Warframe has held a significant spot near the top of the relatively fresh looter-shooter genre in video games. Not many titles have challenged it until games like The Division or Destiny and their sequels came along. Of the mentioned competitors, Destiny 2 gets compared the most to Warframe since they're both sci-fi.
It also just so happens that Destiny 2 seems to be competing heavily against Warframe especially when the core game became free to play last year. Hence, for the two games, the biggest investment needed is primarily the players' time. Which of the two deserves more of that time? This comparison ought to help.
Updated on February 1st, 2022 by Geoffrey Martin: Both Warframe and Destiny 2 continue to be juggernauts in the free-to-play gaming space. Considering they are both live service games that are continually receiving new content, it's impressive to see both games continue to maintain committed player bases while also drawing in new players. With the upcoming Witch Queen content arriving for Destiny 2 and with Warframe continuing to bolster its already excellent gameplay variety, it seemed appropriate to discuss both games now that 2022 is upon us.
17 Warframe - A Wholly Unique Gameplay Experience
By its very nature, Warframe is an extremely unique game with a stellar setup and premise. The mere fact that you get to play as uber-powerful space ninjas is the stuff of dreams for sci-fi fans. Warframe truly provides a unique gameplay experience, one that masterfully combines third-person shooting, intense melee combat, and robust missions with plenty of challenge.
It's really quite hard to compare the sci-fi ninja gameplay to any other experience, perhaps only coming close to the single-player-focused game Vanquish. While the live service tendencies and somewhat grindy nature of the game still exist to some extent, Warframe manages to offer you stellar gameplay scenarios where you truly feel like an awesome hero.
16 Destiny 2 - Better For Quick Play Sessions
Destiny 2 has had an interesting life cycle thus far. Starting out as a premium gaming experience in addition to having live service microtransactions, it didn't get off on the right footing when it first launched. Fortunately, Destiny 2 has made great strides since becoming free-to-play, not only because it's on almost every platform imaginable, but also because it lets you enjoy the majority of content without paying a dime.
Live service games are often best enjoyed daily. In Destiny 2's case, it's a fantastic game for hopping in solo or with some friends in order to take on a challenging raid encounter or to obtain that rare loot you have been grinding for. Whether you have twenty minutes or two hours, Destiny 2 really allows for flexibility when it comes to the gameplay you opt to dive into on any given day.
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14 Why Warframe - Quests
Quests serve different purposes in Destiny 2 and Warframe. While both games use quests as a medium of rewarding players with unique loot, Warframe does a much better job using quests as a springboard for exploring the game's lore. Nearly every quest in Warframe is well-written and provides a captivating story from start to finish, whether that be focused on a Warframe's origins or a character's motivations. Better yet, Warframe also uses its main quests as a clever way of introducing new gameplay systems such as Focus or Riven Mods.
Destiny 2's quests, in comparison, feel much more transactional, focusing on completing a set of quest steps to earn a piece of loot. That doesn't mean Destiny 2's quests don't have their moments—the Hawkmoon quest was certainly a highlight for Season of the Hunt—but they don't reach the heights of Warframe's "Chains of Harrow" or "The Sacrifice."
13 Why Destiny 2 - Lore
Destiny's lore is some of the best in the genre. Bungie might struggle to represent the franchise's deep and compelling lore in-game, but the writers certainly know how to explore this unique universe through Grimoire cards and lore entries.
Nearly every Destiny fan that is into the franchise's lore can recite parts of the Books of Sorrow, explain the origins of Thorn, or talk of how Saint-14 bested entire armies of Fallen with only his fists and his trusty shotgun. The sheer number of well-told stories in Destiny 2 are too high to count. Whether it's from armor pieces or lore books found in-game, Destiny 2 has a rich universe that is begging to be explored.
12 Why Warframe - Customization
Few games can compete with Warframe's customization options. From the way your Warframe looks to the hundreds of Mods available, player choice permeates nearly every aspect of Warframe's design.
Warframes can wear capes, shoulder armor, chest plates, knee guards, change their body and head shape through unique skins, wear emblems named Sigils, and project energy effects around themselves named Ephemeras. Every one of those items can be colored with hundreds of color choices. And that is only what your character looks like. Warframe and weapon builds also include this degree of customization thanks to the game's Mod system. For those that love to fine-tune how their character looks and behaves, Warframe is one of the best games in the genre currently.
11 Why Destiny 2 - Consistent Content Releases
Calling Warframe's content roadmap inconsistent would be generous. There are times when Digital Extremes can release major content patches or balance overhauls back-to-back, only for the game to suffer through a year-long content drought.
