Game: Lightyear Frontier (Early Access)
Genre: Adventure, Farming Sim
System: Steam (Windows)
Developers | Publishers: FRAME BREAK | Amplifier Studios
Controller: Yes
Price: US $ 24.99 | UK £ 20.99 | EU € 24,99
Release Date: March 19th, 2024
The review code was used, with many thanks to Keymailer.
Lightyear Frontier is a 2024 adventure farming sim game developed and released by FRAME BREAK, Amplifier Studios.
Premise
On a planet at the far edge of the galaxy, a lone farmer is building the farm of their dreams with the help of their versatile mech and a knowledgeable ancient AI named PIP-3R. While we develop our farm, plant alien crops, and explore the planet, we will uncover some mysteries. And we can do it by ourselves or with up to 3 friends.
Gameplay
We start the game with a simple mission: to find all the basic tools for our mech. The first thing I realized is that Lightyear Frontier is a ridiculously beautiful game, its world is colorful and vibrant. The second thing is that its learning curve is almost non-existent. Controls are simple and intuitive. Even camera view, which is more often than not a pain, works perfectly fine here.
Also, that first mission ensures that we learn the movements of our mech and get to know the first central part of the game map well. As the day progresses and the evening comes, we are guided to building a tent to spend the first night on the alien planet. It is a peaceful night you can easily spend exploring the earth – the mech is equipped with lights. In Lightyear Frontier, there is no hunger and running out of stamina; there are also almost no dangers you can run into. Should you, for example, go into deep waters, the game automatically transports you to safety.
When you access the inventory or the map, you can also read about the current and past missions in the Journal. There’s also a submenu with all the game tutorials. The game also has a helpful compass on the top of the screen. When you are not in the mech, a cursor will always guide you to it.
The Farming in Lightyear Frontier
Farming on an alien planet is undeniably a central part of the game. I wouldn’t say I like farm sim games, but I like Lightyear Frontier. You can harvest and forage almost anything you see – different types of wood and metal, fibres, seeds, stones, etc. If you forage seeds, you can then plant them in your fields for extra resources. We have a variety of buildings and tools we can build from the very beginning and unlock more as we progress in the game. We can upgrade the mech as well.
In the build menu, we also have the option to recycle structures we no longer need. The structure must be empty and not in use, and after recycling it, you can collect some of the resources used to build it in the first place.
Exploring
While farming is Lightyear Frontier’s core mechanic, exploring is equally essential. We have a whole planet to explore. The map is divided into several parts. We start in the central part of the map, the Meadows. While exploring the other parts of the game, we’ll encounter a pink jelly-like growth infecting plants. Thankfully, it can be purified thanks to our mech tools. Once you clear all the jelly from a map part, the map part becomes visible on the map. Some of the map parts can be unlocked with our essential tools, and we’ll need the mech upgrades for some.
While traversing the terrain, you can jump and clear trees, bushes, etc. Since there are no limits like stamina, hunger, or sleep, you can cover a lot of ground without returning to camp. Should you decide to play more realistically, you can build basic tents anywhere – there is no limit to camps. The only limitation to exploring is how much your mech can carry, but that, too, can be fixed by upgrading or simply dropping stuff. If you are over the weight limit, a warning flashes on the screen. You can also no longer jump.
An exciting but very on-point feature is the ability to flip the mech. If you get stuck or fall in an uncomfortable position, you can exit it and “flip” it the right way. And speaking of exciting, while most of the farming and exploring is done in the mech, there are some things better suited for a human hand, some hard-to-reach resources or even mysterious ancient artefacts. There is a reason why the developers have included the option to move and even gather resources without the mech.
The World
Lightyear Frontier has a demo during the recent Steam Next Fest and Dinos vs Robots Fest. In fact, as of writing this, the demo is still available on the game’s Steam page. Lightyear Frontier was not a game I knew about, so trying the demo was spontaneous, especially since I’m not fond of farming sims. But I love sci-fi, and I love Star Trek, and it was simply impossible to see the title Lightyear Frontier and not to be reminded of that famous James T. Kirk intro – “Space, the final frontier.”
I was hoping for a good-looking sci-fi with the option to explore an alien planet. I was more than satisfied. The world of Lightyear Frontier is vibrant and lush. There is a sense of humor and wonder. Our companion PIP has the potential to be the annoying AI type, but it’s not. There are mysteries, animals to feed, and plants to discover. And you get to do it with friends!
Some Notes
Lightyear Frontier has extensive audio, video, display, and control settings. It has Steam achievements but no trading cards.
Lightyear Frontier releases in Early Access – the developers have released a roadmap for what to expect. I just realized it was in Early Access after I started writing this review. The game plays smoothly, the controls are responsive, and if there is locked-away content for now, it doesn’t show.
The only feature I couldn’t test was the online co-op, but from what I saw in the menu, besides starting a new game, you can host a co-op session in an already existing save with all your progress. It sounds very intriguing, and I can’t wait to try it with some friends.
Conclusion
Lightyear Frontier is a great game that is already in great shape. More importantly, it has excellent potential. It allows you to live out your space-farming dreams without a shred of worry about survival. Sci-fi as a sub-genre in gaming could be a more peaceful genre. I should know; I’ve played a lot of it. You either have a battle for the survival of humankind, evil aliens, or space pirates, or you’re lost on an alien planet, or evil robots have kidnapped your people, and so on. Lightyear Frontier offers a cozy respite for the fans of the genre, and I, for one, am very thankful.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: 