Digital Extremes invited Wccftech to a recent media preview of TennoCon 2024, where today Soul Frame A presentation will be given in advance.
The presentation began with an overview of the character customization process, where players can define their own character by selecting the physical characteristics of their mother (skin color, hair, eyes, etc.) The player character’s mother is a Night Maiden, described as the protector of various counties in the part of the world in which the game takes place.
The developers then discussed the Warsongs Prologue, a fable that introduces the world, its characters, and beasts, and offers a glimpse into their experimental approach to choice and character design. As an Envoy, players must break the curse of Aether and restore the forgotten culture and memories of Arca’s creatures.
Ancestors are a big theme in Soulframe. Players will collect different ancestors in the Nightfold (a sort of parallel dimension) and utilize their skills. During the presentation, Digital Extremes introduced the Rat Witch Verminia. She will provide increased cosmetic customization and also assist with crafting potions, elixirs, and other tinctures. Interestingly, it was confirmed that you can return to the Nightfold from anywhere in the world as long as there are no enemies nearby. This will allow you to easily craft items or change your gear if needed.
Digital Extremes calls Soulframe’s structure a “very large” overworld. I then asked in a Q&A how it compared to Warframe’s open zones, and was told that the starting island alone is twice the size of the Plains of Eidolon. Still, the studio is spending more time on increasing content density rather than focusing on map size.
The developers also gave us a first look at a new enemy called Nimrod, who can control thunder and lightning and wield a devastating Tesla coil melee weapon.
We’ve since learned that the next game from the Warframe developers will be released in some form of early access later this year. Preludes (currently a pre-alpha) is expected to be available to the public this fall, but the developer has warned that it may be a tough start, similar to what happened with Warframe back in 2013. Soulframe creative director Geoff Crookes said in a statement:
The closed tests we’ve done with the community have had a huge impact. We’ve learned a lot and continue to listen and learn every day. We hope to open the game to even more players this fall. Everything is still a work in progress, but that’s our style. Feedback is important to us and we iterate on it regularly.
There will also be some sort of Founder’s Packs, but Digital Extremes is trying to make them less “exclusive” than Warframe’s.
