Is this game really good?

I remember when we got the PS4 it was free to play, and my brother and I tried it. Though fine, it was still just a free to play game that wasn't necessarily worth giving much time to. It wasn't until recently that I heard that the game has a huge player base, and (considering that I am now playing Destiny 2, almost done with the second Mars DLC), I've heard that people have left Destiny 2 to play Warframe. What has changed to make Warframe a worthwhile experience today, especially in comparison to Destiny or other similar games? I have heard some say it's less like Destiny 2 and more like Mass Effect 3's multiplayer in terms of gameplay.

I also know there are Warframe comics that Top Cow (people behind The Darkness comic) makes, so there is lore there. Watching a recent review for this year, one person said that if you're someone that likes playing games for stories, you won't be disappointed in what Warframe has now. That intrigues me. Lastly, how does the game run on Xbox One X? I could very well just download it I suppose to check it out. I'm just wondering if it's better to play on the X or PS4. PC's out of the question for me.

Warframe has become a pretty premier podcast game if you wanna shoot instead of go a more Diablo approach. ME3 multiplayer is a pretty good touchstone for the style of objectives you are completing per mission.

As for playing for a story.... well.. I feel like I might eventually get to one if I play for dozens and dozens of hours more.

It sounds as if the Xbox One X version is the one to get. It hasn't been enhanced yet, but they plan on putting one out at some point, and even still it supposedly runs best out of the consoles.

It's good, but get ready for the most hardcore grindfest there is, I mean, seriously, holy shit the grind...

Also the comparison to destiny is not correct, though since I never played the ME games I can't say if whether it compares more to me3 multiplayer or not, but yeah, the gameplay it's not at all like destiny.

It should run perfectly on the xbox x, the game isn't demanding, even a mid end PC can run it quite well.

I played a little earlier this year. It didn’t grab me and it seemed like there was a lot of bullshit to get through to play, so I stopped.

I hope 2019 is the year of Reduce your Bullshit. I feel like I spend more time in menus than playing games these days...

The content of the game has expanded pretty dramatically over the last several years, and the kind of stuff they've done, and are aiming to do, is pretty ambitious for a F2P game. There are also a few pretty decent story and lore quests in the game, eventually, but it can take dozens of hours to get there, and there aren't that many, yet.

And you do have to be able to enjoy, or at least stomach, the grind. I rarely find it egregious (although occasionally it does cross the line of what I find acceptable), but grinding for loot is definitely a major part of the experience. I get some degree of satisfaction out of grinding in RPGs, so it's kind of part of the appeal, but I know some people are immediately turned off by the very idea.

I don't play it nearly as much as I used to, I clocked in several hundred hours at one point, but now I only check back in like every couple months. Ultimately, even with all the content they've added, my motivation for playing hasn't changed much. It's basically just a big toy box. There are hundreds of different weapons, a number of them very unique for a shooter, and dozens of different frames with different playstyles, and they constantly add more. Experimenting with all the different combinations of those along with mods is fun. But there aren't a lot of long term goals in the game beyond that. If you are the type to just find one good weapon (and frame) and be satisfied you'll probably run out things worth doing after several dozen hours.

@ntm: Being that I am one of the duders who has run the Giant Bomb Warframe PC Clan for more than 4 years now I probably am bias in my opinion of the game.

Sounds like If you are looking specifically for the opinion of the game of someone who played the beta while back, dismissed it then came back to it and was surprised:

TotalBiscuit (rest is his soul) did a good video about him getting back into Warframe and why.

As for the comparison to Destiny. Another popular YouTuber by the name Skill Up I think does a good job in summarizing where the similarity between Destiny and Warframe are, and where they are completely different.

The gameplay and systems in Warframe are vast and deep if you can wrap your head around them. Unfortunately the game does not do a good job in explaining it in game, thus it has tough learning curve.

