With Rogue Trader, Warhammer 40,000 already had a successful and extremely popular role-playing game. Now, developer Owlcat is making a sequel and wants to change a lot. The decision has been well received in the community. But what does this mean for the game?
What kind of role-playing game is this?
- Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is based on the pen and paper game of the same name (“TTRPG”). In this role-playing game, you play as an Inquisitor with a group of helpers. We don’t yet know exactly what the story is about, only that the nasty Night Lords play a role.
- Owlcat is known for its cRPGs like the Pathfinder games and Rogue Trader. Dark Heresy is expected to play similarly with an isometric perspective, turn-based combat, and companions with whom you can develop relationships.
- The game will be released for PC (Steam, Epic, GOG) as well as PS5 and Xbox. A release date is still pending.
This is what Dark Heresy aims to do differently: The predecessor Rogue Trader has already generated excitement in the community. The role-playing game allows you to dive excellently into the dark and absurd world of Warhammer 40,000 and tells a gripping story.
Nevertheless, there were some criticisms, including a few weaknesses in the rather linear story and the overly complex systems, especially regarding classes and combat.
Now, the developers have spoken with the English-language gaming website The Gamer and explained what they want to do differently. Dark Heresy is to be “developed from scratch” and will, for example:
- offer a shorter story but provide more options regarding decisions, alliances, and alternative solutions
- simultaneously give more insight into the diversity of the world by introducing mutants and Xenos
- allow for more romances, including with a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which was not possible in Rogue Trader
- simplify many systems, especially regarding combat
Diversity is set to become the core principle of development. Owlcat is working with Warhammer author Aaron Dembski-Bowden on the story, who has written some of the best books for Warhammer 40,000.
On Reddit, the decision has been well received. Rogue Trader was excellent, but the bloated combat and class systems were quite inaccessible. Many are looking forward to the upcoming title.
No one questions the Inquisition
Among the new mechanics and options is the investigation system. As an Inquisitor, it is your task to uncover secrets and detect hidden dangers. For this, you can, for example, interrogate people.
From what you learn, you must draw your own conclusions. Executive Producer Anatoly Shestov compares this to the well-known meme of the guy in front of the wall with dozens of red threads connecting pieces of paper.
As it stands, it is expected that you will gather information through investigation that will provide advantages in possible battles or even allow you to bypass them entirely.
Alternatively, as it is at least implied, you could just shoot everyone who seems suspicious. This might close off some story options for you, but it would fit with the freedom of choice – and with the Inquisition. If the Inquisition says that someone was a heretic, one better not argue.
The vast majority of people in the Imperium – and not even Space Marines – should not oppose the Inquisition. Within the boundaries of the Imperium and sometimes beyond, the Inquisition has almost absolute power. It doesn’t even help to be a rogue trader who is otherwise allowed to do almost anything.
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