The next chapter in Elite Dangerous has been announced and it looks like players will finally get their “space legs”. The Odyssey update is coming next year and will be the first paid expansion for the game since Horizons which introduced planetary landings as well as the SRV (rover). This time around we’re getting the ability to step out from our ships and kick up some dirt with our own (virtual) feet.

The announcement on the Frontier Forums mentions that first person combat will be a big part of this update so I’m anticipating a lot more customization of your character (beyond the Holo-Me system) but potentially a large variety of personal weapons and items too. Combat might be the initial focus of this but there could be room for multiple disciplines outside that to be a part of this experience in the future. Exploration and mining could take on a whole new level too if you have to walk into a tiny cave or dig up a location by hand.

If I were to compare it similar games in the genre the trailer reminds me most of Star Citizen with the new FPS mode and improved planet detail but I’m curious to know if this is the beginning of what we might find on planets. To see an abundance of flora or fauna beyond the rare alien-like structures (ie. trees, etc) would be huge, especially if it meant we could finally land on those Earth-like worlds. And the aforementioned Star Citizen has been able to provide a similar experience for the last couple of years now even if they’ve also had truckloads more money to invest in it… we’ll find out what to expect soon enough as more news arrives! 🙂

Elite Dangerous is out now for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Odyssey is scheduled to arrive early 2021.