I suppose I should finally write a review for this game that I have... Glances at Steam library A mere 11,698.6 hours played in. No biggie.

To say the least, I'm a Grandmaster Founder, been here since the ancient 2013 times. When Warframe was a barebones minimum viable product from a developer that was about to go bankrupt but wanted to make their dream game, and either sink or swim doing so.
And then I proceeded to never leave. lol
Periodic hiatuses, yes, and yet I still return to this enigma of a game. Watching it grow to what it has become today has been such a treat. To some, I suppose that should be a recommendation in and of itself, but I will still provide a detailed review, as well as TL;DR at the bottom.

Ignore all the people whining with negative reviews as of late. They're just mad that DigitalExtremes are chads who have the balls to nerf the mindless AOE weapons and AFK-enabling exploits that let the game basically play itself for you. Chill you drama queens, AoE weapons are still perfectly viable.
Having to PLAY the VIDEO GAME?!
Oh no!
Anyway.


I like to describe Warframe to those who don't know it as... “Left4Dead meets Borderlands with Faceless Cyber Space Ninjas.” I guess you could say Destiny too, but Warframe was around long before Destiny was.
If going into Warframe, understand that the entire game is basically one giant grind. But the gameplay is solid enough that that grind is fun. Set goals for yourself, set your sights on an item and work toward it. And most of all, try to have fun and experiment as you do so.
It's a 3rd person shooter that plays like an FPS, has a focus on primarily short mission runs, but has endless modes that reward longer runs for those who wish to farm parts for certain weapons. Some of these modes are fun, some are not. Warframe likes to experiment and try new things, and that's what I love the most about it.
It has the best movement system of any game I have ever played in my life and no I am not exaggerating when I say that. It's like Titanfall 2 on crack. Emperor Palpatine spin-jumping around, jumping off of walls, clinging to walls and shooting from them, and generally getting to places on the map that other games wouldn't dare let you.
Levels are procedurally-generated from a wide array of very detailed “rooms”, term used loosely, as some are very open and wide. It also has (currently) 3 open world maps, with a 4th on the way.

“Warframe is basically Dynasty Warriors with depth.”
There are over 400 weapons in the game currently, and Warframe just released their 50th Warframe. Naturally with all this equipment, some are better than others. And primarily excel in different situations, like tanking, support, or becoming a murderous tornado of death. Melee is a whole gamemode itself, instead of a gunbutt slap like most shooters.
Despite the better weapons, you can still make almost anything viable with the right know how and mods. Every weapon in the game has mod slots that you can mix and match whatever mods you have with very little restriction. And the same goes for the Warframes themselves. Warframe throws toys at you and tells you to have fun.


The other way I describe Warframe is that it is the kind of game that leads you to a cliffside, sweeping their arm to show you a vast horizon of possibilities.
...Before promptly Sparta-kicking you off the edge and telling you to have fun on the way down.

The new player experience is... Almost nonexistent. There's an introductory quest which does a decent job teaching you some basics, but you will quickly and immediately run into things that make you scratch your head in confusion.
Ask questions. If you can't find someone to help you. There's a new player chat specifically for asking questions. You'll also find no shortage of guides online, and please use the wiki. Is it ideal? Absolutely not, buuuut that's kind of the fleshy duct-tape mountain that the rest of the homunculus of a game grew out of.
Basically, if you LIKE discovering new stuff, and trial and error, you'll probably love it. Experimentation abounds.

Despite my praise of the game, I will never say that Warframe is perfect. Periodic questionable decisions, poor balance in the grind at times, and certain design features that need further balancing or bugfixing before being implemented. While much of this can be attributed to the hubris of DE's desire to try new things and implement brand new mechanics into the game, some has also felt callous as well. The game does still pick itself up each time though, and I think the devs do genuinely want what's best for the game, they're just... Clueless at times.


To any outside observer, Warframe looks like a generic looter shooter, but as a veteran, I can tell you that its lore is far deeper than most give it credit for. It's a wild sci-fi space magic kind of nonsense that is like cocaine to fans of theorycrafting. Story is given in tidbits mixed into progression like breadcrumb trails leading to bigger payoff in the few, but excellent story quests.
There's a wide array of characters, all with colorful personalities, backstories, and purposes. From simple shopkeeps in hub zones, to Space Mom herself, The Lotus. And everything in between.
I'll not go further into the story here, as I genuinely believe any person who plays or wants to play Warframe should avoid any and all spoilers if at all possible. Please do not try to rush through the story quests, take your time, enjoy them. They're a treat, but few and far in between.


