Warframe(Free) lastly launched worldwide on iOS final month after being revealed for cell a number of years in the past. Due for Android later, Warframe for iOS has launched with full cross platform development and cross play assist, and it’s the full sport full with all expansions, updates, mobile-exclusive options, and extra. Having performed Warframe on Swap earlier than, a bit on Xbox One, and extra not too long ago on Steam Deck, I used to be interested by how it could scale on my iPhone and iPad. Earlier than attending to the remainder of this characteristic, I wish to be clear that this Warframe iOS evaluate goes to give attention to the cell port and never the precise sport’s story and expansions as a result of there may be an excessive amount of on that entrance given the sport’s age and quantity of content material.
In case you’ve actually by no means heard of or performed Warframe earlier than, it’s a free to play quick paced motion looter shooter with a sci-fi setting. It excels in its gameplay, customization, lore, and artwork. Even once I performed it on Nintendo Swap, the gameplay was very good regardless of the technical cutbacks. Since then, the sport has gotten many content material and have updates, with the latest main replace hitting as not too long ago as a number of months in the past. With full cross development and cross play now within the sport, the time for releasing on cell had lastly arrived, and I don’t have too many complaints with the port proper now, however there may be work to be finished.
Whenever you launch Warframe on iOS, you’re prompted to login with Apple. Warframe is an online-only sport, and you’re required to login every time you boot up the sport. That is additionally the case on Steam the place you might want to enter your Warframe password. On console you don’t have to enter your password every time, fortunately. In case you plan on linking your current Warframe account to iOS to proceed taking part in, I’d advocate ensuring you’ve arrange cross save by linking no matter console variations you play so every part goes nicely if you hyperlink your iOS account.
With that finished, you can be prompted to both obtain the tutorial half or the total sport. As of March 4th, Warframe makes use of up 14.36GB on my iPhone 15 Professional with every part put in. For reference, Warframe takes up 17GB on Swap and 36.34GB on Steam. That is nonetheless so much smaller than different reside service video games that strategy 100GB. Warframe may be very nicely optimized throughout the board, and I truly waited for a number of cell updates to cowl the port. That paid off as a result of Warframe on iOS is in a a lot better place proper now than it was at launch with varied enhancements and fixes already like a 60fps possibility.
In case you’ve ever watched Warframe gameplay earlier than, it is vitally quick. You’re most likely questioning how that’s even playable on a touchscreen, however I feel the workforce at Digital Extremes has finished an ideal job translating the controls over with some mobile-exclusive choices. Like Lifeless Cells, Warframe has automated assaults by default. You possibly can disable this, however Warframe feels nice with this enabled on a touchscreen. With regards to taking pictures, shifting your crosshair onto an enemy will make your weapons hearth mechanically. This additionally applies to melee.
Along with the automated assault choices, there’s a brand new sensor that hints at issues taking place round you. That is particularly helpful if you’re taking part in with out headphones or sound so you may preserve observe of issues close to you. The sensor is colour coded for white being non hostile issues and purple being hostile.
Warframe on iOS has controller assist. I examined this with my 8BitDo and DualSense controllers. Each labored nice on my iPad. On iPhone, I wished to play with contact controls, and so they wanted a bit of labor. You possibly can alter the size and transparency for many buttons right here. The contact targets for some interactions have been a bit too small by default, so I tweaked them. Among the menus you utilize exterior gameplay should be bigger although. Even among the toggle switches are tiny on the iPhone display. I’m undecided if these really feel higher on the Max dimension telephones, however on my iPhone 15 Professional, some menus are a bit too small.
In case you use a controller you may have Warframe auto detect buttons or power a particular set of controller button prompts. This contains Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Swap choices. One factor I’d prefer to see added is gyro assist. There’s a vibration setting, however Warframe additionally has haptics on iPhone, which is all the time good to see.
On the visible facet, the default configuration was a bit too conservative on my iPhone 15 Professional. A current replace lastly added larger body price assist. At launch, Warframe was capped at 30hz on each iOS system. Now you can enhance this to as much as 60hz, and it makes an enormous distinction even when the 60hz goal isn’t met completely. Needless to say your cellphone will warmth up with this except you flip some extra settings down. Along with body price, you may alter subject of view all the way in which as much as 111, use any high quality preset, or alter settings manually. These embody movement blur (which is a bit too robust), movie grain, distortion, depth of subject, results, shadows, dynamic decision (with decision scale), and extra.
One factor to notice is the iPad model on my iPad Professional (2020) has numerous menu parts which might be blurry like button prompts. I hope this may be improved in updates. Whereas the sport itself can look excellent even on this older iPad, the menus trying unhealthy is stunning. I don’t have an M1 or later iPad to see if issues are higher there.
Loads has already improved with Warframe on iOS since launch, and issues will possible solely get higher. Having frolicked with it on iPhone 15 Professional, iPad Professional (2020), Swap, Swap Lite, Steam Deck, and Xbox earlier than, I’d put Warframe on iOS a bit above the Swap model proper now if you happen to use contact controls, and nicely above it if you happen to use a controller. I solely actually advocate taking part in the Swap model if you happen to don’t have entry to a more moderen iOS system and don’t have a controller to make use of on mentioned iOS system. The perfect transportable model is on Steam Deck from the platforms I personal for positive with a lot better visuals and efficiency throughout the board in comparison with even iPhone 15 Professional I’ll be taking part in it by means of the yr seeing how the iOS model and others evolve.
Warframe is a free to play sport, and whereas I can’t say how issues could be in a number of months from now, the workforce has confirmed itself over time to ship a non pay to win expertise. Warframe is all the time thought-about top-of-the-line examples of free to play reside service finished proper, and you may expertise that in your cellphone totally proper now. I do know free video games are extra about whether or not they’re price your time or not, and Warframe justifies it. In case you’d fairly not play it in your cellphone, give it a shot as a result of it’s accessible on each present platform in addition to on iOS.
In its present state, Warframe is a formidable port of a wonderful sport. Whereas I hoped it was higher in some features, Warframe is price attempting out on iOS for positive. It stays top-of-the-line examples of free to play finished proper, and the entire sport with no main compromises is now playable on iOS with cross play and cross save assist. I can’t wait to see how Digital Extremes enhances the cell model by means of the yr main into the Android model.
Warframe iOS port evaluate rating: 4.5/5
