Take a look at the original trailer for Dark Sector, released long before the Xbox 360 was even announced. It was the first ever trailer for a game of this gen (what we called next-gen back then), and it was pretty amazing.

Now I'm sure you remember it if you were around back then. But notice any similarities? The Solar Rails, the sleek techno-suit, the Grineer? This is Warframe!

Even the two enemies shown in that trailer are in Warframe. Warframe is VERY clearly based on the original Dark Sector concept. It uses the same aesthetic, I'm sure some of the models are straight from it. It has the same story, and the same enemies, even the Powers system is in there. And the same names for things. Look at the end of the trailer--Hayden gets in the ship just like the Warframes do at the end of each mission!

I don't think it's cheap or anything, I actually think it's pretty amazing. I always wanted to experience the original Dark Sector, and it's great that they found a use for all of those assets that just got thrown away. I also think it's cool that a game that was totally single-player was re-purposed into multi-player, with so many of the same concepts being used. However, I do wish Digital Extremes would talk about this--it would be really cool to know the genesis of this, if this was something they were working on the whole time, etc., what their plan has been and how it has changed. Would love to get in touch with some of those guys.

Also add me in the game. Katori.

Sure the design elements are the same, but wasn't it a stealth game?

@oraknabo said:

Sure the design elements are the same, but wasn't it a stealth game?

The devs have said they plan on stealthing up Warframe

Yah it's really neat that they got to make the game they originally planned to make so many years ago. Too bad it's free to play so it feels really shallow and repetitive but maybe they will add more elements of interest later on.

Art wise I totally agree with you.

I knew the main character model looked really similar but I had no idea a lot of the original stuff was lifted from that concept and basically put into Warframe. Kinda bums be out to think Dark Sector could have been about exploring beyond Pluto and shit like that. Oh video games.

that's pretty cool! reminds me of the half-life alpha having a model that resembles the smaller hunters from the episodes.

it's crazy how different dark sector ended up looking.

huh, interesting

I wonder why they scrapped this concept and decided to run with the "Infected CIA dude running in a infected eastern bloc country" story? But atleast those assets didn't go to waste. Also cool little thing is that the main dudes last name is Tenno, which your characters "race" is named as in Warframe.

@Fierrze: Watch the dev diaries. It has everything to do with the publisher, and how they felt like the setting wouldn't be as appealing, what with the CoD games gaining an immense following. Obviously, this was a lapse in judgement.

I also remember reading that Resident Evil 4 was such a big hit that they changed it to be more like it.

This thread was featured on Klepek's article!

I've been enjoying Warframe, but I still wish for a sci-fi Splinter Cell which this looked like. I watched this trailer pretty much every year until Warframe was announced and noticed similarities with the original design.

@assinass: Yeah, Warframe looks pretty neat (I don't have the beta myself, I actually just found out about it from the article), but I'd definitely love to see the whole MGS Ninja character meets Splinter Cell gameplay meets Dead Space environment.

I was really surprised when I saw this video! So much of Warframe's DNA has been in place since the early 2000s...