Rogue Trader shows off one of Warhammer 40K's most interesting locations for the first time in a videogame
Welcome to the Dark City.
Amid the ocean of upcoming Warhammer games, one has risen to the top for me: Rogue Trader. CRPG developer Owlcat Games will be letting us explore the grimdark future in an RPG party, gallivanting around and getting into all sorts of trouble. It's yet to be given a release date, though it's "coming soon", and in the meantime there's a new trailer to gawk at.
This location trailer, unsurprisingly, gives us a glimpse of some of the places we'll be able to visit as the titular rogue trader. As you might expect, there's no dearth of space ports, industrial machinery and intimidating, gothic statues. But there's also a wee treat near the end.
The Dark City, Commorragh, is the home of the drukhari. If you're not au fait with the setting, think evil space elves who don't ask for consent when they get into some BDSM. The Dark City has been explored in the tabletop games, but it looks like this is the first time it's made an appearance in a videogame.
It looks much like you'd expect: spikes, torture devices, lithe aliens strutting around. Not subtle, then. It's a very different aesthetic from the locations you'll find in the Imperium, though. And what can you get up to in the Dark City, you ask? Lots of things! You'll have to endure "endless horrors" and fights for your very existence. This is exactly what I want from my holidays.
In our preview at the end of last year, Rick Lane said Rogue Trader was shaping up to be a stellar CRPG, so hopefully it will do the home of the drukhari and the rest of the cosmos justice. It certainly looks promising.
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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.