Soulframe TennoCon Devstream Reveals Early Gameplay Features

Digital Extremes, the company behind the iconic third-person RPG multiplayer shooter Warframe, unveiled a more detailed look at their upcoming title, Soulframe, at TennoCon 2024. We got an extensive view of the new features, gameplay, and even some background lore of this exciting new title, and needless to say, there's a lot to look forward to.

If you happened to miss it and want to know more about what Soulframe is and what the developers revealed at the event, we've got you covered. Below, we'll break down everything we saw from TennoCon 2024's Soulframe coverage, including its gameplay features, developer commentary, and what we can expect once the game is fully released.

TennoCon Devstream Reveals More Of What We Can Expect From Soulframe

The recent TennoCon 2024 fan event showcased more of the upcoming title Soulframe, the sister game to Digital Extremes' household title Warframe. Soulframe is heralded as a more slow-paced and arguably grounded experience in a fantasy world influenced by themes of nature, restoration, and exploration. Players will assume the role of an Envoy (this game's version of a Tenno) to rid the world of its corruption by a group known as the Ode.

The recent dev stream at TennoCon showcased more of the gameplay, features, and mechanics we can expect to see, with a short but varied early gameplay section being played through. The stream highlighted three integral gameplay aspects that Soulframe will feature: the Ancestor system, enemy types and bosses (the Bromius and Nimrod, respectively), and the weapons and gameplay in action.

Soulframe Gameplay And Combat

Starting with the gameplay, since it's the main thing we'll all be doing, Soulframe offers a more slow-paced experience compared to Warframe. The combat is more deliberate, focusing on dodge rolling, isolating enemies, and using your Pact - your cursed arm, which is Soulframe's version of a character class. The Pact has its own set of magic abilities and effects to stun, debuff, or damage enemies, complementing your weapons to dish out damage and cleave through foes.

This combat feels much more akin to Souls-likes, as you can't just rush into encounters; taking your time to assess enemies seems pivotal. Speaking of combat, the enemies and bosses in the game, such as the Bromius - a massive armored bear introduced as an omen beast - and the Nimrod - a towering enemy capable of manipulating thunder and lightning, armed with a Tesla-coiled melee staff - require tactical approaches to bring down.

For instance, jumping when the Nimrod performs electrified ground attacks and rolling to evade its weapon swings, or breaking its combos with your Pact are key strategies. The combat system in Soulframe is deep and methodical compared to its sister game Warframe, and we're here for it.

Soulframe Ancestory System - First Impression

Thankfully, the developers built other systems in the game to complement this playstyle and approach to combat, exemplified by the Ancestor system showcased in the dev stream. Simply put, the Ancestor system allows you to travel to a hub area called the Nightfold (instantly from anywhere in the game) where NPCs called Ancestors grant you unique abilities and serve various purposes.

The main ones are the Blacksmith (Tuvalkane) and Arsenal (name TBD), which allow you to craft new weapons and armor sets, respectively. In addition, we were shown the process of finding and adding new Ancestors to the Nightfold, with the devs demonstrating how they locate and recruit a new Ancestor called Verminia, the Rat Witch.

This new Ancestor character will help players with customization options, allowing them to enhance their cosmetics and craft various potions, elixirs, and tinctures. Verminia is likely just the beginning, with more Ancestors to add to your Nightfold, providing tons of character customization options both aesthetically and mechanically with new abilities and cosmetics.

Verminia also opens up a new path of progression through the game, revealing a new enemy toward the end of the stream and likely the next Ode we need to defeat. With more Ancestors, we get more missions to play through and clear as the chosen Envoy. This all ties together to offer an immersive and rewarding experience, which is a tough balance to pull off for any MMO RPG, but it seems that Soulframe is ticking all the boxes so far.

All in all, we can't give a full verdict on how all this plays together since the game hasn't been released yet. But for now, we've gotten a good look at what to expect, and expectations are high. Once the game fully releases in fall 2024, we'll have more to say, so be sure to check back here frequently as we cover everything you need to know about Soulframe on and past its release.