Warframe now has a Guitar Hero-like minigame thanks to the latest Saints of Altra update.
Warframe has a history of adding fun little mini-games to its ongoing space-ninja MMO. First there was Happy Zephyr, a Flappy Bird minigame that replaces the titular bird with Warframe’s more flight-oriented frame. Then came Frame Fighter, a classic 2D fighter that features Warframes duking it out like it was Mortal Kombat.
And now Warframe has decided to add Guitar Hero to the mix thanks to the new Shawzin instrument.
The Shawzin was actually already in the game as an available decoration for your ship, but with the Saints of Altra update that dropped last week, you can now play real music with that Shawzin.
You might recognize the instrument from traditional Asian culture, where it’s known as a Sanxian in China or a Sanshin in Japan. It has just 3 strings which can make it particularly challenging to play in real life as the musician must bend the strings in order to reach certain octaves.
In Warframe, you can control the Shawzin via different button combinations on the mouse (sorry console Warframe players--the Shawzin is only available on PC for now). The Shawzin comes pre-loaded with a few songs that you can learn to play in a very Guitar Hero or Rock Band-like minigame, but you also have the option of playing the Shawzin freestyle.
You can also record your songs to create your own custom emotes, allowing you to play virtually anything, anywhere. And Warframe players are already taking advantage of the Shawzin to recreate some incredible pieces.
The Shawzin can be obtained from the Warframe Market for 40 platinum (which amounts to a few bucks in real-world dollars). If you already owned the Shawzin decoration, you automatically get the Shawzin emote. All you gotta do is equip the Shawzin in your gear wheel and start playing.
Along with the Shawzin, Saints of Altra also adds the super speedy Gauss Warframe to the game, along with an expanded selection of Disruption game modes. Fans are still waiting for the upcoming Empyrean expansion which will add ship-to-ship combat to Warframe for the first time.