Stilwater
Stilwater is a fictional city in Volition, Inc.'s video game series Saints Row, based primarily on Chicago and Detroit. The city serves as the setting for both games in the series.
The Saints Row rendition is portrayed as a city geographically similar to Chicago, composed of two mainland islands separated by a large inlet, with a mountainous ridge along the west side of the northern isle, and a floodgate running along the west side of the southern isle. The city appears to have a high crime rate[, embattled by urban warfare, prostitution rings and poverty. The Saints Row 2 rendition is a much different, larger city composed of the two mainland islands from the original, plus three separate islands including an airport, nuclear power plant and Alcatraz-based prison island. In this rendition, the city appears to be a much larger and less polluted city- much of it has been rebuilt, with in-game faction Ultor Corporation largely responsible.
Saints Row rendition
Overview
Stilwater | |
|---|---|
| City of Stilwater | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alderman Hughes |
The first appearance of Stilwater is in Saints Row, assuming a design based on Chicago. This rendition of Stilwater is divided into two large islands sepearted by a central East-West inlet. The northern island is seen as an upper class haven for those of richer standards, with a thriving CBD, high end retail centre, shopping mall, museum and suburbia neighbourhoods. However, the southern island is a haven for ongoing gang wars, prostitution rings and poverty. The southern island is home to an airport, docks, factories, apartments and also a crime-ridden neigbourhood, known as the barrio.
Saints Row 2 rendition
The second appearance of Stilwater is in Saints Row 2, following a similar design to Chicago and Detroit. The city is a heavily expanded rendition of Stilwater. Realistically, fifteen years would have been required for the redevelopment of the city, even though the game is set circa five years after the original game. Developers announced the city has been entirely redeveloped, every neighborhood has been touched up in one way or another. In-game faction Ultor Unlimited is largely responsible for the expansion that has taken place; it is said they spent well over three-hundred million dollars redeveloping Stilwater, turning the "once crime-ridden third-tier city into an urban utopia". The old Saints Row district has been knocked down and has now become a thriving CBD, serving as the location of the Philips Tower Ultor's headquarters. The Museum district has been expanded and features a realistic Ancient Greek museum exhibit, complete with a model of the Colosseum and also Mount Olympus. The Suburbs have also been expanded- in addition to the old suburbs neighbourhoods Huntersfield, Misty Lane and Tidal Spring; three new neighbourhoods have been built to the west: Quinbecca, New Hannequet and the Mourning Woods Cemetery. Situated below the Suburbs Expansion is the Elysian Fields trailer park.
Stilwater is situated on five islands: the two mainland islands; Stilwater Nuclear; Stilwater Penitentiary and Hangman's Wharf, a massive prison island based upon Alcatraz Island; and Wardill Airport. Separating the new university and the mainland island is Mount Claflin, a tall mountain with dirt roads and satellite antennas situated at the top. Built beneath the mountain is the Pyramid, Ultor's top secret underground military base. Rounds Square Shopping Mall is a massive underground mall built on five levels, with a large selection of stores on offer.
From the beginning of the game, the map of Stilwater is fully visible. However, shops and activities will simply be displayed as a question mark until the player discovers them. By completing missions and wiping out enemy strongholds the player gains control of the various neighbourhoods the city is split into - stores that are located in player-controlled territory can be purchased. The player gets a 15% discount at owned stores. Buying an entire chain of departments will mean that the protagonist’s face appears on in-game billboard advertisements.
Over the years, many new in-game companies and businesses have been established. The existing shops from the original game return in Saints Row 2, however many others have been introduced. The map features roughly ninety shops, scattered throughout the map, including plastic surgeons, gun stores, clothes departments, tattoo parlors, vehicle dealers, garages and more.