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

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 47,049 reviews

gameplay1,258 positive mentions

story900 negative mentions

story
9,475 mentions
9 % positive mentions
82 % neutral mentions
9 % 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 offers minimal guidance or overarching plot. Instead, it encourages players to create their own stories through exploration, trading, and various mission types, which can often feel repetitive and grindy. While there are elements of lore and community-driven events, the absence of a cohesive storyline or engaging character interactions leaves many players feeling disconnected from the game's universe. Overall, those seeking a rich narrative experience may find the game lacking, while others who enjoy sandbox-style gameplay may appreciate the freedom it offers.
- “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 and the powerplay feature could have been magnificent, but they just didn't finish that, so nobody plays powerplay.”
- “The game has a ton of lore flavor involving factions and missions, and all of it is balanced out of being relevant.”
gameplay
5,372 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, offering players a wide range of activities to engage in.”
- “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
4,252 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 enjoy the freedom to set their own goals, others feel that the game often devolves into a monotonous cycle of repetitive tasks, such as grinding for credits, materials, and ranks to unlock better ships and upgrades. Overall, the game is best suited for those who appreciate a grind-heavy experience and are willing to invest substantial time to progress.
- “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 grindy but not too grindy.”
- “It isn't grindy to the degree of an MMO, but definitely more so than your usual single-player game.”
- “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 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.”
- “You will spend hours grinding for money and reputation to buy a bigger ship so you can grind even more money and reputation.”
graphics
3,755 mentions
61 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Elite Dangerous" are widely praised for their stunning detail and immersive quality, with many players noting the breathtaking visuals of space, planets, and ships. While the game excels in creating a visually captivating experience, some users report performance issues and a steep learning curve that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, the game's graphics are often highlighted as a major selling point, making it a visually impressive space simulator.
- “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.”
- “The graphics, the sound, the controls, the world, it's all beautiful and often breathtaking.”
- “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.”
- “The graphics look bad, jagged edges and shading on the planet looks bad, things only look good when piloting in the ship.”
- “The graphics and sound still blow me away, but the gameplay itself is surprisingly shallow once you sink a good number of hours into it.”
stability
689 mentions
7 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been a significant point of contention among users, with many describing it as "buggy" and "unstable." Players report frequent glitches, crashes, and issues with the game's launcher, which complicate the overall experience. While some users acknowledge improvements over time, the consensus is that the game still suffers from persistent bugs that detract from gameplay, making it frustrating for both new and returning players.
- “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.”
- “The game is a buggy mess that only has attempts at enjoyment.”
- “It's a buggy, unpolished, unoptimized mess.”
- “The last DLC, Odyssey, was released as a buggy mess and meant that the devs spent years implementing space legs, rather than new content for the spaceship game people came for.”
atmosphere
586 mentions
54 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Elite Dangerous" is widely praised for its immersive and breathtaking qualities, combining stunning visuals, detailed sound design, and a vast, realistic galaxy that evokes a sense of wonder and exploration. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a serene and grand space environment, although many express disappointment over the current limitations regarding atmospheric landings and the lack of interactive planetary features. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, drawing players back despite its grindy nature and some gameplay frustrations.
- “The engine, though somewhat dated, is extremely complex, going down into detail to such things as how planetary atmosphere compositions scatter and bend light into different wavelengths, or how star systems that were randomly generated at the start of the game were made as realistically as we know.”
- “It's atmospheric, sedate, makes space feel big and grand in a way that the genre often struggles to do.”
- “The atmosphere is still there - love this game.”
- “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.”
- “You can see atmosphere planets from orbit but you can't land on them; the planets that you can land on are vapid, lifeless, featureless barren wastelands.”
- “One big minus in my opinion, even with all DLCs, you still can't land on planets with atmospheres.”
optimization
564 mentions
27 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Elite Dangerous," particularly after the Odyssey expansion, has been a contentious topic among players. Many report significant performance issues, especially in the Odyssey mode, with frame rates dropping drastically in certain environments, such as spaceports and during on-foot gameplay. While some users with high-end systems experience smooth performance, the overall sentiment indicates that the game has suffered from poor optimization and persistent bugs, leading to a decline in player satisfaction and calls for more developer attention to address these issues.
- “The game runs smoothly and performs very well.”
