Elite Dangerous

The PC classic and remake successfully transitions to the Xbox One console as players are given the commander's chair in a brilliant space epic

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Elite Dangerous: Deluxe Edition is a massive multiplayer space epic that offers the ultimate open-world adventure, re-creating the entire Milky Way at its full galactic proportions. With only a small starship and a few credits, players embark on a journey to earn wealth, power, and stand among the iconic Elite in a cutthroat galaxy. The Horizons season is now included, offering a new perspective on the galaxy.

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Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 94,137 reviews

gameplay2,519 positive mentions

story1,801 negative mentions

story
18,953 mentions
9 % positive mentions
82 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Elite Dangerous" is largely characterized by a lack of traditional narrative structure, with many players noting that the game does not provide a clear storyline or overarching quest. Instead, it offers a sandbox experience where players create their own stories through various missions, such as trading, combat, and exploration. While there are elements of lore and community-driven events, the missions often feel repetitive and lack depth, leading to a grind-heavy experience that can detract from engagement for those seeking a more guided narrative.
- “The story is well hidden, and not spoon-fed to anyone.”
- “This game has a unique way of telling its story; the community is the primary writer of this galaxy.”
- “Whether you’re teaming up with others to tackle missions or exploring the galaxy solo, the shared experiences and stories create a vibrant and engaging environment.”
- “The missions are uninspiring and unrewarding grind fests.”
- “There's no story in a traditional sense, but there's plenty of lore if you search for it.”
- “The game has a ton of lore flavor involving factions and missions, and all of it is balanced out of being relevant.”
gameplay
10,750 mentions
23 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Elite Dangerous" is characterized by its steep learning curve and complex mechanics, which can be overwhelming for new players. While the flight mechanics and visuals are often praised, many reviews highlight the repetitive and grind-heavy nature of the gameplay, with players frequently engaging in long travel times and monotonous tasks such as mining and trading. Despite its vast universe and potential for exploration, the lack of engaging content and meaningful progression leads to a sense of emptiness, making it a game that appeals primarily to those who enjoy simulation and are willing to invest significant time to master its intricacies.
- “The flight mechanics are sophisticated yet accessible, providing a learning curve that rewards skill development.”
- “The gameplay in Elite Dangerous is incredibly diverse, allowing players to engage in trade, combat, exploration, or mining, or even become a bounty hunter.”
- “With its stunning visuals, diverse gameplay options, and strong community support, it offers an experience that is both immersive and rewarding.”
- “It's so realistic that it's not fun; however, when it can't be bothered to be realistic, you get blatantly unrealistic mechanics like being able to respawn Call of Duty style in specific missions. Therefore, it is neither committed to being realistic nor fun.”
- “This is way too much work for a game that so far hasn’t impressed me with either graphics or gameplay and feels more like a job than play.”
- “The gameplay loop gets stale easily.”
grinding
8,504 mentions
0 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Elite Dangerous" is a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as excessively tedious and time-consuming. While some players find the grind rewarding and enjoyable, particularly when working towards upgrading ships or achieving ranks, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, leading to burnout and frustration. The game often requires players to engage in repetitive tasks, such as mining or trading, to progress, which can feel like a second job rather than a fun gaming experience. Overall, the perception of grinding in "Elite Dangerous" varies widely, heavily influencing players' enjoyment and engagement with the game.
- “The good thing is that generally you aren't punished for not grinding like a mindless drone, but without wasting hours upon hours you won't progress at all, and if you do waste a few weeks on this game, you still progress only very little.”
- “The game is still fun from time to time and I do think it is worth getting if you want a space sim that isn't outright terrible like No Man's Sky or vaporware like Star Citizen, but the game would be improved if the grind was trimmed down pretty heavily.”
- “A fantastic and beautiful (if not grindy) game set in a realistic 1:1 scale, open world galaxy based on the real Milky Way galaxy.”
- “I want to play a game to have fun, which you can do in Elite; it's just for every 2 hours of fun you have to have put in 50 hours of soul-destroying, bore-you-to-tears, mind-numbingly tedious grind.”
- “The grinding in this game is some of the worst I've seen, second to War Thunder.”
- “The game can be very grindy if you choose to want things like engineers, powerplay, etc.. but as mentioned earlier, it's a blaze your own path so none of it is a necessity.”
graphics
7,516 mentions
61 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Elite Dangerous" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, creating an immersive experience that captures the vastness of space. Many players highlight the game's ability to render realistic planetary surfaces, intricate starfields, and breathtaking space phenomena, especially when played in VR. However, some users have reported performance issues and graphical glitches, particularly after updates, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The graphics are stunning, especially on Odyssey, with atmospheric lighting that changes as you move across different planets.”
- “The visuals are breathtaking, with realistic planetary surfaces, intricate starfields, and stunning space phenomena.”
