The release of one of the largest add-ons for the space simulator Elite Dangerous. Odyssey allows players to explore a whole new layer of gameplay and allows them to finally leave their favorite ship on their own. Whether the addition was successful - we tell in the review.
WHAT IS THE GAME ABOUT AND WHY DO YOU NEED AN ADD-ON
Elite Dangerous is the brightest representative of a rare genre today - a space simulator. The advantages of the project include both elements of an online games from the studio Friv2Online, and one of the largest gaming worlds in the history of the industry.
In turn, the "Odyssey" brings the appearance of a long-awaited opportunity to walk along the paths of distant planets, as well as go to the bars of space stations, alluring with their signs. Players have been asking for this functionality almost since the very appearance of the friv game in the public domain. And now their dream has come true.
PHILOSOPHY OF WALKING GAME
I don’t really like to write in my reviews from myself or about myself, but now I just can’t help but make an exception. Elite Dangerous has been with me for five long years. And a very small number of game worlds could drag out the modest person of the author for such a long time and make him study every little thing.
Rumors about the possibility of getting out of a starship have been circulating in the community for a very long time, and in general, the number of players who would like to walk on the surface of the planets has always outweighed the number of their opponents.
As for me, knowing about all the problems of the game, the question “Why?” always sounded in my head. It seems to me that the introduction of elements of a completely different genre into a project that was not originally intended for this has quite a few chances for successful implementation.
For example, there are such game series as Need For Speed and Grand Theft Auto. In both games, driving is the most important part. However, if in the first it is the main mechanics, without which there is no friv game as such, then in the second it is just a part of a huge picture. Although it is very voluminous, but still a part.
Obviously, if an update is released for Need For Speed that allows you to get out of the car, then the game will not change from this by itself. Its tracks are not designed for walking, and those locations and activities that will be created for the new functionality will somehow resonate with what was previously created purely for racing.
That is why I had big doubts about the need for walking right now, in this game and in this form. Elite Dangerous overtook its competitor in the face of Star Citizen in that its developers focused on creating, if not so versatile, but a complete gaming experience. And why now repeat other people's mistakes, changing course, is really difficult to understand.
WHO GOT BETTER AND WHY?
The main feature of the Odyssey is aimed at two specific things that are closely related. Creating a wow effect is achieved by the fact that now you can get off the ship and take a walk in person. This move should attract many newcomers to the game who were previously put off by the pilot-only gameplay.
This add-on did a great job. The game is seeing huge growth in online sales, public interest, and player influx. Congratulations to the developers, but how does such fun look through the eyes of those who have been in the friv game for a long time?
Veterans of the dark space finally got the opportunity to run around the hangar around their true friend, visit several variants of space station interiors and take part in foot combat, which is a full-fledged first-person shooter.
All in all, it sounds great. However, it is worth considering that the development took almost three years, during which the game remained almost without significant updates. And, remembering this circumstance, the question arises for Odyssey after a week of playing: is that all?
Yes, this is the basis, which will be tightened up with updates over time. Yes, many mechanics have appeared that were previously unimaginable: hacking, stealing security profiles to infiltrate bases, gunfights, scanning live plants to sell data, atmospheric planets and the ability to play without a ship, moving by taxi.
The shooter part is well done. Lots of weapon options, detailed customization, leveling up with engineers, jumping on rooftops in a jetpack and a generally pleasant shooting experience. Of course, this is not Call of Duty, but it plays quite tolerably.
It sounds voluminous, but in fact, half of everything that has appeared in the friv game is a raw frame. Most players will most likely look at the new functionality once, after which they will never remember that there are ground missions with battles and penetration into protected areas.
But who is lucky for sure is the pilots who have devoted themselves to research. For them, the opportunity to leave the ship on a planet located on the other side of the galaxy will be a truly pleasant experience with unforgettable impressions. Views of distant worlds Elite Dangerous is able to give truly grandiose.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Perhaps the biggest surprise for all those involved was the technical performance of the Odyssey. Elite Dangerous has always been an unspoken example of optimization, running on the weakest machines, but still giving out a pretty impressive picture.
