Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The best thing about Saints Row Double Pack is that it asks you to take the long route through a series that changed dramatically in only two games. Begin with Saints Row, and you are getting the foundation: a crime-focused open-world game built around rising through the Saints. Its pull is simple and immediate—you enter Stilwater as an unknown and work toward becoming somebody important.

That first game can be the harder sell today because the bundle places it right next to Saints Row 2, a sequel widely remembered for pushing the formula further. Still, playing the original first is worthwhile. It makes the jump to the sequel feel earned rather than merely convenient, and it gives the Double Pack a shape that a single-game purchase cannot match.

Saints Row 2 is the payoff. Its reputation as the more expansive, more freewheeling entry gives this compilation its momentum, especially once you have seen where the series began. You are not just getting two similar crime games; you are getting a before-and-after look at a franchise becoming more confident and more willing to be strange.

Graphics

Both games are Xbox 360-era open-world titles, and the visual difference between them is part of the package’s appeal. Starting with Saints Row and then moving to Saints Row 2 lets you see the sequel arrive with a more polished look and a stronger sense of scale, even though neither game is likely to impress anyone coming in strictly for cutting-edge graphics.

Story

The original Saints Row gives you the cleanest entry point: an outsider joins the Saints and climbs through Stilwater’s criminal hierarchy. It is a direct setup, and that directness helps when you are learning why the gang and the city matter.

Saints Row 2 benefits from being played after that introduction. The Double Pack does not force you to treat the first game like homework, but it does make the sequel’s return to the Saints feel more connected than it would if you started there cold.

This is not a compilation to buy for a single self-contained narrative. Buy it because the two stories form a useful progression, from a more grounded gang-rise premise to a sequel that carries the series forward with far more personality.

Overall Experience

Saints Row Double Pack is a smart bundle for anyone curious about the early history of the series. The first game is not simply extra material; it is the context that makes Saints Row 2 land harder. If you only want the high point, you may be tempted to skip ahead, but the paired format gives you a better feel for the journey.

Expect some friction when moving through an older Xbox 360 game, particularly because Saints Row 2 raises the bar within the same package. The payoff is that the contrast becomes part of the fun. You can watch the series grow instead of reading about that growth afterward.

For newcomers, start at the beginning and give the original enough patience to establish its world. For returning fans, this is a convenient two-game trip back to Stilwater. It is a modest compilation, but the pairing is strong enough to earn a recommendation.

Retro Replay Score

7.5/10