Eurogamer Warframe Review

[Cleverbird]

reviewing a beta game... lol'd

You know what. No. Warframe isnt a beta. It stopped being that a long time ago, no matter what the developers say. Just because they're still adding content and tweaking gameplay doesnt make it a beta. By that logic, World of Warcraft would still be a beta.

 

Warframe is out in all its glory, and its glory is kinda muddled. I agree with the review on most points, Warframe desperately needs more diversity. I already know, that in a week or two, I'll simply stop playing warframe because I leveled my gear and frames and simply got nothing else to do. The game is only fun (for me at least) when I have something to do. I can hear some of you say "Oh, then why dont you go and unlock all the nodes on all the planets?" And I'll answer, because its @(*()$ boring. Once you've seen a tileset once, its not exactly fun to run through that same map a dozen more times.

 

I'm still holding hope for this game though, as it has made MASSIVE improvements from when I first joined the closed beta. Instead of viewing this bad review as hate towards the game, you should see it as an incentive for the developers to improve upon it.

[Raanaar]

Eurogamer can go and **** it.

 

While having some valid points here and there, the review is unprofessional and rude.

[Bazools]

I hope DE reads this review, the feedback here in the forums and comments this subject in the next Livestream.

 

Imo DE should show that the DEVs are aware of the players comments to this review that besides being a bit too

agressive really nails down critical mistakes or important things to be bettered or fixed in Warframe. 

 

Now that the game has a broader audience DE needs to up even more their game and start to treat the game and 

the community to a higher level of craftsmanship bettering Warframe in these and other areas that are lacking.

It's time to drop the training wheels and ride this badass *@##$ of a game to higher places. 

[DHKany]

Can't stop laughing. What accomplishments? Is being a mediocre copy of ME3 multiplayer mode an accomplishment? Strength of community is those guys that spam 'Thanks DE' in many languages in each and every hotfix thread? Please.

 

lolwut, ME3 and Warframe are completely different multiplayer types. 10 waves with 3 objectives, vs multiple game modes (the very thing ME3 is missing). Get your facts straight before comparing two basically COMPLETELY different multiplayer types. 

[Tartanu]

 

This is a fairly honest review. The game is still in dire need of more diversity and depth in objective and lore. Also the early game is AWFUL. I do not know why DE did not focus on getting a better intro and tutorial sorted before releasing on PS4. The last few live-streams have mentioned a new tutorial is in the works. However we would have probably got an update on this but last weeks stream was postponed. AI was brought up in the review and though the AI has been improved it still needs some work. Warframe is not a finished product by far so a review of only 4 is not that bad. Hopefully we will get a new stream this week and get some nice info of the next development of the game. I am hoping for the Sabotage and mobile defence reworks. 

 

Pshaw, who needs a tutorial when newbs and people who suck at the game can pay some merc in trade chat to hold their hand and unlock the map for them?  (Which, btw, is what some folks around here were suggesting--some volunteer event for vets to tutor the PS4 noobs).

[Dracorya]

I'm sorry but you were clearly false advertising. Pushing the bounderies of what in F2P? Story? What story?

 

Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the tiny tidbits of story that DE is slowly releasing to us. Do you read books by going to end and reading the conclusion before reading the rest of it?

[DHKany]

Also funny how people log on to warframe forums to complain about how bad it is. 

 

just lol. and I thought ME3 BSN whining was bad. 

[Eisen]

There is nothing wrong with the mod levelling system. Certain mods should be powerful and require large investments of time and energy to complete. If it was easy to obtain powerful maximum level mods, people would complain that the game was too easy, boring, required no investment, zero goals, had limited or no progress at all and that their interest was transient.

 

This isn't a trading card game but there was parallels to be drawn here. This isn't just a third person shooter (as you put it), its an action rpg too, and it borrows elements from TCG/CCG. This is a multi-genre game and to get the most out of it you need to enjoy most if not all of those aspects.

 

It has character progression, stats boosting/buffing meta-game, rare loot acquisition, collection and now trading elements. Don't confuse the game-play with the game. Warframe is more than just a third person shooter.

No one is complaining about time invested in the game in order to reach a goal.

People are complaining about doing the same repetitive mission over and over again to reach that goal.

