Sitting at around 65 hours into developer Owlcat’s impressive and expansive Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, there are a few things I can confidently proclaim. First, this game is absolutely massive; I might only be halfway through its intricate but not too difficult-to-follow story. Secondly, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader provides a glorious glimpse into the 40K universe, highlighting elements that often go underexplored while showcasing some of the most beloved races and organizations. Although it’s not without faults, Rogue Trader is already easily becoming my favorite of this studio’s ambitious CRPGs so far.

Unfortunately, it’s worth mentioning upfront that I ran into a lot of bugs – enough to stuff a Space Hulk with. Missing tooltips, abilities that don’t work correctly, invincible enemies, T-posing servitors, and even one case where my progress was blocked on a crucial quest. However, it’s important to note that I’ve been playing on a pre-release build up to this point, and we were promised a lot of fixes coming in the Day 1 patch that will be out by the time you’re reading this. I made some test saves at a couple of vexing moments so I can go back and check if they’re mended in the release version, and I’ll update this review accordingly.

Now then: Rogue Trader puts you into the shiny, step-on-me boots of a titular Rogue Trader, the heir to the von Valancius dynasty and a very powerful person in the Imperium. No matter how you envision them – with satisfying dialogue options that range from a snarky pirate to a sanctimonious servant of the Golden Throne – this character is a joy to roleplay. Your status allows you to get your way and command respect in many situations where your typical adventuring hero would be laughed off or forced to kiss a ring. You’re so rich that your wealth is abstracted as a “Profit Factor,” and buying common items like gear doesn’t even make a visible dent in your coffers.

The writing really does steer the ship here, from the central quest to reclaim your protectorate and deal with a powerful Chaos cult, to terrifying encounters on desolate shipwrecks hidden away in the dark corners of the Koronus Expanse, to conversations with your diverse and multifaceted crew. If I had to pick three favorite factions in the 40K universe, they would be the Sisters of Battle, the Craftworld Eldar, and the Space Wolves. The fact that all three of those are represented by one of the Rogue Trader’s recruitable companions probably wasn’t done specifically to pander to me, but it sure feels like it was.

Breaking away from the Pathfinder rule system Owlcat reproduced with almost self-defeating fidelity in its past two games, combat in Rogue Trader takes a step forward as well. It pays homage to some of the classic Fantasy Flight Warhammer 40K tabletop RPGs, but is really a new system built from the ground up. And that intentionality has allowed it to simply work better, from character build options to encounter design.

I will warn you that it is still a very crunchy system, though. If you’re coming here straight from Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian’s interpretation of D&D will seem like a soft, gooey nougat that melts in your mouth by comparison. Ability descriptions in Rogue Trader can feel like reading an academic paper on differential equations, and the wordy, overly-detailed way the tooltips are presented doesn’t do it any favors. I eventually got a handle on it and came to enjoy the depth it offers, but it’s intimidating until you learn its visual language, and it never stops being kind of a chore to understand what a new talent actually does on first inspection.