Let’s talk about the Eximus Enemies rework for DE’s Warframe. We’ve had about two weeks of the “Angels of the Zariman” update, which included the Eximus rework. The Eximus have always been a strange beast in Warframe. With the masses of enemy units to focus on, the Eximus often blended in with the horde. A good example of this were energy leaches; they were always troublesome in long runs, slowing down game play and sapping the energy of even the most determined players. After the update there is no confusing the Eximus units with other enemies.
For new players entering into Warframe, the reworked Eximus units add a challenge that older players never had to face until the Steal Path quest or the advent of Sorties. I believe the challenge they bring will keep new players interested in the game as they progress. The new visual cues give players the ability to target these units and take them down—something that was truly needed. The introduction of an Overguard, which reduces certain classes of damage dealt to them, balances this out by giving Eximus units more survivability on the field.
We are going to need a bigger frame!
Everything works out well with the upgrades to the Eximus from level 1 to 100, but after level 100 things start getting a bit crazy. Eximus units become unruly and particularly crush crowd-control Warframes. When it comes to Sortie missions, only high-level, well modded frames of a specific class will be effective against them. This limits players choices, and thus their enjoyment of the game. At this level, Eximus are essentially bullet sponges that only serve to distract from mission goals.
My recommendation to DE is to allow crowd-control Warframes to have at least some affect on Eximus with their abilities. Without a buff, the presence of these units could hurt the game in the long run. Players will stay away from Vauban, Nova, Gyre and other crowd-control frames in favor of DPS or Tanks such as Wukong, Chroma and Rhino.
Overall, the Eximus rework is a good patch for anyone playing up to level 100. Anything over level 100: Good luck.
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