Despite dying a grisly but expected death, Dauntless had the right idea. It started off as one of the most promising Monster Hunter alternatives, with a more casual-friendly approach and easier gameplay. Monster Hunter Wilds even pivoted to that same idea with much success. Sadly Dauntless went extinct. But we’re not here to talk about what went wrong with Dauntless, we’re here to discuss what it did right and how a potential Monster Hunter alternative called Soulframe from Digital Extremes, can build on that.
Soulframe is Warframe’s upcoming sister game, but with a whimsical nature and medieval fantasy twist. For fans of Warframe– like me, Soulframe might just be the next big thing. More than anything, Soulframe is something that actually has the potential to become a free and more accessible alternative to Monster Hunter.
Soulframe Has the Bones and the Skin, All It Needs is the Meat
At the time of writing, Soulframe is still in its early pre-alpha stages right and getting into the game requires a special code from someone who got lucky with the invitations. I was one of those. Even at such an early stage, Soulframe already has a sprawling sandbox that evokes a specific feeling of joy of exploration we all had playing open-world video games for the first time. In Soulframe, I felt the exact same magic during my very first playthrough of Monster Hunter World, even though that one technically isn’t open-world.
I’d never thought I’d be experiencing those organically interconnecting biomes again outside of a Monster Hunter game. But what really sold me on the Monster Hunter comparisons to Soulframe was the permeating theme and significance of nature in the game. Soulframe already has its vision set on what kind of game it wants to be where I often had to fight corrupted and enslaved versions of giant woodland animals like wolves, deer, or bears to free them from an “industrialist” tyranny.Â
Monster Hunter didn’t exactly invent that video game concept of fighting giant bosses, of course, but it did popularize rooting them in nature, complete with tribal iconography. Soulframe more or less captures that same primordial atmosphere. There’s also the fact that Soulframe is an ARPG, like Monster Hunter. Even so, unlike its sci-fi progenitor, Warframe, Soulframe’s tighter focus on methodical combat rather than running and gunning (or hacking and slashing) is something Monster Hunter players would be familiar with.
Easy Does It
A lot of things could still change with Soulframe depending on player feedback. Soulframe’s back-to-nature identity, however, seems already set in stone. Right now, at its current direction, Soulframe has that huge potential to win over the grieving Dauntless players and the hungry Monster Hunter Wilds players.
With that said, it might still be a while before Digital Extremes is comfortable enough to open Soulframe‘s doors for public access. The game still needs more meat or content, and while that “meat” won’t necessarily be made to taste the same as Monster Hunter, Soulframe already has the right idea in mind, just like Dauntless and Monster Hunter Wilds.
In a recent interview I had with Soulframe’s Lead Designer, Scott McGregor, he was positive that the vision they had for the game is to make it simpler and more accessible to players at least in comparison to the more complex and intimidating sister-game, Warframe. One of Warframe’s biggest hurdles for players these days is its inadvertent complexity. Soulframe hopefully being planned for simplicity should give it a better chance for public popularity.
Coincidentally, both Dauntless and Monster Hunter Wilds had the same idea, by turning a game franchise known for its hardcore complexity into something that’s easier to play while retaining its roots. So with all the other recipes in this dish that’s currently being cooked, like the back-to-nature theme and the memorable giant monsters, Soulframe could well be on its way to become another home for Monster Hunter players– as soon as it opens its doors.
