Warframe dev's free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Soulframe gets a 30-minute gameplay reveal

eurogamer.net:

Cast your mind back to the halcyon days of July 2022 (PowerWash Simulator came out, it was fab) and you might recall developer Digital Extremes unveiling its first new property since Warframe's release back in 2013: a free-to-play fantasy action-MMORPG going by the name Soulframe. One and a bit years later, and the studio is finally ready to give it a proper showing, airing 30 minutes of gameplay during its TennoCon 2023 fan convention this weekend.

Soulframe's development is being lead by former Warframe creative director Geoff Crookes (Rebecca Ford has taken over the role on Warframe, driving the sci-fi shooter in a wonderfully bonkers new direction over the last few years) and takes players to a world that, as was explained during its initial reveal, is «a little angry about what's been done to it». This causes the earth to shift throughout the day, giving Digital Extremes the lore excuse it needs to introduce some of its beloved procedural dungeons, here found deep underground.

These dungeons do eventually put in an appearance during Soulframe's 30-minute gameplay reveal, but first we get a more thorough glimpse of how Soulframe's action plays out. The title has been described as a «mirror universe» to Warframe, meaning that while some element will be familiar to fans of the free-to-play sci-fi shooter — those procedural dungeons, for instance — a lot is very different, with slow-paced melee combat in a fantasy setting being the vibe here.

For the first few years of its life at least, Soulframe will take place on a single, large open-world area known as Midrath Island — and Digital Extreme's gameplay reveal gives us a first proper look at its dreamy ambience, guiding players through a gorgeous, sun-dappled forest,