Soulframe Preludes 16 Update Focuses Heavily on Story and Mounts

Developer Digital Extremes is gearing up to launch Preludes 16 for its upcoming fantasy title Soulframe. The next major pre-alpha update is scheduled to arrive later this month for players who have purchased a Founders Pack through the official Soulframe website. While the game remains in early development and requires more time before its progression and combat systems can be fully evaluated, recent previews showcase significant strides in the game's storytelling formula.

Soulframe shares similarities with Digital Extremes' established hit Warframe, though it swaps futuristic weaponry for magic and a high-fantasy setting infused with advanced technology. This technological blend ranges from simple moving lifts and assembly line blacksmith kilns to complex floating obelisks. Combat combines medieval melee battles and magical spells.

The upcoming Preludes 16 update places a heavy emphasis on narrative through major story drops known as Warsongs. These sequences flesh out the lore surrounding the main playable character, referred to as the Envoy. In this particular Warsong, the Envoy experiences a vision of their mother holding them as a child before flashing to her falling in battle. The narrative uses gameplay to explore this vision further by letting players control the Envoy's mother while riding into battle on a white wolf mount. This marks the introduction of mounts to the game.

The storyline unfolds through an accelerated timeline, shifting between perspectives and providing unique playable sections, including one segment where players control a beaver. The sequence builds toward a climax featuring an encounter with the villainous Tempest Bayor. Digital Extremes previously revealed that Tempest Bayor will be voiced by actor Ben Starr.

Players eager to experience the new Warsong firsthand will not have to wait long. Preludes 16 is slated to roll out later this month for qualifying pre-alpha testers who own a Founders Pack. Digital Extremes continues to track the project's progress as it moves forward from these early testing phases.