- “From the moment you launch your ship, the game captivates with its stunning graphics and attention to detail.”
- “Wallpaper simulator at 10 fps, the comment section of each 'update' is filled with players literally begging devs to fix bugs from years ago. It was nicely optimized before Odyssey but they removed powerplay in the base game to make you play the crap that they are selling now. Literally got a jump from 100 fps to 10 fps. Just be careful that after you launch the game, it doesn't take more than 2 hours to load the game.”
- “The graphics look bad, jagged edges and shading on planet looks bad, things only look good when piloting in ship.”
- “The graphics are like 1280p and I couldn't get past the starting tutorial as it hard locked when I got to the second airlock that needed me to overcharge it, so I skipped the tutorial and was running around trying just to get in my ship but I couldn't make out anything because the graphics are so bad and I can't change them anywhere.”
stability
1,378 mentions
7 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The stability of "Elite Dangerous" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reviews highlighting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues. While some users report that the game can be enjoyable despite its flaws, the overall consensus is that it remains a buggy experience, particularly following the release of the "Odyssey" expansion, which introduced additional instability. Frequent crashes, problematic multiplayer features, and a buggy launcher contribute to a frustrating gameplay experience, leading many to recommend caution before purchasing.
- “It looks great, plays great, and runs great.”
- “The game overall isn't buggy despite what older reviews say.”
- “This game runs great and has very few bugs that I have experienced.”
- “Finaly, finally, the controls are so atrocious and buggy, you risk getting 'menu-locked'.”
- “In over a year no one bothered to fix this buggy game.. waste of time and money.”
- “The last dlc, odyssey, was released as a buggy mess and meant that the devs spent year(s) implementing space legs, and all of the brand new engine code to support it, rather than new content for the spaceship game people came for.”
atmosphere
1,173 mentions
54 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Elite Dangerous" is widely praised for its immersive qualities, stunning visuals, and exceptional sound design, creating a sense of vastness and realism in space exploration. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of awe and tranquility, although many express frustration over the lack of atmospheric landings on habitable planets, which limits exploration opportunities. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest features, drawing players back despite its grindy nature and some gameplay limitations.
- “The atmosphere is simply amazing.”
- “The sound design, visuals, and atmosphere are all stunning.”
- “It's atmospheric, sedate, makes space feel big and grand in a way that the genre often struggles to do.”
- “I really wish they put more work into the out of cockpit gameplay, and add more land-able planet types with thicker atmospheres, bodies of water, and planetary settlements with NPCs to visit, get missions and make your own story with.”
- “The only complaint that I have about this game is that we can't land on earth-like planets, or any planet without little to no atmosphere.”
- “One big minus in my opinion, even with all DLCs, you still can't land on planets with atmospheres.”
optimization
1,129 mentions
27 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Elite Dangerous" has been a contentious topic among players, particularly following the release of the Odyssey expansion, which many describe as poorly optimized and plagued by performance issues. While some users report smooth gameplay on high-end systems, others experience significant frame rate drops and bugs, especially in populated areas or during on-foot gameplay. Overall, the base game is generally considered well-optimized, but the Odyssey expansion has led to widespread dissatisfaction regarding performance, prompting calls for further developer attention and fixes.
- “The game runs smoothly and performs very well.”
- “I can't believe how well optimized the game is.”
- “This game is so well optimized that it makes me cry.”
- “The game is fairly pretty but it does feel like over the years optimization has become a lower priority and there are times when the frame rate fluctuates heavily.”
- “Odyssey on release was an irrefutable disaster of bugs, poor performance and empty words.”
- “The sheer lack of optimization is shocking, considering the game's extensive development period.”
music
1,082 mentions
38 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in "Elite Dangerous" is often praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience of space exploration. While many players enjoy the orchestral soundtrack, particularly the iconic "Blue Danube" during docking, some find the music repetitive and prefer to listen to their own playlists or podcasts during gameplay. Overall, the sound design, including unique ship sounds and ambient effects, contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a relaxing backdrop for long journeys through the cosmos.
- “I still feel excited every time I go out of FSD near a pulsar or even just a star; I love the atmosphere in this game, and the soundtrack is great.”
- “The attention to detail extends to the sound design as well, with the ambient space noises and immersive soundtrack adding depth and authenticity to the experience.”
- “The music is atmospheric and calming, capturing the spirit of exploration with a decidedly sci-fi feel.”
- “It has music, but I turned it off pretty quickly and never turned it back on.”
- “The music gets tiresome quickly in my opinion and I usually play a Spotify playlist while playing which makes the immersion that much better.”
- “The music is repetitious.”
monetization
698 mentions
4 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
