STACK July 2017 Issue 153

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After three years, Elite Dangerous is finally getting a full retail
release onto Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Words Alesha Kolbe
Frontier Developments’ Elite Dangerous
has been around for three years now. And
in 2017, it’s coming to consoles for the
first time in a Legendary Edition, including the
game, the season pass, and a bunch of in-game
gold to spend.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Elite
Dangerous was born of a Kickstarter campaign
back in 2012, and released on PC two years
later. A ‘space adventure, trading, and combat
simulation’ game, Elite Dangerous allows you
to explore Frontier Developments’ Milky Way
Galaxy, which is very similar to the real one.
Choices you make in-game will not only
affect the way your narrative unfolds, but also
the wide-open world of ED’s universe. It’s up to
you whether you want to play it safe or make
the galaxy an awful place to live in.
Dangerous is the fourth game in the Frontier
series, and is set 45 years after the previous
entry. The game engine runs in real time, and
the world has been online for the last three
years. You begin your life as an astronaut with
a ship and a little cash, and it’s up to you to
choose how you carve your path in the world,
be it through legal means or otherwise.
You can join an in-game faction and
contribute to its growth by completing missions
to earn rewards. A successful faction will be
more powerful and have more territorial control,
which will result in more benefits for you.
A recent update has also introduced the Holo-Me character creator. As far as character
creators go, it’s pretty in-depth, allowing you to
make changes to everything from facial features
to the suit you’re wearing. It’s even got its own
dedicated subreddit, where users can post
selfies.
The Legendary release on console, as
previously mentioned, includes the Horizons
season pass, giving you access to all the add-
on content, and 1000 gold to spend in-game.
The Horizons DLC is a full-blown season of
expansions, with players getting access to the
Cobra MK4, planetary landings, ground vehicles
and bases, multicrew support, and a new
ground vehicle – the Surface Reconnaissance
Vehicle – equipped with weapons, scanners,
and a datalink system for hacking. Materials
found on the surface of planets can be used to
craft useful upgrades to your kit.
At its heart, Elite Dangerous is one of those
titles that chugs along in the background,
minding its own business, keeping to itself and
listening to and catering for its highly dedicated
fanbase. Now, the journey has made its way to
console, and there’s no better time to jump on
board.
It's even got its own
dedicated subreddit, where
users can post selfies
Old
Frontier
078 JULY 2017
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