As @efesell alludes to there is story in Warframe, it is just a bit slow burn, it is not uncommon for someone to say, "It took me 50 hours before I got to Warframe's [first] story"

One of the reasons why is all the quest leading it are very bare bones. Like you play the tutorial and its got a decent narrative exposition but then followed by quests that kind of lackluster nothing like it and feel lije filler as DE's quests in (2013-2015) was figuring things out. Then 50 hours in your smacked in the face with a story "The Second Dream" (released in 2015). The quests that really is at a mid point then the game opens up more. With further expansions that further improve the gameplay and narrative story telling in the game.

Here is skill up video when he realizes he REALLY is in love with warframe

It is a free to play game where all the expansions and updates are free but there is a grind. The grind can also turn new players off since in addition to starting with really nothing, and trying to learn the game.

If you are worried about Microtransactions, they are there to skip *some* of the grind, you'll probably hear about Prime packs allows you buy a new Warframe, and a set of weapons allowing you skip the grind to obtain them. Otherwise the bulk of the game has a ever growing number of cosmetics ie. skins, and other cosmetic items to decorate your Warframe, and decoration items. "Fashionframe" as the community calls it.

I'm currently playing it. I'm on the second mission where you have to get someone out of a gulag. So far, it's not what I expected or even remember aside from the first cutscene, and I'm actually liking it quite a bit. It feels like something I can really get into which is exciting. It is surprising that this is a free game. I want to finish Destiny 2's DLC before really moving onto this, but I think I'll stick with it. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what the optimal visual settings are? To make it look the best because so far, with everything on, it still runs at a steady frame rate on the X. Only the loading screens where you can control the ship (which is similar to Destiny, minus the ship control) has frame rate drops and even some screen tearing. Yet another always online game that deals with loot that I am into. It should be something I'm totally not into, but it has enough outside of playing with a headset with others and just about loot that it has my attention. I'm speaking in general, but maybe Warframe is that too like it is so far.

As someone who played 500 hours i would say yes, if you don't mind grinding for stuff.

@ntm: try and go for the Rhino frame first it's a great solo frame. O yeah and warframe is a wiki game so don't be afraid to look stuff up. If you get any other quistions feel free to ask.

Sprint, Slide+Jump, Jump, Air Roll repeat.

Some of the most enjoyable movement out there. I did get bored of repetitive mission structure however. I also ran into the issue of 1 Warframe being significantly more fun than every other one for me.

Something I was actually curious about: how often do you get new weaponry and cosmetics? Are cosmetics just things you buy, or is there loot that you pick up? The more I read about it, the more I worry it'll quickly turn into something that I don't actually want to play. Where I left off a couple of hours ago I was enjoying. Grinding in and of itself isn't an issue to me, what I do worry about is staying in one place, doing one thing over, and over, and over to get anywhere. I want to see new environments, get new equipment often enough to not only look cooler but to feel I've made progress in some way, and most of all, feel like there's a reason to be doing what I'm doing rather than 'yay, loot, and upgrading!' The gameplay of it felt good, and I think for a free to play game it looks good. I like the aesthetics just fine. The menus were already a bit confusing to me as to what I can do in them, and just how it works, but I mostly chocked that up to the fact it was my first time looking at them.

The loot is mainly in the form of crafting components, which you use to craft new gear, or mods which you apply to you apply to your frames and weapon to boost or modify them. Cosmetics are mainly purchased with some exceptions.

It might be the best game in the loot shooter subgenre. I think it, Destiny, and Division all have their flaws, but Warframe and Division beat out Destiny to me, since neither Destiny game is worth $60 due to relying on DLC too much and the first game relied on replaying the same missions over and over too much. Warframe gameplay wise is mixture of shooting, melee, and your character's ability so gameplay wise it kinda has some stuff in common with Vermintide. I do think the gameplay is a a little floaty and there's really no story at all (or at least a good one). Since it's a free game I'd recommend everyone to check it out while keeping in mind what Warframe you're being greatly affects the gameplay. It's definitely a fun game with friends and they keep adding stuff for free.

@ntm: You can get new weapons pretty easily. I have probably close to 100 different weapons, and that's not counting the at least twice that I've dumped to make room for more.

