Saints Row 2 free with PS3 Saints Row: The Third

THQ and Sony were caught with their pants down when promised exclusive content for the PS3 version of Saints Row: The Third never materialized. In what seems like a "oops, we forgot" scenario, THQ and Sony have announced a new promo exclusively for PS3 owners.

"At long last, THQ and our friends at PlayStation are proud to unveil additional content for Saints Row: The Third owners on PS3," the announcement reads, as if this delayed announcement were planned from the get-go.

"For all players that purchase Saints Row: The Third on PlayStation 3 and redeem their online pass codes within the next 90 days, they will receive a digital copy of Saints Row 2 (a $19.99 value)… absolutely free!," a PlayStation.Blog post reads.

It's a far cry from an "exclusive mode" promised at E3, but a free copy of Saints Row 2 beats not getting a free copy of Saints Row 2. THQ calls it a "simpler time," as Volition hadn't gone completely insane quite yet. That's not to say the game is tame--you'll be able to play modes like "Septic Avenger," where you spray new homes with sewage.

To get access to Saints Row 2 via PSN, you'll have to redeem the online pass included in new copies of Saints Row: The Third. Everyone that's already redeemed the code will find the free game in the Downloads section of the PlayStation Store next week. This PS3-exclusive offer will expire on February 13, 2012, and applies to North America only.

This isn't the first time Sony and a third-party publisher have partnered up to offer a legacy title for free on the PS3. For example, Assassin's Creed Revelations includes the first game; Medal of Honor included Medal of Honor: Frontline; Dead Space 2 included Dead Space: Extraction.