When I jumped into the Preludes program for Soulframe, it was around Preludes 7. When I jumped into the game, there was so much to learn, but it all became second nature to me after a while. As they further updated the game with more and more content across Preludes 8 and 9, it was clear the game would be opening up and Digital Extremes would be experimenting more. Such is the case of Preludes 10.
Preludes 10 in Soulframe felt like a minor improvement to Preludes 9. I was very excited to play this update originally, as they showed off so much awesome content that they still delivered on, for the most part. Secondary weapons were being added for more build diversity, a new dungeon was being added to the game, and armour going beyond the cosmetic side of the game with stat additions. All of this sounded great, even the Runes and Motes system that was going to replace Envoy Pact ultimates.
That is, until I heard that the Runes and Motes system was being pushed out of Preludes 10. Currently there is no word on when this buildcrafting system will be added to Soulframe now. Which is disappointing since Preludes 9 originally took away the Pact ultimates. This marks two whole Preludes updates that leave out not only a buildcrafting system for weapons we rely on more, but a way to give a major damage boost in the way of an ultimate now when fighting bosses.
With all of this being said, however, there was a lot of good content added in Preludes 10 overall.
A Journey into the Crypt of the Circade
The Crypt of the Circade is a new dungeon added to the game. I am unaware if it is remaining permanently, or only around temporarily as an event. I do hope it sticks around as I really enjoyed my time grave robbing, so to speak. I was pretty unsure how to get into the Crypt, and what all to do in there. But thanks to a very helpful guide from YouTuber SarahLovesArchery, I was able to get the most out of the Crypt.
The Crypt is eerie, dark, and dangerous. With many secrets to uncover and was a joy to explore once I understood what to do in it. The Circade boss fight being tied to glowing sigils to get unique rewards and a very deep puzzle to solve within made it very memorable. I did not like, however, having to find keys for the Crypt. If only due to the fact that once you die, you have to start over. This adds some unwelcomed friction.
While this was a major highlight, mostly due to the community working together to solve the Crypts puzzle. The best part by far was the Mendicant King boss fight.
A new and Stunning Boss Fight in Soulframe
To put this as politely as possible, I think this is the coolest boss Digital Extremes has made so far in Soulframe. You have to find him petrified near one of the corrupted zones, ring a bell and kill his adds to then do normal damage to him. The Mendicant King is a genuine challenge and the rewards look very cool.
My only problem with him, however, is that the rewards should not be fragmented. I think if the armor dropped fully built piece by piece, it would reduce some of the grind. The Mendicant King is a great boss, but fighting him nearly 7 times with no completed set yet is sad to me.
Daggers and Tree Twitter
Secondary weapons were added to the game and they are very powerful and serve multiple uses. One can be a side dagger to use if you want to use caster weapons or a bow, which is a great combination. While another can fulfill the niche of a caster weapon to couple with a sword, or halberd. These are great new weapons and help when making a loadout.
Also added to the game was a message board for the world trees in Soulframe. I do like this system, as it functions like a Dark Souls messaging system. But I wish there was a way to make helpful posts more visible through a tag or tab system, and maybe a way to use these trees as fast travel points across Midrath Island now that it is more open.
Faction Grinds and Bow Woes
When it comes to the game now, there are 3 factions to align with. Alca’s Children spearheaded by Avakot, the Silent Rose lead by Lady Deora, and the Kith of Kings ruled by Fen Jotarr. I am not very far into this system, but the factions offer intermittent missions to tackle for rewards, XP and faction reputation to buy items. I think right now, the gains are a little too slow, especially since you have to use reputation to buy the items offered. If you could use dracs (in-game currency) or resources instead, it would be a better system to me.
Finally, the bow got a lot of love and I like how it works for the most part. The arrow volley is cool to use consistently while rolling around watching everything die. I just think the damage output could be higher, especially if I am required to aim even in close quarters. Which brings me to my final complaint.
Soulframe Needs a Lock on Feature
Digital Extremes have said in the past that the combat is inspired by Ghost of Tsushima. I do think as a baseline approach, this is fine. However, for bows, and caster weapons, having a lock on feature for body shots at the very least could alleviate some frustration. I would also like to see it used for melee weapons as well to ensure I can focus on one target at a time.
The auto lock system is good in a vacuum and for co-op. But I find myself getting frustrated when having to manually look in a direction to start attacking something else. I think the lock on feature would work wonders for abilities in some cases too.
But overall, Preludes 10 in Soulframe is a great update. I do dislike the fact that I am both moteless, and ultimate-less (if that’s a word) for two updates now. However, I know Digital Extremes are still cooking so much behind the scenes. I am sure they will talk about the Runes and Motes at a different date. But I hope it is added soon, to make fighting bosses more interesting and fun.
Thank you for reading.
