Mayors and the President

The overarching goal of Streets of Rogue 2 is to overthrow a corrupt president and take the reins of an entire county. Standing between the player and that goal is a system of Mayors who control individual cities across the world. The developer has designed this as the backbone of the game's progression: the player gains influence by dealing with city-level leaders and works upward toward the President. As with most things in the game, how the player goes about it is intended to be highly flexible.

Mayors as City Bosses

Each city is run by a Mayor, and Mayors function as the bosses of their cities. A Mayor's dwelling can be a large, multi-floor chunk that doubles as a dungeon, requiring a careful approach. The developer has described wanting varied Mayor types rather than a single repeated boss.

Each city boss type is intended to have its own unique dialogue and the kinds of quests it hands out, so that encounters with different Mayors feel distinct.

Many Ways to Deal With a Mayor

Consistent with the game's freedom of choice, the methods for taking down a Mayor or gaining that Mayor's favor are meant to be quite varied, each with its own repercussions. The developer has said the original Streets of Rogue offered a glimpse of this kind of choice and that the sequel takes the idea much further. Examples discussed for the broader game include hiring a mercenary army to stage a coup or breaking into an office and taking a leader hostage.

Toward the President

Gaining influence over cities builds toward the ultimate objective of toppling the President and taking control of the county. The developer has also emphasized that players are free to ignore the main quest entirely and simply explore or pursue their own goals in the open world. The standing of Mayors and factions can shift over time through random events, contributing to the dynamic world described in The Open World, and region difficulty interacts with this progression through the The World Tier System.