Digital Extremes’ journey through more than three decades of game development has been one marked with challenges, successes and a few failures, but in 2026 the company is arguably in the best position it’s ever been in. Warframe, its sci-fi ninja opus, is enjoying its best year – 14 years in from its original release, that feat is truly remarkable – and all the while it’s quietly tinkering away with its sword-and-sorcery follow-up, Soulframe.
Up till now, you’ve been able to experience the closed alpha test Soulframe Prelude only by invitation, but on November 6th they’re finally entering open beta. For the past three years, the team have maintained an open dialogue with its players and community, helping to build something that already feels pretty special. Now, though, it feels as though they’re ready to take the final steps towards the game’s full release, and, frankly, I couldn’t be more excited.
The game’s gloriously poetic opening sets an evocative tone, showcasing the emotional depth and poignancy that underlies Soulframe’s setting and outlook. Here, the Scottish narrator broadly leads your character development, but in the most unusual way, choosing traits for your mother as she cradles you in her arms. These are then inherited by your avatar as you meet them, bound and battered by an unknown Ode knight, before you’re dumped face-first into a pool wearing nothing but your grubby white underpants. Oh, and an intricate locked gauntlet that covers your entire arm. Seems odd, no?
You’re an Envoy, marked by the distinctive blue arm that lies beneath that gauntlet. As Soulframe leads you into its early systems, your next major milestone is choosing your Pact, with Courage, Grace or Spirit giving you the option between a melee, ranged or magic starting class, and then tailoring your equipment as you see fit. I was really interested in playing a ranged character, but decided to opt for a melee build, becoming a devotee of Tethren for my first time experiencing the game. You’ve got a batch of swords to choose from, and I went for a cool-looking sword and shield combo, with the ability to throw your shield and have it return to you, very much like a certain bearded God of War.
This is where it all begins. You’re dropped into the open world island of Midreth, part of the wider world of Alca, with a small number of enemies lurking in nearby hamlets, while you get to grips with the game’s combat. Despite whatever the name Soulframe might suggest, this is not a Souls-like. Combat is approachable, with a satisfying and rewarding parry window that lets you feel powerful without these opening moments feeling like a complete walkover. Depending on the Pact you’ve chosen, you have three different abilities to utilise, though only one of these is unlocked at the opening.
Where things suddenly get more difficult is when you come across a group of Ode. A batch of different warriors and machinery suddenly make things much more fraught, forcing you to focus attacks, dodge, block and parry, while trying to control the space and avoid ranged attacks at the same time. It feels excellent, giving you lots to manage, while giving weight and strength to each of your blows. That’s then further complicated by the addition of Combat Arts, both weapon specific and more generic, such as Smite, which you can sometimes leverage to strike at an enemy’s soul.
The Ode have a penchant for capturing cute and furry creatures, and through the opening hours you’ll relish saving deer, rabbits and squirrels from their nefarious clutches, while seeking to purify and heal the land that the Ode seem intent on destroying. I don’t know why, but it really reminded me of Sonic the Hedgehog saving animals from Robotnik – in the best way possible. We’ll have to see if there’s a spiky blue armour set to complete the vibes.
Through the opening, you meet Orlick the Bicameral, a ghostly writer with a hooded baby on his shoulder that occasionally whispers in his ear. His ephemeral form is searching for his quill, and once you return it, he’ll join you in the Nightfold, your home base that sits in a watery pocket dimension. He serves as your spirit guide when you’re exploring, providing spots of exposition and insight, before using his writing prowess to record your greatest deeds, though it is, in reality, just a framing device that gives you a list of secondary tasks to complete to grab some additional spoils.
His design is indicative of Digital Extremes’ idiosyncratic outlook, and just like Warframe, there’s nothing that looks or feels quite like this. From the different Ode warriors through creatures like Avakot, a leafy little chap with allergies, to the Torment Stag, the first corrupted boss, it does skew closer to the creations of FromSoftware, but there’s still an overarching individuality and slightly off-kilter outlook that infuses the art direction throughout.
That’s especially true when it comes to the armour sets you can equip; they don’t carry the same wholly alien look of its predecessor, but they definitely don’t adhere to your traditional Western medieval fantasy, drawing instead on Celtic mythology and iconography, wrapped with a tinge of Warframe’s sci-fi trappings.
Soulframe looks fantastic. The fact that this is considered an early build is astounding, and it already feels, at least at the outset, like a AAA action game. The quality of the visuals and the level design is intricate, particularly when it comes to exploring the Undercity dungeons that lurk beneath the beautiful arable fantasy, and through the opening hours you’ll repeatedly marvel at what beauty the DE team have brought to bear.
Unsurprisingly, you can purchase armour sets, weaponry and various other bits and bobs from the store, with two kinds of currency, one premium in the shape of Arcs, while the other, Dracs, can be earned in-game. There’s also plenty to find and equip from defeating enemies and exploring dungeons out in the world. If you’re coming from Warframe, you’ll know that Digital Extremes are not the kind of company to nickel and dime players, and I’d expect that you can play the entire game without spending a penny. That’s a good deal, whatever your expectations, but Soulframe looks as though it’ll more than meet them.
Soulframe already feels like a meaningful and worthy update to the Warframe formula, with a setting that begs to be explored and experienced. Fortunately, PC players will be able to dive into the Preludes open beta from Friday, 6th November.
