Game news This SF video game is very ambitious and it arrives in the Game Pass, it competes with No Man’s Sky with a touch of Animal Crossing

Game news This SF video game is very ambitious and it arrives in the Game Pass, it competes with No Man’s Sky with a touch of Animal Crossing

A life on the farm, a handful of extra-terrestrial critters, a soundtrack worthy of an episode of Animal Crossing and large mechas to pilot in green clearings : this is the formula as astonishing as it is soothing developed at the start of the year in Lightyear Frontier by FRAME BREAK, a trio of Norwegian creators acquired by Amplifier Games, an ecosystem owned by the giant Embracer. Here, no combat, not even the slightest disconcerting encounter, you will only come across charming merchants or a few adorable animals who will squeal if you have the misfortune of accidentally trampling on them from the top of your steel armor. The game doesn’t impose an ounce of management of vital needs either, although you have the possibility of taking a nap in your makeshift tent with the sole aim of making the time pass more quickly.. Stress is a completely unknown notion of this experience which is therefore readily available to aficionados of peaceful adventures and small bucolic walks, or more generally to those who prefer to board children’s rides in amusement parks rather than in Russian mountains.

Stardew Valley among the aliens

First advantage: Lightyear Frontier is damn pretty and gives us a nice burst of shimmering colors and melancholic sunsets. The spaces are lush and we feel that the developers have made really concrete efforts to develop a sufficiently dense and convincing ecosystem. Our first steps in this SF farming game are warmly accompanied by a guide who will explain the basics of your new life to you without ever spreading out too much, which is perfect for densifying your visit to the place; It’s up to you to explore to discover how to find red crystal or how to pulverize those nasty toxic puddles that stagnate in front of the gates of a kingdom that you can’t yet cross. In this regard, the game seems to weave its narrative through unlockable geographical zones., but also through strange ancestral discoveries and enigmas that we can’t wait to decipher further. Still a clever way to maintain our interest when farming is no longer enough.

Pastoral relaxation time for wobbly mecha

Cultivating plants, building workshops and customizing your mecha are the main missions of Lightyear Frontier, to be accomplished alone or with up to three players. A whole host of rural activities to carry out from the cozy seat of your mecha, whose lack of agility can cause a certain discomfort. It also happens that our machine gets stuck between two walls, a situation so common that the developers have also provided an option to get you out of trouble. We even like the fact that our robot is equipped with thrusters, perfect for hurtling down large areas quickly (at least, once the equipment is improved). Otherwise, the interface is pleasant and the information is sufficiently clear, but the practice still generally lacks ergonomics. Note that you will also sometimes need to get out of your machine to explore small secret passages that we never tire of encountering.

You must constantly start harvesting resources to complete your beautiful buildings which require wood, stones and rare commodities to be built. The catalog of improvements and tools and constructions diversifies as you progress and even adds a handful of decorations so that you can make these spaces your real little home. For the moment, apart from the aesthetic aspect, the interest in developing new crops and planting trees was not revealed to me during the demo. But I was able to exchange my crops for credits with a kind merchant who helped me feel less alone on this large, still unknown planet. The customization options are slowly unlocking and I can’t wait to transform my robot into a real backhoe loader once I enter early access.

Lightyear Frontier is currently only offered in early access for a period of approximately one year. The developers have indicated that they are only providing a first narrative section to the game as well as a still limited exploration which will receive updates in small quantities. It is therefore difficult to judge the extent of the content right now. The title is exclusive to Xbox consoles and is offered in the Game Pass catalog, alongside its PC release.