The Warhammer 40K universe is rich with stories to tell and adventures to be had. We've seen a wealth of games developed over the years, from RTS to action to a cartoony run-and-gun platformer. The sheer variety alone speaks volumes about the depth of 40K lore. With Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Owlcat Games is embracing that depth, promising to deliver compelling gameplay along with a detailed story that should appeal to longtime 40K players as well as those entirely new to the franchise.

Rogue Traders play a unique role within the Imperium. They are basically the front line of the Imperium out in the universe. Far from the center of the empire, Rogue Traders act as diplomats, conquerors, merchants, enforcers — basically whatever the situation may require. Granted a Warrant of Trade by the God-Emperor, each Rogue Trader has an amazing amount of freedom to do as they please, and they're given the resources necessary to make it happen.

One of the more useful elements, especially for players new to the 40K universe, is the detailed, in-line glossary that accompanies the game. As you play through the story, key words are highlighted in the dialogue. If you're a veteran 40K player, you'll know what they mean and won't have to dig deeper, but for a newbie or a casual player who might need a refresh, clicking on one of the highlighted words brings up an explanation. It's a lot easier (and faster) than cracking open a source book to look for a term.

Having an integrated reference system like this is a huge plus, as Rogue Trader is shaping up to be a very story-driven game. How you explore the world, the choices you make, and the companions you choose to partner with (or kill), promise to be the main draw. Dialogue choices have multiple options (some diametrically opposed to each other), so it looks like Owlcat is trying to give players the ability to craft their own adventure through the world.

The flexibility of the story is helped by making the main character a Rogue Trader. As a member of the Imperium, the Rogue Trader is human, but unlike most subjects, the freedom granted to Rogue Traders also allows them to work with aliens. This even includes a certain Drukhari, who makes for a fantastic assassin once he joins your party.

Exploration is done from an isometric perspective, allowing you to get the full lay of the land, no matter if you are simply wandering around or in the midst of a battle.

Combat in Rogue Trader is based on the D100 tabletop system used in the original Warhammer 40K RPG. This helps ensure a fair bit of random chance, but it also means that not every action is wholly reliant on the roll of a die. Many challenges can be buffed (or debuffed), which can make it easy (or hard) to have a successful role. Things like having an injured character in your party can make them less proficient with attacks and therefore more likely to miss.

Before you start shooting at an opponent, you need to place characters into position. There is a pre-fight round that allows you to put each party member onto the battlefield. Starting positions are important because each character has different abilities and attacks, and you want to ensure that you maximize offensive capability while minimizing any vulnerable points. Abilities can be very specific about placement, so it helps to think of each fight as similar to a chess game.

The actual battles are turn-based, with each character (friend and foe) moving and attacking in succession. Character turn order varies whenever a new battle starts, so you might find yourself with a small advantage (or disadvantage) based on your luck. Keeping an eye on the turn order can also be a good strategic play. If you know a specific opponent has already made their move, you can focus on other, more immediate threats.

Early in the game, combat is straightforward, with guns and swords doing most of the heavy lifting. Watching a late-game demo, it was very clear how important it was to use characters with complementary abilities when attacking.

A neat little tweak to combat is the momentum bar. It fills up as you attack and kill enemies, but it can also diminish if you are missing attacks or losing party members. It's a high-level measure of how successful your party is in any given fight. It also provides two additional attack options.

When the momentum bar is full, you can perform a heroic attack. This is a super-powered attack that has the potential to overwhelm an opponent. You have to be smart about timing to maximize the effectiveness, but it can give you a decisive advantage if used correctly.

When the momentum bar is low, you have the option to use a desperate measure, which is very similar to a heroic attack, but the main difference is that it seriously weakens the character who performs it. As a result, you only want to use it if you really need it. That said, if you are losing the fight, a well-placed desperate measure can even the odds and give you a fighting chance.

After winning a battle, you can collect loot. This can be items for your party inventory or cargo for your ship. Cargo can be traded to other factions to improve your reputation with them. Profit factor is a measure of the size of your trading empire. I didn't get a chance to dive too deeply into this aspect of the game, but it appears to add another layer of depth to your choices.

Character progression in Rogue Trader depends on the doctrines you choose. You can choose the adept, fighter, leader, or marksman doctrine as your first choice. The doctrine affects both your combat skills and your later choices. For example, a fighter can unlock the assassin or vanguard doctrines as a second choice but can't choose every tier-two doctrine.

If there is anything risky about Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, it's the overall complexity of the world. RPG and strategy veterans have a lot to look forward to here, but players new to the genre might feel a little bit overwhelmed. The good news is that Rogue Trader isn't due out until 2024, which leaves the team at Owlcat plenty of time to polish the experience and make sure it is easy to onboard into the world they've crafted.