On Steam, Dabrowski emphasized that he doesn’t intend “for this to be an enormous wait. The exact date will be announced closer to launch.” Reasons for the delay range from the game’s large, open-ended nature to being the only programmer on the project. Though October 22nd seemed viable in July, “Ultimately, despite my best efforts, I felt the game needed a bit more time in the oven.

“My sincere apologies for the delays. I fully understand how annoying it can be to look forward to something only to have the rug pulled. That’s why we won’t announce any more specific dates until it’s a 100% lock.” Nevertheless, Dabrowski considers it to be “a lot closer to being early access-ready, as the game’s foundations are pretty solid.”

As for the previously announced playtest, the demo replaces that and features the same planned content. It’s an alpha build, which means some content may not make it into the full release. The demo starts on an island from the “main landmass”, and players must take down the Mayor or gain their favor.

Of course, as with the first game, players can tackle this in any way they see fit. There are multiple classes, and the world is randomly generated (though some island properties remain static). Controller support isn’t available but it will be added later, so stay tuned for updates.

The premise involves taking down a corrupt president, and you have complete freedom. Create a zombie pandemic, build a business empire or even bring on some vampires to help you. If you’re keen on just chilling out and living in the world, that’s also possible.

There are dozens of classes and unique characters with different traits, weapons and even vehicles to utilize. It’s wacky, sure, but that ingenuity and immersive sim gameplay is the appeal.

With maps over 10,000 times the size of the first game and featuring a fully destructible environment with cities, caves, islands, and more, Streets of Rogue 2 promises a more expansive experience. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.