Danish
Dutch
French
German				Heavily censored.
Italian
Japanese
Polish
Russian
Spanish
Swedish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
Local play
LAN play		12	Co-op, Versus Co-op mode and two Versus modes "Death Tag" and "Cat & Mouse" are limited to 2 players. Other Versus modes are playable for up to 12 players.
Online play		12	GameSpy services have been shut down; see GameSpy for workarounds.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Issues unresolved

Multiplayer lobby for Gangsta Brawl and Strong Arm modes boot people out when others join

The network code for Saints Row 2 is extremely sensitive and, when coupled with the speed and timing issues of the game, can forcibly disconnect certain users when others join. The game's PC multiplayer is considered inherently broken with the exception of co-op.

Issues fixed

The Unofficial FAQ hosted on the game's Steam Users' Forum may be helpful in finding fixes for any issues you may be having.

Crashing on startup

Modify settings.dat[citation needed]

The settings.dat file is often the cause and can be found in your saves folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%\THQ\Saints Row 2\settings.dat). Add the following parameter on startup to force the game to start with default settings: defaults. Delete the existing settings.dat, and the game will recreate a fresh one the next time it's run. This file only contains video and audio settings like resolution, draw distance, volume, etc. Download a windowed 800x600 settings.dat here.

Change how the game launches[citation needed]

Go to the installation folder. Right-click on SR2_pc.exe and choose Properties. On the Compatibility tab, run the program in compatibility mode for Windows XP. Select "disable visual themes" and "disable desktop composition" options. Uncheck the Disable all enhancements option in the speaker properties (Control Panel > Sound > Speakers > Properties > Enhancements > Disable all). Some users have reported that changing the language fixes a bug where the game crashes when a loading screen reaches 60%.

Other solutions[citation needed]
Verify integrity of the game cache on Steam. Temporarily disable a second monitor. Remove or disable all non-essential USB devices. Sometimes the game mistakenly identifies a usb device as a controller which can cause a crash.

Crashing when loading a save

Save often to multiple slots[citation needed]
Crashing on save load is an indication of save corruption or as a result adding or removing mods. A vanilla game and savegames where mods are installed are not compatible. Save manually in a new slot after every mission so the previous save is accessible in the event that the current save corrupts. This is recommended even with the original vanilla game.

Crashing when starting a new game

Update DirectX[citation needed]
Update DirectX. Start a new game in windowed mode.

Unplug any controllers[citation needed]

Scroll issue when navigating menus

Scroll Issue when navigating menus[citation needed]
Saints Row 2 has this issue with certain USB devices which are falsely identified as gamepads. Unplug all USB devices except your keyboard and mouse. For Saitek keyboards, temporarily disable this device in Device Manager. Certain Saitek keyboards install their own HID-Compliant Game Controller entry in Device Manager to enable extra functionality like keystroke macros.

Stuttering

As a result of issues surrounding the original engine, some stuttering may be observed during gameplay due to streaming issues.

Run the game on a faster HDD unit.

The Ronin Mission at the airport (Orange Threat Level) crashes after the middle cutscene

Use the Gentlemen of the Row Super Mod[citation needed]

Skip the cutscene[citation needed]

The Samedi mission loading the van with drugs (Riot Control) is bugged in co-op

This mission cannot be finished in co-op unless in the rare case when the mission initializes correctly at that point.

Determine the right slowdown value to use for Powertools[citation needed]
Every CPU is different, and is influenced by many factors like overclocking, speed-step, etc, so there is no easy answer regarding a value to use. There is a stopwatch test to tweak the value however which will let you get as close as possible. Install the stopwatch test. Follow the instructions in the readme file.

Text in the top left of the screen

Disable Powertools OSD[citation needed]
It is likely that the OSD (On Screen Display) for Powertools was accidentally activated which contains game info helpful to modders. This OSD can be toggled on and off with Scroll Lock.

Timeout when trying connect to a co-op game

Open port[citation needed]

Saints Row 2 needs to have the following port open/forwarded for both the host and client: 4200 TCP and UDP. Open port 4200. If there is still a time out, disable Hamachi virtual network adapter and/or open the following ports for both TCP and UDP: 27900 (Master Server UDP Heartbeat) 28900 (Master Server List Request) 29900 (GP Connection Manager) 29901 (GP Search Manager) 13139 (Custom UDP Pings) 6500 (Query Port) 4200 (Game) If it still doesn't work, host a non-password protected game.

In-game sound is in mono or only coming from one speaker

Lower hardware acceleration[citation needed]
Navigate to Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio tab > "Advanced..." button in Sound playback section > Performance tab. Lower Hardware Acceleration to "Basic acceleration".

Dolby sound[citation needed]
Navigate to sound/playback/Dolby. Make sure the checkbox is ticked.

Audio manager[citation needed]
Navigate to the audio manager. Change the "default format" from 24-bit, 44kHz (studio quality) to 16-bit, 44kHz (cd quality). Ensure both L and R analog channels play back.

Objects held by characters in cutscenes are misaligned

Limit frame rate to 60 FPS or below[citation needed]
Use a tool such as Nvidia Inspector for GeForce cards or RadeonPro for Radeon cards to limit the game's frame rate to 60. If the problem persists, limit it to 59, 58 or 30 frames instead.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9
Shader Model support	3

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
Linux

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	Havok
Cutscenes	Bink Video
Multiplayer	GameSpy

System requirements

Windows

Linux

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 4 Dual-Core 2.0 GHz AMD Athlon XP Dual Core	Intel Pentium 4 Dual-Core 3.2 GHz AMD Athlon XP Dual-Core
System memory (RAM)	1 GB	2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	15 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 7600 ATI Radeon X1300 128 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible Shader model 3.0 support	Nvidia GeForce 8800 ATI Radeon HD 3850 256 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible Shader model 3.0 support
Sound (audio device)	DirectX 9.0c compatible

Linux
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Ubuntu 14.04.3, 15.04, Linux Mint 17.1, SteamOS Brewmaster
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core i5-4570T 2.9 GHz AMD FX-4300 3.8 GHz	Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4 GHz AMD FX-8370 4.0 GHz
System memory (RAM)	4 GB	8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	7 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 AMD Radeon HD 6850 1 GB of VRAM	Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 AMD Radeon R9 285 2 GB of VRAM