They never drop as loot, you have to craft them using components, which do drop from enemies. Most weapons require pretty universal components, so it's pretty easy to get what you need without too much work, once you get far enough in the game. (Component loot pools are determined by planet, so early on you will be gated by what you can farm.) Prime Weapons (and Frames) are an exception. They require specific components that require a specific relic with specific loot pools. (You can influence the drop rates of those loot pools, but that requires another resource.) This is where one of the biggest grinds of the game takes place, as if you want a specific Primed item you will be running those missions a lot. Thankfully they did update the loot system so that every player gets their own drop at the end of the mission, and you can freely pick whichever one you want.

Cosmetics are mostly premium items though, with a few exceptions. They make a few alternate helmets craftable, and there's a couple Syndana's (capes/scarfs) you can get from Syndicates, but most of it requires platinum. Also most of the really cool stuff is Tennogen (user created) and you can't even use their discount vouchers on those. But there is a player trade system in the game. You can't trade for most cosmetics, but you can trade for plat, and it's actually not that hard to make a decent amount of free plat by selling primed gear and rare mods.

@jaycrockett: @zeik: Hmm, I'm a bit disappointed by that. Thanks for the info though.

@deathstriker: Yeah, visually it (if you can call it that) feels and looks a bit floaty. The character doesn't seem planted to the ground in a realistic manner if you will so it comes off as if it's lesser quality, but it's not a big deal to me. The animations are also a bit stiff in spots, but it's also not a huge issue. I totally agree with you about Destiny. As I was playing two yesterday and really enjoying it, I was thinking about how I wish developers would just take their time to make a full game and not rely on players to purchase DLC that is really the meat of the package. Or at least give us enough to go on to make us excited. I get that it's supposed to keep players coming back, but in Destiny's case, it wasn't for me at all because there just wasn't enough at the start. I'm glad to finally be playing Destiny 2 with the DLC and only for 25 dollars; it was worth it. The Division is probably my favorite looter shooter kind of game, and yet I am hesitant to buy the DLC even though I love the game and want to support the devs behind it in a show of appreciation more or less, but it's hard when I don't know what to expect. I've said it elsewhere on other forums on here, but I put four days into The Division, and I plan on playing it again at some point.

Destiny was always a bad comparison point for Warframe that people for some reason incessantly insisted on continuing to use; think of it more like Monster Hunter or Phantasy Star Online or something.

@ntm: As far as the floatyness goes what you are experiencing is most likely the result of WF literally having a friction/slide stat. Every frame has a bit of it by default, it kind of allows for chaining together various acrobatic maneuvers together in a very smooth way, whether it be bullet jumping, sliding, slide shooting, melee while: running, sliding, jumping, falling , etcetera. There are even mods you can get later on that will allow you to either tone it down or increase it, even a frame whose passive shtick is way more slide then usual, that can literally do a running slide, let go of buttons and keep going for a few seconds while standing straight.

The crazy fluidity and speed of movement and traversal that can be pulled off by experienced players would not (imo) be possible with a more realistic and rigid system. I tend to agree with many others that say movement/traversal is kind of one of the core pillars of WF that makes the game feels so good to play even hundreds of hours down the line. Once it clicks its a totally badass feeling I would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

Yes, i played it before, recommend.

@ntm: The destiny - Warframe comparison is a bit apples to oranges. Different philosophy of loot shooter. Destiny focuses advancing on one's main loudout. A Player find the weapon one likes and the goal is to increase its power level as high as you can while the the missions provide encounters combat puzzle around it to test your skills and gear. You customize and make that guardian your own. In contrast Warframe is more about amassing an armory of the games' many different hero characters (Warframes) and an arsenal of different weapons. Players then mod and min max an assortment of weapons to suit their tastes and play style. The mission challenge or difficulty is based on what kind weapon how prepared their gear is for the particular mission and objective type. Some Warframe and weapons are better in different scenarios but going into the mission the player already have an idea of the mission type and enemies they should encounter allowing them pick the best tools for the situation.The customization is about how a player puts their own tastes into each of their Warframes builds and equipment.

