Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Reviews
Despite my unearned misgivings at the game's initial announcement, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader somehow became likely my favorite title so far from Owlcat Games. Likely due to a combination of well-designed turned-based gameplay, a better focus of gameplay systems that don't needlessly detract from the core experience, and simply waiting for a few additional layers of polish to give the title a chance to be represented in the best manner possible. While still a little uneven in terms of gameplay progression and technical proficiency, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an engaging game that's brimming with things to discover and a uniquely compelling narrative that is at times both hopeful and poignant.
Rogue Trader nails the 40k setting and provides an appropriately massive narrative filled with meaty tactical combat, though some bugs and poor performance hold it back.
As it stands, Rogue Trader is a game that is good but should have been substantially better, given the pedigree of the studio. It had all the pieces to be something truly fantastic, but a wealth of technical issues and poor execution caused the game to suffer far more than it succeeded.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader successfully encapsulates the vibrant and rich universe, while falling short in other areas. Bugs, glitches, and loading times pad a lengthy, yet enjoyable, adventure to ridiculous levels. Patch work may be incoming, but it’s currently a fight against aggravating qualities rather than an experience that immerses players.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader not only promises, but delivers the very thing it was designed to be – a meaty, authentic Warhammer 40k game that feels right at home in its RPG trappings.
Rogue Trader is gargantuan and annoying on occasion, but haunting and wonderful through and through. It captures what makes Warhammer 40,000 so captivating and horrifying through its presentation, setting the mood in a way that keeps me enthralled through the worst of it. If Owlcat is anything, it’s a studio that creates RPG diamonds. It hasn’t made one without rough edges just yet, though I hope it eventually perfects its craft.
Rogue Trader is one of the best games in Warhammer 40,000 universe despite all its flaws
Review in Russian | Read full review
An immense, clever and often fascinating deep dive into the Warhammer 40K world that has its fair share of obfuscation, filler and inelegance.
As it stands now, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is good. The story is interesting, the quests are plentiful, the characters are well rounded, and there's plenty of depth in the RPG systems. The game is also flawed. The attack roll system can produce infuriating results if you aren't thinking with dice in mind, the quests can feel too similar in the late game, and the lore is awesome but so dense that the learning curve for newcomers is rather steep. It's also very buggy, but at least that part is getting ironed out by the day. Despite that, the game is fine as-is, but based on Owlcat's track record, if you give the developer a little more time to fix up the game, it can be one of the highlights in a year that's already packed with great RPGs.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is easily one of the best W40K games out there right now, offering a decent story, rich role-playing opportunities, deep character customization, a servicable combat system and the chance to play as a uber-privileged space fascist. The boring space battles and generic companions do drag the experience down a bit and if you’re someone who has a low tolerant rate towards technical issues, it’s best to wait for the inevitable definitive edition that’s bound to come out soon. Glory to the Imperium of Man!
At last W40K universe has a CRPG game. Even for those who are not W40K fans, this is a great game.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a truly fascinating experience. After spending a few hours messing around with Baldur’s Gate 3 concurrently to this review, I couldn’t help but wonder how much better the combat would’ve been if Owlcat had decided to play it closer to Larian’s cRPG flavoring instead of Firaxis’. If only that aspect of the game were better, and elements such as loot would be better explained, then Rogue Trader would be an easy recommendation.
Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader does not fail to be a great CRPG with the best features of its genre, even more so being a great gateway for those who want to know more about this rich, chaotic and fascinating universe. Perhaps my biggest problem with it was its dry presentation with few cutscenes, lack of animations and lack of a cinematic feeling that enriches all the good writing of a good RPG.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
To summarise, "Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader" is a good game for fans of the CRPG genre. It combines a great story, interesting characters, in-depth character development and an entertaining combat system. However, it is also a game that requires you to take a break from time to time, as the flood of information is almost endless.
Review in German | Read full review
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a gem for CRPG lovers and fans of the Warhammer universe. Although it suffers from some technical imperfections, the depth and immersion it offers make it a remarkable title within the vast catalog of games based on this iconic franchise.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader faithfully digitizes the Games Workshop tabletop RPG, but this fidelity can be overwhelming for non-fans. Once you overcome the learning curve and technical issues, it delivers a satisfying experience that does justice to the grim universe of Space Marines, heretics, and demons.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader is a huge, deep, vast, sprawling CRPG that's sometimes a little too ambitious for its own good.
Rogue Trader sets itself out from the crowd, both in its franchise and its genre. It feels unique. It’s not just boltguns and chainswords slapped onto Pathfinder. The thought and care to make it have its own identity has been taken, and I hope Owlcat follows through further with it. ‘Cos it works great.
While lacking the polish and production value that saw the genre float into the mainstream this year, Rogue Trader is a refreshing CRPG experience that values everything that makes games like these so special. It's impossibly expansive, full of rich characters and stories, complex without being over-encumbered, and so much more that doesn't fit into a snappy conclusion. Owlcat has really gone out of its way to bring the Warhammer 40K universe to life here, and in doing so, it's created one of the most memorable RPGs of the decade.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a fun RPG with stellar writing that truly captures the dark future of eternal war. Choices and options aplenty never detract from or feel ill-suited to the setting, and a clever layout makes this a solid entry point for any Warhammer newcomers. There are a number of bugs to be wary of, with progression issues popping up from time to time.