Make a mod be hard enough that you need to invest months to level it, but make those months fun as opposed to grinding the same enemy for hours on end until you get burned enough that you hate the game.

the event to unlock Alad for example, how many times did people repeat it?I mean, same tileset, same map, same enemies, same dialogue; couldn't they vary the map a bit? add some random enemy that breaks the monotony? 

change the tileset a bit, recycle stuff, I don't know, something, anything that would take my mind away from the fact that is the same map for hours

this game is not an RPG, people like to throw acronyms around to make it sound like it's more than what it is.

At its core, warframe is a TPS with potential to be great, but that is content with being half assed, generic shooting mechanics, no cover system, a melee system that looks like an afterthought (as it is the stealth system) plagued with redundancies and half working features.

And dont get me started in the coop department (or the lack of it)

But meh, it's an ok game to waste some time, I think 4 is a bit harsh, maybe a 5 would do.

[sirwarriant12]

regardless if the review is spot on or not the review is f-ing rude and down right unprofessional, i lost all respect for euro gamer after reading this there's critiquing and then there's this, its like its written by a butt hurt 12 year old

[Hania]

Ok so you have confirmed that you are perfectly FINE with my earlier youtube link regarding "fun" with the argument that some mods should be hard to level and thats all.I shall no longer bother reading your posts.

 

You keep coming back to the levelling of mods. The last few levels of those 10 rank mods are pretty meaningless for players, they are like the cherry on top of the cake, its nice but not necessary and ultimately its for people who invest loads of time maximising their builds. Getting a mod to rank 6-8 is easy for anyone. Most people will only see minor improvements from there.

 

This game's content is gated, but unlike other games that gate purely on statistics and power levels this game's gates can be overcome easily with competent play and a good group of friends. The only people who will see any use out of these maximum levelled mods are people who want to push their Warframes to breaking point in endless defence and survival.

 

That is a different criticism, there is no proper end game for these players to work on so they make their own challenge. That is a valid criticism of this game. The requirement to obtain these maximum level mods is not a valid criticism, it's a symptom of a social problem: instant gratification a.k.a. entitled gamer. Something is "too hard" to obtain, a subjective phrase. You're right to a degree, it is too hard to obtain, but not because it's too difficult to do but because the benefit those mods impart on the player is meager by comparison to the benefits players get for putting in practically no effort at all. It cuts both ways, just accept that you don't need these mods and move on if it troubles you that much. You don't need these mods, you just want them. But you don't want to work for them, so you demand them. That is not how the world works, and it is not how this game works.

[Eisen]

You keep coming back to the levelling of mods. The last few levels of those 10 rank mods are pretty meaningless for players, they are like the cherry on top of the cake, its nice but not necessary and ultimately its for people who invest loads of time maximising their builds. Getting a mod to rank 6-8 is easy for anyone. Most people will only see minor improvements from there.

 

This game's content is gated, but unlike other games that gate purely on statistics and power levels this game's gates can be overcome easily with competent play and a good group of friends. The only people who will see any use out of these maximum levelled mods are people who want to push their Warframes to breaking point in endless defence and survival.

 

That is a different criticism, there is no proper end game for these players to work on so they make their own challenge. That is a valid criticism of this game. The requirement to obtain these maximum level mods is not a valid criticism, it's a symptom of a social problem: instant gratification a.k.a. entitled gamer. Something is "too hard" to obtain, a subjective phrase. You're right to a degree, it is too hard to obtain, but not because it's too difficult to do but because the benefit those mods impart on the player is meager by comparison to the benefits players get for putting in practically no effort at all. It cuts both ways, just accept that you don't need these mods and move on if it troubles you that much. You don't need these mods, you just want them. But you don't want to work for them, so you demand them. That is not how the world works, and it is not how this game works.

Nope, the argument of the instant gratification falls apart when they add primes for money and trading, DE obviously dont think of this as a problem.

The mod leveling model is analog to everything else in the game and that is the problem, to forma gear as a feature is akin to saying 'do the same thing again' it may be fun the first couple of hours but then it falls apart because there's nothing behind it.

[Tartanu]

This review is harsh but in some ways it speaks the truth. This game is a grinder and just the players immune to this are able to enjoy this game for a long time. This game lacks content although it is getting better very slowly. The new playmodes are a start, but DE has a lot of work to do. No new weapons, but real content.

