Tips

This page lists on-screen Tips in the Saints Row series, as well as general advice.
==On-screen==
===Saints Row 2===
Random hints are displayed as on-screen text. The majority of these relate to new features in Saints Row 2. In the game files, these are referred to as "Nags".
*Buy and change your clothes to increase your Style Rank
*Visit your crib stash often to collect money from owned hoods.
*Using Cruise Control can help you shoot and drive at the same time
*Use Fine Aim to help aim at distant enemies
*Using Human Shield can help you survive longer in combat
*Use Reload to pick up objects from the world and use them as Improvised Weapons.
*Use charged power attacks by pressing and holding Primary or Secondary Attack
*Use sprinting to move quickly
*Taunt enemies as you kill them to get extra respect
===Saints Row: The Third===
*Main Menu
**Remember to access the Upgrade store via your cell phone to add new abilities for your character.
**Tip: Vehicle feeling slow? Head to Rim Jobs and add custom upgrades to your ride.
**Feel like cheating? Dial in a few numbers and have some fun.
**Tip: At any time, visit Image As Designed and create a brand new character.
===Saints Row IV===
*Main Menu
**Invest in upgrades such as Bonus Cache and Bonus XP early to maximize your earnings.
**Try combining powers!
**Use Fire Buff followed by Rock Stomp for a firey combination!
**Short on Cache? Access the Cache menu to retrieve Cache earned over time.
**Use Powers to take down the Warden's shield.
**Catch the MASTER C.I.D. to erase Notoriety and earn bonus Cache and XP.
==Tips==
===General===
*On consoles, install the game to the hard drive instead of playing on disc.
*Save before doing anything.
*Save after doing anything.
*Buy food before missions.
*Call a Taxi to save travel time.
*Using Cheats makes the game easier.
*If the game is too hard, try lowering the difficulty.
*If you do not enjoy playing the game, try playing a different game.
===Weapons===
*Always equip the best weapons.
*If available, upgrade weapons.
*Acquire ammunition before missions.
*Always pick up dropped ammo.
*Always switch with dropped weapons, as this adds them to the Weapons Cache.
===Combat===
*Try not to get shot.
**If shot, try not to die.
*Although there is no "Hide behind cover" button, it is possible to use Crouch behind walls, vehicles or other obstacles.
*Crouch can also increase your accuracy with a rapid-fire weapon.
*Using Human Shields is a fast way to disarm enemies, allows them to be instantly killed, and provides protection against attacks from other enemies.
*Sprint as fast as possible away from grenades when they show on your HUD.
*Shooting the driver through the window is faster than destroying the vehicle.
*Use short, controlled bursts against enemies and try not to spray unless at close range; at all other distances, aim high. If your sights settle on their chest, it is generally more than enough to pull your aim upwards and score a headshot.
*Explosives are great against shielded and slow-moving enemies.
===Vehicles===
*Some vehicles have higher hitpoints than others.
**Vehicles with more hitpoints are more durable.
**More durable vehicles last longer before they catch fire.
**Having a more durable vehicle is useful.
*Some vehicles have mounted weapons.
*Upgrade Vehicle Performance at a Car Mechanic.
**Having a fully-upgraded vehicle is useful.
*4 door cars can carry more Followers.
**A high passenger capacity is useful.
**The DonoVan and Cheetah can seat 8, but this is rarely possible.
*Use the Chop Shop radar to find rare vehicles to keep before delivering them.
*If you can't find a vehicle, try restarting the mission.
*Bring a Tornado to all missions.
===Aircraft===
*Don't crash into buildings.
*When landing on or in a building, it is best to use a helicopter as it has lower chances of exploding than a plane.
*Be cautious when landing planes and helicopters.
===Cash===
*The more Cash you have, the more things you can buy.
*Destroy ATMs, cash registers, parking meters, newspaper stands and vending machines for a few extra dollars.
*Each Titan contains at least $5000.
*Store Ownership.
*Completing Pushbacks earns $500. While a neighborhood is under attack, no City Income is earned for that neighborhood.
*Professor Genki spawns randomly in Steelport, and drops over $100,000.
===Activities===
* All activities unlock rewards, use the Saints Row Wiki Unlockables pages to prioritise activities.
* In Saints Row and Saints Row 2, visit all the Hitman and Chop Shop lists as soon as possible.
* In Saints Row and Saints Row 2, playing activities is the fastest way to earn Respect, which is required to play missions, is not a requirement to complete all activities.
** Activities are part of the game, if you do not like playing the game, simply stop playing the game.
** In Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, activities do not give respect (or XP in Saints Row IV) when repeated, but they can still be replayed to get more Cash (or Cache in Saints Row IV).
* Gang members in activities often use more powerful weapons, such as an RPG Launcher, which can be picked up and kept.
** Weapons which are automatically provided cannot be kept, such as in Mayhem and Drug Trafficking.
===Homies===
* Don't shoot your Homies, or they will become hostile.
* Recruit Homies before missions, and whenever possible during missions.
* Super Homies are limited to their default weapon and cannot pick up weapons. This means it's best to pick Super Homies that have a decent default weapon to perform at their best.
* Brute Homies run after or teleport to Playa if they fall behind, so it's not required to wait for them to catch up.
* Special Homies cannot be taken hostage (apart from Josh Birk) and have much more health than regular Saints.
* It's possible to restore Homies' default weapons dismissing Saints and then re-recruiting them immediately.
* If a Homie become hostile from friendly fire, wait for a few seconds until the Homie stops attacking and can be recruited again.
* If a Homie falls behind, jumping into the water and respawing back onto land teleports the Homie back to Playa.
** Using the Garage or Helipad, or the Vehicle Delivery ability in Saints Row IV, also teleports lost Homies back to Playa.
===Respect/XP===
* Upgrading vehicles or buying new clothes is an easy way of earning respect, but costs a considerable amounts of Cash/Cache.
** Some DLC clothing, such as the Future Soldier Outfit in the Explosive Combat Pack, does cost nothing to buy but still gives respect.
** This does not work in Saints Row IV regarding vehicles.
* The Bling Shotgun, the Thumpgun with Ultimate Upgrade, and the Xmas BB Gun with Ultimate Upgrade all provide additional Respect/XP per kill.
===Health===
*Health in Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV during real world missions recovers overtime.
**The Alien Rifle and Xmas BB Gun with their Ultimate Upgrades are helpful in restoring health, and the Alien Rifle's Vampiric Ammo upgrade becomes much more useful outside the Simulation as there are no health pick ups in the real world, and there is no upgrades for faster health regen in Saints Row IV.
==Gallery==
 
Category:User Interface