Also:

The Mastery Rank (player level) system is designed to encourage you try every weapon and Warframe. Since you get Mastery Rank (xp) points for leveling a weapon to level 30 the first time But the true worth of weapon is really how to you mod it, and the builds you use. That is to not say there's no point to "main" Weapons. You will find some weapons may even require additional investment of Forma to "feel good" so there are incentives for further investing on certain weapons after they reach max rank. And later missions absolutely require you to invest more time into existing weapons. But that's a whole another topic for another day.

Edit: Without getting to spoiler details , if you wonder who the Tenno are that is explained eventually....

As @tennmuerti mentioned the floaty-ness is due to lack of friction due to the impetus on chaining together various parkour maneuvers together in a very smooth way.

It takes some time to get use to but it is what allows players to through sail through levels, allowing them to maneuver geometry without breaking momentum.

It's a good repetitive game, i'd say it's biggest flaw is that it does very little to explain anything about how the systems work so you'll be looking at Google to figure things out a lot, and after 60 or so hours you'll stop making progress because the game gets too hard, so you'll have to repeat the repetitive missions to build up your Warframe. I stopped after 104 hours, i may go back but the lack of progress really kills it for me.

Got a friend who rarely ventures out of WoW and League interested in trying this out (being free really does lower the threshold of entry)

The following is your primary method of getting around maps in Warframe (although they did nerf it a bit with their movement revamp): Sprint, hit crouch button, hit jump button, repeat.

I know that sounds odd, but once you actually get it down it feels amazing. You feel like you are literally flying through the map (both physically and speed wise) and it looks kind of rad.

Warframe is our favorite "on again/off again" game and there is no game that has the same feeling once you invest a few thousand hours into it.
The story is cool albeit a little obscure and the passion the dev team shows in their streams continues to be refreshing and charming.

It's no lie that the game requires a huge time investment however. There's plenty of grinding and time-gating, some of which is skippable
with various F2P microtransactions. You can however do and see everything without ever spending a dime.
Also if you wish to approach the layers and layers of systems, prepare to have a wiki or two open.

That said, yes, the game is good. Really, really good.

@cikame said:

A duder posted a thread months back with basically what you said hitting a mid-game difficulty ramp and finding it hard to progress: the posts might help you next time you try to pick up. https://www.giantbomb.com/warframe/3030-38788/forums/the-mid-game-wall-difficulty-1818751/

At lot of times when I seen this issue pop up. It is definitely tied to the " flaw is that it does very little to explain anything about how the systems work so you'll be looking at Google ".

One advice I will give to new players is don't rush this game does demand patience but it does pay off.

When new players ask about progression what they should do in Warframe a lot of advice from veteran players (and I am absolutely also guilty of this too) is to say something of the lines, "work on unlocking planets, junctions and complete quests that become available". And while not invalid or poor advice, really what it implies is "get to the Second Dream". Again is something absolutely to work towards. Get to Uranus. Due to community hype, I've seen new players then try to make a bi-line to the Second Dream. Trying to rush through that initial 50 hours as fast as possible because they heard some hubbub about "this is when the game gets good". Trying to do that can be not only difficult but unpleasant especially if you trying to solo play as a new player. Conversely, consequently what also happens is sometimes they will have high level more experience friend try to "push" them there. Like power leveling in a MMO. Except this is definitely not the way to play Warframe at all. Some players that manage to get to Second Dream this way often experience a huge difficulty spike. Their gear just not up to snuff to take anything past that point in game.

Unfortunately there is not many good resources out there to address the mid-game. Most guides and discussion on YouTube tend to cover the completely new player, or they cover the "late game" min-max builds that are for players who played 300+ hours. It's not the fault of the streamer but just a natural effect of them and their audience aging with their playtime and hours invested. Can totally understand when a person in that mid-game looking at the late game builds and being overwhelmed by the amount of grind.

This plus those 4-player survival missions that ramp up the difficulty and rewards the longer you stick around give you the most fast-pace, white-knuckle action you can get just about anywhere.