 

The "fun" factor of WarFarm is only incidental to its primary purpose of being a financially solvent, profitable property.  As long as they keep releasing new trinkets and getting players to buy them for 150 dollars, there's not much imperative for DE to change what they're doing.  The formula works, and it doesn't matter if folks like me burned out from grinding if there are more grind-lemmings to fill our vacated seats.

 

A lot has been made about the turnover and burnout rate in this game as a problem, but quite frankly it's not a problem at all.  See, traditional game development is built around the one customer, one purchase principle, whereas the beauty of freemium is that you can get people to cough up the dough again and again.  If at some point the grind-ling wakes up and is unwilling to pay any further, it's no loss, as anything past the first payment is simply gravy.

 

So much hate is directed towards unscrupulous AAA publishers like EA and Micro$oft, but when's the last time either of those got people to pay close to 400 dollars for an unfinished game?  I gotta say, "free" to "play" is fuckin brilliant.

Edited December 2, 2013 by niekaa

[Tartanu]

"The game is structured around the planets of the Solar System and some fictional additions, with each providing a progressive mission tree to work through."

 

^^^

Take comfort in how stupid the reviewer is.

Last I checked, Europa wasn't out past the orbit of Pluto.

Edited December 2, 2013 by niekaa

[Tartanu]

Since when do game reviewers review games with an obvious "BETA" label? Isn't there some unwritten law when it comes to this stuff? And to think people waited until Dust 514 was in full release with mountains of missing (and planned) content to trash it, and then a good game comes along and reviewers bash it when it's still labeling itself as beta.

 

This is why I stopped caring what reviewers have to say. They're completely bat**** crazy...

Since when do real people pay real money for a TRUE BETA?

 

The beta label is nothing more than a clumsy smokescreen at this point.  It's on the friggin PS4 ffs.

Edited December 2, 2013 by niekaa

[Nnazqul]

You can't say this a bad review considering every criticism is spot on true.Unless you're a gun enthusiast this game has zero appeal.This is obviously just a game where you build weapons and shoot things on a more or less relevant platform.

[Hania]

Nope, the argument of the instant gratification falls apart when they add primes for money and trading, DE obviously dont think of this as a problem.

The mod leveling model is analog to everything else in the game and that is the problem, to forma gear as a feature is akin to saying 'do the same thing again' it may be fun the first couple of hours but then it falls apart because there's nothing behind it.

 

I'm not going to disagree with everything you say, I think you've got valid points about mod drop locations. Putting rare mods on rare enemy types in limited systems does create an environment where players have to endure a limited experience to get that mod drop they want. I do think that this needs to be addressed somehow.

 

I don't agree with your remarks about the micro-transactions though, there is definitely a demographic of people who don't or can't spend money to get instant gratification but want it anyway. I accept the existence of Micro-transactions in this game because I know it helps fund the current and future development of the game - and for me that means more content and more fun. Despite being a founder I am very much a earn it type person, I've spent barely any of my platinum and what I have spent was on cosmetic items and slots for weapons and warframes (and I am a huge advocate for having a free alternative for non-paying players).

 

In reply to Forma and Catalysts; those are things that I collect and use only if I feel like putting it onto a weapon will improve my enjoyment. I don't go using them on un-enjoyable items in a hope to make them good, I use them on items I enjoy already. I don't see a problem with this, it's a new kind of meta-game for people to play with, planning weapon builds etc. I don't think these things make the game worse, I think they are progressive developments for the game. The game still needs endgame, it needs advanced things for advanced players to do besides farm and level equipment. I think that will come eventually, hopefully not too late.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Hania

[Mak_Gohae]

This clearly looks like the dude simply didnt get into the game so everything get's multiplied by 10 when it comes to annoyance.

[BPoole]

"There's no cover system, and only a stodgy crouch to keep you safe, so you'll mostly fall back on strafe-and-spray tactics that seem to work just fine."

 

HAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAH

 

Review invalidated

[Eisen]

I'm not going to disagree with everything you say, I think you've got valid points about mod drop locations. Putting rare mods on rare enemy types in limited systems does create an environment where players have to endure a limited experience to get that mod drop they want. I do think that this needs to be addressed somehow.

 

I don't agree with your remarks about the micro-transactions though, there is definitely a demographic of people who don't or can't spend money to get instant gratification but want it anyway. I accept the existence of Micro-transactions in this game because I know it helps fund the current and future development of the game - and for me that means more content and more fun. Despite being a founder I am very much a earn it type person, I've spent barely any of my platinum and what I have spent was on cosmetic items and slots for weapons and warframes (and I am a huge advocate for having a free alternative for non-paying players).

