Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an incredibly dense and narratively satisfying game — but one that launched with some balance issues, bugs, and other bumps. As the game’s first anniversary approaches, developer Owlcat Studios has continued to build the Koronus Expanse and the adventures within, shaving off the launch version’s rough edges along the way. The first expansion, Void Shadows, expands on some of my favorite parts of the original game, and sets the stage nicely for future DLC.
Rogue Traders wear many hats: They serve as the vanguards of the Imperium of Man, exploring uncharted sectors. They are among the highest authorities of the Imperium, able to go toe-to-toe with the Inquisition or the highest officers of the Imperial Guard. Rogue Trader shows this, positioning the player as a planetary governor, adventurer, political player, and — when necessary — judge, jury, and executioner.
Void Shadows builds on this nicely. I started a new save to really dig into the expansion — its quests will automatically show up after Chapter 2 and throughout the bulk of the game. This expansion largely deals with the Rogue Trader’s voidship as the Trader explores the distant Koronus Expanse, which is at the fringe of the Imperium’s territory and undergoing struggles between Xenos, the religious Ecclesiarchy, and the Administratum. The scale and scope of the 40K franchise is massive, and that extends to its ships. The player’s voidship is the size of a city, complete with class divide, competing ideologies, and a risk of rebellion.
There are about 15 hours of new content in Void Shadows, and there’s a new companion: Kibellah, a Death Cult assassin. Kibellah is the Rogue Trader’s bodyguard, and a potential romance, and she provides the very interesting perspective of someone who was born and raised spending the totality of her life in the bowels of a massive ship. Even seeing the upper decks, which are decked out in ostentatious and overwrought Gothic architecture, is enough to shake her perspective. The galaxy of 40K is such a huge setting, and it’s always fascinating to see the sub-societies that form in every dark corner.
Image: Owlcat Games
Void Shadows also introduces a Genestealer infestation aboard the von Valancius voidship, which provides another interesting enemy to spice up the mid-game. Genestealers are Tyranid hybrids who slowly infiltrate sentient societies, shifting the balance of power in their favor. Eventually, they overthrow the population and light the way for a Tyranid tendril to come and feast upon the freshly prepared tribute. Obviously, you have a vested interest in getting these monstrous mutineers off your ship.
While I’ve enjoyed all the new content that Void Shadows has to offer, I’m also impressed at how smooth the performance is compared to the game at launch. My first time playing through Rogue Trader, I ended up playing at a lower difficulty setting and abusing my Navigator’s completely overpowered abilities to steamroll combat so I could get to more sweet, sweet exploration and dialogue. Going through and trying to maximize my crew’s stats based on a confusing talent system was completely unappealing, and instead I just brute-forced my way past that.
There were also some unfortunate bugs that impeded my progress, like the time I seduced Heinrix van Calox. The Inquisition agent and I had some serious chemistry that finally culminated in a spicy encounter, but afterwards he was stuck in a T-pose in his underwear. I could get him to throw grenades on the battlefield, but otherwise he was stuck like a big, sexy scarecrow.
Image: Owlcat Games
These sorts of bugs plagued my first playthrough of Rogue Trader, and their absence is much appreciated. Owlcat still has another expansion in the works for Rogue Trader, and the developer just announced a new challenge for players, similar to Honor Mode in Baldur’s Gate 3. In this mode, players are tested with one life, one save, and no reloads or take-backsies. The challenge will be streamed by players on Twitch from Oct. 22 through to Nov. 4, with drops from Owlcat Games enabled and a prize at stake.
I enjoyed my time in the Koronus Expanse the first time around, especially since Rogue Trader takes so much inspiration from the classic tabletop games in the Warhammer 40,000 setting like Only War or Dark Heresy. The weird, enigmatic take on 40K fiction, out on the far frontiers of the galaxy, is a lot of fun. I’m glad Owlcat is continuing to support this CRPG, as it’s one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the grimdark setting.