Digital Extremes, the developer behind “Warframe,” unveiled the actual gameplay footage of the “Prelude,” the prologue to their new fantasy MMO, “Soulframe” (Chinese translation: Soulframe), at Tennocon 2024 today (July 21st). The presentation further outlined the game’s mechanics and player journey, revealing that player character creation diverges from the traditional approach, focusing instead on the player’s “mother.”
The gameplay footage revealed that “Soulframe” allows players to summon psychic birds to guide their direction during open-world adventures. Players can summon these birds with a snap of their fingers. The game also allows players to access a spirit realm called “Nightfold” at any time, where all players will gather during their journey. Each NPC in “Nightfold” has a unique function similar to the spaceship mechanics of “Warframe.”
The character creation screen, showcased at the game’s start, deviates from the typical character customization interface. Instead, players are presented with a pregnant mother humming a song. Through narration, the mother is revealed to be remembering her own appearance.
Players can make basic customization choices for the mother, including skin tone, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. The baby in her arms is the protagonist who will later grow up.
Further showcasing “Soulframe’s” interactive features, the presentation demonstrated the “Nightfold” base, including NPC trade conversations, weapon and equipment adjustments. The audience cheered when the protagonist stroked a wolf. The presentation also introduced the witch “Verminia,” who can assist players in dyeing their equipment.
The combat gameplay showcased in the footage featured a variety of attack methods, including sword and shield weapons, backstabbing, shield throwing, bows and arrows, and magic. A boss character, “Nimrod,” uses lightning attacks, ultimately killing the protagonist. The resurrection process, “Running Soul,” involves operating a bird to fly back to the protagonist’s corpse and revive them.
The presentation concluded with a demonstration of the protagonist defeating Nimrod. The protagonist utilizes magic to change the weather effects, preventing Nimrod from summoning lightning and ultimately securing victory.
“Soulframe” creative director Geoff Crookes stated, “We hope to open it to more players this fall. Everything is still rough, but that’s part of our style—game feedback is essential to us, and we’ll continuously review it. The game will undergo consistent adjustments.”
“Soulframe” has not revealed a release date or confirmed platforms. However, the game will launch on PC first. Interested players can visit www.soulframe.com for future testing updates.
Soulframe: Digital Extremes Unveils Gameplay Footage of Fantasy MMO at Tennocon 2024
Digital Extremes, the developer behind the popular online action game “Warframe,” has released actual gameplay footage of the prologue “Prelude” for its highly anticipated fantasy MMO “Soulframe” at Tennocon 2024. The footage provides a glimpse into the mechanics and adventure players can expect, including a unique character creation system that focuses on the player’s “mother.”
A Unique Approach to Character Creation
Contrary to the usual character customization interfaces, “Soulframe” presents a novel approach to character creation. The game starts with a pregnant mother humming a song, narrating her memories and revealing her appearance. Players have limited customization options for the mother, including skin color, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. This mother’s appearance then influences the protagonist, a baby in her arms, who will grow up to become the playable character.
Exploring the Open World and the “Nightfold”
“Soulframe” features an open world filled with opportunities for exploration, combat, and interacting with NPCs. Players can summon psychic birds to guide their direction, making use of a unique snap-of-the-fingers gesture. The game also introduces the “Nightfold,” a spiritual realm accessible at any time where players gather during their journey. The “Nightfold” functions as a central hub, offering various features including:
- NPC Trading: Engaging in conversations with NPCs to obtain goods or information.
- Weapon and Equipment Adjustments: Upgrading and customizing player’s arsenal.
- Interactive Elements: Opportunities for engaging with the environment, such as stroking a wolf for a friendly interaction.
- Witch “Verminia”: A helpful character assisting players with dye customizations for their equipment.
A Combative Adventure: Weapons, Magic, and the BOSS “Nimrod”
“Soulframe” presents a multifaceted combat system with both melee and ranged attack options, including:
- Sword and Shield Weapons: Offering both offensive and defensive capabilities.
- Backstabbing: A stealthy move for delivering critical blows.
- Shield Throwing and Recycling: Employing a shield as a projectile for both attack and recovery.
- Bows and Arrows: Long-range options for precision strikes.
- Magic: Empowering players with elemental spells for devastating power.
The showcased footage also introduces the formidable BOSS “Nimrod,” wielding lightning attacks and proving a challenging opponent. While the protagonist ultimately falls to Nimrod’s power, the footage showcases the “Running Soul” resurrection mechanic, enabling players to return to their fallen body following utilizing a bird to navigate their soul back to it.
Utilizing magic to alter the weather conditions and preventing Nimrod from summoning lightning, the protagonist ultimately triumphs over the formidable BOSS.
“Soulframe” creative director Geoff Crookes stated: “We hope to open it to more players this fall. Everything is still rough, but it is part of our style – game feedback is important to us, and we will review it regularly. The game undergoes repeated adjustments.”
While no official release date or platform details have been announced, “Soulframe” is expected to launch on PC first. Interested players can visit the official website www.soulframe.com to stay updated on future testing news.
