Warframe is one of the most popular games on Steam, being a totally free-to-play action role-playing third-person shooter multiplayer online game. Fighting in armored suits called Warframes, it is easy to assume it is pay-to-win because it is free. But, is Warframe pay-to-win?
Warframe is not pay-to-win and you can win without dumping large amounts of money into it although you will have to grind the game and play for many hours to earn the necessary items and loot.
Let’s look at why Warframe isn’t pay-to-win, what you get for putting money into it, and whether it’s the type of game that you may enjoy playing. So let’s get into it and explore the world of the Tenno!
Is Warframe a Pay-to-Win Kind of Game?
Warframe is not pay-to-win as you don’t gain in-game benefits from paying that you cannot earn just by playing.
The game is certainly made less tedious by pumping money into it and will help speed up the grind. But it is not the case that Warframe has drastically game-changing elements that are only available to paying players.
One of the biggest differences when you put money into it is the skins you get to make your weapons look cooler, however these skins don’t give a gameplay advantage. Really what helps you win in the game is grinding for everything in-game.
This is achieved via redoing missions to get the exclusive rewards.
As Warframe is a cooperative game with very few player versus player (PVP) elements and no associated rankings or competitive ladder to climb.
The ingame currency that can be purchased is known as Platinum. Platinum is the medium of exchange for the in-game marketplace, with the following items: Cosmetics, Warframes, Mod Packs, Sentinels, Warframes, and Equipment.
However, all of these items can be earned by grinding the game with the exception of inventory slots, some color palettes, and cosmetic items, which must be bought. However, you can earn Platinum by trading rare items with other players.
So it is really the fact that you pay to fast forward through the grind. Doing as many quests as you can, defeating bosses to get loot, collecting all the weapons and warframes you can will all lead to you getting stronger.
Research and crafting will take many days in Warframe but this is how you improve without money.
Is It Worth to Play Warframe?
Warframe is a totally free experience, As there is no DLC, no monthly subscription, no paid expansion packs, or anything that must be purchased to get the most out of the game.
It’s more accurate to call Warframe a pay-to-progress game, meaning if you have the time to play it, you will get through the grindy parts. Some games have so much delaying or impossibly long tasks that there is no option but to pay-to-win.
The game is set in the future and you play a member of the Tenno, an ancient alien warrior race awoken from cryosleep fighting against several factions.
These included the militarized humans the Grineer, the Corpus’ advanced robots, the Technocyte virus ravaged called the Infested and self-replicating machines known as the Orokin.
The combat is done via an anthropomorphous biomechanical combat unit called a Warframe, it possesses supernatural agility and special abilities, alongside a selection of basic weapons.
You also get to engage in space-bound combat using an auxiliary combat platform called Archwing, mounted on a Warframe.
A 2019 update allowed players to manage a spaceship called Railjack, allowing a cooperative experience with up to four people working together to destroy enemy ships.
There are a variety of storyline and rotating missions that offer rewards, and can all be done with up to four players in a type of player versus environment-style manner.
You get rewards for finishing missions as well as experience points that help you level up to make your character stronger.
Is Warframe Grindy?
Warframe is certainly a big grind especially if you aren’t going to buy Platinum. The monetization system of Warframe is meant to encourage players who don’t like the grind to skip it by buying Platinum, allowing you to shortcut out the grind.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the game has been out for a very long time with a lot of content released over this period, so unlocking all of this is going to require some investment.
Like all games in this vein, you’ll want to optimize the way you unlock and progress through the game otherwise you’ll waste a lot of time not achieving much. Be sure to look up a guide on how best to do this rather than trying trial and error.
For new players you’ll want to try and group up with some stronger players, as the loot will be better and they can help carry you.
