Lightyear Frontier Critic Reviews

Lightyear Frontier brings up just enough questions to feel uncomfortable and then sets you off on a loop with such forward momentum that you can’t do anything with them. And that momentum is fun, and its questions leave me curious, both of which are good things for an early access farming game. I will probably come back to both enjoy more of those chill, resource-guzzling days and to find out what the game has to say about them. Whether I’ll be satisfied in the end, though, remains to be seen.

As with any survival-crafting-farming game in early access, Lightyear Frontier will only grown and evolve – but unlike many of its contemporaries, it already feels like a complete experience. How long it can sustain my interest with so few possibilities of sudden death or unannounced explosions of violent fury when the wildlife is careless enough to wander through my domain remains to be seen, but if you want a relaxing, good-looking, steady little farming sim with a touch of sci-fi and lots of scope to build and grow, Lightyear Frontier’s early access offering is worth checking out.

Lightyear Frontier's development team is determined to bring its debut indie game to life. Despite an indefinite delay, the game's well-defined roadmap for expected updates promises an exceptional, comforting gaming experience. Although there's still room for improvement, the early-access farming simulator could transform into the cooperative game of my dreams.

Lightyear Frontier is already a fun farming and crafting game that takes some pretty simple genre basics and makes them exciting again by putting you in a big ol' stompy robot suit. Things can start a little slow and the story definitely ends too early as of its Early Access launch, but the charming world to explore and make your own outshines its current limitations.

There is a bit of a grind to get the materials you need, but it doesn’t feel like it. You can freely explore all areas right away, though accessing the resources involves restoring the land and solving the mystery of the ancient civilization. It’s a great way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and with the multiplayer function, you can bring friends along on the journey as well.

Lightyear Frontier is a delightfully peaceful adventure in an inviting world that shows a lot of potential in Early Access. While it's in need of a little refinement to make the experience more streamlined overall, the mech offers up a fun, fresh approach to farming, with a variety of tools to play with and a satisfying sense of progression.

It feels like this game could have used a bit longer in the oven, or will benefit from a robust roadmap of future features. It’s not a bad game in the slightest, but it’s not really learning from the growth of the genre over the years - feeling a little dated already. In a year when we’ve already seen several stand-out survival games, I can’t help but think that Lightyear Frontier will be overshadowed.

Is it all a bit pointless? Perhaps, that would certainly be a potential criticism of the game at the time of writing, and given that there are no survival mechanics whatsoever (you don't need food or water yourself), experiencing this alien world with friends might help to give the game a bit of a spark. However, you could also turn it around and say that Lightyear Frontier is truly one of the most relaxing games I've played in years. Does the fact that there's nothing to push you beyond just getting your hands on enough resources to craft the next thing you need affect your motivation? Maybe, but for now, this is both beautiful to look at, enjoyable to listen to and really well put together

If the lack of story is a sticking point for you, you can always opt to play with friends. There is a co-op mode with a maximum of 4 players, and a crossplay option was announced to come with the release of the game as well. After the full release, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be pitching this to my friends as a weekend activity.

Lightyear Frontier is a charming, relaxing cultivation sim set on the reaches of humanity’s final frontier, space. Well-thought-out farming mechanics are mixed with an interesting mech piloting twist, leading to a game that is as unique as it is fun to play.

Lightyear Frontier advocates living in harmony with nature, understanding that you need to help replenish natural resources if you want to continue harvesting them. I could see how some might not understand the appeal of a game without conflict or survival elements, though. We are so used to our cozy games mirroring the world we live in right now where people fight to survive. Lightyear Frontier shows us something different. Not every day has to be a battle.

The accessible nature of the game makes it an easy recommendation for fans of the genre who prefer to farm or explore in peace, but there’s enough going on to satisfy anyone looking for a slightly deeper experience than the average cosy farming sim.

Lightyear Frontier is a solid game already in Early Access, but still poor in content. A dozen hours or so are enough to get to the 'finale', but the problem is that the gameplay loop repeats itself too linearly, with no surprises or variations on the theme. It remains an enjoyable game for a few hours and absolutely succeeds in its intention of not being stressful, but those who are experts in the genre will find it too limited and may want to wait for a few more updates before approaching it.

Lightyear Frontier might feel familiar at first, but make no mistake—this isn’t your average farming sim, and your massive Mech friend is determined to prove it. Whether it’s successful, though, I’m unsure.

So is Lightyear Frontier worth checking out? Definitely yes, although you must remember that the game has its limitations. However, if you need a casual title, where the most fun will be provided in short sessions, you've come to the right place.

Lightyear Frontier impresses with its sci-fi setting, non-violent approach and nature-focused gameplay, to say nothing of the gorgeous visuals. It has a ways to go, though, and some issues to iron out.