Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader Preview
There are, as we all know, videogames for every age, interest and skill. There are games that only require attention for a few minutes at a time. Then there are games like Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Owlcat’s upcoming homage to both the original Warhammer tabletop game and its own CRPGs — now in beta — is one of those titles that can crossover from being a casual dip into the Warhammer world to a happy time sink and weeks’ long commitment. Even the beta runs well over 60 hours.
In addition to being an incredibly deep CRPG similar to the developer’s Pathfinder, Rogue Trader is a lore lover’s dream game. Fans of Warhammer 40K will relish the remarkable attention to detail. Casual gamers largely unfamiliar with Warhammer will enjoy the game simply for its excellent tactical gameplay and story.
Trade Like a Rogue
The Rogue Trader experience begins with the kind of character creator that CRPG players love. It’s deep, allowing for customization of physical appearance, but also a huge number of critical traits, backstory elements and starting skills. Though everyone will obviously be a rogue trader, there are already a staggering number of ways to make your character your own, unique player in a grand narrative.
Rogue Trader’s tutorial prologue accomplishes the task of teaching the basics of movement and combat, and sets up the tone of the narrative. It doesn’t exactly ease the player into Warhammer’s deep ocean of lore. There are a lot of terms and character references that will be opaque to a lot of gamers, so be prepared to do some reading. Basically, you’re a bit of a mercenary outside the system, with a strong desire to turn a profit. The Imperium gives you a ship and your tasks are exploring the edges of the realm, discovering new planets, establishing trade and alliances and defeating pockets of resistance.
This short description only hints at the near-operatic level of conflict, intrigue, betrayal and surprise. Unfortunately, the vast amount of dialogue is text only, but that’s understandable given the huge story and number of characters.
Pick a Square
Richly imagined world, characters and story aside, combat is at the core of Rogue Trader. It’s tactical, turn-based and naturally movement takes place on a grid. Fans of X-com and a hundred other tactical CRPGs will get the basics immediately. But Rogue Trader adds quite a few elements to the familiar mechanics.
Battles begin by positioning your party as optimally as possible, taking into account cover and other opportunities to use the environment. Of course, you’ll want to have the most powerful and flexible party you can muster. There are a huge number of ways to upgrade and outfit your group with various weapons, skills, buffs and gear. In my time with the beta I only scratched the surface of what there was to find and use.
Unlike some RPGs, Rogue Trader forces the player to really think about the impact of combat on both the enemy and party. There is friendly fire damage. Rounds can pass through objects and into friendly characters. Additionally, the game’s new Momentum system gives the party access to special, powerful attacks or battle-saving healing, depending on the course of combat and how kindly the RNG has treated the player. The Momentum system takes some time to grasp but is a fantastic layer on an already tasty treat.
Promises of Greatness
For a beta, there are surprisingly few nits to pick. Movement and positioning doesn’t always feel precise or perfectly smooth, there are some minor bugs, and some of the textures and visual details could use a bit of final polishing. Audio design is generally good, with punchy weapon sounds and effects. The music is excellent. My biggest gripe is that the narrative is very dense and it’s easy to miss an important story beat. Dialogue can be over-written and excessively full of jargon or references that aren’t necessarily clear.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader does the desktop game proud, and looks to be another outstanding CRPG from a developer with a stellar track record. For fans of Warhammer or engrossing tactical RPGs, Rogue Trader is worth a close look.
