If you’re an old enough, you might remember Dark Sector, the OG game that Digital Extremes cooked up back in the day. It was like a mix of sleek sci-fi meets gritty espionage, with a dash of mutant-infested chaos thrown in for good measure. Now, it seems like the folks at Digital Extremes thought, “Hey, why not take this and give it a second chance within the world of Warframe?”. In Warframe 1999 it looks like DE is bringing Dark Sector back with a Jetstream Sam cosplaying counterpart to Excalibur named Arthur, turning it into a full-blown, time-traveling experience.
Breathing New life into a dead title
From the moment the Tennocon 2023 reveal transitioned from Whispers in the Wall to 1999 it was obvious what was the inspiration for this update. Warframe: 1999 is a homage to Dark Sector, but also a way for Digital Extremes to revisit and reimagine their old game within the context of Warframe as with Dark Sector they never got to follow through on their true vision for the game due to publisher pressure. The expansion will follow a new character named Arthur, who wears armor that resembles Excalibur one of the first Warframes in Warframe and has a face that looks strikingly like Jetstream Sam from Metal Gear.
Setting
The expansion will also feature a new setting that is very different from Warframe’s usual planets and locations. Warframe: 1999 will take place in some currently unknown world/dimension in the year of 1999, right before the turn of the millennium. The game will have a retro-futuristic aesthetic, with CRT screens, static, and old-fashioned technology mixed with current day weapons but all with a futuristic twist. People also think that the name 1999 is hinting at a possible connection to the Y2K problem, a widespread fear that computers would malfunction or crash when the year changed from 1999 to 2000.
Gameplay
Warframe: 1999 might be set in the past, but it is still Warframe. As the update is still some time away we don’t know the exact details, but you can expect similarly fast-paced action combat from the current game as you can guess from the trailer as well, but DE always introduces new mechanics with its larger updates so expect a lot of new additions as well. Gameplay is one spot where DE could really flex the Dark Sector influence with bosses or weapons from the old game brought into Warframe.
Warframe: 1999 is expected to launch in 2024. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out more content on Poggers Memes. Enjoy cooperative games with synergistic abilities? You can check out the best 5 Warframes for a beginner in the new Duviri Paradox update.