Fear not, Dear Reader, we haven’t lost our minds, as we’re well aware that Streets of Rogue has been around for six years at this point.
However, with our goal being to be the ultimate destination for all things roguelike and roguelite, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of the genre’s most beloved classics that are missing from our review catalogue.
With a sequel set to release later this year, what better way to kick things off than by diving into this unhinged, GTA-inspired roguelite?
What is Streets of Rogue?
Self-described as Nuclear Throne meets Deus Ex, mixed with the anarchy of GTA, Streets of Rogue is a chaotic and highly addictive roguelite from solo developer, Matt Dabrowski. Set in a procedurally-generated city, the game takes place from an isometric perspective and tasks players with completing a checklist of GTA-style missions to progress to the next floor.
These missions on a surface level are pretty basic, with players having to complete tasks such as neutralising NPCs, activating a series of switches, and rescuing prisoners. What really makes Streets of Rogue unique is how no two runs feel the same, and there seems to be no bounds on the insane chaos that you’ll experience each time you boot up the game.
As well as a silly roster of playable characters (more on that later) there is plenty of freedom of choice when it comes to the gameplay. You can bribe the cops on a floor, hire a gang of thugs and unleash utter chaos on your foes, or you can be much stealthier and more strategic. This can involve using lockpicks to open doors, polluting air vents with items like cigarettes to flush out enemies, and sneaking past security lasers and other defensive traps Metal Gear Solid-style under the disguise of a flimsy cardboard box.
Each main level also concludes with a random major event, throwing in curveballs like falling bombs, zombie invasions, or rioting pedestrians. These events ramp up the tension before you can progress to the next floor, keeping the action unpredictable and intense. It can be absolutely agonising being on the cusp of reaching the next stage, only to have your hard work completely erased by a falling bomb that slipped past the corner of your eye.
A Roster of Wildly Unique Characters
There are 20 wacky characters that you can play as, and these shake up the action significantly with their own set of character traits and starting items. The Soldier comes equipped with grenades, an assault rifle, and explosive charges, making for a fast-paced, think later, run-and-gun experience. The Slave Master, on the other hand, can taze NPCs and fit them with slave helmets, amassing an army of devoted followers to do their dirty work.
Each character also comes with their own set of weaknesses too that you’ll need to weigh up against their strengths. The Cannibal, for example, can snack on the corpses of NPCs for a quick health boost, but it also has the Antisocial perk, preventing you from hiring NPCs. The Jock boasts impressive speed and melee stats, but is countered with the Computer Illiterate perk, preventing you from being able to hack into computer terminals.
The game encourages experimentation by requiring you to mix up your character selection to progress. To unlock the next main floor as a starting point, you must complete it with five unique character classes. Additionally, not all characters are available from the start, you’ll need to complete fun challenges to unlock them. For example, the Cannibal requires you to kill 20 people in a single level, while the Bartender unlocks after consuming 15 beverages.
As you may have expected from reading the above, the combat in Streets of Rogue is utterly chaotic, both in a good and a bad way. Starting with the positives, the environment is fully destructible, allowing you to completely reshape your surroundings by throwing grenades, using explosive charges and sabotaging generators. There’s also a fun variety of wacky weapons, with some personal standouts including the Shrink Ray and the Warp Grenade, which can be used to teleport away anybody caught within its blast radius.
On the other hand, the melee and ranged combat feels incredibly sloppy, and I found myself constantly missing my shots, whether I used my bare hands or a rifle from a distance. It does lend to the game’s unpredictable nature with you dashing around and frantically striking enemies to land a blow, but it felt frustrating to fail a run because a shot refused to land.
Rewards, Traits, and Mutators
As you level up, you’ll be rewarded with the peculiar currency of chicken nuggets. These black market goods can be spent to unlock new rewards and traits at your main base, and they’ll become accessible to you in-game as you level up and complete missions. A nice touch is that the game allows you to shape its active pool to best complement your current character. For example, the Bullet Breaker perk that destroys enemy bullets with your own is redundant if you’re playing as the Gorilla, which is unable to use projectile weapons.
From your home base, you can also toggle on a variety of mutators which can drastically shake up the gameplay and adjust the overall difficulty settings. These include toggling between characters on each floor, having the game play at 1.3x the normal speed, and there’s even the option to optimise the game for speedrunners. Those looking for a more relaxed experience can choose multiple continues, and those with a death wish can enable the Everyone Hates You mutator, making all NPCs act hostile towards the player.
The Verdict
Streets of Rogue is an absolute blast for those who enjoy chaotic, unpredictable roguelites. Its blend of explosive action, quirky characters, and random events makes every run feel fresh and exciting. Whether you’re tearing through levels with guns blazing or taking a stealthy approach with a cardboard box, the game offers endless possibilities. With a sequel on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to revisit or dive into the Streets of Rogue.
For more on the sequel head over to Matt Dabrowski’s official site where there’s a newsletter and more. In the meantime, Streets of Rogue is out now on PC (Lin, Mac, Win), PS4, Switch, and Xbox.
