Rogue Trader is an RPG that dives deep into Warhammer 40K lore
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a top-down RPG on Steam and Good Old Games set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and it’s one of the best games yet for granting the player a glimpse at the scope and scale of that universe. Better yet, it’s one of the rare chances players have to actually go around a full star system and exercise freedom of choice. I sampled a demo of Rogue Trader provided by Owlcat Games, and there’s quite a bit of choice to be had — but a few disappointing restrictions on player freedom.
The demo included a look at the main campaign, starting with character creation. I had the chance to dress up my new character, picking her augments, home world, origin story, and specialties. I chose a noblewoman with an affinity for rifles, although I could have been a filthy criminal, dangerous psyker, or veteran of the Imperium’s long war. All of the available portraits, however, were of white characters — in a world where humanity has overcome bigotry of skin color or gender in favor of new, exciting xenophobia.
It’s disappointing to feel like I’m locked out of customization options, but this appears to be a byproduct of the incomplete beta. When asked for comment, a representative of Owlcat shared that “there will be MUCH more variety for customization of the character in every aspect including the portraits.”
The story itself immediately proved intriguing. Rogue Traders date back to the inception of Warhammer 40,000, and while they’re not as action-oriented or prominently featured as Space Marines, they are a core part of the setting. These voidship sailors are privateers in service of the Imperium of Man, granted a far longer leash than their peers. They travel, trade, and brave the outskirts of the galaxy.
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