Overview

Saints Row 2 was largely bigger and better than its predecessor, and this was also true for its soundtrack. It features some 170 licensed tracks, of diverse stylistic origins, that you can hear either through the radio stations, buildings or as unlockable bonuses. But Saints Row or Saints Row: The Third, no original music was created for Saints Row 2. A sampler was released featured six defining licensed tracks from the game.

Body

In contrast to Saints Row, this sampler only features a few hip-hop songs. The most definitive of these are "Hands Up" by Lloyd Banks, which also features the popular artist 50 Cent, and the highly lyrical "N.Y. State of Mind" from Nas. There is also the more obscure "Ridin in That Black Joint" by Wale, which most weren't aware of until the release of Saints Row 2.

There is much more variety in this soundtrack as well compared to the first game's soundtrack. Additions such as the bluesy "Tell Me About It" by Joss Stone and retro funk-influenced "Trespasser" by Bad Medicine are particularly welcome. They're individually styled, but still sound like something you would expect to hear on the streets of America.

One thing that really links the selection of tracks in this soundtrack is the amount of bass work. Affirming its subtitle 'Hits to Drive By', this release is definitely something that will be enjoyed when played through the stereo speakers in a car while driving by.

Summary

Saints Row 2 features one of the most diverse and large-scale licensed soundtracks in a video game. However, this sampler only gives a small taste of what it has to offer and stations dedicated to rock, classical, reggae, and electronic music, among others, are not represented at all. It's a pity there was no original music featured in the game and the soundtrack release. THQ would have been better offering a full soundtrack box rather than this meagre sampler.