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Alright. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - Void Shadows is done and dusted. This is the first of two story expansions for the base game and the only one currently available (as of April 2025). Void Shadows is seamlessly integrated into the base campaign. And actually, this is done to perfection. I can't think of another expansion that was ever integrated as perfectly into a game before. It's very easy to forget you're even playing DLC content. This is helped by the fact that it doesn't all happen at once. Rather, this expansion and its story is interwoven into the game throughout the base campaign.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3462100358
This seems especially appropriate since the DLC focuses on the Bloodspun Web, an Assassination Death Cult officially sanctioned by the Emperor. They have a temple in your Voidship, which you will find and visit eventually. And actually, this DLC really also gives you the opportunity to explore a lot of areas of your ship that you might otherwise never go to. This adds another dimension to the game as it encourages you to really see what life is like on your ship. Which, considering there are thousands of people on your ship, many of whom have not left your ship for generations, this really adds depth to the game's lore in a way that could not be experienced otherwise. It's very cool to really dive into the inner workings of your mobile base of operations. and the implications of there being generations of people on this ship that literally have never known any other way of life is kind of wild.
Anyway, your introduction to all of this is when the Bloodspun Web introduces itself to you by having a death procession leading to your throne. The Second Spinner (second in charge) of said cult is an assassin by the name of Kibellah. Who, after giving the blessing of death to some traitors, becomes your shadow and one of your twelve companions. And factually, Kibellah is a one-woman wrecking crew. Depending on how you develop her character as she levels up, she is more than capable of killing all of your enemies in a single turn, their positioning being the only thing that might maybe prevent this. I've had her kill like twenty enemies in a round before in my playthrough. Which, the temptation is to consider her to be OP, but I would say what she really is...is awesome. She was one of my two companions that stood with me during my Rogue Trader coronation ceremony, and she ended up being my romance option as well in the end. But yeah, if you have both her and Abelard in your active party, nothing will really be able to stand in your way.
Beyond that, this DLC also introduces you to a significant threat and nemesis in the Genestealer Cult. Which show up time and again as you travel through the Koronus Expanse, actively attempting to assassinate you, sabotage your Voidship, disrupt resource production, and so on. Some of the stuff they get up to, and what you have to do in response can more or less be viewed as actual horror gaming. And there are some shocking betrayals added into the mix as well. One of which genuinely made me sad.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3465105097
Other than actually becoming a full member of the Bloodspun Web, which is an option, I did everything this expansion has to offer, and if I had to guess, I would say that probably was about twenty hours of my one hundred sixteen total hours of gametime in Rogue Trader.
I really can't stress enough how high quality this expansion was in every way, and like I mentioned before, its integration into the base campaign is as good as I've seen. I totally understand why it's taking Owlcat so long to get the second expansion released. If it's going to be integrated into the game like this one, it requires making adjustments to almost everything in the base game (and likely this expansion as well) to accommodate it.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3465686529
I'd highly recommend buying this expansion before you get too far into the base campaign. It truly adds a lot of depth, an amazing new party member, and just an all-around awesome story to what is already a stellar game. Well worth your consideration in my opinion.
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