Announced during the 2023 Game Awards, Light No Fire is the next project from No Man's Sky studio Hello Games, and it's aiming to be just as ambitious as the ongoing space sim. Light No Fire is planning to deliver players a full, seamless open world, one that features life-sized mountains, lakes, and forests. And per a recent interview with Sean Murray, Light No Fire is confirmed to feature "real oceans" too.
Speaking with PC Gamer via email, Hello Games' Sean Murray stated that Light No Fire will contain a "shared Earth-sized planet, with real oceans to traverse, needing large boats and crews." That sounds like an incredibly promising feature, but it's one that has the potential to fall flat without the proper gameplay mechanics to support it.
Light No Fire's 'Real Oceans' Can't Feel Empty
Light No Fire Needs to Challenge Its Ship Crews
Light No Fire's life-size oceans sound technically very impressive on paper, but in reality they could easily end up feeling like a chore to traverse if those oceans are devoid of any engaging activities. Light No Fire needs to make sure that its oceans contain obstacles that the player and their full team of real-world crewmates have to overcome.
The ocean should be littered with small islands, rock formations, and other scenery objects that require ship crews to coordinate with one another to navigate around. Weather conditions are also a must-have feature for an open-world exploration game like Light No Fire, with storms and violent seas requiring each member of the crew to man their station effectively so that the whole ship survives.
Light No Fire's oceans should take inspiration from Sea of Thieves' open world.
Light No Fire Needs to Give Players a Reason to Maintain Their Ship
Light No Fire also needs to encourage players to make use of the game's ship crafting system, which Sean Murray has said will take heavy inspiration from No Man's Sky's recent 'Voyagers' update. The best way to do that is to introduce threats hiding under the waves.
Light No Fire's 2023 announcement trailer revealed an assortment of fantasy creatures that inhabit the game's life-size world, such as dragons, animated skeletons, and oversized versions of real-world animals. Fans can briefly spot what appears to be a large squid-like creature during the trailer's underwater section. Light No Fire's oceans should be filled with unique fantasy creatures like this squid, many of which should pose a significant threat to the player's crew and ship.
Nothing brings a ship's crew together like a giant monster slamming its tentacles down onto the deck, and the constant fear that the ocean is filled with deadly marine life would be a great incentive for players to ensure their ship remains upgraded and maintained.
Light No Fire Needs to Make Ocean Exploration Feel Rewarding
On top of weather conditions and obstacles that players need to work together to overcome, and terrifying fantasy sea creatures that encourage players to build the best ship possible, Light No Fire's oceans need to make sure players are actively rewarded for embarking on their own odyssey.
Being an exploration game first and foremost, Light No Fire will likely reward players frequently throughout their journey with new technologies, crafting materials, and lore tidbits. These rewards need to be present on the open seas as well.
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
- Publisher(s)
- Hello Games
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