And just such a reason for pride has disappeared from the list of achievements of the authors of the game. "Odyssey" slows down even on the top-end cars. And it doesn’t matter what processor or video card you have.
And the hype raised on this topic really has a good reason. The situation worsened so much that the very founder of the developer studio, who admitted that there was a problem, had to apologize for it.
Poor optimization was not the only drawback of the friv game. Server crashes, numerous bugs, lags, disappearing opponents are included. Waiting for patches? Of course we are waiting. It remains only to do this, as well as to shrug, remembering once again about two and a half years of development.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the new planet generation system, which completely redesigned everything that could previously land on. Of course, the dusty paths of distant worlds have become much clearer, but in terms of relief, the area has clearly degraded. Many players note the disappearance of some mountains and canyons, which have now turned into endless flat deserts.
The problems of "Odyssey" would like to include the previously mentioned scarcity of content at the time of release. There are few types of new missions. There are also few interiors of stations where you can walk. Separately, it is worth mentioning that not a single new type of ship was even introduced into such a large-scale addition. And yes, you can’t walk through the interior of your own spaceship either, although a lot of people were waiting for this.
As for newcomers pouring into a new world of unfriendly space for them, they will be met with very sad things. The most important problem, perhaps, can be called the ratio of prices and earnings for activities, which completely breaks the entire progress system in the game. Few will remain playing where an assault rifle costs as much as 50 full-fledged starting ships. The pricing aspect needs to be reworked for a long time, but for some reason no one is in a hurry to deal with it. And if the release of such a major addition did not become the reason for this work, then it is absolutely incomprehensible what the authors should be inspired by.
Separately, it is worth noting the absence of at least some incentive for cooperation with other players. Although it has been shown in trailers more than once. In the friv game, you can’t even share the reward for a walking mission: if you decide to complete it with the help of friends, then only the one who activated this mission will receive the reward. And this approach completely kills all the potential pleasure of playing together. But it finally became possible to transport a friend on your ship: this function was really lacking for a long time.
Does not cause joy and almost complete redesign of the user interface. Many menus, such as the map and station interaction screens, now look completely different. It can be seen that the course is taken to meet the needs of console players. Although on the PC in its current form, it causes rejection rather than joy from the long-awaited replacement of obsolete elements.
GRAPHICS AND ATMOSPHERE
The visual part of Elite Dangerous is what sells the friv game, keeps the players, gives consistently positive emotions. If you do not take into account the problems with optimization that have surfaced, the picture really impresses anyone.
And the "Odyssey" certainly did not let us down in this regard. Players will be delighted by light-filled stations where you can look through huge windows at the takeoff and landing of ships, as well as landscapes of distant uninhabited planets.
During the execution of each walking mission, you are surprised at how many different lockers, bedside tables, jars and beds the authors came up with and made. It is in the detailing of the buildings that the invested soul and the huge amount of work of designers are felt.
The effect of presence has always been very strong in this game. And it becomes even stronger when you explore a de-energized base with a flashlight, saw the emergency access panel with a cutter, or admire the endless space from a hilltop.
Recycled lighting from scratch also helps to create the necessary atmosphere. During the first launch of the game after the release of the update, it turned out to be difficult to recognize everything that was so familiar. At first glance, the environment has become much darker, but now the light sources stand out even more in the blackness of infinity. Stations, stars and nebulae in the background look simply incomparable, as well as the lights of settlements at night.
In addition, many effects in the space part of the friv game have been reworked. For example, shots hitting shields, ship explosions, flight between systems, and much more.
CONCLUSION
Unfortunately, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will not be a lifeline for a project that has been marking time in one place for a long time. The very possibility of a pedestrian layer of gameplay sounds impressive, but in reality its implementation is very far from something truly incredible.
Technical flaws and poor optimization also do not add points to the add-on, which is a reason to wait with its purchase until the fundamental problems are fixed.
But at the same time, if for you the effect of presence and the romance of space is more important than the saturation of classes, you simply cannot miss Odyssey. Still, what cannot be taken away from Elite Dangerous is one of the most beautiful, impressive in its size realizations of our galaxy. And, probably, just for such a unique opportunity to explore this world, it is worth forgiving its authors for many miscalculations and shortcomings.