Update: Rogue Trader beta is available now. Check out the game’s Steam page to learn more!
Are you ready to venture deeper into the Koronus Expanse? Developer Owlcat Games continues to build upon the turn-based cRPG Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, and it’s time for beta.
The game has previously been available for purchasers of certain editions in its closed alpha version that offered a large slice of the game’s Chapter 2. Just going through the available content would take about 20 to 40 hours, depending on your chosen level of difficulty and how invested you were in exploring every nook and cranny and doing side-quests.
Enter Rogue Trader beta. If the alpha could be considered a daunting experience, almost a full game length in its own right, then beta absolutely dwarfs it with everything it has to offer. In addition to the new story content such as the Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 3 that will be available on both PC and Mac, the game also received new systems and features. Among them is the new character creation, revamped inventory/cargo system and massively improved spaceship battles that were previously available in the very basic form.
All of the above works wonders when it comes to player immersion: instead of simply spawning in Koronus Expanse as the newest, least experienced Rogue Trader, you now get a new gripping story that explains your position better than ever before. It also raises stakes, outlines the game’s gargantuan scale compared to many other franchises and lets you learn more about your loyal retinue and enemies alike.
There are also a lot of smaller changes that were mentioned in our wish list for the beta, such as the option to position your characters on the battlefield if you were the one to ambush your opponent. No more spending turns trying to untangle your melee from the center of your companions! You can also speed-up enemy animations in combat which is extremely helpful when you are fighting against two dozen or more opponents at once.
If you decide to explore everything the beta version has to offer, it will keep you busy for a great while. Despite playing Rogue Trader beta extensively over the last few days, I have not yet reached the content cut-off nor does it feel like it is coming soon. The developers have estimated the beta to offer 80+ hours of content.
Dozens of hours of gameplay, new locations, enemies, and intrigues filled with friends and traitors… What are you waiting for? Pre-order the game and prepare to board the Voidship and bend Koronus Expanse to your will when the beta launches later today! Stay tuned: the comprehensive beta impressions and thoughts will be coming at a later point, once most if not all of the available content has been consumed and analyzed.
