I remember sitting in the press room during TennoCon 2023 when Digital Extremes gave fans a first look at its upcoming fantasy RPG, Soulframe. I’d seen the gameplay the day before, and knew that as soon as the Envoy summoned Orengall, the gorgeous, hulking winter wolf, people would lose their minds. Turns out I was right, as the thunderous applause that greeted the towering creature reverberated through the exhibition hall floor down to where we were sitting. It was certainly quite the moment. Since then, however, we haven’t seen Orengall in the Soulframe Preludes – but don’t worry, she’s coming.
Digital Extremes is currently running a series of Soulframe Preludes; a variety of alpha builds that give players brief glances at what the fantasy game will look like. Targeting specific gameplay elements and slowly introducing new content, what I’ve seen of it so far looks pretty promising – especially with the Soulframe release date being set for next year.
The latest update is the biggest we’ve seen in a while, adding a slew of new features ahead of 2025. The headliner is, of course, Orengall, who will be available as a Dark Souls-style summon that can aid you during combat. You’ll have to rescue her pup in order to win her to your side and unlock her unique class, and given how adorable all of the animals in the game are already, I have no doubt in my mind that this tiny little dude is going to be absolutely glorious.
The update also introduces the MMO‘s first ever player hub, which I imagine will be akin to Orgrimmar and Stormwind in World of Warcraft, or cities like Limsa Lominsa and Ul’dah in FF14. The Silent Rose Cave provides a much-needed refuge from the Ode’s oily corruption, and allows you to kick back and interact with other players – something that the ever-gorgeous Nightfold doesn’t currently allow for.
And you’ll need those moments of calm, as a series of new, environmental features have been added to the game’s various dungeons. Now, in addition to the beasties that lurk within them, you’ll be forced to contend with powerful floods and scorching wildfires, which can cut off your route and force you down a different path. While I love our gorgeous good girl Orengall, for me this is the highlight of the update, as it takes a relatively standard gameplay system and transforms it into something that’s unique to Soulframe’s nature-centric universe.
At the end of today’s Devstream, DE also gives us a brief look at what’s coming in 2025, with a new Orengall-style Omen Beast on the cards, as well as various new vistas to explore. The most important thing is, of course, the fact that Orengall will become a mount sometime next year, letting us live out that trailer moment in style.
In the meantime, however, we’ve got a list of free MMORPGs if you’re looking for something new, but don’t fancy splashing the cash. Alternatively, if you’re grinding your way through Soulframe’s sci-fi sister title, Warframe, here’s a list of all the currently active Warframe codes to kit out your Tenno.
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