Digital Extremes gives players a nostalgic blast from the past by offering Dark Sector, Warframe‘s humble past, free of charge on Steam. Normally priced at $9.99, this cult classic is available to download at no cost for 72 hours, starting today through Saturday, November 30. The game is being given away just in time for Black Friday and to celebrate the Warframe: 1999 expansion, which will be released this December.
Most Steam users can snag this sweet deal now. However, a handful of regions, such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, are exempt from the offer.
For those who missed out on this seventh-gen classic, this gritty third-person shooter laid the groundwork for Warframe’s unusual futuristic setting. Released in 2008 and now available for free on Steam, Dark Sector features the same dark tone and biomechanical aesthetic.
Here, players take on the role of Hayden Tenno, a covert operative infected with the Technocyte Virus, granting him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, such power made him both a deadly weapon and a target. Hayden’s journey is a mix of chaotic gunfights and tragic heroism as he tries to survive Lasria, a nation hiding Cold War secrets.
It’s not hard to admit that Dark Sector was a product of its time; interesting but rough ideas forced into an industry-standard shooter mold. Nevertheless, while it exists in a separate canon, its DNA lives on in Warframe. Digital Extremes used Dark Sector as a blueprint for everything from its fast-paced combat to its iconic aesthetic to this day.
The most obvious ones are the Tenno name, Hayden’s sidearm the Glaive, and the Excalibur Proto-Armor Skin, among other, subtler references. The upcoming Warframe: 1999 free expansion, launching next month, further connects the dots. The studio has repeatedly said that it will draw even more inspiration from the Dark Sector universe.
For those curious about Warframe origins, downloading the free Dark Sector on Steam offers a unique chance to see where it all began. Now, with Warframe: 1999 just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to revisit, or rediscover, this rough hidden gem.