Bungie had this same issue during the first Destiny after releasing The Taken King expansion. To prevent that from happening again, Destiny 2 has adopted a seasonal model that releases a new game mode every three months complete with new guns, armor, and Exotics to chase. Warframe has dabbled with seasonal content in the form of Nightwave, but many veteran players can attest that Nightwave has been less than consistent thus far. Fans of looter shooters that want a consistent content release schedule in their games will likely enjoy Destiny 2 more than Warframe for this reason.
10 Why Warframe - Free Since Launch
Warframe's developer, Digital Extremes, has gone through some tough turbulences just to keep Warframe alive and free since 2013. It's at its highest point now and is thriving with a strong community that keeps coming back for more.
It's also easier to come back to Warframe since it really doesn't cost any money. Expansions are also free and the game's premium currency, Platinum, can also be earned through enough effort and economic smarts. Ultimately that makes it more affordable than Destiny 2.
9 Why Destiny 2 - Easier To Learn
While Warframe is lighter on the pockets, Destiny 2 is less taxing on the brain, especially for newbies. Warframe's intricate system of movement, Mods, and crafting could take more than 100 hours to fully grasp or master.
Destiny 2's learning curve is less steep, making it more accessible to younger players or players looking for something more casual. Not to mention the controls ought to be more familiar since the game is in first-person.
8 Why Warframe - Better Gameplay Diversity
Warframe's steep learning curve is a double-edged sword. While it can dissuade or even intimidate a lot of newbies, those who stayed will learn just how deep and varied Warframe's combat can be with the right inquisitive mindset.
There are billions of build combinations to try out thanks to the mod system and how they affect the Warframes themselves. The non-competitive mission types and reward tracks are also more varied in Warframe and there's even an open-world mode complete with mining and fishing.
7 Why Destiny 2 - Better Loot
Both games are top-tier looter-shooters in their industry but of the two, it would seem that Destiny 2 is the more rewarding when it comes to actual loot. In Warframe, most loot consists of mods, resources, blueprints, and super rare cosmetics.
Destiny 2's loot system gives more memorable loot for players. The guns have better "personality" especially the exotics with each having its own name. They're more impactful than picking up weapon or Warframe blueprints which require a waiting time of 12 to 72 hours to craft.
6 Why Warframe - Better Solo Content
While Warframe was built to be played with friends in co-op (and the same goes for Destiny 2), the joy of playing it solo is just better compared to Destiny 2. Players can easily progress on their own solo and that mode also provides a good challenge.
Additionally, Warframe has plenty of side activities like crafting custom guns and melee weapons or the aforementioned mining and fishing activities. Solo players in Destiny 2, by comparison, might find the game wanting.
5 Why Destiny 2 - Better Multiplayer
This is where Destiny 2 outshines Warframe. The co-op experience in Destiny 2 is more refined with raids and endgame bosses allowing six or more players. Some of these missions can even take an hour to complete compared to Warframe's standard 5-minute co-op runs.
Meanwhile, Destiny 2 readily has something that Warframe has been struggling with for years now: PVP. It's more balanced and arguably more enjoyable or even competitive than Warframe's dusty Conclave.
4 Why Warframe - Better Longevity
With systems on top of systems for making unique Warframe builds, Warframe's length is something hardcore gamers will find pleasant. It simply allows for longevity better than Destiny 2. It's not something that lets players achieve late-game content and satisfaction in just a few hundred hours.
It's all thanks to the plethora of gating options that reward players who have played longer. This can be anything from the unlocked planets, Mastery Rank, rare mods, prime equipment, and even story quests.
3 Why Destiny 2 - Better Endgame
One of the small problems Warframe has had is giving its top players some thrilling and challenging content without making everything seem unfair. In that regard, late-game or the endgame in Warframe is a vague mish-mash of Sorties, prolonged survival missions, high-level missions with handicaps, and Riven Mods (more grind).
Its endgame lacks a face or a solid representation such as a raid boss from Destiny 2. Taking on the aforementioned hour-long raids with several late-game players or even competitive PvP is more challenging and can feel less tedious than more solo grinding.
2 Why Warframe - Better Developer Interaction
Warframe's community is something commendable in an industry full of opaque and secretive developer tactics. Digital Extremes goes as far as to treat their player base like a family, hosting developer streams every couple of weeks and giving out rewards in the process.
These streams are not just for transparency or introducing future content but also to gauge what the community wants in the game. They react well to players' suggestions and queries, thus improving the game. It's safe to say that a lot of developers and publishers wished they had this same kind of relatively harmonious relationship with their players.
1 Why Destiny 2 - More Polished
Whenever new content is released in multiplayer games, bugs and balance issues tend to be prevalent and invasive enough to break game sessions. Of the two, however, Destiny 2 is the more seamless or polished.
The developers do know how to make their game feel and play smoother whereas Warframe might need more trial-and-error or a list of community feedback to effect some improvements. This can lead to the game feeling less clunky or buggy especially since the playing field has evened out because of the free price tag.