- “The graphics are really optimized; I play on my notebook, Nvidia 940mx video card, i3 6100 processor at 2.1 GHz, no turbo boost, and it runs almost 60 fps all the time.”
- “The performance is great and never stutters with everything set to high in VR on my 1080.”
- “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 optimization and framerates are still pretty bad when you're in stations or near settlements, and we still don't have ship interiors.”
music
541 mentions
38 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience of space exploration. Many players enjoy the orchestral soundtrack, particularly the classical pieces that play during docking sequences, which evoke a sense of nostalgia and grandeur. However, some users find the music repetitive over time and suggest that playing personal playlists or podcasts can enhance the experience, especially during long travel times. Overall, while the in-game music is appreciated, it often serves as a backdrop to players' own audio choices.
- “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 music changes dynamically to match whatever situation you're in; if you've just been dragged out of supercruise by a space pirate, then you get appropriate music, if you're letting your docking computer land for you at a space dock, then you get another appropriate little tune.”
- “The music is wonderful and immersive, and the soundtrack is very well done as well and fitting to whatever you are doing since every activity has its own set of soundtracks.”
- “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 lack of elevator music at most ports is sad (at least play 'Girl from Ipanema' occasionally).”
- “The music is forgettable, if any even plays.”
monetization
349 mentions
4 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
32 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy in the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as predatory and a cash grab. While some microtransactions are purely cosmetic and do not impact gameplay, the introduction of purchasable ships and premium currency has led to accusations of pay-to-win mechanics and excessive grinding designed to encourage spending. Overall, the community feels that the focus on monetization detracts from the game's potential and enjoyment, with many expressing disappointment over the shift from a previously more player-friendly model.
- “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.”
- “The premium currency (arx) can only be used for cosmetics, and the only microtransactions are for arx, so it is not pay-to-win.”
- “Fortunately, there is no way to speed up the progress or influence your gameplay mechanically through microtransactions, so I guess for most people it's not a big deal.”
- “The game charges a flat fee for purchase, uses peer-to-peer networking for multiplayer, and has recently decided to also add live-service style mechanics-affecting microtransactions for real money.”
- “But as of now, Frontier does not listen to the community; they are not interested in making a game, they are only interested in squeezing the absolute maximum amount of monetization from the least amount of effort.”
- “The added pay-to-win microtransactions are what finally made me change my review.”
humor
173 mentions
99 % positive mentions
-1 % neutral mentions
2 % 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 the humor can be hit or miss, it adds a unique charm that resonates with many players.
- “The irony in the review bombing of this game is quite hilarious.”
- “Funny space game with funny space politics and sexy space empress.”
- “The game attempts a mix of simulation and game mechanics, sometimes with hilarious results.”
- “This game tries to be funny, but the jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
- “The humor in this game is so repetitive that it quickly becomes tiresome.”
- “I expected a lot of laughs, but instead, I found the humor to be dull and uninspired.”
emotional
93 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 capable of evoking tears and intense frustration, while others find beauty and wonder in its immersive environments. Despite its flaws, many players feel a strong attachment to the game, returning to it repeatedly despite periods of disappointment and heartache.
- “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
88 mentions
27 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Overall, "Elite Dangerous" is praised for its high replayability, with many players highlighting the vastness of the galaxy and the freedom to explore as key factors contributing to its enduring appeal. While some users express concerns about repetitive missions and a lack of varied content, the game's open-world nature and continuous updates have kept many engaged for hundreds of hours. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and multiplayer issues, the consensus leans towards it being infinitely replayable for those who enjoy space exploration and simulation.
- “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.”
- “Endlessly replayable, a new experience every time you play.”
- “The game sorely lacks any real single player mode, or replayability - unless you're into online multiplayer and PvP.”
- “This game is for sight-seeing only; little to no replay value.”
- “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.”
character development
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and meaningful progression, with many players feeling disconnected from the story and characters. While some appreciate the potential for improvement in future expansions, the current state is seen as repetitive and devoid of engaging narratives or character arcs. Conversely, a few players enjoy the personal aspects of character development, particularly in titles like Star Citizen, which offers more immersive experiences.
- “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.”
- “The Power Play expansion that comes with ED is the latest add-on that provides players who require some sort of in-game purpose a chance to develop their character.”
- “It lacks depth of story or character development, and the stations are redundant and boring, but it is a vast galaxy and stunningly beautiful.”
- “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.”