Soulframe Devs Reveal More About Preludes 9, From Factions, New Weapons, Combat Reworks, and Expanded Maps

Soulframe Preludes 9 is coming, and in today's Devstream, Digital Extremes devs  revealed new upcoming content,  showed off new weapons,  changes to the world, combat overhauls on the way, and more customization.

They opened up the stream talking about some issues that they  would be fixing after the stream, and about the continued efforts to give out access keys. Yesterday, the team revealed that they had invited every single person who had signed up in the first six months that signups had been open. So if you've been waiting, and you signed up, check to see if your adventure is ready to begin. With so many more people gaining access, they reminded us that you can stream Soulframe. So if you have access, go ahead and share.

As for what’s in the works, there's a new ranged support weapon, a caster weapon on the way, and we get a peek at sound design. The sound design, and the pyrotechnics, were for the wrist mounted weapon, including a heavy attack. After the sound design intro, we get to see some animation with the new weapon. We can also expect new combat mechanics that come along with the new weapons they are planning. They're also going to rework the bow combat system and reinforce the Archer class.

There are three factions coming to shape gameplay, starting in Preludes 9: The Silent Rose, representing the virtues of grace and Diora, Alca’s Children, representing the values of spirit,  and Kith of Kings, who are facing the Ode more directly and represent courageous virtue and open resistance. That is in contrast to the subversive tactics of the Silent Rose, and Alca’s Children, who focus on repairing the damage done.  These factions will start around the starter areas so you'll be able to align with one of them, and only one.

For Preludes 9, we can expect weapon crafting overhauls, with an intention to blend classic RPG gem slotting with Warframe-style mechanics. There will also be enhanced loot randomization, with additional weapon enhancement options. You'll get to modify Smite effects, runes, and other ways to adjust for your preferred playstyle. You can watch the full stream for some of the previews.

The world is also going to expand, and we can expect some of the walls to come down and open up areas for exploration, and this will include a giant castle. The Soulframe team is emphasizing environmental storytelling, so the world is an important character.

While there aren't any new wolves to pet, the team packed a lot into this stream, so if you're following Soulframe, you should catch up and check your inbox to see if you got that invite.