The newest expansion to Warframe, Plains of Eidolon, has been long overdue. It’s finally here.
Warframe was originally a mission-based third-person shooter, focusing on fast movement, and rapid gunplay. You are a Tenno, a special, human-like race with the unique ability to command a Warframe, a special suit of armor with four unique abilities, to bring peace to the galaxy. You face multiple enemy types. The brutish and archaic Grineer, a futuristic, money loving cult known as the Corpus, and the Infestation, a ravenous plague that attacks all life forms. As you play the game, you learn more of your past, who you are, where you came from, and what you have done. You make new allies and discover old enemies.
With this, we transfer to the newest addition, Plains of Eidolon. This update has been heralded by fans as Warframe: 2. With this comes a brand new landscape, both metaphorically, and literally, to the game. Plains of Eidolon will bring Warframe out of its cramped, and narrow hallways, and into a massive, sprawling open world, full of new and exciting events, adventures, and profits. From the sneak peaks we have been given, the classic staples of the open world genre are in full force, as fishing, mining, and dungeon crawling role in full effect. There appears to be enemy base raiding along with large, climbable towers for vantage points. A day/night cycle is also in effect, for every 100 minutes of wondrous sunlight, the plains will be shrouded in 50 minutes of dangerous nighttime.
Why is the darkness so perilous, you may ask? The creatures, that give the plains their name begin to roam: the Eidolons. They strike fear into the hearts of the Corpus, and Grineer alike, and they will retreat to their bases to hide. However, the Tenno do not fear these horrible monsters. You may face one in combat, and emerge victorious with the aid of your friends in arms. I opted to roam the plains with a good friend, Charles Raven.
We began our journey to the Plains of Eidolon like most game updates and releases. Slow, laggy, and then it crashed. But soon enough, the servers were stable once more, and we experienced majesty.
Truly, Eidolon is a vast, open area, it’s majesty highlighted by the golden rays of the sun cascading down upon it’s hills and valleys. I ran, I had never been so free, the cramped corridors, the tight hallways. None of this. No more. I was free. But what to do… From my position, I noticed guards patrolling, ships jumping in, and out of combat, dropping troops and garrisoning supplies.
Taking this chance, I began to attack the guards, their affront to the beauty of Eidolon upsetting me. Their bases scarred and pocked the fresh, clean expanse in front of me.
Eidolon had its benefits… but with these benefits came new challenges. I could not evade in a land with no cover, I could not hide in a land with no shadows. Eidolon is a land of bounty, if you can tame it. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I was sorely outmatched, and had to run from the entire Grineer air force.
Taking the knowledge I had earned, I returned to Cetus, the hub of commerce for the Plains of Eidolon.
I spoke to a man who offered bounties in exchange for Standing, which are reputation points earned from one of several factions in the game. This person provided Ostron Standing, the key trading reputation of Eidolon. I was rather poor, having only 10 Ostron Standing to my name. I chose to take up a simple bounty: capture a Grineer spy. I had heard that the comfort and safety the suns of Eidolon brought were replaced by grueling trials at night. I believed I was strong, that I could face the plains. How my hubris damned me. This would be a lesson I would not soon forget. As I left I noticed the sun waning; the bright, comforting rays slowly vanished from the landscape. The howl of the night began.
Sirens. Klaxon alarms. A warning to the fools left on the plains to flee to the safety of iron and ivory. Death’s call. Night had come, and with it, the Eidolons. You might have noticed odd spires, hints of the past, embedded upon Eidolon. This is the place of a long ended war, between the masters of the Tenno, the Orokin, and their sworn enemies. The Sentients. At night, remnants of these creatures begin to roam, and heed the call to flight. They are not to be underestimated. I followed a siren cry, the roar of an Eidolon.
I assumed my Warframe’s strength was enough.
Ivara, the armor I wore, was built for one thing: Silent, ranged weaponry – specifically bows and crossbows. Her most powerful ability is known as the Artemis Bow. It copies any modifications her arrows already have, and fires a large number of arrows. The Artemis Bow is effective for hitting a target multiple times with the same high-damage projectile. I was a fool for thinking the plains would bend to my will so easily. Draw, line up the shot, and release. This was the action that sealed my fate. The Eidolon took no damage and turned to face me while letting out an ear splitting roar, deafening me. With a single barrage of energy projectiles, my warframe fell. Like a stubborn donkey, I refused to budge, leaving my warframe. The Tenno, while frail, have been gifted a special power. Void Energy. They are unique in this, as they are the only ones able to harness this devastating power. I fired at the eidolon, blasting it’s thigh with energy. I was like a bug to it. Only a hundred damage. Its shields didn’t even break. I knew what to expect this time, and entered my warframe, knowing it’s mobility would be the only thing to save me.
I ran, fleeing from the predator chasing me. The Plains of Eidolon. This land was theirs, and I was an intruder. I was not welcome here, and if I wished to reap the benefits of this vast expanse. I needed to learn the ways of its people. Fear the night, embrace the light. Do not roam the plains in darkness unprepared.
I returned once more to Cetus, the meager ostron I had collected from failing my bounty weighed in my pocket. I reported to Konzu the “bounty guy” and told him I had failed. Bounties seemed to be my only source of standing for a short while. I worked hard, failing, and sometimes succeeding with the help of Charles, until I had earned enough to find a new job. Fishing.
The plains hold large bounties for those brave enough to scour them. Fishing spear in hand, we opted for a relaxing day of sitting on a warm, sun baked rock, and throwing spears at passing fish. It took about an hour, and we left when the sirens of night bellowed once more.
This process was simple. You equipped your spear, and waited for a fish to spawn. I later learned that different areas produced different fish. Different baits could be used, as well as a dye to make the underwater prey easier to spot. Fishing wasn’t a mini-game. You had to look for them through the sun’s glare, and the ripples in the water, cast correctly, using timing, and understanding the diffraction of the water. Our time was well spent, and I recall charles exclamation of disappointment of pulling up a boot! I think, when all is said and done, when the combat grows boring, and you’d just like to sit for a simpler pastime, grab some tenno, grab a spear, and cast into the cool waters of the Plains.
I returned with a hefty load of fish, I took the smaller fish, and opted to turn them to pure resources, while giving the largest to the people of Cetus. The gain was a massive leap from the fifty or so standing I got from a failed mission. With this, I scoured the market. Many stalls were available to me. Their was a miner, who sold mining lasers. This seemed like a slower, yet more valuable way to earn standing, as well as a way to earn more resources.
Continuing, I found a hunter, peddling wares to customize your pet, as well as a caged bird for your ship. A small child sold masks, and flares, and a strong, well built man selling odd weapons, known as Zaw’s. I believe this to be Eidolons endgame. Up until this point, the mining drills, and spears, served no purpose outside of the plains, but this weapon could be taken to other planets. Browsing the mans category moreI began to understand. These weapons could be forged in any image. A machete, a Sword, a Rapier, a Staff. Zaws represented a way of life, the life of cetus. You forge your own path. Infinite possibilities stand before you, but YOU pick them. Fishing. A handle. Mining, A blade. Bounties. A guard. You forge your path, and you forge a Zaw. The story of your time on the plains will be retold with every strike.
Yet… one mystery remains to me. I’ve heard rumors of weapons, capable of amplifying a tenno’s innate power. But you’ll have to find the truth behind them for yourself.
Plains of Eidolon is a good addition, it adds variety and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. At any time you can go back to old warframe, or enjoy this mode. It’s not as amazing as everyone said it was, but it did its job competently, and they’re still fixing things.
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