Streets of Rogue
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Quick, quirky adventure with plenty of player freedom.
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Streets of Rogue
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What’s It About?
STREETS OF ROGUE puts players onto the mean streets and back alleys of a city in peril. The new Mayor has gone mad with power. After getting duly elected on a platform of promises of "lower taxes" and "more beer," the Mayor went on to raise taxes and confiscate all the beer in the city for himself. This led to the rise of the Resistance which, if we're being perfectly honest, isn't too much better than the Mayor. But hey, at least they're the good guys, right? As the latest recruit in the Resistance, it's up to you to climb up through the slums of the city, pulling off a few obligatory side quests along the way, and ultimately free the city from the Mayor's iron grip once and for all. You'll choose from more than twenty different classes, ranging from role-playing game mainstays like Thief and Soldier to supernatural classes like the Vampire or Werewolf, or take on one of the more … specialized … classes like the Comedian or the Investment Banker. You can play the way you want -- shoot, sneak, or even joke your way past all obstacles in your way. Rise up against the Mayor's tyranny alone or with friends in both couch and online co-op play, and take back the city … and bring back the beer while you're at it.
Is It Any Good?
Some games can have cutting edge graphics and gameplay, but still fall flat, while others can have a less impressive presentation, but still somehow be ridiculously fun in spite of themselves. Streets of Rogue is a perfect example of this. The game's plot makes no sense whatsoever, it looks like something straight out of the 8-bit era of the '80s, the controls are about as basic as can be, and the challenge constantly rubber bands between mind numbingly simple and insanely difficult. And yet somehow, the minute you pick up the game, its odd charm and quirky style grab hold and don't let go. You're sucked into the experience with no escape … but that's not a bad thing.
Admittedly, Streets of Rogue is far from perfect. While the game offers up a wealth of options in the form of more than twenty different "classes" to play, its randomly generated stages mean that you never really know what to expect from one game to the next. You might breeze through the missions of one floor only to find yourself ill-equipped for the missions of the next. Also, even though there's a lot of variety in how you play, the stages themselves can't help but feel a little repetitive after a while. This is a game that's definitely best played in smaller bursts. Finally, setting up co-op matches in local and especially in online play is an awkward process. It works fine, but it's not as smooth as it could be. Still, Streets of Rogue is a quirky, arcade style adventure that's well worth checking out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Streets of Rouge affected by the pixelated visuals, which limits how graphic the violence appears to be? Is the impact lessened by the amount of humor and commentary presented in the game, which feels more like the violence is tongue in cheek?
What are some ways that substance use is portrayed in film, television, and gaming? Can these influence younger audiences to experiment in real-life? What's being done within the entertainment industry to reduce kids' exposure to these activities?
Game Details
- Platforms: Linux , Mac , Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release date: July 11, 2019
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Last updated: July 15, 2019
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