I have to admit I played Saints Row 2 on Steam unmodded, all the way through, twice. So if you tell me it's "unplayable" without a fan patch I'm going to do that thing where I raise one eyebrow at you. Did the PC port have problems, though? Oh, hell yes.
Cutscenes were wonky as all get-out, with characters not appearing where they were supposed to (if at all), and sometimes sliding into or out of frame as if they were on rollerskates. Cutscene audio often crackled, making dialogue sound cheap and staticky. There were graphical problems too, with resolution options I would charitably call "limited" and water that turned black at a distance. It wasn't a great port, it was just a great enough game that I could overlook those and other flaws.
There have been multiple attempts to improve Saints Row 2's PC port over the years, and the latest is the most impressive. Called Saints Row 2 Juiced, it fixes all the problems I mentioned in the previous paragraph and more. For example, it adds more than 30 animations that were included in console versions but not on PC, which will make you look much cooler while you're shooting a minigun or running with the rocket launcher equipped. Another change copied over from the console is the Xbox 360 version's better gamma settings.
The big visual improvement is an optional one you'll have to look through the menu to find. VanillaFXPlus is a lighting overhaul that disables Saints Row 2's filter and makes colors more high-contrast and vibrant. I can see some people preferring the classic look, but I'm into the new visuals. I'm also into the option to keep a weapon equipped if you run out of ammo instead of immediately swapping back to the cane or whatever by default.
You can check out a fuller list of fixes on the Juiced Patch Github page. Apparently the multiplayer is working again too. There's another reason to be excited about it, though. The upcoming Saints Row 2 DLC Port Project, which will require the Juiced Patch to run, will bring Saints Row 2's console-exclusive DLC to PC at last. Ultor Exposed, Corporate Warfare, and The Unkut Pak added more missions, vehicles, and customization options I have been waiting like 15 years for. Bring it on.
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