Soulframe nonetheless is not out but, however its Preludes had been lastly publicly opened on November 6, giving me my first probability to attempt it out. I used to be anticipating “Warframe however fantasy,” and to be honest, a number of Soulframe is like that, however a lot of Digital Extremes’ new action-role-playing recreation feels very completely different. I am floored–I’ve tried to get into Warframe a number of occasions and simply saved bouncing off of it for one purpose or one other, however right here I’m actually having fun with Soulframe and making an attempt to determine which live-service recreation I’ll should retire from to place Soulframe into my common rotation. And it is actually all due to the sport’s music.
Admittedly, music is likely one of the greatest elements about Warframe too. Whereas I’ve by no means been in a position to actually get into it, the explanation I saved making an attempt Warframe is as a result of I might hold listening to these absolute superior sea shanties and vocal-led orchestral scores and considering, “I wish to play a recreation that feels like that.” However I by no means knew the way to get to any of these moments to listen to them play out in recreation.
I attempted stepping into Warframe manner too late, when the sport had already reworked into one thing that largely catered to the gamers who had been already within the ecosystem. The sport simply felt manner too massive of a beast to sort out as a beginner. Which is okay! That occurs to each live-service recreation finally.
Soulframe is new so it does not have that drawback but. And even when it did, it feels prefer it incorporates its music far more usually and meaningfully than Warframe appears to. Nearly each facet of Soulframe (to this point) is formed round its music, together with its poetry, birdsong, choral folktales, and orchestral scores. Character creation is writing a poem about how lovely your mom was, a number of characters talk solely in sing-song rhyme, and the primary storyline revolves round studying the track that won’t solely play in the course of the climatic boss battle however may also be performed by your character with the intention to lastly cleanse the evil you are preventing.
In Soulframe, music is simply applied in all places. It seems like a narrative that is meant to be listened to, like a folktale, and also you simply occur to be taking part in by way of it as a substitute. The vibe is just not dissimilar to video games like South of Midnight or Kena: Bridge of Spirits.
I have never skilled something when it comes to the gameplay that has wowed me up to now, but it surely’s a stable baseline. It typically seems like taking part in Dragon Age: Inquisition, so for those who’re like me and mourning the thought we’ll by no means get one other a kind of, then Soulframe is surprisingly therapeutic.
Firstly, you decide whether or not you wish to strike enemies with a sword, be sneaky with daggers and a bow, or pepper foes with arcane pellets launched out of your magical employees. Every of those roles has particular talents that work on a cooldown, and all lessons can usually assault, defend, dodge, or soar. The semi-open world is damaged up into a number of explorable sections populated with enemies which have a quantity above their head denoting whether or not you may tackle a specific group or not, and as you full aspect quests and predominant missions, you will degree up and have the ability to unlock new expertise and equip higher armor and weapons.
There’s extra to the gameplay, like combining sure talents to benefit from a staggered enemy or pulling out an enemy’s soul to drag off a smite, but it surely’s altogether a quite simple loop–the variety you’d usually soar into with a podcast taking part in within the background so that you could unwind after a tense day. And I suppose you possibly can nonetheless do this right here, however you are lacking out by muting this recreation given how a lot of the enjoyment comes from how characters speak and the way the dynamism of the music causes moments of exploration and fight to move collectively, once more, prefer it’s all one story being conveyed.
Plus, how else would you absolutely admire the pattern-focused rhythm minigames wherein you must play songs to appeal animals, relive the reminiscences of a spot or individual, journey between dimensions, and cleanse the corruption that is hurting a poor magical stag? Get outta right here along with your foolish ocarina or tsuchibue. Soulframe’s magical fipple flute is the superior gaming wind instrument!
Soulframe is already shaping as much as have a reasonably fascinating story too. An enchanted melody (I am telling you, music is in all places on this recreation) referred to as the Spellsong has prompted folks to neglect the significance of nature and the fey and the rites of true magick. However since you are born from an historic fey lineage, you are ready to withstand the consequences of the brainwashing. Blessed with the highly effective track of the brave Mora, non secular Iridis, or swish Saphene, you enterprise right into a land wherein humanity has put animals into cages, enslaved beasts with magical armor, and corrupted highly effective spirits.
You are principally a champion of nature, which is not precisely a novel idea for a fantasy recreation, however I really like the way it’s portrayed right here. You combat people to free captured animals and fey, destroy the armor of wardogs to not kill them however to free them, and problem bosses to make use of the therapeutic energy of music to revive their reminiscences of how the world is meant to be: humanity and nature dwelling aspect by aspect. Yeah, it is tacky, but it surely feeds into that folktale vibe the remainder of the sport has occurring.
There are definitely loads of fairly video games to have a look at this 12 months, however Soulframe’s Preludes would possibly possess probably the most arresting sound of any recreation in 2026. I at the moment cannot cease listening to it, even once I’m not taking part in the sport. So for those who’re in any respect like me and have struggled to get into Warframe regardless of wanting to know the hype, love a great folktale, or simply have by no means cared about Grand Theft Auto and wish one thing to play in November whereas everybody else is busy with GTA 6, think about downloading Soulframe. The Preludes are free-to-play, and whereas what’s there’s definitely not a full recreation, what’s obtainable feels just like the bedrock for one thing that is going to be wonderful.
