Could Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader be the next great RPG?

Good combat is not everything in role-playing games, but it sure doesn’t hurt. In addition, Warhammer 40000: Rogue TraderThe combat looks pretty good.

The upcoming computer role-playing game from Owlcat Games has been in closed beta since June, and thus far, we’ve had a blast digging into its companion recruitment, intergalactic politics, and heaps of grimdark lore. Of the myriad games set in Games Workshop’s sci-fi universe, Rogue Trader’s world It’s already shaping up as one of the most captivating. And based on what Owlcat showed me during a hands-off demo of late-game content last week, it’s not skimping on the tactical options, either.

“This battle is about 80 hours into the game, so this party is pretty powerful,” Alexander Mishulin, creative director at Owlcat, tells me as he moves the group toward a combat encounter. “It will take a while to upgrade your party this much. But you absolutely can.” His own create-a-character is accompanied by five companions: Abelard, his first officer; Idira, an unsanctioned psyker; Jae, a smuggler and tactician; Pasqual, a tech-priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus faction; and, finally, Marazhai, a previously unannounced Drukhari (dark elf). Taken together, the group is as vibrant as it is imposing — even compared to the group of Necrons waiting in a darkened pit up ahead.

Owlcat Games

Once the fight starts, Mishulin guides each character into cover (or, in Marazhai’s case, to an empty space at the center of the battlefield, the better to draw enemy fire and rely on his high dodge chance) in preparation. Mishulin speaks his thoughts as he moves: Abelard, a tanky character who will perform better in combat at close ranges. Pasqual must wait to boost his teammates. Jae, a strong fighter and intelligent strategist, will be tweaking the turn order to the party’s advantage, and granting extra attacks every chance Mishulin gets.

A web is created as the battle unfolds. XCOM 2level tactical decisions. There are four charge-rifle-wielding Necrons on the field, along with several swarms of smaller bugs. The catch? There are also two glowing green “matrices” that will summon More information about the product Necrons if Mishulin doesn’t deal with them quickly enough. In the fight, it’s about balancing the need to remove the existing enemies and prevent reinforcements. Other words, every turn is important.

Midway through the pitched battle, Mishulin points out a momentum meter above his Drukhari’s UI. If the party’s momentum drops too low (from taking damage or missing shots) Mishulin can activate a “Desperate Measure.” If they Earnings enough momentum (by landing shots or killing enemies) he can use a “Heroic Act.” Both will grant temporary benefits (Mishulin says the latter is generally more powerful) but the results will vary depending on the character who uses the ability. Mishulin uses it to activate the ability for Marazhai. Marazhai then kills two Necrons using his dual blades.

Owlcat Games

Mishulin then proceeds to do a thorough job of eliminating the Necrons. I get the feeling that my battle won’t go as well. Pasqual is used to boost the front line in a protected spot before using duos that focus on damage to destroy both matrixes. It’s a far cry from the battles I’ve seen during the current beta, which, although compelling, have revolved around my much cruder party. Mishulin’s group looks less like a loose collection of misfits and more a stalwart corps of battle-hardened veterans.

I can’t help drawing parallels to my current obsession: Baldur’s Gate 3. Larian Studios’ CRPG has not only sold far better than its creative director anticipated, but also ignited public forums and Polygon staff DMs with conversations about another unlikely band of friends: Astarion, Shadowheart, Gale, and Lae’zel, to name some. Baldur’s Gate 3 is nothing short of a phenomenon, and it’s proven that CRPGs, despite their presumed niche-ness, still hold quite a lot of clout. It’s an exciting time for fans of role-playing, and I imagine it must be exciting for Owlcat. Mishulin is closing down the demo when I say this.

“Baldur’s Gate 3’s success is very encouraging,” he says. “Larian Studios is doing great work, and as a result, they’re bringing even more people into the CRPG genre, and renewing a lot of passion for it. Ideally, those players will all finish the game. Baldur’s Gate 3 [laughs] they’ll be even more ready to dive into Rogue Trader.”

Owlcat Games

Perhaps because it’s the first cool, breezy day in New York after several weeks of sweltering summer heat, or perhaps because I’m thinking about Shadowheart All the timeMy mind is turned to romance. Warhammer 40,000 takes place in a world of conflict, lies, and greed. On the other hand. Rogue Trader an RPG that’s set to be released not long after one of the horniest RPGs of all time. Love can bloom even in grimdark worlds.

“We have had a lot of fun adding romance to such a dark universe,” Mishulin says. “As you can imagine, romance in 40K is not like it is in other worlds — here, it’s a lot of arranged marriages and political maneuvering. But we’ve had a ton of fun figuring out out-of-the-box ways to incorporate it in Rogue Trader, and we can’t wait for people to see it.”

How will romance unfold? Rogue Trader’s nuanced tactical combat, intergalactic politicking, and cooperative multiplayer (which Owlcat just announced at Gamescom today) remains to be seen. Personally, I can’t wait to find out.

Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader is currently in closed beta for pre-order players, and will be released “soon” on Windows PC.