There's a lot to get excited about in Warframe's Isleweaver expansion -- which is free to play today on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. The update links the time-lost Warframe 1999 and the timeless islands of Duviri, pushes the Void War narrative arc forward and gives tight-knit player guilds a new large-scale operation to contribute to.
The biggest allure of a new update for many players will always be the shiny new toys, and Isleweaver has tons of those too. A new whip and throwable clustered barbs will make a fine addition to any stealthy player's arsenal, while endgame builds will benefit from a new Incarnon weapon that'll evolve and gain special abilities in the heat of battle.
But the most impactful addition to every Tenno's toolkit is Oraxia, the 61st unique Warframe that players can pilot. She's the culmination of a years-long community meme about adding a Spider-Frame into the game, and you'll soon get a chance to scuttle around on spindly legs, summon an army of multilimbed children and assassinate enemies from above.
But it turns out that deploying extra legs and climbing on walls took an immense amount of effort to make work in Warframe, another challenge for a team that continues pushing itself to make wild fantasies playable in the game.
Oraxia "was definitely something that we only did because we're crazy," Warframe Design Director Pablo Alonso joked. "Honestly, we shouldn't have done it. But at the same time, I'm happy we did, even though it pushed the team a lot to get this done."
I spoke with Alonso and Warframe Creative Director Rebecca Ford to find out more about how Oraxia evolved from concept to reality, the stresses of modeling a completely new type of Warframe ability, and the challenges of creating this fearsome arachnid's boss fight.
Oraxia is as elegant as she is deadly. A ferocious arachnid predator lurks within Duviri. Digital Extremes
A skittering threat stalks the shadows
Warframe is all about empowering players to pick a power fantasy and live it out on the galactic stage.
Whether you enjoy playing more traditional roles, like a hack-and-slash knight or a damage-soaking tank, or you get your kicks from playing more unorthodox characters, like Sun Wukong or a walking nuclear reactor, there's a frame in the game for nearly everybody's favorite play style.
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