Lightyear Frontier, a sci-fi farming sim with mechs from indie developers and publishers Amplifier Studios and Frame Break, officially launches into Early Access on March 19th, 2024.
In Lightyear Frontier, players explore a cozy and carefree world without combat, growing alien crops and building unique homes. Your central tool will be a mech, which you can also customize, and use to discover hidden lore across the open world.
The Early Access version of Lightyear Frontier will be available on PC and Xbox Series X|S. It’s also coming to Xbox Game Pass. You can wishlist the game and play a free demo on PC via Steam now.
The indie scene has been inundated by farming sims, cozy ones in particular. But I am already enamored with the way Lightyear Frontier promises to repurpose classic mech gameplay.
It may disappoint some players that Lightyear Frontier doesn’t feature combat. However, transforming mechs into a tool does allow for some neat twists on familiar sim mechanics.
Lightyear Frontier also has a surprising emphasis on nature. Aside from the obligatory farming mechanics, players also need to manage their surrounding ecosystem. That includes little details like pollution reduction.
It reinforces Lightyear Frontier’s bright and friendly tone. Environmental management should also help add some variety.
Similarly, the lore buried across the world likely offers a solid incentive to explore. I’m curious to see if it produces any kind of narrative.
Although some of the human structures and tools have a very familiar art design, the alien world looks exotic and inspired.
Trailers have revealed a few key locations with a sense of mystery, perhaps akin to Astroneer’s monuments. Albeit, without the same danger.
The official Steam page adds that Lightyear Frontier will offer online co-op. Isolation would feel odd without a survival theme, so co-op was a smart move.
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