Summary
Despite its initial divisive launch, Hello Games’No Man’s Skyhas risen through the ranks and become one of the most prominent space exploration and survival games on the market, leaving an undeniable mark on the gaming industry in the process. However, fans ofNo Man’s Skymay find an attractive detour in FRAME BREAK and Amplifier Studios' upcoming casual farming adventure,Lightyear Frontier, as it combines the joys of alien planet exploration with the comforts of a cozy farming sim.
While it won’t be released into early access until March 19, the demo is currently available on Steam and Xbox Game Pass, offering a fairly extensive hands-on experience with the game that already proves it to be a worthwhile adventure.Lightyear Frontiermay be a casual farm sim game, but it still shares a host of similarities withNo Man’s Sky. As such,No Man’s Skyfans will want to keep tabs onLightyear Frontieras it develops through early access.
How Lightyear Frontier Feels Like No Man’s Sky
Right off the bat,No Man’s Skyfans may notice something aboutLightyear Frontierthat looks a lot like a feature in their favorite space exploration game: mechs. The primary mode of traversal inLightyear Frontiersees players hopping aboard their customizable mech, which happens to bear a rather striking resemblance tothe Exo Mech Suit players can use inNo Man’s Sky. While aboard their mech inLightyear Frontier, players have access to an array of tools that will allow them to break down objects for materials, remove Noxious Slime from the ground, vacuum up water and other items, and plant seeds.
LikeNo Man’s Sky,Lightyear Frontieris also a multiplayer co-op game, allowing up to four players during a session to work together to restore regions and build farms. Players can also feed the alien animals inLightyear Frontier, much like they can inNo Man’s Sky. Despite its similarities, however,Lightyear Frontierdiffers fromNo Man’s Skyin several ways.
How Lightyear Frontier Differs from No Man’s Sky
UnlikeNo Man’s Sky,Lightyear Frontieris a highly casual experience. WhereasNo Man’s Skyrequires players to pay close attention to its survival mechanics,Lightyear Frontierhas zero survival mechanics to speak of and even maintains its casual nature through tranquil music and ambiance. There is very little pressure put on the player to accomplish anything at all, with the main encouragement coming from a short list of objectives that appear in the top left corner of the screen. In some ways, it feels like a plethora of othercasual farming gamescombined into one, even if it does manage to remain separate from the library of games it has been influenced by.
There may be Noxious Slime covering the ground inLightyear Frontier, but there are nocute and lovable slimes as inSlime Rancher. However,Lightyear Frontiernonetheless feels a lot likeSlime Rancher, especially in its art design and shooting mechanics. There is also a host of elements from other casual farming games, like Giants Software’s ongoingFarming Simulatorfranchise and even Pathea Games’My Time at Sandrock, inLightyear Frontier, which effectively set it apart fromNo Man’s Sky. Furthermore, there is currently no indication of whether players can travel to other planets inLightyear Frontier, though it’s not likely, considering the game’s premise.
After it heads into early access in March,Lightyear Frontierwill likely continue to receive regular updates from its developer. However, based on the demo alone, it already appears to be a solid experience and perfect forNo Man’s Skyand cozy farming sim fans. As such, they would do well to keep an eye on it as it continues to develop.
No Man’s Sky
WHERE TO PLAY
Lose yourself in a vast sci-fi odyssey as you explore a near-infinite, procedurally generated universe. Set out from the edge of the Euclid galaxy and carve out your own interstellar existence in a vast universe teeming with life, danger and near-endless mystery. No Man’s Sky is a hugely-ambitious, heavily-stylised, sci-fi adventure that spans entire galaxies all brought to life with procedural generation. Travel through an endless array of increasingly diverse and dangerous star systems, prospecting for rare materials, trading with alien life, populate planets and searching for clues to the meaning of the universe’s mysterious existence. How you survive is up to you. Assemble entire fleets of dreadnought-class freighters and tear across the universe; build sprawling habitable bases across planet surfaces, beneath the ground or under the ocean; buy and upgrade your own weapons and star ships and do battle with outlaw space pirates, hostile alien fauna or the mysterious sentinel fleets. The universe is yours to explore - trillions upon trillions of planets, waiting to be discovered.
