Looking back, the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey article is not my first article that originates from the Elite Dangerous game series. Almost a year ago, I did a piece on Elite Dangerous in which I named some of the coolest TV space stations. You know… Event Horizon was among the examples of course, and you can check it out again here. You’re welcome.
However, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey demands a different format and a different project in the middle of the article. No, I’m not going to name different projects here (as per usual). But I am going to focus on one project in particular. 2001 A Space Odyssey.
2001 A Space Odyssey Is A Good Fit For Elite Dangerous: Odyssey?
We at IndieGala seem to think so. Of course, I can’t help notice the very different circumstances when it comes to this article. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey was released this year, while the movie that will accompany this article was released more than 50 years old. But I love that. And I love the fact that 2001 A Space Odyssey is going to be the main focus in this article. With time and lots of patience, 2001 A Space Odyssey has become one of my top 3 Stanley Kubrick movies. Right after Full Metal Jacket and Barry Lyndon. But I’ll get to the movie in a second. I believe that a word or two about the game itself is very much needed here.
What’s Elite Dangerous: Odyssey All About?
Developed and published by Frontier Developments, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is the second paid expansion for Elite Dangerous. Frontier Developments has described it as the biggest update yet and a defining moment in the history of the game. Disembark, Commander, and leave your mark on the galaxy in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. Explore distant worlds on foot and expand the frontier of known space. Be the first to step out onto countless unique planets as you discover land untouched since time began. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey invites you to become a true pioneer. Purchase it by clicking here.
However, what are some of the Steam users’ comments saying about it?
*Gjersan says Rough start but it’s getting better, I’m having heaps of fun with it.
*While Epoch 5555 adds: Gameplay has improved tremendously for me it’s playing just as good as Horizons.
And if you don’t really care about Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion, we got the OG Elite Dangerous project here at IndieGala. Check it out here. We also have the Elite Dangerous: Commander Premium Edition (available here) and Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Edition (here).
A Pretentious Bore? Or a Visionary Masterpiece?
And yes. 2001 A Space Odyssey goes perfectly with Elite Dangerous: Odyssey if I do say so myself. But for me, let me just state right at the start of this article, it took me a while to get it. And dare I say, love… To the movie. Back in high school, I’d say it’s pretentious and boring, but now I grew to appreciate 2001 A Space Odyssey.
At the very least the effort that was put into the movie. Perhaps it’s because I’m older and therefore wiser, but now I see it differently. And maybe that’s the decisive factor for my change of opinion. But, I did grow to love this movie over time. It took me several viewings of the film to get to this point, but I’m glad I’m there. And yes. This is not a perfect movie, by any means. It’s flawed in some key aspects (script, development, editing, pacing).
Despite the iceberg-like pacing, lack of character development and that very confusing ending. When I come to think of it, I was looking at the movie from the wrong angle all along. I should have paid more attention to the sartorial pleasure that it still gives us. Because it’s exactly that. Sartorial, futuristic predicting of the future, long before we even know what that future might entail.
Gosh, he was so ahead of his time. In essence, 2001 A Space Odyssey is about a voyage to Jupiter, after the discovery of a monolith. It’s a very mysterious mission, which will become increasingly difficult. And of course, after the computer system Hall (voice by Douglas Rain) starts to show strange behavior while on board. Things will get very weird and very dangerous, and their mission will change.
The Music Is Incredible As Well, But The Themes….
Also sprach Zarathustra, Lux Aeterna and Strauss’s An der schönen, blauen Donau are some of my favorite pieces of music here. And you wouldn’t normally think that they’d go well with a heavy sci-fi movie like this. But they totally do. The miniatures, the practical effects and the gorgeous set pieces are also incredible in 2001 A Space Odyssey. However, aside from what the movie predicted (space travel, artificial intelligence, and even tablets), the movie puts the focus on different themes.
Human evolution, technological development and our existentialism among our space race. Sure, everything is neatly wrapped up in the mammoth 142 minutes of runtime, but everything else is ripe with symbolism. You can find symbolism in almost every scene. And when the movie drags on… It drags on for what seems like forever. It’s almost as Kubrick wanted you to savor all that effort in the making of the movie, and not miss a thing.
There’s Some Tension Too!
Oh, not everything is smooth sailing, but the small tension that the movie has comes from the non-human character. Hall of course. I just loved how the villain of the movie is basically an AI. Oh, and you know what I loved about 2001 A Space Odyssey? How anti-narrative it is. It has barely any explanation about anything, and it leaves you to interpret the key themes, plot lines and so on.
And even some of the character’s intentions, and I liked that. So, yeah. I wouldn’t have shared this opinion a decade ago. But then again, I didn’t look at the movie in such a manner. Watched it yet again just recently and I had a change of heart. And opinion as well. Saw it again, and now I understand that it’s OK that I don’t understand some aspects of it. I think Kubrick would have wanted it that way. Not everything in the movie is ready to be explained. That’s sometimes a good thing… And the movie reminds us of that.
Are You A Fan Of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey?
Let us know if you are. And of course, let us know your thoughts on 2011 A Space Odyssey. Do you like the movie? Or do you think it’s a pretentious bore? Hit that comment section and let us know. We’d love to know.
