It wasn’t exactly Stardew Valley that laid the foundation for what we all now refer to as the “farming sim” genre, but we can agree that there’s a lot more energy in this relatively unique structure than ever before. Taking care of an estate, growing crops, and slowly expanding your small, sheltered corner of the world while exploring your immediate surroundings without feeling particularly threatened has become a staple of the genre, and rightly so.
Lightyear Frontier puts a slightly different twist on this already familiar formula, but in many ways it is also “just” a farming simulator. This means you already know whether the game is right for you, and it’s also easy to summarize my verdict on the game’s entertainment value without having to delve into the details; If you like farming simulators, Lightyear Frontier impresses in many ways. What if not? Then you probably won’t find anything here that could change your mind.
Of course, that alone isn’t enough, so let’s take a closer look at what developer Frame Break is making available in Early Access next week after years of development. Earth is exhausted, resources are running low, and in response some are turning to the Lightyear Frontier program, which sends adventurous souls into space in search of greener pastures. You are one of those travelers who land on your own on a lush, vibrant and peaceful planet and must build your own home with the help of a mecha (previously designed for combat but redesigned to act as a perfect agricultural tool). isolated landscape, far from conflict, civilization and noise. Here at the edge of our galaxy, it’s just you – and up to three friends if you want to play in co-op mode.
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When I say peaceful, I really mean it, as Lightyear Frontier has no combat system and there is only occasional danger. In fact, there are few mechanisms that threaten to slow down your progress, and that’s the point. You jump on your fuse, explore this planet of moderate beauty with stunning skies above you, and take home resources that you use to both maintain your farm and expand your property. That’s all, at least for now.
Your mecha responds fantastically to the controller, and by holding down the L1 button (I played on the Steam Deck, where the game runs at a respectable 30 FPS with most details on medium or low), you can use different types of tools attach the arms of the suit. , which you can use to perform specific tasks. There is a seeder gun that sows seeds into fertilized soil, a gun that waters the same plants, and special tools for breaking rocks or collecting wood. Everything is relatively standard, but it’s undeniably satisfying, and moving around the mech to explore or collect resources never feels too repetitive, boring, or downright unappealing. Even in Early Access, Lightyear Frontier is well optimized and lacks the teething problems that we usually have with releases of this type.
At the start you will be presented with a number of important objectives, such as: Such as building a tent to sleep in, collecting the debris that lands with your fuse, and finally planting seeds and founding your small country house, but let’s say the game is a The entire current form does not prioritize a linear framework for your experience. It’s about mastering the different tools, building a production cha in and expanding your base. You’ll be guided through the planning and construction, but you shouldn’t come to Lightyear Frontier expecting to tell a cohesive story or work toward a unified goal. The destination is the journey. Sure, it’s a mystery to explore what looks like the remains of an extinct civilization, but that’s not the real goal.
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It’s about having fun, finding your own way and stopping from time to time to take in the view while enjoying the calm and somewhat dissociative music. Building is as easy as ever, and gradually you’ll build a pretty solid system, similar to Stardew Valley, by planting, harvesting, storing, refining and using resources to build new buildings and your mecha too to give love.
Is it all a bit pointless? Perhaps that would certainly be a possible criticism of the game at the time of writing, and since there are no survival mechanics whatsoever (you don’t need food or water yourself), experiencing this strange world with friends might be helpful. Give the game a small one Momentum. However, I could also turn it around and say that Lightyear Frontier is actually one of the most relaxing games I’ve played in years. Does it affect your motivation that there is nothing driving you except getting enough resources to do the next thing you need? Maybe so, but for now it’s nice to look at, nice to listen to and very well made. I’ll be following the game in Early Access and I’ll also enjoy expanding my personal little corner of the galaxy here and there.
