by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $15.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… a worthy addition to an already top shelf game.
What does the concept of law even mean in the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K? In a universe where countless billions are thrown into the threshing maw of the forever war machine, sacrificed either to rampaging aliens, demonic forces or the undead Emperor of Mankind himself, is there room for justice at all? This is the weighty, chewy theme at the core of the brand spanking new DLC for Owlcat Games’ excellent CRPG, Rogue Trader. Titled Lex Imperialis, this second DLC drop for the game delivers new weapons and armour, adds a new recruitable character and even brings a brand-new playable character archetype. It’s awful, lawful good but does continue one irksome factor from the previous DLC, Void Shadows.
Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader: Lex Imperialis (henceforth known as “Lex”) brings in the faction known as the Adeptus Arbites, basically space cops. You might think, based on that description, that Lex plays out a bit like a Judge Dredd game and superficially you’re not wrong. New character Solomorne Anthar looks every bit the justice-dispenser from Mega-City One with a strong jawline, enormous gun and even a mechanised doggo friend who likes nothing more than humping the legs of evildoers… right after he’s torn them from their screaming bodies. However, while Dredd and crew arguably help the citizens of the Big Meg every now and then, the Arbites exist purely to protect the Imperial tithe, securing the funds that keep the gears of war well-lubricated with fresh blood. It’s a fascinating bit of 40K lore and the story goes to some interesting places. Quite literally, actually, as one of the new destinations is the feudal world, Thassera, a technologically stunted backwater that has the temerity to not pay the tithe. Upon your arrival, however, it becomes clear that all is not what it seems…
So, positives: Solomorne is a great new addition to the companion roster and his archetype is top notch. The cyber animals you can control add extra dimensions to the combat (the doggo in particular is such a joy to use) and the 15-20 hour story is engaging throughout. On the downside, once again, the DLC spreads itself throughout the main game, so you’ll almost certainly have to start a new playthrough which means running through the 100+ hour game all over again just to see the new stuff. It’s totally fine (and enviable!) that some people have the time and inclination to do this but if you’ve recently already pulled that trigger for Void Shadows, it feels a bit tedious to do it all over again.
Owlcat, if you’re listening, please give us an option just to play the new content as a discrete series of missions, yeah? Cheers ta.
Ultimately, Lex Imperialis is a worthy addition to an already top shelf game. The writing isn’t quite as sharp as that of Void Shadows, but the new combat options add a lot of welcome variety and spreading the Emperor’s “justice” throughout the Koronus Expanse is just as morally murky and viscerally bloody as you might hope. You are the law… and the law is grimdark as hell.
