Before continuing, please note that our version of early access ran in High graphics configuration on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i5-9400F processor (2.9 GHz), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, a 16 GB of RAM and a 24-inch LCD screen with 1080p resolution. We played it for around 5-6 hours, the time needed to launch a good dozen games in the different game modes offered (Standard, Challenge and Free Build) and mainly on Adept/Normal difficulty.
People of Laysara seek refuge in the highlands
Fruit of the collaboration between the independent Polish studio Quite OK Games and the British publisher Future Friends Games, Laysara: Summit Kingdom immerses us in a fictional universe inspired by several Himalayan cultures and in which the people of Laysara live. Forced to leave the plains due to the spread of a strange deadly Mist, he asks us to help him survive by colonizing the highlands. In other words, the mountains present in the region.
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There are eight in number with Colline Flammsphère, le Repos du Diable, Serrepic, l'Âme Brée, le Mont de l'Abondance, la Flamme suppressée, Ventesteppe and la Couronne, each massif has its own geographical characteristics and specific resources to exploit, import and export. Suffice to say that settling in while managing to take full advantage of it, whether in Standard or Challenge mode in particular, promises to be tricky and this is precisely the kind of tough experience that awaits us.
A deep but complex colonization
Despite a rather well thought-out tutorial, several difficulty levels, maps with varied accessibility conditions and a clear and refined interface, Laysara: Summit Kingdom is more complex than it seems to handle. Behind its chill and soothing atmosphere depicted by its colorful artistic direction and background music, the city-builder actually hides an interesting, profound but very frustrating experience, at least as part of its early access. Let's be honest, apart from the tutorial, we were never able to see the end of the different missions imagined by the developers. We were even very far from it.
Concretely and putting aside the Challenge mode which sets us even more difficult challenges to meet, the game asks us to achieve specific objectives until erecting a temple at the top of the mountain on which we find ourselves, and this when of each ascent. However, thoughtful and particularly thorough optimization of infrastructure placement is essential to achieve this. We are not exaggerating in emphasizing this point. Even on Novice/Easy difficulty, accumulating errors quickly brings us closer to game over.
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Differentiation of labor between the inhabitants of the plains, artisans and monks, manual creation of production chains in order to meet their demands (eggs, cheese, cloth, utensils, faith, etc.), construction of roads of which the chosen type will or will not increase their maintenance cost as well as the scope of the buildings connected to them, treasury and research management, addition of trading posts, bridges and conduits to be erected in order to access other sections of the mountain, securing areas likely to be affected by avalanches… integrated features are already numerous and require a certain amount of time to adapt to hope to master all their facets.
For example, the title gives us the task of distributing a resource to at least 200 residents. How to proceed ? How much and what infrastructure do we need? Where should we position them for the production line to work? Damn, we realize that our population is not large enough. So, should we build new housing or improve existing ones? In the second case, what are the demands to be met for this? Is a higher research level required to unlock this or that equipment? As you will have understood, the mind can quickly overheat in the face of all these constraints to endure and, above all, to face.
As a bonus, it is impossible to rotate the buildings in the game. A rather surprising choice of game design which is nevertheless fully assumed by the Polish studio and, in fact, it is understandable since the proposed construction grid system seems to us logical and well-oiled. In order to colonize the heights of the kingdom of Laysara, it is therefore necessary accept the idea of more or less often having to destroy everything and rebuild our villages from A to Z or chain failures until we identify solutions to get out of them. Yes, it's frustrating but, once again, it seems intentional, even if it means alienating part of the public.
A bright future in perspective?
If Laysara: Summit Kingdom embeds gameplay and content dense enough to offer a solid lifespan to its early access, this does not mean that the developers will rest on their laurels, quite the contrary. In order to show their ambitions for their project, they have already planned a roadmap listing a large portion of the updates that will be rolled out over the next six to twelve months. A vision of the future which, unsurprisingly, is likely to change depending on the feedback and opinions left by players.
Customization of the difficulty level, integration of new buildings, gameplay mechanics, scenarios, challenges and production chains, visual and photo mode improvements… the future of the title looks promising. The icing on the cake is that a Campaign is also planned to be added when production transitions to version 1.0. It's really interesting and we're curious to see how the development will evolve so far.
Despite the tough challenge imposed by its gaming experience which can quickly lead to frustration, or even discouragement on our part, Laysara: Summit Kingdom is a promising city-builder to watch closely. Thanks in particular to the depth and intelligence of approach and execution already offered by its gameplay, the title from Quite OK Games and Future Friends Games has solid foundations to satisfy fans of the genre from its first weeks of release. early access. It now remains to be seen whether the continuation of its development and its final version will be just as successful in attracting them.