Video Games Weekly: Warframe

This week’s video game is a FTP (free to play) third-person shooter video game available on multiple platforms.  When I say “free”, I mean that it is a freemium game where players are able to play for free just like anyone else, but can make micro-transactions to purchase better items.  Warframe as far as I know will follow this approach indefinitely, at least it has been since the game’s beta release came out in 2013.  I have seen some libraries feature this game at library Game Night programs, but I sadly have not with my own library because of the ESRB rating.

YouTube Trailer:

Platform:  PC, PS4, Xbox One

Rated:  M for violence, blood, and gore.

Single or Multiplayer: Multiplayer online only up to 4 players at a time

Storyline: Your character is a Tenno soldier of an ancient alien warrior race, whom have been “woken up” in the midst of war.  This war isn’t just against one alien race, but with multiple alien races.  There is the Grineer, which are humanlike clones; the Corpus, basically space robots; the Infested, which are strange organisms that have been infected with a virus.  Players choose which alien enemies to fight by selecting the planet they inhabit, and then carry out missions to defeat them.

Gameplay: Players can choose from a variety of choices what type of Tenno they want to play as.  There are biomechanical suits that have specialized abilities, similar to “classes” in shooter games.  These suits can be enhanced with mods, which can either be picked up on missions or purchased.  Players can also purchase or customize their weapons, their special abilities called warframes, and their companions.

Players can meet online to play through their missions on planets.  Only four people can be in a mission at a time, and the game is much more enjoyable when playing with friends.  There are different types of missions that vary in difficulty, and each has one core objective. There are also the optional, secondary objectives that are unique to each player to make the game fun and interesting. A reward is offered for every completed objective.

Image: http://i.imgur.com/gdmh0oR.jpg

Audience: This game is great for gamers who are looking for a FTP game with complexity, and not having to cough up a ton of money to enjoy it.  I would say that even though the game is rated M for gore and blood, I personally haven’t noticed any blood.  If you want to watch for yourself before making a decision, here is a YouTube playthrough video that explains the game’s mechanics in detail and demonstrates what typical missions look like.

Questions? Comments? Tweet them at me!

By: Alanna Graves
Twitter: @LannaLibrarian

Pricing: Free! Available on Steam, PS4 store, and Xbox One store

Filed under: Video Games, Video Games Weekly