Is Destiny 2 Better Than Warframe in 2024? A Complete Comparison for New Players - 33rd Square (2025)

As a veteran of both Destiny 2 and Warframe, I get asked this question a lot by new players looking to dive into the world of loot shooters. Both games provide thousands of hours of content, but have different strengths and weaknesses. In this complete guide, I‘ll compare the key elements like gameplay, monetization, communities and new player experience to help you decide which one may be a better fit for you in 2024 and beyond!

At a Glance: Destiny 2 Edges Out Warframe in Breadth of Content

If I had to make a quick call, I‘d say Destiny 2 has the advantage overall thanks to more breadth of content, better multiplayer and crossplay features, and superior gunplay. However, Warframe excels in customization, movement, and being 100% free-to-play. Let‘s dive deeper!

Now let‘s explore each of these elements in more depth.

Shooting and Space Magic – Destiny 2‘s Satisfying Gunplay

Destiny 2 gets the core gameplay loop of a shooter down perfectly. The guns feel excellent with tight mechanics, feedback, and sounds that give an oomph to every trigger pull. Headshots provide a rush of dopamine. Abilities like grenades and supers seamlessly complement gunplay rather than overshadow it.

There are three distinct classes: Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. Attached to each are elemental-based subclasses like Void, Solar, and Arc that provide unique abilities. The subclass you choose drastically alters playstyle. For example, the Warlock Dawnblade can fly through the air raining down fiery death while the Titan Sentinel deploys a massive shield for protection.

While there are optimal subclass configurations, you can make minor tweaks to match your preference. Overall, the streamlined classes and abilities allow Bungie to perfectly balance combat encounters around specific guardian capabilities. No matter what character you play, it just feels good to shoot aliens and watch their bits explode across the battlefield.

Space Ninjas and Infinite Customization – Where Warframe Shines

While Destiny 2 leans into the shooter side, Digital Extremes designed Warframe around space ninja warriors slicing hordes of enemies to pieces. Guns play second fiddle to unleashing devastating melee combos and showcasing fluid mobility.

Warframes themselves provide a canvas for customization. There are over 50 to acquire, each with four unique abilities. You can freely swap between them to experience new playstyles – the dragon-themed Chroma buffs weapons to deal insane damage, Wisp provides team mobility and stealth, Protea manipulates time.

But it goes beyond the Warframes. Your weapon loadout, Companion pets, Archwings for flight – all can be tailored and modded to dramatically alter gameplay. The sheer amount of gear and optimization will satisfy hardcore min-maxers. Once you unlock the full movement and combat capabilities, Warframe provides a power fantasy unmatched by Destiny.

Guided Progression vs Open Ended Exploration

Destiny 2 does an excellent job of guiding new players on their journey while slowly opening up complexity. The original campaign lays out core concepts, then strikes teach you team coordination while exploring new worlds. By the time you reach the climactic raids, you‘ll have mastered navigation, gear, and subclasses.

In contrast, Warframe can overwhelm initially. There are hundreds of missions across various planets but minimal direction. You‘re presented with a galactic star chart and left to your own devices. However, over time you unlock story quests that provide structure while slowly introducing new systems. It rewards exploring and unlocking pieces at your own pace.

For Destiny 2, the progression path culminates in the endgame loop. Daily/weekly challenges provide reasons to revisit content while pursuing the best exotics and rolls on legendary gear. Warframe‘s version of "endgame" is not as centralized – you set your own goals whether unlocking every Warframe or tackling long missions for rare rewards.

The Cost of Space Magic

Destiny 2 swapped from a paid model with expansions to free-to-play in 2019. The core activities are free but story campaigns and endgame raids require purchasing the latest expansion. There is plenty to enjoy without paying, but to experience everything new content drops offer, you‘ll need to shell out $40 every year.

All of Warframe can be accessed for free. By playing, you earn premium Platinum currency from trading or discounts. This lets you buy cosmetics, inventory slots, or speed up crafting. The only things you can exclusively buy with real money are "Prime" cosmetic versions of gear, convenient boosters, and cosmetics.

Destiny provides excellent value with yearly expansions offering campaigns, destinations, gear and activities. But Warframe‘s grassroots community funding development through purely optional purchases is remarkable. You can binge for hours without spending a dime.

Making Space Friends – Community and Social Features

Destiny 2 brings people together through challenging co-op activities like raids that require precise teamwork. Joining a clan provides built-in groups to play with regularly and earn cool collective rewards. Guided Games allows solo players to link up with clans for activities like raids.

With full crossplay between all platforms, Destiny‘s community feels truly connected. I have friends across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation that I can play with seamlessly. Seeing fellow guardians in the open world makes it feel alive.

Warframe‘s community shares their passion on forums and guides, but in-game social tools are limited. There is no crossplay between PC, console, and mobile. And most missions lock your party, limiting interaction outside hubs. While you can join a clan, the benefits are mostly economic rather than social.

Destiny Guides You, Warframe Sets You Free

For new players, Destiny 2 provides guidance, structure, and a clear onramp thanks to the revamped new light experience. Your ghost companion explains concepts while prompts point towards objectives. Early missions provide low stakes combat while steadily increasing complexity and enemy difficulty. By the time you unlock advanced subclasses, you‘ll comprehend all their abilities.

Warframe‘s new player experience remains fairly opaque. You‘re dropped into your ship and sent to complete missions across the solar system with little direction. There are dozens of unfamiliar systems to figure out from modding to crafting. The sheer amount of mechanics and options is overwhelming. You may need to consult online guides and communities to find your footing.

But this complexity and density of content also means there‘s always something new to discover in Warframe, even after hundreds of hours. You proceed at your own pace driven by curiosity rather than external rewards. For some players, the initial learning cliff is worth it for endless progression systems to master.

Major Updates – Evolving Worlds vs Wide Horizons

A key advantage of Destiny 2‘s tightly crafted worlds is that each expansion moves the overarching story forward meaningfully while introducing new destinations. For example, Beyond Light brought players to the frozen wasteland of Europa while advancing the story around the Darkness.

Warframe‘s updates focus more on expanding horizons with new Warframes, weapons, and tilesets rather than pushing the central narrative. The worlds feel wide but not necessarily deeper. However, Digital Extremes impressive cadence delivers meaty updates every few months compared to Destiny‘s annual cycle.

In terms of communication and community interaction, the developers at Digital Extremes feel more accessible and transparent with dev streams and feedback-driven changes. Bungie has improved recently but Destiny‘s development still feels more opaque to players.

Verdict: Try Both, Fit Your Style

Destiny 2 and Warframe each provide thousands of hours of content for sci-fi action RPG fans. Both have compelling cores of run-and-gun gameplay and satisfying progression loops. For new players, I‘d recommend trying Destiny 2 first – the onboarding experience helps avoid the initial complexity shock of Warframe.

But once you have a handle on looter shooter fundamentals, definitely give Warframe a shot. Veterans who want to maximize gear options and don‘t mind the learning curve will discover one of the deepest action RPGs around. Or bounce between the two to enjoy the best community events and content updates each game offers.

There‘s room in your life for both Destiny‘s guided adventures and Warframe‘s endless horizons. Ultimately your playstyle preferences and gaming background will dictate which becomes your looter shooter home. But for sci-fi fans, you can‘t go wrong with either – they represent the best the genre has to offer.