32 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as a cash grab due to the overwhelming presence of microtransactions, particularly for cosmetic items. While some argue that these purchases do not impact gameplay and can be earned through grinding, the introduction of pay-to-win elements and the perception of predatory practices have led to a decline in player trust and satisfaction. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as exploitative, detracting from the game's potential and enjoyment.
- “Granted, that introduced some new monetization into the game, but it isn't even close to pay-to-win, or even pay-to-progress-faster...maybe along the lines of pay-to-skip-a-bit-of-that-grind I mentioned earlier.”
- “There are no real in-game purchases necessary to progress within the game, but there are many hours necessary to achieve elite status in whichever role you have chosen.”
- “Another big plus is the fact that Frontier does not use microtransactions for anything other than purely cosmetic purposes.”
- “They are constantly making decisions that run their game into the ground, then reacting to the fallout from that by tightening the monetization thumb screws on those who remain.”
- “The fact that Steam and Frontier refuse to give refunds for this utter flop shows this was nothing more than a cash grab.”
- “This feels like an aggressive cash grab, especially for a game that already has microtransactions.”
humor
346 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as a mix of irony and absurdity, with players finding amusement in the game's grind, quirky mechanics, and the sometimes ridiculous situations they encounter. Many reviews highlight the community's interactions and the humorous elements of gameplay, such as funny NPC comments and unexpected outcomes, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere despite the game's more tedious aspects. Overall, while some players express frustration with the game's design, they also appreciate the comedic moments that arise during their space adventures.
- “The irony in the review bombing of this game is quite hilarious.”
- “On the plus side, flying into a white dwarf was pretty funny.”
- “The game attempts a mix of simulation and game mechanics, sometimes with hilarious results.”
- “Cons: This game is such a grind that it's actually not funny. If you're not ready to pour hours into this game, it's not for you.”
emotional
186 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from profound loneliness and insignificance in the vastness of space to moments of joy and connection with the community. Players often express a deep emotional investment in their experiences, with some describing the game as heart-wrenching yet rewarding, while others feel frustrated by its shortcomings and the developers' perceived lack of care. Overall, the game creates a unique emotional rollercoaster, balancing moments of awe with feelings of disappointment and isolation.
- “It is massive in scale and really made me feel like I was alone in the universe, insignificant, and regardless of whatever achievements I could claim, wars won, battles fought, billions made, nobody would miss me when I was gone.”
- “This game has made me cry twice.”
- “The game very much made me feel incredibly small and insignificant compared to those giant celestial bodies that litter the void.”
replayability
176 mentions
27 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
"Elite Dangerous" is frequently praised for its high replayability, with many players noting the vastness of its galaxy and the freedom it offers, allowing for countless hours of exploration and varied gameplay experiences. While some reviews mention issues with content variety and the game's learning curve, the overall consensus is that the game provides an engaging and endlessly replayable experience, particularly for those who enjoy space exploration and simulation. However, a few players express frustration with repetitive missions and a lack of single-player content, suggesting that the game's replay value may vary depending on individual preferences.
- “With 100 hours played primarily solo, Elite Dangerous offers a vast galaxy with endless freedom and replayability.”
- “The vastness and freedom of Elite is second to none, the ship flight mechanics and combat are pretty good, and the replayability is endless.”
- “Overall, the game is amazing and has great replayability; I will continue to play for years.”
- “The game sorely lacks any real single player mode, or replayability - unless you're into online multiplayer and PvP.”
- “But I think the game is a bit repetitive; it lacks variation or replayability. You have a lot of missions, but they are almost the same: go to X system, trade something, kill someone, return to base.”
- “Elite Dangerous is a waste of money, an incomplete game, and has little replay value.”
character development
18 mentions
17 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a compelling story or character arcs. While some appreciate the personal connection and development available in titles like Star Citizen, others feel that the repetitive content and minimal progression in games like Elite Dangerous detract from the overall experience. Future expansions, such as Odyssey, are hoped to enhance character involvement and narrative depth, but currently, many players find the character development unsatisfactory.
- “I love my persona and character development in Star Citizen as well as walking around my ship.”
- “If done well, Odyssey could improve the story and character development, as feeling involved in the game is what is really missing.”
- “Ed is an extremely playable and enjoyable finished work in progress that is steadily being expanded, with a clear roadmap to more content such as player-controlled ships that launch fighter drones, 'commanders,' and character development to let you multicrew ships with your friends, along with some mysterious alien lore.”
- “There's no story whatsoever, no skill progression, no character development, and it's hard to give a crap about galactic politics when it's all just the same exact content painted with a different veneer for each faction.”
- “There is no story, no arc, no characters, and definitely no character development.”
- “It lacks depth of story or character development, and the stations are redundant and boring, but it is a vast galaxy and stunningly beautiful.”