How "embracing the weird" makes Warframe's art style so unique
Digital Extremes' Warframe is an online action role-playing game that not many other titles can compare to. This isn't just in terms of its approach to the free-to-play model and consistent content updates, but also in its unique visual style built on the uncanny pairing of a bizarre, far-future sci-fi setting with stylized high-fantasy action of 'space ninjas' fighting across the universe.
With the upcoming release of the Halloween seasonal update Abyss of Dagath on October 18, the developers at Digital Extremes are bringing the game's unique visual style to the realm of horror. Speaking with Digital Extremes principal 3D character artist Michael Sykers before release, he broke down what makes Warframe's unique aesthetic work, how the onboarding of new art talent works, and how the developers are "embracing the weird'' to keep the game feeling fresh.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Warframe is an evolving game that channels the opulence and otherworldliness of Frank Herbert's Dune, but with the stylized, biomechanical aesthetic of classic Japanese anime like The Guyver. For its developers, Warframe is also a vehicle for experimenting with different genres and tones, coming up with experiences and events—such as open-world maps, ship combat, and choice-driven storylines—that expand the scope of what players can do in the game.
Warframe's unique visual style makes it stand out amongst other action role-playing games, allowing its key developers to experiment and try new ideas that couldn't work in more traditional experiences. In our talk with Sykers, he explained the developer's collaborative creative process, which focuses on abstracting the familiar and extrapolating it within the game's massive setting.
"It's
Read more on gamedeveloper.com
