Warframe on Xbox One: A step in the right direction

Warframe is a free to play third person shooter that was originally released as a beta on PC, and has now made its way to PS4 and Xbox One.  The PS4 version was a launch title for the console, and it was recently released on Xbox One. And, as someone who played Warframe in it’s early beta on PC, I can’t say I expected this game to still be around. When I first played it, I hated it. It felt clunky, slow, unresponsive, and just overall not fun. I tried it both alone and with friends, but without a proper tutorial at the time, every aspect of the game felt overly complicated.

But, when I saw the game was released on Xbox One, I decided to download it and give it a second chance. And I am glad I gave this game a second chance. The massive improvements made by Digital Extremes are simply staggering. I could barely recognize the game. It felt very responsive, the combat felt fluid and fast, and the new tutorial helped me to understand the story and game mechanics. The UI has had a massive overall since the open PC beta, and the game itself is better.

UI Design and Function

The UI is the first major improvement I saw. It looks very clean and is easy to navigate. The “main menu” of the game is now your personal ship. And it’s the central hub of everything, from picking missions, crafting new weapons all the way to customizing your arsenal. The ship has your own personal AI assistant, ORDIS, who is funny at times, but can definitely get a bit annoying after a while.

Though the User Interface is improved drastically, and looks appealing in every way, there are still a few glitches. At times, I found it was slow to react, and I even got stuck on a menu twice, forcing me to restart the game completely.

Character and Weapon Customization

The character customization is not as extensive as I’d hope, but it’s still there. You can get a few cosmetic upgrades for your Warframe, as well as changing the color. But, sadly, the majority of cosmetic upgrades, including colors, are stuck behind a pay wall. I am mostly okay with this, but I think it’s disappointing that colors need to be bought, as the selection you have without paying is a bit lacking.

But, other than this, the customization keeps it fairly simple, and the most that the average player will do is color their Warframe and Weapons. And this is perfectly acceptable, because with just the default options, it’s enough to make your Tenno unique.

Combat and Co-op/Solo Play

Warframe is definitely a game best played with friends, as co-op is where everything really shines. It’s really best that you enjoy Warframe with a group, because not only does it make the game easier to handle, but it’s also simply more fun to play with a friend or two.

But, the game can also be played solo. I myself do not recommend this until you are a more advanced player with better equipment, as going solo on missions with starter equipment will likely not go well for you.

Combat itself is very fun. It’s fast, fluid, and responsive, and has yet to bore me. Though the levels do get somewhat repetitive in their goals and layout, combat still feels fresh to me. In combat, you have the choice between using your Primary weapon, which can be a rifle, shotgun, or bow, your Secondary weapon, which is a pistol, or your melee weapon, which can range from a dual sword set up to a hammer. On top of these primary options, each Warframe has individual powers, which are used with energy you pick up around the battlefield. These powers range from a blinding AOE affect all the way to a move where you shoot out spikes, impaling all enemies around you. Here is a video, captured on Xbox One, showcasing some combat and maneuvering.

Maneuverability

The maneuverability was originally one of my big problems with the PC beta. It felt clunky, unresponsive and slow to me. And while it’s still not perfect, it’s improved vastly in my eyes. I’ve managed to slide and jump over 5 times in succession(Giving a great boost in speed) without a problem, and I really don’t feel like I could have done this before. The only issue right now with traversing around each level is wall running. To begin, it’s not really needed at all. I think I used it a max of 5 times throughout my 10+ hours of play. Not only is it not implemented in level design, but it’s also very slow and awkward. It just doesn’t feel natural, but luckily, you won’t have to use it much.

Graphics and Visuals

Warframe really does look good. It looked good in the PC beta, and it looks good on Xbox One. Most level stick to the same shade of brown, gray, or red. But, the design of enemies and your individual Tenno brighten the game up. Though the colors of the level tend to be a bit bland at times, it’s easily overlooked when you see the small affects from your Tenno’s abilities, gun fire, elemental effects, and pickups.

The game is also filled with gore, mostly when you use the swords. Gore can be turned off in the options menu, but it is very impressive to see how many pieces your enemies can be cut into. It also leads to a bit of a surprise, because you can literally cut an enemy in half. Like straight down the middle. And it’s simply interesting to look at, because there are individual details that you wouldn’t expect when you look at each gory slice of your dismembered enemy.

Update Cycle

The developer, Digital Extremes, is very quick to draw when it comes to glitches. At the time of Warframe’s release on Xbox One, there was a glitch with the foundry that made build times reset. But, Digital Extremes fixed this problem and had a patch out the next day. This, to me, is simply amazing. And on top of this quick fix, they also listen to what people have to say about the game. When they heard it was hard for players to learn the lore of Warframe and gameplay mechanics, they created a tutorial and added it in. And after playing through it, I definitely felt way more comfortable with the game.

Free to Play model

Though this is not the best model of a Free to Play game, it works. It’s decent enough to where I don’t mind it. For the most part, the only things behind a pay wall are cosmetic items. And I’m completely okay with this fact, other than the point that I need to purchase colors, which are also expensive.

The only problem I see with the model is that if you want to build everything yourself, it takes an extremely long time to get new items and resources. And this won’t be appealing to many, as not all people will have the amount of time that is required.

Final Thoughts

Warframe is really a great Free to Play title. And it reminds me vaguely of Destiny, so it’s a perfect title to play while you wait for Destiny. And who knows, maybe you’ll be playing this after Destiny is released, because I know I will. And really, what do you have to lose in trying it out? It is free after all!

Warframe is a solid game overall, far from perfect and still in need of polishing in some areas, but both the game and developer show promise, and I look forward to the future of the game!

What do those of you have played Warframe think? What do you agree with or disagree with? Do you enjoy the game? Leave your thoughts below. And remember, stay tuned to Gamer Headlines for all of your Warframe and gaming news and reviews!

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