VIDEO Watch the interview above, also available on YouTube.

Ever since Elite Dangerous was first released in 2014, players have dreamed of leaving the cockpit of their ship and walking on another world. And in early 2021, when the Odyssey expansion is scheduled for release, that will finally be possible. [Game director Piers Jackson said at the PC Gaming Show. 'We've really made the last addition in terms of going from space to the surface of the planet. And now you can explore and interact with the environment"

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But when you land on these planets, you are not just sightseeing. Says Jackson, "We've taken the idea that space games have of mission-based gameplay, of making your own way and creating your own experiences, and we've taken that and put it on a planet."

"This gives players a new experience. Everything is linked from ground to space, so it's a holistic event. The design encompasses the entire experience."

Previously, at the time of the Horizons expansion, players could only land on airless worlds and rocky moons. But now, for the first time in the elite game, we will see blue skies.

"For the first time, we will have access to a mountain of new planets with rarefied atmospheres," says Jackson. 'Older planets can also be visited, and the visuals have been redesigned. You can actually be the first person to set foot on a planet."

"And obviously you can play multiplayer. You can meet up with friends by ship, SRV, and eventually on foot."

If all goes according to plan and "Odyssey" meets its scheduled release date, 2021 will be a big year for space sims on the frontier.