Hostage

**Rewards** | * Cash (varies)
* Respect (varies)
* "Negotiator" Achievement SR
* ATV SR2

**Hostage** is a Diversion in *Saints Row*, *Saints Row 2*, *Saints Row: The Third* and *Saints Row IV*.

## Overview

When stealing a car which has at least one civilian passenger, a prompt is shown to press the Action button to start the Hostage diversion. The goal of the diversion is to drive around with the hostage in the car for a pre-determined amount of time. After starting Hostage, a HUD appears showing the amount of money the Hostage has, and the amount of time left.

The amount of Cash and Respect earned depends on the Hostage Class of the vehicle, as well as how many passengers are in the car. 2 passengers gives approximately double the Cash, and 3 passengers generally quadruples it. In general, higher quality cars give more money.

After starting Hostage, Police Notoriety steadily rises, although this is removed after completing the diversion. The rate at which Notoriety rises also depends on Hostage Class and the number of passengers. It is not possible to take law enforcement or gang members as Hostages.

While driving, the Hostage gives various complaints, such as not having any money, or asking to be let go. When driving too slowly, there is an on-screen warning that the hostage may escape, and they leave the car after several seconds.

Although the word "Diversion" does not appear in *Saints Row*, it fits the criteria of a Diversion, and does not count towards 100% Completion.

## Rewards

* ATV unlocked
1/1

* Cash: Varies
* Respect: Varies
* Achievement: Negotiator SR
* Vehicle: ATV (Toad) SR2

## Vehicle Classes

There are 6 Hostage Classes: Compact, Sedan, Truck, SUV, Luxury and Exotic.

## Newscasts

**Jack Armstrong**: "*I'm Jack Armstrong in the newsroom with this special report: imagine this horrifying scenario: an otherwise uneventful day is pierced by the screech of your telephone - at the other end - someone looking for money, not for an errant bill or a worthwhile charity, no, this time it's blood money. Your family's lives are at risk; they've been kidnapped and you're being shaken down for ransom. Not likely in Stilwater? In the last week, this very fantasy has become reality for a dozen or more families as the crime of kidnapping has reared its ugly head, leaving spouses distraught and bank accounts emptied. The Stilwater police advise caution and cooperation, as well as minimizing your chances of getting caught in the first place; lock your car doors, keep to main streets when driving, and watch for dicey situations on the street. Although no deaths have yet been attributed to the gang members involved, there is no reason to risk that these criminals might force your family to pay the ultimate price. For updates, tune to us for the latest details and information. For Jane Valderamma, Flying Officer Mike McCabe, and all of us in the newsroom, I'm Jack Armstrong.*"

**Jack Armstrong**: "*I'm Jack Armstrong in the newsroom with this special report: there's a new game in town and it's a two-for-one special for criminals: car theft and kidnapping; each a heinous transgression on their own, but when combined with a thug powered by hard drugs and desperation, the stakes rise. A simple car-jacking becomes ransom notes and demands for money, taking an annoying inconvenience to a game of life and death. When you hear about things like this, you say, "not in my town"... yes, Stilwater, in your town. We wish we had tips to keep you safe, but no one can predict the unpredictable, so stick with the basics: keep your doors locked, your head on a swivel, and your trust in the Stilwater police. For updates, tune to us for the latest details and information. For Jane Valderamma, Flying Officer Mike McCabe, and all of us in the newsroom, I'm Jack Armstrong.*"

**Jack Armstrong**: "*I'm Jack Armstrong in the newsroom with this special report: car-jacking, kidnapping, could this happen to you? Increasingly in Stilwater the answer, sadly, is yes. It doesn't appear that there is a method to their criminal madness; anyone and everyone is at risk, and that means you, stopped at a red light, waiting outside the convenience store - even the most mundane errand can turn into a nightmare for you and your family. And let's hope your bank balance can stand the pain. These hoodlums are not likely to simply visit the lost and found, no, they're asking big bucks to release their hostages unharmed. Vigilance, Stilwater, vigilance. For updates, tune to us for the latest details and information. For Jane Valderamma, Flying Officer Mike McCabe, and all of us in the newsroom, I'm Jack Armstrong.*"

## Tips

* A convenient way to do Hostage is jacking cars close to an airport and then driving onto the plane runways. This makes it easy to avoid crashes and keep up speed.
* Another easy way to complete the Diversion in *Saints Row 2* and unlock an ATV is to hijack Peterliners with passengers on the freeway. The semi is heavy enough to ram police cars and even Peacekeepers and Bears off the way. However, completing the Diversion with a Peterliner will result in less cash earned (only $300 per Hostage).
* In *Saints Row 2*, try to avoid going through the tunnels, such as the one in Rebadeaux, because hostage will simply teleport outside the vehicle and escape.
	+ If there are more than one hostage, only one will escape, decreasing the cash and respect earned.
* There is a pause between the timer reaching zero and the money being awarded, but it is possible to exit the car as soon as the timer reaches zero - making it possible to receive money from a dead Hostage.
* In *Saints Row: The Third*, it is possible to kill the passengers before entering the car, then enter with the dead passengers, triggering the Diversion, allowing for easy money since they are unable to escape, although they sometimes disappear, which fails the Diversion.
* It's possible for recruited Saints to remove passengers from the car, which means it's either best to dismiss the Saints prior to starting Hostage, or to drive away before they can pull the passenger out.

## Trivia

* As with many other Activities, Hostage can be used to easily escape police, as all police notoriety is removed by ending the Activity.
	+ In *Saints Row* and *Saints Row IV*, failing or quitting the diversion does not remove Notoriety.
* The data for Hostage is identical between *Saints Row* and *Saints Row 2*.
* The only 4-seat Exotic cars are the Magma and Phoenix. Performing Hostage in these with 3 passengers yields the most Cash and Respect.
* The only 4-seat Compact car is a Halberd. A Halberd with 3 passengers is the only time the Cash and Respect awarded are equal.
* It is not possible to take people Hostage before joining the Saints.
	+ In *Saints Row 2* it is not possible to take people Hostage before rescuing Johnny Gat.
* In *Saints Row 2*, it is also possible to take Hostages in planes which are taking off the airstrip in the airport. The only problem here are police vehicles which may block the path but there should be not any troubles while being in the air.
* In *Saints Row 2*, successfully completing the Diversion may sometimes set chasing police cars on fire.
* In *Saints Row: The Third*, taking 50 people Hostage completes a Challenge that is required for the "You're my Hero!" trophy/achievement. Since it is not necessary to successfully complete the Hostage minigame to gain credit for the challenge, it is possible to start the minigame then immediately leave the car.
* In *Saints Row IV*, the on-screen text says that the police must be evaded to complete the Diversion, although only Zin appear during 3-unit Notoriety.
* It is not possible to take a Pimp as a Hostage.

## References

1. ↑ **YouTube**: Dome: *Saint's*[sic]   *Row IV* preview gameplay 4
2. ↑ **Mission**: Canonized
3. ↑ **Mission**: Appointed Defender

This article contains no references. See Help:Refs.

## Related discussions

• Can you fly through the windshield with a Hostage?
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