Summary
- Lightyear Frontier is available in early access on March 19
- Lightyear Frontier is being released for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and via Game Pass, with a demo available today
- Find out how Frame Break twisted the farming and mech genres to build something brand new
Get ready to be the exofarmer you’ve always wanted to be, as Lightyear Frontier offers a wholesome adventure, either solo or with up to 3 friends online, when it touches down in Xbox Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Game Pass on March 19!
Lightyear Frontier infuses an agricultural twist on mech-based gameplay – offering a new take on the farming sim genre – allowing you to take on your wildest pastoral fantasies on a whole new world. Board your mech and embark away from your interstellar homestead, as you gather new materials, create a sustainable environment, and discover this new world’s ancient secrets. Here’s how we took two very different genres and combined them to create something unique.
Explore A Brave New World, In A Whole New Way
After landing on an alien planet, you’ll be left with nothing but your trusty mech and a gorgeous unknown world to explore. Starting from nothing, it won’t be long until you’re sawing down trees for wood, piercing boulders for rocks, and ploughing through your harvest to earn an abundance of resources to build your very own homestead and make the place your own.
With a whole new twist on the farming genre, Lightyear Frontier puts you in the pilot seat of your very own mech. Use combat-focused tools in a violence-free way, such as a chainsaw and machine gun loaded with seeds, as instead of fighting the wildlife, you’ll use your arsenal to gather resources, shoot seeds into the ground, water crops, and clean up the environment, making it habitable for you and your friends.
Harvest new plants and turn them into materials for buildings or upgrades for your very own mech, bolstering its base capabilities and giving you new tools in the process. You can even personalize your mech’s visual style in any way you see fit, without sacrificing any of your enhancements, ensuring the world and mech you create remain your own.
Be The Pilot You’ve Always Wanted To Be
The idea of Lightyear Frontier is to take the formula established in games such as Stardew Valley and offer players something entirely new. In the early days of development, it was clear a departure from the genre was needed, whilst still maintaining the cosy farming feeling that similar games embody. Our team at Frame Break tinkered around with the idea of using robotic characters in a previous project, and it soon became apparent that this was the hook needed.
Taking inspiration from classic sci-fi movies such as Aliens, and games such as Starcraft 1 & 2, a running theme of mech suits became apparent, spawning the idea of becoming an exofarmer on an unknown world. Watching and experiencing these classic sci-fi stories showcased the satisfying nature of mechs performing everyday activities, which translated perfectly into what we wanted Lightyear Frontier to be.
Whether you are cutting down trees or knocking down rocks to secure more resources, the feeling of piloting one of those mechs means players get the excitement previously seen in genre-defining works such as Aliens, without the stress of tackling deadly monsters, and instead embracing the fulfilling cosy farming duties that the game invites players to try.
Become One With Your Mech
A big emphasis in Lightyear Frontier is the encouragement to take your hulking mech suit into new pastures. You won’t just be harvesting and maintaining your farmstead, as there’s a wide, open frontier to explore from the comfort of your pilot seat. With your trusty mech, venture out into the great unknown, uncovering new mysteries and secrets around every corner.
As you delve deeper into the wild, you’ll find the mech becomes an extension of yourself, with a romanticism seen in the movement, as it makes players feel both powerful and bulky with every hill climbed and valley conquered. The controls have been expertly designed to ensure the weight of the suit is felt but with the ability to still be able to scour the land with ease, living up to our ambition of creating a farming power fantasy.
It took extensive trial and error to ensure newcomers and mech gameplay veterans, from titles such as Titanfall and Armored Core, felt at ease when it came to piloting the mech suit. Over the years, lessons were learnt in crafting an experience that married players from all genres and skill levels, meaning the controls feel natural both on-foot and in your mech. The end result is an adventure that delivers an approach to the farming genre never seen before and brings that child-like fantasy of piloting your very own mech suit to life.
Get A Glimpse Of What Lightyear Frontier Has To Offer Today!
As much as everyone loves reading about the mech suit and what it offers in Lightyear Frontier, we understand the community is eager to get their hands on with the game. With this in mind, we are also excited to announce that a free single-player demo for Lightyear Frontier is available today, alongside the option to pre-order the game!
Begin your adventure in the stars and pilot the mech of your dreams across a beautiful new planet, filled with wondrous sights, sounds, and secrets to uncover. We hope you enjoy this small slice of Lightyear Frontier and join us for the Early Access launch when it lands on March 19!