The Switch has a solid selection of free-to-play games such as Fortnite and Paladins, and this week, Warframe joins that list. I've put in a couple of hours in the game, and I thought I'd talk about it.
BACKGROUND: Before the announcement of the Switch port, I had no idea this game existed. The fact that it was free-to-play was incentive enough for me to give the game a chance, but seeing the excitement that ensued from Warframe coming to Switch got me more interested. In particular, a friend of mine is a big fan of this game, and was quite excited for me to try it for myself. PLOT: You play as a Tenno, an ancient race of alien warriors who have awakened from cryogenic sleep into the solar system of the future. The Tenno find themselves caught amidst the chaos and war going on in the system, and must use their Warframes (the suits that grant them special abilities) to fight back and restore order. The opening quest (which also serves as the tutorial) sets this premise up, but once you clear it, you'll be dropped into the solar system, carrying out missions with not much plot setup. You'll encounter quests with more plot as you go along, but you'll have to complete a bunch of tasks in missions to unlock them. If you want your games with a bit more story to them, you've been warned. PRESENTATION: In the same vein as the Doom reboot, this is one of those games built for PCs and other consoles, but it somehow still runs fine and looks fantastic on the Switch. Even in handheld mode, the game looks amazing. If the premise hasn't already clued you in, the game looks very futuristic, and is very heavy on the sci-fi aesthetic in mostly everything. Robots, aliens, spaceships... you name it, it's in here. I haven't been to the other planets yet, but the levels are decently varied at the start. You'll find yourself in locations like forests, snowy cliffs, and vast grasslands, and I imagine I'll see more interesting locales as I progress through the game. The music's pretty sci-fi, too, with tracks that remind me a lot of games like Metroid or Axiom Verge. GAMEPLAY: Warframe is a third-person shooter, but what makes it different from other shooter games is the access to melee weapons. In addition to a primary (usually a rifle) and secondary (usually a pistol) ranged weapon, you have the option of taking out enemies with a melee weapon (usually a sword). This adds a layer of excitement to combat, because who doesn't want to tear through a crowd of enemies with a goddamn katana? In addition to your arsenal of weapons, each Warframe has a set of abilities that help turn the tide of combat. For example, the Volt (the Warframe I chose) has access to electricity-based attacks and shields, which keep me from being overwhelmed by enemies. You choose between three Warframes at the start of the game, with more becoming available through various means. Movement in this game is fluid and makes you feel like a badass ninja. You get slides, double jumps, combat rolls, wall runs, and more, which makes the simple act of traversing the levels (while not Skyrim levels of open, are decently sized) just as exciting as the combat. This movement even translates to combat to an extent; you can shoot in mid-air (complete with slow-mo) and perform various melee attacks while you're zipping around the level. The missions come in many types, each with their own objective. Accepting a mission throws you into a level with a unique, procedurally-generated layout, which makes individual missions feel a little different, even if the mission types get a little repetitive. Although you can run and gun through most missions, there are mission types that encourage stealth, and thankfully, Warframe is one of those games where playing stealthily actually feels good and not frustrating. You can also go through missions in co-op. You can either join friends or random players, forming a team of up to four to take on missions that may be harder when done alone. Unfortunately, there is no cross-platform play, because this is the sort of game I'd love to play with friends. As I mentioned before, you gain access to story quests, but they require you to perform certain tasks or complete certain missions before you can do the quests. Some of the tasks are a bit grindy, but for the most part, if you play through majority of the missions, you'll be OK. The ability to visit other planets functions similarly, requiring you to beat certain missions and accomplish certain objectives in order to open the path to new planets. Taking on and completing missions nets you XP (for you and your weapons), credits (which you spend in the market and other places), resources (used for crafting new weapons), and Mods (stuff that you can attach to your weapons and Warframe to increase stats or grant buffs). You can get the best gear, but, like most free-to-play games, it'll take a lot of grinding (unless you're cool with microtransactions). Fortunately, this game is fun to the point that replaying a mission to grind for resources doesn't feel like grinding. Though the starting quest does an adequate job of teaching you the basics (gameplay, crafting, etc.), one may find the sheer variety of the crafting items and currency types overwhelming. I spent the first few hours utterly confused by the pickups I got at the end of every mission, but since this game's been out on other consoles for several years now, there's probably a wiki I can consult. VERDICT: Free-to-play games can be hit or miss in terms of quality, but Warframe is easily one of the better games in this category. It might be as grindy as most free-to-play games, but Warframe more than makes up for it with exhilarating action. I haven't unlocked the next quest at all, or have nearly enough shit to buy weapons or skins that I want, but I don't care. I found that replaying a mission for the hell of it is just as fun as trying to make some progress. I don't think I'd feel that way if the gameplay weren't so engaging. This game is FREE. It's fucking free. I don't need to sell you on this; you can go try the game yourself right now. It's on everything. You have no excuse. In fact, here's the game on Steam. Play it. Do it now. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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