At TennoLive 2022, Digital Extremes finally lifted the lid on their upcoming content for Warframe, the Duviri Paradox. The next open-world update has been teased since 2019 in The Before Times, and while there’s been a lot of speculation regarding what exactly the Duviri Paradox means, we finally got to see it in action earlier today. Today at TennoCon 2022, the first real gameplay was revealed.
While the mood and look of the Duviri Paradox was set in the first monochrome trailer in 2019, we see in the first real gameplay preview that the world isn’t entirely black and white. Playing as the Drifter, at least initially according to Megan Everett in a press Q&A last week, the player is trapped in a world created by its ruler, Dominus Thrax – the Mad King, as we are doomed to death.
However, other forces intervene, as a disembodied hand is sent into the ground, injecting some color into the world in the meantime. The Drifter is then tasked with trying to escape the Dominus Thrax while discovering the meaning of the Duviri Paradox’s world, as well as Thrax’s true identity.
The gameplay shows off the open-ended nature of Warframe that the series is known for, but visually the world is striking. I was fascinated by the monochrome visuals, and love the use of pops of color when the Drifter interacts with the world around him. It’s a nice contrast that really stands out stylistically and makes The Duviri Paradox memorable.
Throughout your exploration of the many islands of the realm of Dominus Thrax, the Drifter can call on his trusty mount Kaith to transport him wherever he wishes. However, he is never too far from Dominus Thrax, as the Mad King has complete control of his kingdoms. The mood and environment of Duviri’s Paradox directly relates to the mood of the Mad King, who attempts to capture and deal with the Drifter throughout your time in the Paradox. This means that if the Drifter attempts to escape the realm of Dominus Thrax, the environment will change to reflect this.
You can see the full gameplay above during TennoCon 2022 (the video is timestamped at the time of the gameplay reveal). Digital Extremes has yet to give a release date, but the goal is for The Duviri Paradox to release this year on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation.
