Saints Row 2 [PS3]

Saints Row 2 is about to get its first downloadable add-on. Due out April 16, the Ultor Exposed expansion will add three new missions, a mission metagame, six vehicles, more hairstyles and outfits, and new multiplayer maps. Oh, Tera Patrick will also be a new in-game character and one of your homies. No big deal. All of that comes with the price of 800 Microsoft points or $9.99. To learn more about this add-on, we went to THQ and got the answers from James Torbit, DLC Producer on Saints Row 2.

IGN: So, Tera Patrick?

James Torbit: Right. And we couldn't be more excited!

We thought, who would players want to team up with when they're sticking it to the man (Ultor) in the new mission arc? We could have put someone unattractive and boring in there, myself for example, but ultimately concluded that would be a poor decision. We want to reward players for playing Saints Row 2 and Ultor Exposed. It's a philosophy we've stuck to for years and we'll not be stopping that any time soon.

Tera has a great role in the Ultor Exposed arc, but you'll also be able to call her up as homie and take her along for all existing and future content as well. She'll bring along one of the new vehicles, the Temptress, which is probably the most balanced performance car in Stilwater.

IGN: How did you capture her "essence" in digital form?

James Torbit: Visually rebuilding a real person within the stylistic and technical boundaries of an existing video game isn't easy. The expectations go beyond compelling character design, because now you must also evoke the iconic and subtle details of someone we've all seen. It's a very iterative art meets science process.

Of course, we're lucky enough to have Tera on board recording her own dialogue, which really brings the character and her attitude home. In game, Tera portrays herself having worked as a microbiologist for the Ultor Corporation, and now she's coming to you and you're both going to blow the whistle on the crimes Ultor has been committing under the guise of "research." It's a vengeance play, straight up.

IGN: Why the long time span from the game's release to this add-on?

James Torbit: In truth, we'd have loved to do it sooner, but first, we're going to do it right… and that's what it's all about. The expectations placed on DLC content are increasing and we're not in the business of disappointment.

Ultor Exposed is priced very competitively for a loaded pack containing a new mission arc, a new co-op gameplay mode, vehicles, piles of new customization items, multiplayer maps and so on. I'd say we're proud of that; consider it our stimulus package for gamers in these economically disastrous times.

IGN: People loved Saints Row 2 for the sheer variety and "fun factor" in the things you could do. How do you build on that successfully with an add-on?

James Torbit: I mentioned the Saints Row 2 philosophy of fun earlier. It's about gameplay that accommodates the whim of the player even if that means catering to the absurd and over the top. Because, why not? We've exaggerated that philosophy further in Ultor Exposed.

Consider this: You've got Tera Patrick on speed dial. She's unloading an assault rifle into a Masako super soldier while you're driving around a truck full of dead bodies. In your garage you've got an armored vehicle that fires heat-seeking missiles as fast as you can pull the trigger… and you're wearing a new alien costume. Honestly, WTF is going on here?

To most people this sounds insane, but to the residents of Stilwater this is Tuesday.

All of the Ultor Exposed content is baked right into the game. Just load up your save file and go, no questions asked. Part of the fun is taking all of these new toys back to your favorite Saints Row 2 experiences.