Soulframe is an upcoming MMO from Digital Extremes, the developer of Warframe. Announced during TennoCon 2022, the game is currently shrouded in mystery, although a lengthy reveal trailer provided fans with their first look at this fantastical new world.
In stark contrast to Warframe’s fast-paced gameplay and sci-fi setting, Soulframe is grounded in nature and seeks to create a slower, more methodical playstyle. From release date and launch platforms to gameplay details and available trailers, here’s everything we know about Soulframe.
Further reading
Release date
Soulframe does not yet have a release date. Development seems to have only just started on the game, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it took multiple years to complete. That means 2022 is clearly out of the picture, and 2023 is highly unlikely.
Platforms
No official platforms have been announced for Soulframe at this time. We’d expect to see it roll out in a fashion similar to Warframe — that is, a PC version followed by console ports — although it’s unclear if it’ll arrive on both last-gen and new-gen consoles. Seeing as its release date is well in the future, we’d be surprised if PS4 and Xbox One version were in development.
The same goes for Switch, which may not have the processing power to run a game of this scope — unless, of course, Digital Extremes makes a few concessions for a port.
Trailers
The Official Cinematic Reveal is Soulframe’s only trailer. It runs just shy of six minutes, offering hints at the ambiance Digital Extremes is trying to capture and how radically different it appears from Warframe. You can check it out below.
Gameplay
No official gameplay has been revealed, but an interview with Steve Sinclair, former Warframe director, helped shed light on what players can expect when they dive into the new fantasy game.
“Where Warframe is focused on shooting, this one’s focused on melee,” Sinclair said. “Where Warframe is super fast and crazy high-speed, this one’s going to be a lot more slow and heavy. But it still has a lot of similarities to the genre that we have experience in.”
Soulframe is also described as a “sister” to Warframe, instead of a sequel, with procedurally generated levels and a heavy focus on cooperative play, but with a radically different setting and new story to tell. Geoff Crookes, creative director on Soulframe, said there will be a larger emphasis on exploration and a hub world that’s massive in scale.
Combat will be much slower than its predecessor too, with melee-focused action that’s slow and methodical. Despite the name, however, Soulframe isn’t taking inspiration from Dark Souls or Elden Ring. The team doesn’t want to share concrete details on how the system will work right now, but it sounds as if they’ll be providing fans with regular updates as development gets underway.
Digital Extremes is hoping to give Soulframe the same longevity as Warframe, with Sinclair stating he wants to “spend as much time with Soulframe as [he] has with Warframe.” If that’s the case, expect this free-to-play game to steal another decade of your time.
Multiplayer
Soulframe is heavily focused on cooperative play, but there’s no indication as to what that will look like. If it’s anything like Warframe, expect to find large open zones that host dozens of players, with instanced levels offering dedicated content for a small party. Everything about Soulframe’s multiplayer mode is speculation at this point, but no doubt the team has built a solid foundation with Warframe.
While cooperative play seems to be at the core of Soulframe, there was no mention of competitive PvP. Warframe players largely ignored this aspect in favor of its chaotic PvE, and it’s possible Soulframe will forgo it entirely. But just because Digital Extremes hasn’t yet revealed it doesn’t mean it won’t exist. There are plenty of melee-based multiplayer games to pull inspiration from, including For Honor and Naraka, and it’ll would be interesting to see if PvP fits into the developer’s plans.
Pre-order bonuses
Soulframe will be a free-to-play title when it launches. No preorder bonuses are currently available, although we might see some premium bundles crop in the coming years as we inch closer to release.
To learn more, you can check out the official Soulframe website.
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