Okay, that last negative point was me reaching hard. Had this review taken place this time last year, when the Vulcan 120 AIMO was still going for $160 and there was no other color option in the form of the Vulcan 121/122, I may have been more justified in making that highly subjective point. There is not much wrong with the base of the keyboard even if the anodized aluminium plate is larger than necessary. The recently reviewed Thermaltake Level 20 RGB keyboards make this look much smaller by comparison, but the small things add up and reveal compromises made by ROCCAT. Take the keycaps, for example. Marketed as a big plus point because they are shorter for a stronger backlighting effect and "rapid response," these keycaps also run the risk of being too thin, as was the case with the cracked keycap out of the box with my review unit. The AIMO lighting setup was also quite promising at launch, but has not taken off as much as ROCCAT would have liked, and you have to be in their ecosystem to even see a tangible effect in action.

At $120, however, and with multiple color options to choose from, as well as more budget-friendly options if you do not want the wrist rest or AIMO lighting, the Vulcan keyboard family is a pretty good offering in 2020. They all share the common thread of using ROCCAT's new Titan switches, which are a good take on the Cherry MX Red or Brown, but with a shorter actuation distance and lower travel, as well as some dust and spill resistance. ROCCAT Swarm has improved in stability, user experience, and the features since the last time I saw it, and complements the Vulcan 120 AIMO well for further customization over form and function. There is enough here to where the company can claim something different-looking and feeling from most other keyboards, and the feature set is good enough at the going price to interest many, including those wanting a DE layout from this German-origin company.