This 2027 Baldur's Gate 3 rival comes with a warning from players, but that won't stop me

Baldur’s Gate 3 was a revolutionary RPG in many ways, but I could never bring myself to like it as much as everyone else… I’ll happily take a Rogue Trader successor, though.

Over the past few years I’ve become rather fond of games that can be beaten relatively quickly.

Resident Evil Requiem and Gears of War: E-Day are two notable examples, as they’re heaps of fun, but don’t outstay their welcome.

I know The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time like the back of my hand as well, so I got through the remake at a good pace for my review.

However, I still do love an expansive RPG, which is why I think Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy will scratch the itch that Baldur’s Gate 3 could never reach for me.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is Owlcat Games' next RPG set in the vast Warhammer 40,000 universe. After the success of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the team is back with a darker mystery that stars one of my favourite Space Marine factions: the Nightlords.

Its official synopsis reads: “Become an acolyte of the Inquisition in this grim dark, party-based, story-driven cRPG. Lead investigations, uncover grand conspiracies, master tactical combat, and wage a secret war against heresy. Make tough choices as a conduit of the God-Emperor’s will.”

I think Baldur’s Gate 3 players would actually really like Owlcat’s Warhammer games. Obviously the Warhammer fans are going to get the most out of them, but they’re more than approachable to those who’d merely appreciate a compelling sci-fi narrative.

That’s basically why they appeal more to me than Baldur’s Gate 3. Despite their critical acclaim, fantasy franchises like Baldur’s Gate and The Elder Scrolls start to blend together after a while, which is where the variation of sci-fi can stand out from the crowd.

In terms of gameplay, they’re largely the same too. Turn-based combat, lots of side-quests and plenty of choices.

Owlcat Games

The new game launches on January 28 2027, and I’m going to be there day-one, even if other fans are warning against it…

Players are advised to wait 6 months before playing Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

While the release date announcement was exciting, it prompted many Owlcat Games to share their experience of playing Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader at launch.

It was riddled with bugs, unfortunately, and while the majority of players still had fun with it, even the heavy-hitting AAAs like Cyberpunk 2077 are permanently besmirched by dodgy launch weeks.

When the release date announcement was shared to Reddit, YSoMadTov commented: “It's an Owlcat game; always add 6 months to the release date if you want a non-broken experience.

“Love ya, Owlcat, but it's the tradition that your games always launch in broken state.”

A similar sentiment was shared by other commenters as well.

Personally, I’m less worried about Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. Perhaps it’s just the optimist in me talking, but I’m weirdly confident that it’ll be a different story, given how much Owlcat should have learned from previous launches.

Those who are worried are obviously welcome to wait the advised six months, but given how the game will be launched on Steam, you could always just play it and refund it if it’s broken.

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