Naturally, when it comes to ANY Free-2-Play game, there's gonna be a cash shop, and the majority of times, they are predatory. So, how does Warframe's stack up?
Easy. It's the most fair cash shop I've ever experienced in a F2P game.
Basically, there are NO cash shop-exclusive weapons or Warframes. There are NO damage-buffs in the cash shop. And the only relatively loot-boxy thing to exist is a random relic pack, and relics you can easily get from regular gameplay in many different ways, or in trade with other players.
The only items in the cash shop that most might take issue with, are the 2x boosters. For exp gain, or credit gain, or resource gain. However, these are not game-breaking, as there are many activities you can easily find groups for for farming such items.
Platinum, the premium currency is cheap, AND it can be traded between players. So you can farm up prime parts and sell them to willing buyers for platinum. Or wait till you get a discount coupon that the game gives you occasionally on login streaks. (This coupon can range from 20% off platinum packs, to 75% off platinum packs)
Skins are just... There. If you want a certain skin, and you got the platinum or steam balance. You just buy it. Simple as that. Colors for customizing your items are PERMANENT. You buy a color swatch once, and you will never need to ever buy it again.
In addition, Warframe has a system called “Tennogen”, where players skilled in, or willing to learn 3D modeling, can actually create their own skins for certain items and if accepted by DE, are put into the game as a steam balance purchase that is at max, like $7.99. And the creators of the skins get a 30% profit off the purchase.


Left4Dead, Titanfall 2, and Borderlands had too many drinks and made a faceless cyber space ninja baby. Best movement system of any game ever. More weapons and mods than you can shake a stick at. The fairest F2P cash shop I've ever seen. And devs who genuinely seem to care about their community. It's been going strong for almost 10 years for a reason.

