As a gamer, it is almost next to impossible to know everything that exists in the realm of video games. Now, this isn’t to say that it is not possible to know everything in a specific Niche. One Niche I will say that I know very little about is the Warhammer universe; sorry Henry Cavill, didn’t mean to disappoint you. For those who do not know, the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K universe is massive and comes close to the same level as the Star Wars, Marvel, or Lord of the Rings universes. Despite having very little knowledge of the universe, I decided to check out Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader at PAX West 2023.
At PAX West, guests could go to the Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader booth to check out the game. What makes the booth even more interesting is that guests could sit down and just play the game; there was no limit on how long you could play the demo. Before we jumped into the Rouge Trader demo, I was able to ask one of the booth attendees how long some of the gamers had been playing. According to the one attendee, the longest one they had that day was three hours; even at three hours, the guy was still playing showing that what they had at the booth was not your stereotypical demo.
Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader Impressions
Jumping into Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader, I knew very little about the game; what I did know was that it was a story-driven Real Time Strategy (RTS) game. At the start of the game, players can customize their characters choosing how they want to look, sound, and even the visual card image they want to use. As someone who doesn’t play RTS games that often, trying to get used to the system and the game features took a bit to get used to. Now for RTS fans, the turn-based system is fairly straightforward. Our biggest complaint from playing the game was that we chose a character and then chose a voice but it didn’t really resonate with the character model so it felt kind of silly.
Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader’s story revolves around you being an offspring of the great Rouge Trader, however, a shocking rebellion on the ship causes a ton of heirs to be slain. As you are being escorted to a “safe” location, you realize that something is not quite right. Before you know what has happened, you are knocked unconscious and wake up in a treasure chamber. The rebels have taken you hostage and need your blood to open the vault. Will you comply or will you take out the traitors?
For the demo, we only got up to the vault. At that choice, we decided to exterminate the traitors and learned about the defense mechanics protecting the treasure. Playing a demo for only 30 minutes does not truly let you grasp everything you need to know about a game that will feature countless hours of story. From what I could see, Rouge Trader looks like it will feature a ton of gameplay options and replayability between the dialog options you chose and which side you decide to stand with. Ultimately, Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader should be a great game for those who love the Warhammer 40k universe and provide countless hours of gameplay.
Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader is set to release on December 7, 2023; the game will also be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Warhammer: 40,000 Rouge Trader Steam Description
Made in a close partnership with Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a story-rich classical RPG from Owlcat Games, developers of the critically acclaimed game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.
Explore the Koronus Expanse.
Begin your adventure aboard your personal, giant voidship, traveling between the multitude of systems within the Koronus Expanse, a barely charted and incredibly perilous region of space. Despite being considered a backwater of the Imperium, this region encompasses an enormous stretch of the void, filled with dangerous creatures and prodigious opportunities for profit and exploration.
Your decisions matter, Lord-Captain.
During quests show your subjects mercy or disdain, stay faithful to the God-Emperor, or consort with enemies of Mankind – your every decision and every act, even in character creation, is changing the in-game open world and those who inhabit it.
Gather your crew.
Rogue Traders never travel alone. Gather your retinue of righteous heroes, twisted psykers, and perfidious xenos. All of them are ready to follow you into the darkness between the stars. They will offer you counsel, aid you in battle, and allow you to amass ever more power. In return, you can guide them through their own personal journeys, changing their destinies forever.
Plan your actions carefully.
Slaughter the enemies of Mankind in a fully-fledged isometric turn-based tactical combat. Take advantage of cover, the environment, and careful positioning to overpower your enemies. When that is not enough – use your companion`s powerful abilities to turn the tide of battle and achieve victory even in the direst of situations. Our video game adaption of the classic Rogue Trader ruleset allows an enormous number of possibilities for you to explore.