 

In reply to Forma and Catalysts; those are things that I collect and use only if I feel like putting it onto a weapon will improve my enjoyment. I don't go using them on un-enjoyable items in a hope to make the good, I use them on items I enjoy already. I don't see a problem with this, it's a new kind of meta-game for people to play with, planning weapon builds etc. I don't think these things make the game worse, I think they are progressive developments for the game. The game still needs endgame, it needs advanced things for advanced players to do besides farm and level equipment. I think that will come eventually, hopefully not too late.

Microtransactions are fine, not as a part of trading tho, but that's another completely different issue.

You can see I'm a founder too and I also like to earn my things; to reach a goal is what keeps you playing the same game; but I pity the poor soul that has to get everything without money , they say is not P2W, it's pay for convenience but in reality is 'pay to not be bored out of your mind for doing the same thing multiple times for each warframe/gun while you curse the not to legit RNG'.

This game tries to cater to completionists and min-maxers while at the same time being easy enough to be picked up by casuals or people with a short time to play, but kinda fails in both.

I would love to have more things to do beyond running the same missions, crafting different guns that either feel the same or are nerfed after I worked to level/mod them or playing warframes that in reality don't modify gameplay in a meaningful way.

I believed in this game since I first heard of it, that's why I became a founder, but after being let down so many times I have no more hopes for change, and that's why the review is valid, I played well beyond 300 hours, lost track of it after the account reset (that's when I lost all my cores and no one said that could happen) and I agree with the dude making the review.

[JerryMouse13]

 

Since when do real people pay real money for a TRUE BETA?

 

The beta label is nothing more than a clumsy smokescreen at this point.  It's on the friggin PS4 ffs.

 

Since the rise of the indie game and the need for a revenue source that doesn't come from a major publisher. There are plenty of other games that charge money for access to incomplete products, Planetary annihilation, Castle story, I'm fairly certain Path of exile had a cash shop while it was in beta, etc. etc.

 

[BetaZerker]

I didn't like it the first couple of hours, but now I @(*()$ love it. People should have to play a game AT LEAST 20 hours before they review it. I mean, the game has some bugs and the tutorial isn't great, and the UI is a little weird, but it's still in beta, and bugs will be fixed, as well as UI and tutorial improvements. Also how is a parkour/hack and slash/co-op/shooter/dungeon crawler genre fusion "generic"? It's taking some of the coolest genres out there, and taking the good elements from them and putting them together in a really good game which you can play for FREE. And that last line just shows that eurogamer is still holding on to that stupid assumption that "F2P = Piece of S#&$" which is just no longer true.  Also, if the game is so "terribly generic and boring", how come it's in the raptr top 10 list?.

[BetaZerker]

Since when do real people pay real money for a TRUE BETA?

 

The beta label is nothing more than a clumsy smokescreen at this point.  It's on the friggin PS4 ffs.

Beta games need funding, and not every studio has a huge publisher with bucketloads of cash behind them who is willing to pay for the first few years of development.

[Slayblaze]

Wow that review was brutal, starting from the opening paragraph "Games like Warframe, however, probably won't help". Whew...some people won't read any further than that, and PS4 WF bites the dust.

 

I hope DE takes some of the criticism to heart. WF isn't anywhere near as bad as Eurogamer makes out, but there are some valid points that should be addressed in the ongoing development of WF.

[f3llyn]

And yet, the tutorial fails to teach mechanics such as walljumping or helicoptering, either of which is needed to negotiate that one gorge in the Corpus Outpost, I assume the reviewer found further down in his review.

 

Wall jumping yes. Helicoptoring is not an intended game mechanic and only remains in the game because people *@##$ed when DE tried to fix the broken game mechanic.

[Mak_Gohae]

Wow that review was brutal, starting from the opening paragraph "Games like Warframe, however, probably won't help". Whew...some people won't read any further than that, and PS4 WF bites the dust.

 

I hope DE takes some of the criticism to heart. WF isn't anywhere near as bad as Eurogamer makes out, but there are some valid points that should be addressed in the ongoing development of WF.

 

Thank the Orokin that there are more than one UK review website....... RIGHT!?