The anticipation for Streets of Rogue 2
I am unreasonably excited about Streets of Rogue 2, the sequel to the best immersive game of 2019 where you could play as a vampire, hacker, gorilla, or bartender. Since its announcement in October last year, I have eagerly consumed any information about it. Fortunately, developer Matt Dabrowski has started a series of developer diaries, giving us a glimpse into the features, inspirations, and of course, the game's development.
From Deus Ex to Dwarf Fortress: The inspiration behind Streets of Rogue 2
In contrast to the first Streets of Rogue, the sequel promises a huge and seamless open world for its numerous systems to create emergent chaos, as well as Stardew Valley-style building and farming. It sounds quite ambitious, and I am eager to learn more.
What can players expect in the open world of Streets of Rogue 2?
"Dabrowski asks in the developer diary: "What can you expect from the open world in Streets of Rogue 2?" First of all, the map will be procedurally generated with handcrafted individual buildings and small locations. Your own map will consist of "big cities, small towns, forests, lakes, oceans, islands, and a large road system" and will be about 10,000 times larger than a map from the original game.
The consequences of your actions
What excites me the most is the way Dabrowski describes how the world reacts to your actions. If you perform actions that lead to the mafia gaining power, you will see more gangsters in the city. Destroy a food factory? Then prepare for rising food prices.
Influences and inspirations
Dabrowski mentions several influences, and most of them won't surprise you. The time until the Deus Ex reference in the video (TTDER) is pleasantly short, and Dwarf Fortress is also mentioned early on. But Dabrowski also mentions Bethesda in connection with the game world, which has all kinds of inhabitants who go about their day according to their own schedule and whims - until you maybe run them over with a truck.
A game for system junkies
I have long been an advocate for Bethesda games leaning more into their systematic quirkiness and moving away from their authored narratives. I have to tell you, I'm thrilled that someone out there apparently shares my opinion and has taken it upon themselves to independently develop this game.
So if you're ready for a new adventure and your Steam Keys are already waiting in the wings, I'll see you on the streets of Streets of Rogue 2.
