Earlier this week, we shared our thoughts on several upcoming (email-protected) titles that we got to see behind closed doors. Among them, the mysterious The Last Cast by Benedict Fox, the surprising Planet of Lana, the action-packed Everspace 2 and the charming and calm Lightyear Frontier.
Regarding the latter, we also had the opportunity to sit down with Joakim K. HedströmDeveloper CEO (Frame Break), and with Andrea ChifuDirector of Strategic Partners at (email protected), for more details on the upcoming indie.
Hedström has confirmed that Lightyear Frontier will be coming to PC and Xbox with cross-play available at launch. Here you can see the full interview.
Of the game’s initial reception, Hedström said, “We got a much bigger response than expected. It was both exciting and a bit scary, but overall very motivating.”
Lightyear Frontier tasks players with building their own home and farm on a distant planet inhabited by all manner of strange flora and fauna. The trick, however, is that the gameplay revolves around the mechanical suit the player is wearing.
Hedström referred to breeding mechs:
The robot was really the keystone of this project, from the moment it arrived, it has been running the game ever since.”
“People see a mech and think it’s going to fight, but no. They’re going to take this huge piece of metal and they’re going to do these very casual, comfortable, everyday things.”
On how the (email-protected) program helps developers, Chifu said, “Working with the program has two main advantages: first, it allows developers to take creative risks and continue working on their game Second, it takes advantage of that audience.
“Based on internal analysis we’ve done, once a game is announced for Game Pass, the game’s engagement and awareness increases eightfold.”
Hedström added, “People will have the opportunity to try our game, get into it, fall in love with the robot, and then they will have a very low barrier to entry to invite their friends over and play with them.”
About his work in the Swedish games industry, Hedström comments: “For us, starting and going into this community, it’s been really helpful to have all these amazing games around us, all this experience on which support each other, help each other and support each other.” .
Chifu added: “The fact that Sweden already has so many game incubators, so many schools dedicated to games and so many people who, even from the 1980s, were not afraid to take creative risks and to get into games, that’s what helped.”
Speaking about what he most hopes players will see in Lightyear Frontier, Hedström said: The world we managed to create, the planet, is fair; Every once in a while, artists send us a screenshot like, “We just finished this area” and that alone deserves a wallpaper.”
“Having this planet that players can explore and find their own place to build their farms and build their homes, I think it’s going to be amazing.”