Simply now at Tennocon, Digital Extremes revealed a gameplay demo for its subsequent large replace: Warframe 1999. This edgy, Y2K-themed demo was bleeding with a really explicit grungy vibe. Not solely that, nevertheless it introduced Warframe someplace completely unfamiliar – a retro European metropolis full of a contemporary army enemies and arcade machines moderately than the galactic sci-fi we’re all used to.
To talk extra on how the workforce arrived at this putting new slice of Warframe’s future, I spoke to inventive director Rebecca Ford concerning the inspirations for the design. It seems, one of many key cornerstones for Warframe 1999 got here from certainly one of Digital Excessive’s older titles: Darkish Sector.
VG247: This new space! It’s totally European. What had been the inspirations for that world when it comes to design and identification?
Rebecca Ford: Actually, Darkish Sector was and it is a very attention-grabbing inspiration as a result of I wasn’t really ever concerned within the Darkish Sector. However some individuals on the Warframe workforce had been in fact. So we had been taking a look at how we might make an out of doors, vaguely European really feel, however for Warframe now. How can we use procedural ranges, how can we get outdoors. Then all of the streams converged on that reality we might have bikes, and we might have two factions on the market. Let’s simply construct some streets and sewers and see what occurs.
From there, we actually wanted to select a purpose for that world to exist. So it is 1999, it is the flip of the millennium, there’s expertise in every single place! It is apparent this other-earth so issues are somewhat completely different. And in the end, we settled on this moody, very Darkish Sector impressed (but in addition uniquely Warframe) slice of earth in 1999.
VG247: Is that the one slice of Darkish Sector we will count on? I do know the years do not fairly match with Darkish Sector being set on the finish of the Chilly Conflict, besides…
Ford: Yeah. I feel there is perhaps some nods, however for lots of oldsters… If anybody is on the lookout for a continuation of Darkish Sector in any manner, it isn’t right here. However in fact, the weather that make this Warframe 1999 would not exist with out Darkish Sector.
VG247: I would prefer to ask about that new enemy faction we simply noticed. May you inform us a bit extra about that?
Ford: “The Skaldra! Sure, they’re the imposing drive of army rule in 1999. In Hollvanian. They’re the anti-infested containment unit, however they’re additionally army. They’re led by the key: Main Rossuca who you bought an excellent glimpse at. She kinda guidelines with the Skaldra at her aspect to maintain the techrot and what she calls “the slugs” out of her metropolis. Usually you will be seeing plenty of chemical goo weapons and actual weapons. Tanks, in fact. The participant will actually must outmaneuver this proto-military unit.
VG247: What was it like mixing this 1999 tech with Warframe’s very distinctive aesthetic?
Ford: We’re at all times in our other-earth recreation world, and fortunately for us Warframe has had lots of people contribute to it through the years. After we first pitched 1999 across the artwork workforce, our authentic artwork director Minki who has since left the workforce however nonetheless stays in contact, introduced some sketches for what a 1999 faction might seem like. They had been simply paper sketches, and we had been like ‘Ah! After all!’. So we had two sheets of potential army models, we despatched them round our workforce, and we constructed the faction out on account of that.
Their key attribute is: what would individuals attempting to maintain out an infestation seem like? Effectively, they’d in all probability use a whole lot of goo or gasoline, so that’s actually the important thing to them so far as visible identification goes. Taking some inventive liberties, in fact.
VG247: They give the impression of being distinct, but in addition proto-grineer. Is there a hyperlink there?
Ford: There’s an enormous hyperlink! Simply when it comes to how we approached it. Narrative no remark in fact, however when it comes to design we thought okay, the grineer are principally a army drive with conventional weapons and clone rot, what would a 1999 distant cousin of a army faction seem like, and might we take it somewhat bit extra actually with the army angle. So that they’re completely a non secular design companion to the Grineer.
This perception received you eager to see the replace for youself? You will not have to attend for lengthy, as Warframe 1999 is ready to launch in fall 2024 throughout all platforms!
