New Soulframe update brings the world to life with adorable wolf pups, fishing, and weather

New Soulframe update Preludes 16 has arrived, and it's a reminder that sometimes the little things make the biggest difference. Digital Extremes has been working to establish its fantasy game with a separate identity from its older sibling, Warframe, and this overhaul is another step towards making the world feel more alive and reactive. Walking us through the latest patch notes in Soulframe Devstream 17 are Creative Director Geoff Crookes, Senior Gameplay Designer Joe Buck, Audio Director George Spanos, Senior Community Manager Sarah Asselin, and Digital Extremes CEO Steve Sinclair.

Today is all about the new update, Soulframe Preludes 16: Of Hook and Hound, which is out right now following the stream's conclusion. As the name suggests (and was previously teased at Tennocon), the big additions include fishing and the first stages of training our wolf pup (which will eventually become our mount). That's just the start of what's on offer, however with other features such as a new weather system and fresh gear upgrade paths in store.

It's a little on the 'laid-back' side, but that's the point: "I'm really excited how this update does feel like some of the MMO-light features," Sinclair remarks. "There are a lot more casual things you can do - but that doesn't mean we haven't been working on the core combat experience and other stuff as well. The weather system has turned out way better than I had dreamed - I am a big Red Dead 2 replayer, and I think we've captured some of the special essence of just being in the world as it changes around you."

Once you've chosen a wolf pup, they're now able to accompany you on your adventures. They'll train in five different stats as you complete encounters, dungeons, and votives, or if you play fetch with them, pet them, or bring them on your fishing expeditions. Each stat affects both the pup's behavior and the effects of the beneficial aura they apply to you. There's a cap on the total points they can earn, however, meaning you can't max everything out. When their energy runs low, they'll head back to the Nightfold and rest.

Fancy a spot of fishing? This new activity starts out with a short quest called 'Minnow's Hook,' which will give you your first lure. Once you're set up, find a suitable spot and cast your line out, then wait for a bite. You'll need to pull the line against the fish as it attempts to wriggle free, or tap the mouse if it leaps into the air to stun it. There's a wide range of catches to look out for, including more powerful sorts corrupted by Ode'n sludge. Once you bring one in, you can turn it into snacks or pup treats, or release it for other rewards.

Midrath's new dynamic weather will bring in various levels of rainfall, winds, fog, and even lightning as you explore. Rainstorms encourage growth, causing more plentiful resources to appear, with even more potential discoveries should you spot a rainbow. Fog could give you some much-needed cover, while lightning storms will amplify the damage dealt by Voltaic sources.

There are new weapons and armor on offer, along with the introduction of new ways to take control of your Tempers. The Suit of the Sleeve set is earned through favor with Alca's Children. Grimana is a three-bladed dewclaw found among rare chests the Glades of Andurin, Wreath is a giant bludgeoning mace dropped by Mendicant foes, and Gystalt is a lightning-infused staff "adorned with hands of demise" and snagged from Ode'n enemies.

As you dismantle weapons, you'll be able to teach Tuvalkane the Tempers within, giving her the ability to replace or enhance the options on your other level 30 weapons. You'll need ten points for each one you learn, and every dismantle will reward at least one point towards that. Once you're ready to go, head back to Tuvalkane and use the Strike Tempers option - just keep in mind that this is a permanent process, and will require a fresh set of resources if you want to get something back that you previously stripped off.

Preludes 16 adds six more Tempers to the mix, but that's just the start. Once a weapon has been enhanced to legendary rank, there's the ability to apply an Epithet. These are titles bestowed based on your achievements, and you're able to swap them out as you wish.

"Let's talk about the freaking parry window," Sinclair teases. Buck jumps in to explain: "Landon kept saying there was a delay and I was like, 'No, no, no.'" He laughs. "And there was; there was a 0.15-second delay from when you pressed block until the parry window kicked in." Alongside a fix for this problem, Digital Extremes has also resolved the parry cooldown timer impacting blocks, which could cause you to get hit at times even though you were blocking correctly.

The rest of the update includes more combat tweaks, such as a reduction to the 'warp assist' that pulls you into enemies when attacking them. You'll now need to be closer to opponents with short-ranged weapons to hit them, making the likes of polearms more worthwhile. "We were a little bit nervous about this," Sinclair remarks, "but I'm very excited about it, and it feels right." There's also new party matchmaking for revival shrines and dungeons, along with a whole heap of smaller improvements and bug fixes.

Soulframe Preludes 16: Of Hook and Hound is live now. You can visit the official website and join the queue for a random chance to be invited to the ongoing alpha test, or purchase a Founders pack (starting at $29.99 / £24.99) to gain access and start playing immediately.

Lauren recently caught up with Asselin at Gamescom, and the Community Manager remarked on how much of Soulframe's development has been driven by player feedback. Opening it up so early on was "scary and exciting," she notes, but has led to dramatic improvements across the entire game. She explains that Warframe's approach has been the "blueprint for the way we want to approach community with Soulframe."

"We have always been community-first, sometimes to a fault," Asselin tells us. "We're super transparent; we share the good and the bad, the warts and all. If you've been playing Soulframe since the very beginning, you've seen that and you've been on a journey. You've been through a lot of design iterations. But it's also why we've been able to make a game that speaks to our community, and that feels connected with us. We've seen it work with Warframe, so of course we want to push it in a similar way."

Additional reporting by Lauren Bergin for PCGamesN at Gamescom.