Digital Extremes says that when Soulframe was first shown people didn’t like it much but things have improved a lot since then.
I’ve talked about this before and I still feel the same way Soulframe seems confused about what kind of game it wants to be. Just hearing the name Soulframe you might expect a mix of two things heavy difficult combat like Dark Souls (made by FromSoftware) and the fast action-packed style of Warframe which is the popular game made by the same company Digital Extremes. But when you actually play Soulframe it feels very different. It’s a big dark fantasy MMO not a soulslike or a Warframe sequel. Yes it has some small elements from both types of games like the look and feel of Warframe and a few soulslike ideas but the similarities stop there.
If you’re someone who loves FromSoftware games the combat in Soulframe might feel boring or too easy. And if you’re a long-time Warframe fan you’ll probably feel like the game doesn’t remind you of Warframe at all. That’s exactly how I felt last year when I played the early version of the game called Preludes. The name Soulframe just didn’t fit the kind of game it really is.
I’ve shared my thoughts about this before especially about how the title Soulframe gives players the wrong idea. It makes people expect something they don’t get and that can turn them away from trying the game even though it has a lot of potential to be something really great. But things have changed since I last played. The developers have updated the combat system to make it feel more like an action game and less like a slow difficult soulslike. That could be a big step in the right direction.
Before Tennocon the creative director of Soulframe Geoff Crookes said that one big goal for the team is to change the way people think about the game. Some players believe Soulframe is only for hardcore gamers but that’s not true. For example the mage build in the game can be played in a much more relaxed and casual way.
At Tennocon I asked Sarah Asselin the senior community manager and Sheldon Carter the Chief Operating Officer of Digital Extremes if the team had changed their plan for Soulframe or if the game now is closer to what they originally wanted. Sarah said it’s actually both. The story and creative ideas in Soulframe like the creatures called the Torment Stag and Bromius the Waste Bear were part of the plan from the beginning. These characters show the game’s main themes healing redemption and bringing back life to a broken world.
However the gameplay and combat system have changed a lot. Most of these changes were made because of feedback from players who tried the early version of the game called Preludes. The team worked really hard for about two to two and a half months to improve the combat after last year’s big game demo. So even though the original story and ideas are still there the way the game plays has been upgraded based on what players said. Sarah said this shows how important community feedback is to the developers they listen to players and try to make the game better for everyone.
That’s why Tennocon is so special for us Carter explains. It’s like a big test every year where we get to show everyone what we’ve been working on with both Soulframe and Warframe. Last year we showed off a demo of Soulframe, and while we were proud of it we noticed that the response from players wasn’t super positive. But that’s okay. In fact it helped us a lot. It showed us what parts of the game people were really interested in and what areas we needed to work on more. That kind of feedback helps us make the game better.
He adds At Digital Extremes we believe in making games with the community. We listen to what players say. Sometimes it can be tough to hear the hard truths but it helps us grow. And it’s actually pretty exciting to take that feedback and improve things. We’re really looking forward to showing everyone how much better the combat looks this year.
Asselin joins in and says Being open and honest with our community is a big part of who we are. Sometimes people will tell us they love what we’ve made and other times they’ll give us helpful criticism. Either way it’s a good thing. If they love it that’s awesome. And if they don’t it shows us exactly what we need to fix so they will love it later.
I asked Asselin and Carter about something Geoff Crookes mentioned earlier. When I played Soulframe Preludes last year the combat felt very similar to Soulslike games. You had to time your parries and dodges just right or you'd lose. It felt like the game expected you to master those skills. But in the newer demo called The Waste Bear the magic-focused caster build looked very different. It seemed more relaxed and easier to use. So I wanted to know if the game is now going in a more casual direction or if the hard skill-based combat would still be an option for players who enjoy a challenge.
Asselin explained that Soulframe is designed to welcome all kinds of players especially those who want a more relaxed casual experience. That’s why they added the new magic-based weapons. They’re meant to feel smoother and easier to use. In the future they plan to add something called the Combat Manual which will let players customize their fighting style even more. If you enjoy perfect timing and parrying enemies like in tough games you can focus on that. But if you’d rather just use powerful magic and blast enemies you can do that too. The idea is to give players the freedom to play the way they want.
Carter added that they think games like Elden Ring are amazing but also very hard for a lot of people. Many players love those types of games but some find them too difficult. Soulframe wants to reach those people too the ones who love the style of Elden Ring but want an easier way to enjoy it. Carter said their team has all kinds of players some like Crookes enjoy mastering perfect parries and high-skill moves. But others prefer to play as a magic caster or use a bow. Soulframe is being built with all those players in mind.
Soulframe is bringing together things that fans really enjoy in games like Zelda and Elden Ring. It mixes the adventure and mystery from those games with deep upgrade systems. The developers are working on ways for players to explore and grow stronger as much as they want.
I haven’t played the Preludes in a while but I’m looking forward to going back to Alca. I’ll be honest I’m not very good at tough games like soulslikes, and after trying the demo last year I thought Soulframe might be too hard for me. But I love playing as a mage and using long-range weapons so now I feel more excited and hopeful that I’ll enjoy it.
Right now there’s still no exact release date for Soulframe but the developers say it might come out in 2026. Until then there’s lots of exciting new content in Warframe including the first-ever Tau campaign which fans have been waiting for. If you love the magical and beautiful feel of Soulframe we also have a list of the best fantasy games you can play while you wait.
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