Warframe - Review

"Oh look, It's the Grineer"

 - Annoying Computer

Warframe. It’s massive. It’s multiplayer. It’s online. Oh, god, it’s a MMO! Never has a game genre been so controversial and evil, and yet, so tempting and delightful. Warframe, a third person action shooter set in a dystopian sci-fi sitting, as well as, one of the biggest games in the space, is certainly not an exception to these standards. With that said, let’s take a dive into this annoyingly awesome game in the last review of the year!

Introduction

You start off as a long lost soldier from the old empires of earth, and are a member of a super human race known as the Tenno, machine soldiers that take on various forms and powers by equipping battle suits called Warframes (go figure). Anyway, you’re prompted by your computer assistant to exit the area and gather some nearby weapons to fight your space age enemies, the Grinner, a biologically enhanced super race that may or may not also be decent of humans -

The Lore

Can I interrupt there? I just wanted to comment that I’m a huge fan of the lore. It almost never goes into the origins of any of these people, where they came from, or what their real motives are, and I love it. I assume that the Tenno are decendent of humans, but it’s never directly said, and even if was, how did they get to be super-badass shapeshifting warriors? And what about the Grinner? Are they aliens, or another branch of humanity? The corpus: they appear to be human. Are they what’s left of us? Where did the infected come from? All quesiotns I find myself asking whenever I play, and it’s great how their left as a mysatery.

Introduction  (take 2)

So anyway, after you fight your space aged enemies, as mentioned before; you beat the stage, and are taken back to your ship where your assistant is waiting to help you track down the leader of the people who had you trapped in the first place. From your ship, you can access the armory (where you select and modify weapons, as well as, your suit of armor), a forge-like crafting area (where you can assemble pieces of crap you collect on your journeys), and the map area, where you’ll be heading to next, in pursuit of your enemy. The map stage is made up of different planets and bodies found in the solar system, totaling hundereds of different stages, gamemodes, and such, but for now, you’ll be focusing on Earth, a wasteland of trees and wolf creatures. I could go on, but the games pretty straightforward in what you need to do to complete each stage.Every planet has a boss stage, and for Earth, it’s getting to defeat the guy that tried to capture you in the first place.

Going On

After that, it’s pretty much up to you as what you want to do going on. There are story missions you could follow, but as a tactical learner, I find it best to just wander around, try out missions, and see what you’re comfortable with doing. In my opinion, this is one of the best free MMOs out there, if your looking for a more open ended experience. The game will be different for every person, so it’s up to you to see what you want to do, and what you feel comfortable with.

Gameplay

Now that you got the jist of the story, what about the gameplay emements? As mentioned before, this is a third person action shooter, so some experience with other gun games is recommended and a prerequisite (especially if you’re playing online, because for some reason, they’re all pros who expect a lot of effort out of each and every player). Anyways, there are tons of customizations options, which of course lead to millions of diverse characters, using all sorts of weapons and Warframes, which is another reason I recommend going around and testing all the different planets and game modes. While you’re doing that, you’ll be building player experience, gun skills, making money, and collecting the modules you’ll need to upgrade your armory. Like I said before, there are a ton of elite players playing the game (since it already has a well-established player base), so if you need help doing something, I’d recommend going online to fight with some of the pros. You’ll get less loot, but you’ll also be able to power though the harder stages much faster.

Furthermore, as well as expanding on the lore, there are multiplayer hubs to where you can interact with other Tenno in non-combat situations, as well as shop, and take on other quests, although I recommend you take the time explore this part of the game for yourself. I’m still not exactly sure what all is there, but there’s always new stuff being added, since the game is online.

Additional Features

Aside from the obvious gameplay elements, there are a few other features in the game that I thought stood out, those being:

Factions:  As a Tenno, you have the option to join and fight for one of the six unique in game factions, each having unique weapons, powers, support systems, and motivations for fighting. Some of the more memorable ones believe in old-school honor and chivalry, while others want nothing more than an intergalactic purge of all remnants of life: it’s up to you to stand where you want.
Dojos: Since the game is a multiplayer experience, Warframe has offered the players the option to group up into guild-like groups called Clans, part of which is getting to build and use a floating dojo up in the stars. The massive structures can be either simple or complex, and require a lot or resources to build. On the flip side, the structures provide a lot of benefits, including clan research (unlocking powerful items), item storage, duels with other players, use of the obstacle course, and much more.
Advanced Warframes: The players first Warframes may see somewhat unimpressive. You have one that shoots lightning, one that can charge like a rhino, the usual. However, one of the fun parts of the game is of course, the Warframes (it’s in the title). As you get better at the game, and can collect higher value loot in high quantities, it will become possible to purchase very powerful war machines. Some of them can control the dead, teleport, and fly, to give you an idea. There are also “prime” versions of some of the suits, which upgrade all the abilities of the Warframe, and make it possible to take your favorites to the late game.
 
The Score

Finally, it’s time for the score. As you well know, I give three: The average player, the elite gamer, and my personal score. So what do I rate this game?

For the average player, this game earns a well-deserved 95/100. The graphics are detailed and spectacular, but not so resource heavy that it requires a big machine to run (hell, even my crappy desktop can do it), making for a very low startup cost for the individual. It’s very easy to pick up, yet hard to fully master, meaning you’ll be engaged for quite some time. It’s because of this, that the game deserves an outstanding rating.

For an elite gamer, there’ still a lot here to see and do. Like I said, it’s easy to learn, and hard to master, and you won’t be getting bored with an admirable 87/100. Good graphics, good gameplay, and a difficult end game make it a perfect challenge for the hardcore to try and accomplish. All in all, a grand game, and a Grand experience.

As for me, I’m right alongside the elite, with a score of 87/100. That’s not to say I’m a very good player, but I can still get out quite a lot of fun from this game every once in a while. Once again, a Grand experience for me.

All in all, this is a very good game, and if you’re interested in trying out this unique sci-fi experience, you can go do it now, since it’s absolutely free! https://warframe.com/

Thanks for reading everyone! If you agreed with my scores, or like the articles, make sure you leave a like or a comment. If you’re active on social media, make sure you share this around for me (it really helps). Once again, thanks for reading. I plan on having an article or two out still so don’t go away yet.

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