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Fantasy over sci-fi
Light No Fire's Steam page categorizes the game under "Fantasy" and describes combat using "low-tech weapons and magic." This is the direct replacement for No Man's Sky's laser weapons, shield technology, and spaceships. Where No Man's Sky gave you a mining beam and a bolt caster, Light No Fire gives you a sword and something that glows.
The word "magic" appears in the official descriptions but has not been elaborated on. What follows is based on careful analysis of the reveal trailer and official statements, not on developer deep-dives. Hello Games has not held a combat showcase or released a mechanics breakdown.
Weapon types from the trailer
The announcement trailer features several distinct weapon categories:
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Swords and shields | standard melee combat with visible blocking. Multiple sword designs appear, some with glowing edges. |
Bows and arrows | ranged combat with a drawn bowstring animation. At least one bow appears to have a magical aura on its arrows. |
Staves | carried by characters who appear to be casting or channeling. Whether these are ranged spellcasting tools or melee weapons with magical effects is unclear. |
Spears | longer-reach melee weapons, visible in group combat scenes. |
Clubs | blunt weapons, some with visible magical auras. |
Enchanted and imbued weapons
Community frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer identified weapons with visible glowing effects in several shots. A fire-imbued sword appears in one combat sequence. Clubs and staffs emit colored light in others. This strongly suggests some form of enchanting or imbuing system where weapons gain elemental or magical properties.
If the magic system connects to crafting, players might gather magical resources from specific biomes and apply them to weapons. But this is speculation based on genre conventions, not confirmed mechanics.
Boss encounters
The trailer shows at least one encounter with a massive creature that dwarfs the player character. These boss-scale fights suggest that magic and melee combat both play roles in taking down enemies that are orders of magnitude larger than you. No Man's Sky had nothing comparable to these encounters, which makes them one of Light No Fire's clear differentiators.
Skeleton and undead enemies are also visible in the trailer footage, suggesting the fantasy world includes supernatural threats alongside its natural fauna.
What is not confirmed
Specific spell types, magic schools, or casting mechanics
Whether there is a mana system or cooldown system for magical abilities
Skill trees or magic progression
How magic interacts with crafting (enchanting, imbuing, potion-making)
Whether staves function as dedicated ranged spellcasting tools or melee weapons with visual effects
The role of magic in multiplayer (support spells, healing, buffs)