Elite: Dangerous - Horizons

Elite: Dangerous – Horizons is an expansion pack for the 2014 space simulator from Frontier Developments. The whole set consists of several separate additions, the first of which is Planetary Landings.

Planetary Landings allows the players to land on selected planets presented on a scale 1:1, and explore them freely. Those who want to, can scan specific areas (these are generated procedurally) for any signals, broken machinery, mineral deposits, mines, as well as traces of enemy units or forts, so that they will be able to decide which part of the planet should be visited and investigated thoroughly. It is an interesting change as compared to the core version of Elite: Dangerous, where players can only dock at space stations circling the planets' orbits.

In order to allow the players to carry out a more effective recon, the creators introduced an extra ground vehicle, dubbed Scarab. This nimble and well-equipped machine the size of a small car works well for all types of reconnaissance conducted in the diverse terrain (high elevations or deep canyons), and for infiltration of enemy bases.

An important feature related to Planetary Landings is without a doubt the system of smooth transition from space to the surface of selected celestial bodies. Thanks to this solution, the players can explore a planet without worrying about an annoying loading screen.

Last updated on November 5, 2015