Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - Switch 2 Review

Abelard! Who is this filthy rabble-rouser? Why, it’s the frantic ravings of a deranged madman and borderline heretic, here to tell you about Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader for the Switch 2! Have him extol its virtues, talk about the way its UI has been so cleverly manipulated for the handheld platform, and the impeccable adherence to Imperial lore. And if he talks about any supposed “faults”, then I want him immediately shot!

The Good

Rogue Trader is set in the distant fringes of the galaxy, out beyond Segmentum Obscurus where the light of the Astronomicon can just about reach, and in this grimdark future where there is only war, there is also profit to be made. As an ardent, lifelong fan of 40K, I easily say we've come a long way for Warhammer video games, and Rogue Trader is the proof. While it's faithful to the ‘world’ of 40K in terms of its grimdark edginess and adherence to the lore, it also remembers that a Rogue Trader encounters strange sights and exotic beings that one might not in more usual hive city or battlefield settings. It also lets you indulge your instincts, dogmatic, heretical or like some kind of out-of-place, noble-bright hero, with the game’s events responding accordingly and, pleasingly, appropriately; there are no “easy” paths in that regard. This is all wrapped around a tactical, turn-based combat system that may not be the most intuitive to pick up but can be very rewarding to master. 

For the most part, this is a fairly decent port. For a start, it only has the same kind of technical issues that the PC version does on my mid-range machine. That might sound like a backhanded compliment but it's always nice when a port doesn't introduce new problems that the original platform didn't have. I can also say that for the technical issues that are present, they remain consistent throughout, so (at least in my own playthrough) there were no nasty, save-breaking bugs that I encountered that ruined the entire playthrough. Even so, for reasons I’ll get into later, I’d still recommend regular manual saves. 

Rogue Trader's UI is a lot, as is typical of a CRPG, and even with the available real estate of a PC monitor, the screen can still feel crowded at times. So it's impressive that Owlcat got it all onto the Switch version without consistent screen clutter, hiding all the extraneous character and party management screens behind button-held menus. Everything you would be able to access is still there and I actually prefer the trigger access method for accessing these menus to the side panel that would be present on PC. This is about the only thing preferable about a controller over a keyboard and mouse, so it’s worth mentioning.

TL;DR

• Excellent base game
• A decent Switch 2 port
• Great repurposing of UI
• Runs about the same as the PC version

The Bad

Whenever I see a game of the size and scale of something like Rogue Trader running on a platform like the Switch, I consider it nothing short of Warp Magic. While it may not seem like it at first glance, Rogue Trader is highly detailed in terms of visual appearance, simulation, and all the (sometimes literal) bells and whistles that go into making a grim, dark factorum feel… well, grim and dark. So, even for the beefier Switch 2, I consider it a marvel of the Omnissiah that this game runs at all. 

That being said, the performance can sometimes be really rough at times, with stuttering and low frame rates throughout. This is especially prevalent when the game cranks up the grim, dark detail to 11, as it often does, stacking on visual effects as the action picks up. This even extends to saving, loading, switching UI screens, changing focus between characters, etc., all with varying but frustrating wait times or frame freezes as the game sorts itself out. 

I would note that these aren’t Switch 2 exclusive problems, in that I’ve had similar problems on a PC well above minimum spec. If anything, the same kind of issues would occur more frequently than anything. I’d also note that they used to be a lot worse when the game first came out on PC as well and have improved over time with subsequent patching and optimisation, so perhaps the same will happen on the Switch 2. For the time being, however, you’ll need a fair amount of patience while playing a member of the Imperium, who, ironically, aren’t usually known for their patience. Mine certainly wasn’t. 

There are strange idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies in the way the UI is navigated. As an example, you can switch to the “hot bar” abilities and navigate around using the D-pad, but after selecting something and moving to apply it to someone on the field, using the D-pad again will ignore the current focus and change the ability selection because the game wants you to switch to the control stick. Understandably, they’re attempting to fit the width and breadth of a UI that utilises a full KBM setup into the limited controls and display of a Switch. It’s not an easy feat and I certainly wouldn’t argue they’ve been unsuccessful, either – it’s just not how I would have done it. This isn’t a bad implementation, but an ungraceful one.

TL;DR

• Occasionally frustrating UI navigation
• Frequent technical problems
• Some control frustrations

Final Score: 6/10

As far as ports go, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader for the Switch 2 is fine in the grand scheme of things. It’s still a great game in itself and Owlcat have done some impressive stuff with getting a game like this onto the Switch 2. But that feat wasn’t perfect and whether it’s technical problems or friction caused by using a controller for a CRPG, there are issues. There aren’t so many issues that it’s functionally unplayable, however, and I can still recommend this on the basis that Rogue Trader is an excellent time; it just comes with caveats. 

Abelard! You may now shoot me and announce the summary!

Thank you for checking out our Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Switch review, thank you to Owlcat Games (via UberStrategist) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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