Soulframe is still a ways off but this NOT Souls-like looks to be shaping up well

I have always had more of a proclivity towards worlds of high fantasy (magic, swords, dragons, etc) over tales in space with futuristic tech and alien races. There’s something about casting spells and wielding sparkling swords that draw me in, so when developer Digital Extremes – most known for their long-running space ninja game, Warframe – revealed the upcoming Soulframe back in 2022, I quickly took notice. That’s why I was thrilled when I got to check out some new pre-alpha footage of the game at this year’s TennoCon, and I can easily say that my interest has only grown the more I see.

Warframe was one of the early non-MMO GaaS titles, first released back in March of 2013, that put players into the role of a Tenno – a sleek sci-fi space ninja (this description is just for simplicity’s sake, but there is a lot more depth behind the Tenno) – as they flipped, jumped, and killed their way through the galaxy. Along the way, grinding crafting materials to expand their arsenal of weaponry, frames (what the Tenno wear to make them look like ninjas), and more, all while uncovering the secrets and past of this world. And now, Digital Extremes is looking to take the lessons they’ve learned from the more than ten years worth of Warframe and start fresh with the upcoming Soulframe.

During our hands-off preview, even though the game was in a pre-alpha state, I was incredibly impressed with Digital Extremes’s visual quality with Soulframe. From the dense and luscious forests, with god rays coming through the branches, to the mysterious Nightfold that acts as your character hub, things are off to a pretty strong start. Shown off for the first time at TennoCon this year, we looked at how character creation will work, having you recall your mother’s appearance, accompanied by heartfelt narration from someone offscreen. It was poignant, and I was impressed with how emotional it felt. Weaving it into a narrative moment made it feel more meaningful than using the common pop-up menu to create your avatar. All of this plays into what looks to be one of the primary themes of Soulframe – ancestry.

Ancestors are spectral beings that can be discovered and will serve as your means of crafting, changing your character’s appearance, and more. Warframe players can think of these as Soulframe’s version of ship mods. They take up residence in the Nightfold, a strange in-between realm that you can travel to any time you are outside of combat, all of which we still know very little about but which I’m sure will eventually play a larger role in the story of Soulframe. The demo that Digital Extremes showed off surrounded tracking down Vermenia, the ancestor in charge of customizing your character’s appearance and dying your gear. What followed was an intense chase involving the imposing, lightning-imbued Nimrod foe, full of close dodges, bolts of lighting raining down, and more. 

Along with the demo highlighting the new ancestor and showcasing a portion of the character creator, the team revealed a bit more information that should get players excited. For Warframe players, you can expect the starting area you will be exploring in Soulframe to be roughly twice the size of the Plane of Eidolons, and if that means nothing to you, then just know that you have a lot of area to run around in – be it on foot or on the back of your wolf mount (that yes, you can your furbaby). 

Watching the demo, the slower nature of the game, along with the aesthetics and enemy designs, it was hard for me not to be reminded of other incredibly popular high fantasy games that see you riding around large open spaces on furry mounts. The slower and more methodical combat and approach to things also lend themselves to this feeling, but the comparisons stop there. Soulframe is NOT a souls-like game, and I think it will be important for Digital Extremes to clarify and set expectations for folks who may not be as aware of the title’s lineage and may just see “Soul” in the name.

If you are intimidated by the idea of tackling the 11 years’ worth of content for Warframe or find that swords and sorcery are more your style, like myself, Soulframe is a game that you should keep your eyes on. Digital Extremes aims to have the pre-alpha Preludes available and open to the public later this year. But, if you want to try and get in sooner, you can sign up on the game’s website for a chance to be let in. Soulframe’s still in development, so don’t expect the final release anytime soon, but I hope it can be successful like Warframe.