Lightyear Frontier: A Relaxing Farming Game with Mechs
Imagine every video game genre evolving to include mechs—sounds cool, right? Well, Lightyear Frontier does just that by combining farming with giant robots. Surprisingly, the game isn’t as intense as you might think; in fact, it’s one of the most relaxing games I’ve played recently. Here are my thoughts after diving into its early access build.
Get in the Robot
Lightyear Frontier kicks off with you crash-landing on a new planet after leaving an uninhabitable Earth. This new world is a peaceful haven with stunning visuals. Seriously, the game’s beauty makes every scene worth capturing.
Freak Mode? Not Here
But let’s take a step back. Lightyear Frontier isn’t your typical farming game like Stardew Valley. It melds exploration, base-building, and resource-gathering, letting you dynamically use your mech. While the mech wasn’t designed for agriculture, repurposing its powerful tools for farming adds a unique twist.
Farming in Style
Your mech can drill for resources, collect water, gather seeds, and plant them. Switching between tools is effortless, making the game user-friendly. Like typical farming games, you’ll unlock new construction options, but you need to gather appropriate resources first.
Exploring and Pacing
Exploration is just as crucial as farming. As you grow your base, you’ll need various materials, and the game even lets you create missions to find specific resources. Navigating the map is straightforward, with no looming threats, deadlines, or timers to stress you out. You can take your time and tackle tasks at your own pace.
Pack Light
The only limitation during exploration is your inventory space, which, once full, requires a trip back to camp for storage management. Luckily, you can upgrade your storage, giving you something to work towards. The game’s relaxed pacing allows you to set your own goals while gradually working through main objectives.
Current State and Future Plans
According to its Steam FAQ, the current version of Lightyear Frontier is just a slice of the complete game, with more development planned over the next year. You can complete the campaign in about 15 hours, but your gameplay experience may vary based on how thoroughly you explore.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Lightyear Frontier is impressive. It offers a stress-free, visually appealing experience that rewards players meaningfully. You can tend to your farm, feed animals, upgrade your mech, and immerse yourself in the game’s calming environment.
If you enjoy farming and survival games that are relaxing yet full of engaging activities, Lightyear Frontier is a must-try. The game launches on PC via Steam and Xbox Game Pass on March 19, 2024, and there’s already a demo available.
What did you think of my impressions of Lightyear Frontier? Share your thoughts on the demo in the comments!
This preview is based on the PC version of Lightyear Frontier. The key was provided by the publisher.