The action-RPG without the ninjas
Happy studio at the helm of Warframe for almost 10 yearsdemonstrating that the game-service is not just a monetized joke in bad taste, Digital Extremes now expands its horizons with a brand new title, soberly named Soulframe.
This weekend was held Tennocon 2022, annual gathering for space ninjas in search of crisp information to put in their mouths. To everyone’s surprise, the event ended on a somewhat special trailer.
If its name makes you smile, it should be pointed out right now that the game is not a Warframe sequel and has a universe of its own. In an interview with The Washington Post, Game Director Steve Sinclair and Creative Director Geoff Crookes describe the game as “Warframe’s Mirror Universe”. Where the latter fits into the Sci-fi genre with the famous space ninjas and relies on a frenetically paced TPS system, Soulframe goes fantasy for “slower and heavier” clashes, almost entirely based on hand-to-hand combat.
The two games will, however, share some similarities. Determined to make good use of the 10 Warframe experiences, Digital Extremes intends to keep the formula massively multiplayer and free-to-play with Soulframe, who will share the same love for PvE cooperation and procedural environments. Moreover, the title will broadly resume the open world system introduced in Warframe, including a main hub, but more “focused on exploration”.
With this trailer and a name containing the holy word “Soul”, hard not to see the influence of a certain Miyasaki. In any case, Sinclair and Crookes specify that the world of Soulframe is indeed inspired by the works of a gentleman of the same name, especially with Princess Mononokebut also from the famous novel by Michael Ende, The never-ending story (The Neverending Story).
If you had Hidetaka Miyazaki and the Soulsborne games in mind instead, know that the developers say they are “not trying to make a game in the vein of those from From Software”. However, this has of course been at the center of conservations within the studio, especially after the release of a certain megahit last February.
Anyway, the game is none only in the early stages of its development – this one having only really started last February. The team still hopes to offer a few chosen ones to try the game in “raw” versions (including pre-alpha) within a year.
In the meantime, you can head over to the official Soulframe website, which at the outcome of a little riddle, will allow you to subscribe in order to be in the first line for any information concerning the title.
