When Owlcat Games announced that its next big project would be a Warhammer 40K game rather than another Pathfinder adventure, the prospect didn’t terribly enthuse me. That said, I knew I’d pick it up either way. Owlcat Games produced my 2021 GOTY, and if anything gets me into Warhammer’s universe of fascist god-emperors and affably evil Orks, it’ll be a CRPG.

I’m deeply enjoying Rogue Trader. It hits all the marks - complex combat, snappy dialogue, gorgeous environments, and an insightful depiction of 40k’s established lore. As a newbie to the universe, I have to read every tooltip and encyclopedia page, and every time I’ve felt the need to delve into a wikia, it’s been to explore, not to explain.

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The alpha build I got to mess around with is a bit more limited than the final release will be, placing me in the shoes of the always-male Rogue Trader named, fittingly if unimaginatively, Rogue Trader, and starting me off at the beginning of chapter two. After a quick background customisation sequence that took the form of familiar storybook scenes that many will know from Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, I was thrust into the middle of the narrative. This was great for me, as it took away much of the choice paralysis of character creation and forced me straight into the action.

Warhammer 40000 40K Rogue Trader Captain Quarters

The premise is pretty simple: you play as a successor to the now-deceased Rogue Trader Theodora von Valacius, ruler of a grand trade empire that stretches across the stars in service of the Imperium (read: fascist human galactic empire). This has obvious parallels to Owlcat’s Pathfinder games, where you play as either the Baron of a new kingdom or the new leader of a crusade. It’s a great premise that allows those not in the know to learn about the universe naturally and in character as they ask their crewmates and subordinates everything they need to know about their role.

As the ruler, you make the decisions. You’re responsible for a gigantic trade ship and its crew, and von Valacius’ economic well-being is a central game mechanic. Your decisions affect any passive income you generate and your political standing amongst the Rogue Traders of the Imperium. But it’s not all money hoarding and politicking.

Roleplaying is an obvious focus in the writing. Your attitudes to leadership, trade, and religion can all be established by your dialogue, and your companions will react accordingly. Very early on, I decided to decline a reverend’s request for help. In response, a Battle Sister in my retinue, Argenta, left my party immediately, leaving me with fewer party members in the upcoming fights. Your actions have obvious consequences in this game, and much like in Disco Elysium, exhausting a dialogue tree is neither recommended nor feasible. Your choices are important here, which I appreciate in a game with such a heavy focus on narrative.

Warhammer 40000 40K Rogue Trader Dialogue with Idira

Characters feel well-rounded, with their dialogue doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of giving them a personality. However, it’s the little touches sprinkled throughout in the form of body language descriptions or facial expressions that make things shine. It’s a very wordy game, but this is no bad thing when the writing is so high-quality. The only downside is that the game feels like it’s missing encounters with the unimportant characters - you get plenty of worldbuilding and plot hooks from the principal players, but I miss being able to talk to onlookers and nobodies who freely tell you about their lives. Then again, this is the beginning of an alpha, and I may just be asking for too much.

A place where the alpha doesn’t falter is in graphics. In every aspect, Rogue Trader is visually stunning - with better character models, smoother animations, and more detailed environments than past Owlcat titles, the game reeks of money and effort. New locations feel distinct, with deliberate touches of personality injected into them. For example, Theodora’s old captain's quarters are rich and luxurious, much befitting a Rogue Trader. At the same time, the port of Footfall is a hustling, bustling hive of activity decorated with the Imperium’s insignia wherever you look, representing its powerful grasp on the world.

Warhammer 40000 40K Rogue Trader Anwer Attack

Gameplay is what you’d expect from an adaptation of the Warhammer tabletop experience. It’s a turn-based battle system on an isometric battlefield consisting of cells, making positioning an essential part of your strategy. Finding cover, utilising vantage points, and using the right skills are all things you must consider, and it’s refreshing to see this depth of strategy in a CRPG. It feels like a more overwhelming version of XCOM at the moment, though I’d bet this feeling is lessened when you’re able to play the game from the beginning instead of being thrown in headfirst.

Something I love that sets Rogue Trader apart from its contemporaries are the little touches that make the battle system feel distinct. Momentum is a factor in a fight, representing your performance in battle. High momentum unlocks Heroic Acts, designed to speed up an inevitable victory, while low momentum unlocks Desperate Measures - riskier last resorts intended to save your hide in a pinch. With these, combat becomes more dynamic and enjoyable.

Warhammer 40000 40K Rogue Trader Combat against thugs

Character progression is suitably complex. There are myriad ways to build a character between nine individual characteristics representing innate talents and 13 skills representing expertise. These are largely self-explanatory, with Strength and Agility dictating things like unarmed damage and dodge chance, respectively, while some are more nebulous, such as Fellowship, which is a rating of your ability to influence and lead. These scores are useful both on the battlefield and in social encounters, where they can be used to manipulate, aid, or intimidate others. I love the ability to customise characters to my exact specifications - I could theorycraft in my sleep - and Rogue Trader rewards those impulses in a big way.

I was skeptical about Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader at first - I thought my lack of knowledge regarding the Warhammer universe might hamper my enjoyment. I was wrong. Between an accessible approach to storytelling and a robust, engaging combat system paired with enjoyable writing and beautiful art direction, I think Owlcat Games is on to a winner.

The public alpha starts on December 7 and requires that you purchase either the Developer’s Digital Pack or the Collector’s Edition to join.

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