Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Review for Xbox

The Warhammer universe is something I’ve wanted to get into for a long time. The miniatures looked so cool! Years ago I bought a starter set from Games Workshop. But it turns out I don’t have the patience or skills to paint miniatures. So thank the heavens for the digital versions that give the feel of the tabletop game without the labor. My playing style vacillates between going balls to the wall or avoiding any sort of conflict if possible. “Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader” allows for both. I learned quickly that the balls-to-the-wall strategy doesn’t work too well.

It’s very lore heavy, as any Warhammer experience is, so depending on how invested you are in the story, the amount of text might be a bit much, especially if you’re a newcomer to the franchise.  I played the game on Xbox Series S, so the text might be a bigger issue depending on the size of your TV or how far you sit from it.

I love an isometric, turn-based game, and they’ve been done great on home consoles before. But some of the mechanics—clearly designed with a PC audience in mind—don’t always translate smoothly to console play. So I feel like with a little more work on the console user experience, this could be a great game. The fundamentals are there, and I imagine playing on the PC would exponentially improve your experience.  I would be remiss to not mention the voice acting, which is great. I’m excited to see if there are any updates for the console user experience. While I didn’t experience a ton of problems with the graphics or framerate, the UI for the Xbox version feels overly complicated.

Some of this complexity is welcome—it makes battles more engaging and rewards strategic thinking.  However, there’s also a fine line where too many overlapping systems can lead to information overload, slowing down battles and making them feel cumbersome rather than exciting.

With the sheer scope of the universe and the many different ways you can play it, even if the execution isn’t always flawless.  For those willing to overlook some of the UI issues, it’s a Warhammer 40K experience that is well worth trying, especially for fans of the universe or those craving a rich choice-driven RPG on a console, an underserved market for sure.

With all that said, I give the Xbox Series S version a 7/10, and with updates, it could easily go up to an 8/10.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is availalbe on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X, Windows PCs via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.

For more information, follow Owlcat Games on Facebook, X, Instagram, Discord, and YouTube. Find out more about Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader at roguetrader.owlcat.games.

Related: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Now Available on Xbox Game Pass

Corey Grosklos

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I love what games can do that go beyond any other entertainment medium. Being able to play a multiplayer game with a friend hundreds of miles away and it feeling like we're sitting next to each other is a special thing!
Professionally, I've been many things. Currently I'm a bartender and live in San Francisco. 

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