I suppose I should finally write a review for this game that I have... [i]Glances at Steam library[/i] A mere 11,698.6 hours played in. No biggie. To say the least, I'm a Grandmaster Founder, been here since the ancient 2013 times. When Warframe was a barebones minimum viable product from a developer that was about to go bankrupt but wanted to make their dream game, and either sink or swim doing so. And then I proceeded to never leave. lol Periodic hiatuses, yes, and yet I still return to this enigma of a game. Watching it grow to what it has become today has been such a treat. To some, I suppose that should be a recommendation in and of itself, but I will still provide a detailed review, as well as TL;DR at the bottom. [h1]SPECIAL NOTE:[/h1] [i]Ignore all the people whining with negative reviews as of late. They're just mad that DigitalExtremes are chads who have the balls to nerf the mindless AOE weapons and AFK-enabling exploits that let the game basically play itself for you. Chill you drama queens, AoE weapons are still perfectly viable.[/i] Having to PLAY the VIDEO GAME?! [b]Oh no![/b] Anyway. [h1]-THE GAMEPLAY-[/h1] I like to describe Warframe to those who don't know it as... [i]“Left4Dead meets Borderlands with Faceless Cyber Space Ninjas.”[/i] I guess you could say Destiny too, but Warframe was around long before Destiny was. [b]If going into Warframe, understand that the entire game is basically one giant grind. But the gameplay is solid enough that that grind is fun.[/b] Set goals for yourself, set your sights on an item and work toward it. And most of all, try to have fun and experiment as you do so. It's a 3rd person shooter that plays like an FPS, has a focus on primarily short mission runs, but has endless modes that reward longer runs for those who wish to farm parts for certain weapons. Some of these modes are fun, some are not. Warframe likes to experiment and try new things, and that's what I love the most about it. [b]It has the best movement system of any game I have ever played in my life and no I am not exaggerating when I say that.[/b] It's like Titanfall 2 on crack. Emperor Palpatine spin-jumping around, jumping off of walls, clinging to walls and shooting from them, and generally getting to places on the map that other games wouldn't dare let you. Levels are procedurally-generated from a wide array of very detailed “rooms”, term used loosely, as some are very open and wide. It also has [i](currently)[/i] 3 open world maps, with a 4th on the way. [b]“Warframe is basically Dynasty Warriors with depth.”[/b] There are over 400 weapons in the game currently, and Warframe just released their 50th Warframe. Naturally with all this equipment, some are better than others. And primarily excel in different situations, like tanking, support, or becoming a murderous tornado of death. Melee is a whole gamemode itself, instead of a gunbutt slap like most shooters. Despite the better weapons, you can still make almost anything viable with the right know how and mods. Every weapon in the game has mod slots that you can mix and match whatever mods you have with very little restriction. And the same goes for the Warframes themselves. Warframe throws toys at you and tells you to have fun. [h1]-THE FLAWS-[/h1] The other way I describe Warframe is that it is the kind of game that leads you to a cliffside, sweeping their arm to show you a vast horizon of possibilities. ...Before promptly Sparta-kicking you off the edge and telling you to have fun on the way down. The new player experience is... Almost nonexistent. There's an introductory quest which does a decent job teaching you some basics, but you will quickly and immediately run into things that make you scratch your head in confusion. Ask questions. If you can't find someone to help you. There's a new player chat specifically for asking questions. You'll also find no shortage of guides online, and please use the wiki. Is it ideal? Absolutely not, buuuut that's kind of the fleshy duct-tape mountain that the rest of the homunculus of a game grew out of. Basically, if you LIKE discovering new stuff, and trial and error, you'll probably love it. Experimentation abounds. Despite my praise of the game, I will never say that Warframe is perfect. Periodic questionable decisions, poor balance in the grind at times, and certain design features that need further balancing or bugfixing before being implemented. While much of this can be attributed to the hubris of DE's desire to try new things and implement brand new mechanics into the game, some has also felt callous as well. The game does still pick itself up each time though, and I think the devs do genuinely want what's best for the game, they're just... Clueless at times. [h1]-THE STORY-[/h1] To any outside observer, Warframe looks like a generic looter shooter, but as a veteran, I can tell you that its lore is far deeper than most give it credit for. It's a wild sci-fi space magic kind of nonsense that is like cocaine to fans of theorycrafting. Story is given in tidbits mixed into progression like breadcrumb trails leading to bigger payoff in the few, but excellent story quests. There's a wide array of characters, all with colorful personalities, backstories, and purposes. From simple shopkeeps in hub zones, to Space Mom herself, The Lotus. And everything in between. I'll not go further into the story here, as I genuinely believe any person who plays or wants to play Warframe should avoid any and all spoilers if at all possible. Please do not try to rush through the story quests, take your time, enjoy them. They're a treat, but few and far in between. [h1]-THE CASH SHOP-[/h1] Naturally, when it comes to ANY Free-2-Play game, there's gonna be a cash shop, and the majority of times, they are predatory. So, how does Warframe's stack up? Easy. [b]It's the most fair cash shop I've ever experienced in a F2P game. Basically, there are NO cash shop-exclusive weapons or Warframes. There are NO damage-buffs in the cash shop. And the only relatively loot-boxy thing to exist is a random relic pack, and relics you can easily get from regular gameplay in many different ways, or in trade with other players.[/b] The only items in the cash shop that most might take issue with, are the 2x boosters. For exp gain, or credit gain, or resource gain. However, these are not game-breaking, as there are many activities you can easily find groups for for farming such items. Platinum, the premium currency is cheap, AND it can be traded between players. So you can farm up prime parts and sell them to willing buyers for platinum. Or wait till you get a discount coupon that the game gives you occasionally on login streaks. [i](This coupon can range from 20% off platinum packs, to 75% off platinum packs)[/i] Skins are just... There. If you want a certain skin, and you got the platinum or steam balance. You just buy it. Simple as that. Colors for customizing your items are PERMANENT. You buy a color swatch once, and you will never need to ever buy it again. In addition, Warframe has a system called “Tennogen”, where players skilled in, or willing to learn 3D modeling, can actually create their own skins for certain items and if accepted by DE, are put into the game as a steam balance purchase that is at max, like $7.99. And the creators of the skins get a 30% profit off the purchase. [h1]-TL;DR-[/h1] [b]Left4Dead, Titanfall 2, and Borderlands had too many drinks and made a faceless cyber space ninja baby. Best movement system of any game ever. More weapons and mods than you can shake a stick at. The fairest F2P cash shop I've ever seen. And devs who genuinely seem to care about their community. It's been going strong for almost 10 years for a reason.[/b]