Lakehopper: Bush Delivery Experience
- Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- 1 minute ago
- 6 min read
A rugged near future setting that provides a decades old experience
With wrench in hand, my final task was to make sure that all parts of the liquid hydrogen tanks were secure inside of my aircraft driven by magnoprop engines. It is interesting how Lakehopper by Photon Games seems to be set in a world that is advanced enough to have engines powered by semi-fictional forms of renewable energy but also has a level of barebones remoteness you would expect from austere communities in the 1960s.
The last time I wrote about this seaplane centric game it was during some of its last playtests. We wrote about the difference of flying an aircraft in the short term and operating an aircraft in the long-term was our primary focus. Now, weeks after its Early Access launch on March 30th, 2026, I contemplate the juxtaposition of technology available in its world setting, the experience of flying its default aircraft and how it all blends together.
World Setting
As mentioned in the previous article, the game has a 360,000 square km (140,000 square mi) map using realistic terrain based on real world landscapes. With oceans that seem to have risen so high they reached mountain ranges and engines using electricity, magnetism and hydrogen fuel cells, this future setting implies that some type of serious environmental damage has occurred. The developer specifically mentions "flooded, rugged landscapes".
In a world that has access to such technology you would think something like an old propeller driven aircraft would have been replaced with a vertically landing four engine hover transport or something. But no! The trusty seaplanes of yore are in vogue now more than ever.
Even with this implied near future setting, there are remote communities of people that are in need of deliveries over long distances. These areas are so detached from major population centers or traditional airports and seaports, it reminds me of the origin of the original backcountry or "Bush" pilots from as far back as the late 1910s.
I'm talking about air courier services that are not widebody airliner size transport aircraft carrying tons of cargo to airports, but smaller General Aviation aircraft landing right in the middle of the communities they service to hand deliver parcels.
Benefits of Using Real Flight Sim Gear
Something I was not expecting was how challenging flying the aircraft was. After assembly, loading cargo and fueling the default flying boat (which is rather intricate process all on its own, but more on that another time), my first impression was that it was somewhat unruly to get control of. From lifting off of the water to trying to configure the aircraft for cruise, it felt like the controls were muddy and cumbersome. It seemed to need constant inputs to even maintain level flight. This was puzzling to me.
Once at a safe altitude, I set the aircraft to altitude hold via autopilot to open the control settings and see what the key binds were. Perhaps I had reversed axises or double mapped buttons. The developer did quite a bit of work in mid-April on devices supported in Lakehopper and other input related work. I thought perhaps some of my old key bindings are clashing with the new update in some way.
Seeing the sheer number of new control options available and some of my flight peripherals being recognized by the game, it hit me: I would have a much better experience just using actual flight simulation equipment rather than trying to figure out which gamepads can be pressed into service with keyboard and mouse. I pulled out my WINCTRL Orion HOTAS and trusty Thrustmaster T.Flight Rudder Pedals and got right to work.
And what do you know? It was a night and day experience.
Mapping independent engine axises, various trim controls, prop pitch, prop reversers, flap lever positions and more, it was surprising at how quickly I used each of these controls before I even left the water surface.
After cold starting the flying boat and pushing back from the dock with reverse prop thrust, I had to use differential thrust to turn the aircraft towards the open sea. As speed increased during takeoff the aircraft begins its expected "hops" on the water surface as lift is generated. Something you will find in even the most accessible seaplane games. However, inputting minor roll corrections to keep the flying boat's wing mounted pontoons from teeter tottering and inducing yaw as they make contact with the water's surface was a point of realism I did not expect from this title.
Getting into the air the pilots workload while changing heading and altitude includes thorough manipulation of throttle output and frequent trimming of roll, pitch and rudder. As much as you would expect from an older flight control system that is not a fly by wire system with all sorts of control assists running without human input to keep the aircraft as easy to fly as possible. The developer is not doing much compromising for the flight model in this game.
Do not let the look of this game deceive you. Maybe because I did not have a detail dripping cockpit in front of me, I approached it with a different mindset. Approach Lakehopper as a proper flight simulator that needs your full attention, and you will not be disappointed.
Old School Navigation
While airborne with a fuselage full of parcels you would expect to establish long-range radio contact with some sort of air traffic controller or bring up the known waypoints on your legally distinct L3Harris navigation system. Not here! Again, some genuine pilotage is needed.
The most advanced from of navigation in the current version of Lakehopper is very high frequency omnidirectional range stations (VOR). These beacons saw widespread use in the 1950s and throughout the cold war. Even today in the 2020s, VORs are still in use but have been reduced in the amount still active worldwide.
In Lakehopper each known location has a set VOR frequency which can be referenced in the in-game manual under NAV (Navigation). The VOR instrument in the aircraft does have a course deviation indicator, making it an omni bearing indicator which does display needles to assist with aircraft course corrections to the location of the selected VOR frequency. Adjusting the instrument using the omni bearing selector (OBS) knob on the lower left of the aircraft VOR will eventually show the direction of the desired VOR frequency along with whether or not the instrument is navigating to that location or away from that location.
While helpful, VORs do not give pilots range data. While in flight, players are able to be use these navigation beacons to get near these communities but they're not substitute of GPS systems. Players will ultimately need to get eyes out the cockpit, remain out of weather and search through terrain to visually find their final destinations.
Forming an Opinion
Thus far the combination of distance traveled, the cruising speeds of the propeller driven flying boat and no setting to fast forward game play creates a realistic short-haul experience. While doing six back-to-back delivery flights would probably take a few hours, I do prefer that the developer has chosen to do this for the game.
After a particularly long-lasting flight through some overcast and wandering a bit to find the Manypeaks community, my feelings on the developer's decisions began to solidify. After a few minutes bringing the flying boat into the docks and using mooring ropes to secure it and begin deliveries, I realized that I have not quite had this type of experience with many flight games or simulators specifically about bush flying or seaplane games.
Sequence of approaching a town, docking, delivering and beginning aircraft maintenance.
Running a dolly full of packages to the delivery area and checking wear and tear on the aircraft before the next time I login to fly is not something I am doing as a staple in other simulators. There is something highly unique happening with this game.
The next time I write about this game, it will most likely be after a much longer time of flying the same aircraft for dozens of flights to see how the aircraft persistence system holds up, but for now Lakehopper by Photon Games has my respect for its current presentation of flight operations.
Connect with Lakehopper by Photon Games
About the Writer
Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile]
