Not one to disappoint, Sony has already taken to offering PS4 owners some free goodies, like Digital Extremes’ third-person shooter, “Warframe”.  In short, this free-to-play title is a blast.  While it might not possess some of the expected refinements that you’d find in a multi-million game development project being run by a top-tier studio, it’s still quite good.  Even if you’re not really drawn into Warframe’s story, you have to admit that the team who put this game together certainly deserves some major recognition for their efforts.

The game itself is centered mostly around co-op play, where 4 players (online) can team up and take on factions of enemies amidst a decidedly sci-fi setting.  You and your comrades assume the role of the Tenno, who are a group of ancient warriors who went into cryosleep long ago only to wake up to a world jam-packed with a number of unfriendly groups.  These include a large corporation, military-equipped clones, as well as infected, zombie-like hordes called the “Infested”.  Your saving grace of course is your armor, aka – Warframes, which imbue you with special abilities.

Visuals

Even though this is a gratis title, it looks quite nice.  Smooth framerates and finely detailed graphics make Warframe a joy to play around with.  Naturally, this isn’t a game that’s going to challenge the performance abilities of the PS4, but it remains extremely sharp-looking nonetheless.  Arguably the most interesting facet of this title (as far as visuals are concerned) is its setting, which is a fairly compelling science fiction world with a fully-realized art style that is appealing.  Of course you can’t have your cake and eat it too, as they say; Warframe does suffer from at least one problem here – lack of variety.  In other words, you’re probably going to wish there was more to do and explore.

Gameplay

As previously mentioned, the main focus of this game is its co-op capabilities, which essentially thrust 4 players into mission-based scenarios where throngs of baddies are sent your way.  What makes the game interesting in terms of long-term play though is its character customization and weaponry.  You can earn currency in-game to perform modifications to your weapons and armor – yeah, it might be cliché’, but again, incredibly fun, nonetheless.  Perhaps the only way to play this game though is with three other people who really know what they’re doing and can work as a team, anything short of that and you risk frustration.

Verdict

To be honest, Warframe probably isn’t one of the better games you could play on your new PS4, but it’s far from the worst.  The simple fact that they’ve made this title free-to-play is actually quite amazing.  Anyone who might be looking for a new shooter, co-op experience, 3rd person action game, or just something to play while they socialize, will enjoy Warframe.

Rating – 6.6