Elite Dangerous Odyssey is an upcoming expansion for the game that introduces space legs and exploration of light atmosphere planets. While some anticipated features like playable ship interiors and encounters with living creatures may not be included, the expansion offers new gameplay mechanics, shipless exploration, and support for VR.
Elite Dangerous Odyssey is an upcoming expansion for the game that is expected to be fully-fledged and larger in scale than any previous updates or DLCs. The price of the expansion has not been confirmed yet, but it is anticipated to be around $30 to $60. The release date is set for early 2021, although specifics are not provided.
The expansion introduces the highly anticipated feature of space legs, allowing players to walk around planets and starports. However, it has been confirmed that ship interiors will not be playable, disappointing some players who expected a more immersive experience. There are also no indications of spacewalks outside of ships, hinting at a limited scope.
Odyssey will allow players to explore light atmosphere planets and engage in exobiology, taking samples from plants that grow there. However, combat will focus more on tactics rather than action, and shooting aliens or encountering living animals may not be part of the expansion. The gameplay mechanics for shooting in first-person view are still unclear, although concept art shows different spacesuits with varying functionalities.
Shipless gameplay is mentioned, where players can travel to places without their ships using an apex traveling agency. The specifics of this feature and whether players can travel far and wide or to only a few systems are not disclosed. Additionally, there is mention of a physical multicrew and social hubs within station interiors for mission pickups.
While virtual reality (VR) will still be supported in Odyssey, it will not have VR support for the on-foot part of the gameplay. VR gear will switch to flat screen projection when engaging in first-person gameplay. There is no indication of crossplay or optimization for the new console generation, although the game is expected to be backwards compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
In conclusion, Elite Dangerous Odyssey offers exciting features such as space legs and exploration of light atmosphere planets. However, it has confirmed limitations such as no playable ship interiors and potentially no living creatures or aliens in the expansion. Questions remain about the gameplay mechanics, shipless gameplay, and social hubs. VR support is available but not for on-foot gameplay. The game is set to release in early 2021 with an estimated price range of $30 to $60.