Quick Links
Soulframeshares a lot of DNA with its sci-fi siblingWarframe, but this open-world fantasy RPG shrouds most of its mechanics in mystery. Even things as simple as settlement names are completely hidden until you figure out how to unlock them, so it’s pretty hard for a newSoulframeplayer to get the hang of things.
With that said,Soulframebecomes much more managable for new players once you unlock a few key features and unveil more of the world map. It’s not quite as straightforward as other open-world fantasy RPGs, but that sense of discovery is what setsSoulframeapart. If you’re just getting started, these tips will help you find your footing inSoulframeso you can get to the fun part as fast as possible.
Defog the Map with World Trees
Unveiling the map should be your first priority once you’re set loose in theopen world ofSoulframe. The fog of war makes exploration much harder, so seek out World Trees to reveal more areas. You’ll be directed to the first World Tree as part of the tutorial quest, but you’re on your own after that.
World Trees are dead trees with spears sticking out of them. They’re not that tall, so they can be hard to spot from a distance. They tend to be near major settlements and camps, though, so keep an eye out for them while exploring. If you approach a World Tree and remove the spear, the fog will be cleared from the surrounding parts of the map so you’re able to get your bearings.
You can actually see World Tree icons on the map through the fog if you zoom out all the way, but they’re very faint. If you really can’t find a World Tree, take a few minutes to scan through the foggy map and see if you can pinpoint a tree’s location.
Find the Blacksmith to Upgrade Gear
You’ll get a ton of XP and materials in the opening hours ofSoulframe, but you may’t do anything with it until you unlock your Blacksmith Ancestor. You can unlock the Blacksmith as soon as you arrive in the open world.
To find the Blacksmith, head east from the starting area until you come across a crater with a bunch of enemies inside. Finding that crater (or reading some notes hidden in the nearby settlement) will unlock the Steelsinger quest, which unlocks the Blacksmith. To complete the quest, clear the area and grab the helmet in the center of the crater. Follow your bird and carry the helmet to the nearby abandoned forge to recruit Tuvalkane the Blacksmith.
You can craft new equipment by visiting Tuvalkane in the Nightfold. Stronger recipes are locked behind Bond requirements, and you can increase your Bond with Tuvalkane by crafting low-level gear.
Break Everything
You need a ton of resources to craft new equipment inSoulframe, so get in the habit of breaking everything you come across. Every crate contains at least a few resources, and every little bit helps. Most importantly, make sure you search every weapon rack that you find. These aren’t just for show. They drop incredibly rare crafting materials that you can’t get anywhere else, so keep an eye out for them in dungeons and enemy camps.
Follow the Bird Everywhere
If you ever get lost inSoulframe, summon your bird companion, and it will lead you to your next objective. As a rule of thumb, you should always follow the bird until it no longer has anywhere to take you. Once the bird starts to hover in place, you’ll have to explore on your own to find new quests or bosses.
The bird will also lead you through dungeons, giving you an idea of where the main exit is located, so you can head off in other directions to scavenge for loot. Also, you don’t have to keep spamming the bird button for navigation assistance. The bird will place an icon on your compass at the top of the screen for you to follow.
Find Motes to Translate Names
Settlement names and codex entries are written in another language when you first discover them inSoulframe, so you have to manually translate everything yourself. You can do so by collecting glowing golden motes hidden in each area.
When you arrive at a new area, you’ll see little black creatures floating above the name at the top of the screen. This indicates that there are motes available to collect nearby. Motes spawn randomly throughout each area, and you may only collect one of them per in-game day. It’ll take quite some time to fully translate everything, so make sure you’re constantly returning to the same areas to get more Motes when they spawn.
Upgrade the Right Stats
Each weapon type is associated with a certain stat inSoulframe, so make sure you’re investing your points in the right areas. If you’re using a bow, for example, then you’ll want to invest a bunch of points into Grace.
The three main Virtues also affect your abilities inSoulframe. Courage affects your overall ability damage, Spirit affects your ability duration, and Grace affects your ability range. If you find your skills lacking in a certain area, allocate some stat points to the right Virtue.
Explore to Find More Story Quests
EverySoulframeplayer will reach a point where they run out of main story quests, but there’s no need to worry when that happens to you. Most people think the main story ends after defeating the Torment Stag boss in the starting zone, but that’s just the end of the initial story arc.
After defeating the Torment Stag and unlocking the Silent Rose faction, it may seem like there are only random faction quests left for you to do. There are actually more main story quests to discover inSoulframe, but you have to seek them out yourself by exploring different parts of the map.
The Steelsinger quest for the Blacksmith is just one example, and you can find even more Fables as you run around the open world. Just keep grinding faction quests until you find something interesting.Exploration is a key part ofSoulframe, after all.
