Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader review – Deep & intricate adventure that rewards explorers

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is no time for peace, only war. However, there’s lots of time for dialogue and world-building. Here’s our review of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a bold game, exploring one of the best aspects of the setting, and one that most people won’t know about. You see, when people think of 40K they think of armies of Space Marines and Orks, the factions and characters that are most seen in Games Workshop’s marketing campaigns for their tabletop game and the various other videogames that have been made over the years.

The Warhammer 40K setting lends itself well to top-down RTS games and shooters, such as Darktide and the upcoming Space Marine 2. However, 40K games often don’t simply let you explore what life is like in this grimdark universe, roleplaying the various elements that comprise the diverse Imperium of Man and its multifarious galactic enemies. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader does this, arguably for the first time in videogame form, and this is both its main strength and its biggest weakness.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader key details

• Price: £49.99/$49.99
• Developer: Owlcat Games
• Release Date: December 7, 2023
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Rogue Traders

The titular Rogue Traders are perhaps the absolute best characters Owlcat Games could have chosen to center a 40K RPG around – more so than any Space Marine. While Space Marines (or the Adeptus Astartes) are the Master Chief/Spartans of the Warhammer universe, Rogue Traders are the Commander Shepherds. Morally grey wildcards who aren’t necessarily bound by the Imperium’s stringent and hypocritical rules, or the dogmatic corruption that plagues it.

As the title implies, Rogue Traders can be exactly that, rogues looking to prosper in a universe full of evil demons, savage aliens, and nefarious human rivals. Like any good RPG avatar, a Rogue Trader can be anything the player wants them to be. They also get to explore parts of the 40K universe, be they places or concepts, that only the committed loresmiths will know about.

This is what makes Rogue Trader’s special and serves as a real treat for fans of the setting. Those who’ve always wanted to explore the war-ravaged Milky Way while carving out their own little empire with a band of like-minded misfits will get exactly what they’re looking for here. This game is vast, with genuine care and attention to detail having gone into making it a faithful adaptation of life within the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

However, those unfamiliar with the setting may find it somewhat overwhelming at times. Or those who’ve come here looking for some Space Marine blasting Tyranid action may also be disappointed. Even 40K fans who aren’t into slow-burning, dialogue-heavy, RPG adventures risk being turned off. Those who enjoy games such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Divinity, Disco Elysium, and Owlcat’s own Planetscape: Torrment, will be right at home – and an appreciation of Warhammer will certainly help too.

Order vs. Chaos

This brings us to the first main draw of Warhammer 40,000, its world-building and dialogue options. While we won’t go into too much detail and spoil this carefully crafted and intricate system, we will say that fans of the setting will dig it. Especially those who may wish to dabble in the heretical. You can also drink the Imperial Kool-Aid entirely if you wish, dedicating your every move to the God-Emporer of Mankind. Or you can occupy the much safer middle-ground, only venturing into the zealous or chaotic when it suits the situation.

Those unfamiliar with 40K’s lore will likely adopt this approach, enabling players to manipulate NPCs into doing what they want – or being careful not to rock the boat too much when faced with a more fanatical character. However, it pays to have some knowledge of this intolerant galaxy when going into the game, as nearly everyone you meet is a fanatic of some sort – and you’re either with them or against them. Don’t see eye to eye with a member of the Inquisition about even a minor issue? Then you’re a heretic and in their eyes deserve nothing but Exterminatus.

Then there’s the other side who are allied with the forces of Chaos, either you serve their dark gods too, or you’re a puppet of the False Emporer and an enemy. This also applies to the various alien or “xenos” factions that exist in the galaxy. Dialogue and knowing what to say is a big part of Rogue Trader and actions have consequences. But either way, you’ll soon get used to being the most reasonable person in the room.

Putting the War in Warhammer

Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be Warhammer 40,000 without some fighting and Rogue Trader makes this known very early on. While deep, sometimes addictive, and well thought out, the turn-based combat in Rogue Trader can sometimes feel clunky and it takes a while for it to truly become fun and engaging.

By the time you’re taking part in space battles and have grown to love the characters and their abilities, you’ll relish the tense combat. This is especially true when your crew works as a well-oiled Mechanicum and each character complements each other on the battlefield. The only issue is getting to this point which may take some patience. Those who stick with it will be rewarded, even if the combat in Rogue Trader won’t be considered revolutionary, but it works well.

The game sometimes made us want to get passed the combat as quickly as possible so we could get back to driving the story forward and exploring the next area of uncharted space. It’s ironic that in a game based on the Warhammer 40K universe, the fighting is the least fun aspect of it at times. This isn’t a criticism of the combat, mostly just a testament to how much fun the characters and vast universe are.

You get to explore this vast universe with your very own Imperial ship that you can customize and tweak to your liking. We spent hours tinkering away on ours, and the nail-biting space battles taught us what to upgrade and prioritize.

The Verdict – 4/5

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a triumph, especially for those who like the idea of roleplaying life in Warhammer 40K universe. The game feels like an epic novel at times, but one you’re writing as well as reading. However, this comes with a caveat that not everybody will have the patience or inclination to live the life of a Rogue Trader.

While we won’t say the game is for fans of 40K only, an appreciation of Games Workshop’s celebrated tabletop game and the vast lore that surrounds it will certainly help. Mostly though, Rogue Trader will be for those who enjoy epic RPGs of this scale and are looking for another deep adventure to pile many hours into.

Reviewed on Xbox Series S

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