Frontier details on-foot combat in latest Elite Dangerous Odyssey expansion trailer
Rocket man.
Elite Dangerous' highly anticipated Odyssey expansion isn't too far away now, and developer Frontier is continuing its pre-launch promotional blitz with a new developer video, this time showcasing the kind of combat Commanders will be able to experience when they finally receive their space-legs early next year.
Come the arrival of Odyssey, players will, for the first time, be able to leave the confines of their space vessels and stroll about Elite Dangerous' vast galaxy on-foot, exploring everything from shiny space stations to dusty desert outposts in first-person.
This, as Frontier explains in its latest video, necessitates a bit of a mentality shift when it comes to combat, with players needing to develop a whole new set of skills as they make the jump from "bold, daring star pilot to vulnerable on-foot troop".
For starters, it's apparently unwise to rush straight into battle; instead, smart Commanders will need to make "critical decisions" about the suits they're wearing and the weapons they're carrying in order to gain the upper-hand in different combat scenarios.
Odyssey's on-foot armaments are described as "powerful and satisfying to use" and will take familiar forms, including assault rifles, shotguns, SMGs, and rocket launchers, as well as "heavier anti-spacecraft weaponry". However, all fall into three distinct classes: plasma weapons, laser weapons, and kinetic weapons. They're visually distinct too, their striking designs influenced by the existing style of their respective in-universe manufacturers.
Once suitably equipped, players can head into battle across a "wide range of environments", both indoors and out, with Frontier promising a more tactical take on combat encounters thanks to what it calls Odyssey's "combat triangle". This, essentially, refers to the interplay of on-foot commanders, SRVs, and ships during combat, with the "inherently unpredictable" results able to stretch "from the surface all the way into space".
Combat missions won't be the only way to earn credits in Elite Dangerous' paid Odyssey expansion, of course; less aggressively minded Commanders might prefer to make money by collecting sellable data on local flora while out exploring, or even by stealing in-demand items from settlements to shift on the black market.
Expect more reveals as Odyssey's early 2021 launch on Xbox One, PS4, and PC approaches.