Elite: Dangerous

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1913 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,150 out of 1913
  2. Mixed: 209 out of 1913
  3. Negative: 554 out of 1913

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  1. giskarduk
    Dec 19, 2014
    7
    Elite has not learned a thing in the past 30 years. In 1984 is was all back and forth, back and forth in a very tedious fashion. In 1993 with Elite 2 they updated game but still produced the same back and forth boring game play. In 2014, its the same none sense. Yet the X series by Egosoft stole the Elite crown over a decade ago by adding more depth to that simple formula. Making space inElite has not learned a thing in the past 30 years. In 1984 is was all back and forth, back and forth in a very tedious fashion. In 1993 with Elite 2 they updated game but still produced the same back and forth boring game play. In 2014, its the same none sense. Yet the X series by Egosoft stole the Elite crown over a decade ago by adding more depth to that simple formula. Making space in to an interesting simulation.... Admittedly Egosoft threw the crown away with X3 and XR, abandoning core features that made it a great space sim. But does Elite Dangerous deserve a crown, even one that is laying in the mud because nobody wants it....

    The biggest issue here is the fact they decided to make a single player game in to a multiplayer game, so multiplayer feels like single player should feel and solo play is just you in multiplayer without players. Truth is, without Multiplayer Elite Dangerous is so boring it will put you to sleep.

    It is a great space sim, definitely made for the PC and PC hardware, from a space flight perspective its great the best. But these games moved on decades ago, they became much deeper than any Elite game has ever managed to be.... Elite Dangerous is like a Pacman shoot em up in the age of Call of Duty. Players simply expect more in a universe then to watch the stars flash past for 10 minutes at a time as you fly towards a station you will be leaving within seconds of arriving over and over and over again.

    Good game, poorly designed, nice flight mechanics, but this is not the 1990s anymore....    … Expand
  2. Bmane
    Jan 16, 2015
    7
    Elite Dangerous is a odd game. It's perhaps one of the most immersive space game I've ever played, and I've pretty much played them all, being an avid space sci-fi gamer.

    What's odd about it is my playtime. I look at it, and shake my head. I feel ashamed. I feel guilty. Here's a game that I've dreamed about since my first outing in outer-space. Here's a game that I know I should love,    Elite Dangerous is a odd game. It's perhaps one of the most immersive space game I've ever played, and I've pretty much played them all, being an avid space sci-fi gamer.

    What's odd about it is my playtime. I look at it, and shake my head. I feel ashamed. I feel guilty. Here's a game that I've dreamed about since my first outing in outer-space. Here's a game that I know I should love, cherish and burn away at until I've soiled my pants and I'm knee-deep in my own waste...

    Unfortunately, that never happens.

    What happens instead is, I tend to play Elite in short strides, because, to be perfectly blunt, it isn't 'ready' yet. It still feels like a 'beta' and it most certainly does not feel complete. There is no mistaking that Elite has a lot of potential, it's just a shame that most of that potential will be in the form of paid expansions and future DLC. Which mind you, I have no problem with. With promises such as planetary landings, and multi-crewed ships, I'll happily throw my money at them. But make no mistake, I'll angrily grumble away while I do it, reminding them that I didn't pay for an empty shell of a game.

    And that is sadly what Elite is at the moment. An empty shell. A game that promises so much, and has delivered so little. It is immersive. It is a great game, to be fair. But a deeply flawed one at that. The game's current mechanics are sub-par and undeveloped.

    Combat is exhilarating, takes skill, proper skill, and is a joy to behold. It's just a shame that combat aspect of the game that I'm least interested in. I'm sure the Elite combat jockey's are enjoying the game to its fullest, but even they get burned out from it now and again. I've a couple of friends of mine who also have Elite, and are 90% combat, 10% trading. They don't play Elite anymore.. Why is that? It's a question that gets answered with a shrug and a statement of, "Well, there's not much too it..."

    There same could be said for trading. If your not doing anything related to combat, then your possibly grinding your way at the rather mundane method of making money in Elite. Regardless of how you earn your credits, be it bounty hunting missions or trading away on some profitable route, or doing sanctioned courier missions for some NPC faction, watching your faction rep tick up, one percent at a time, you and along with your combat buddies, are all in the same boat.

    That is, you are all grinding away for money. Combat pilots do it for the bounties, and faction rep to boot is a nice bonus for them. Traders do it via smuggling or legit means, regardless, it's all about money. And what can you do with that money? Well, here's where Elite falters greatly.

    The core process of progression in Elite is jumping from Ship A to Ship B, and from there to Ship C and D. That's basically what Elite is, in a nutshell.

    Some of the mechanics are not fully fleshed out and this further emphasizes why Elite is a great but deeply flawed multiplayer game. Let's do a rundown on some of them:

    Piracy - For anyone that hasn't played Freelancer Discovery, the online RP mod that has a medium sized community following it, then let me tell you that piracy in that game was fun. Essentially you would camp a space highway/tradelane and wait for your intended target. You'd then knock out the tradelane and issue your demands. That was enjoyable and when I did it, I felt like I was committing piracy. It felt... 'right'. In Elite, I do not get that feeling at all. Piracy is not only difficult, (as it should be) but it can be tedious and downright boring at times. It takes a lot of work, a lot of luck, and a lot of waiting around, for it to be reliable and profitable. And even then, why do it?

    Economy: Essentially Elite's economy is only there to support players in upgrading their ships, there is literally nothing else to it. Sure prices will change based on trades being done, but really, nothing happens on the grandiose scale of things.

    Factions: Players can grind, and I mean that literally, GRIND to gain faction influence for a system that overall has little value in things, barring direct intervention by the developers. This is an area that is still being worked on, and I'm still not impressed.

    Exploration: My favorite aspect of the game. Or, it would have and should have been if it was even remotely interesting. It isn't. Go look up player vids of players exploration. Most of it contains oddball commentary on the stats of a planet, such as atmosphere and orbital period, while pretending to sip some cognac while pretending to be the late great Sir Patrick Moore. I want to explore ancient ruined wrecks in space. Interesting and bizarre visual anomaly's and other odd stuff... I don't want to drool over a planets stats. Speaking of planets, another point of criticism is that most of the planets look the same, and are quite dull and not as beautiful as they should be.

    I can recommend Elite, but I whole heartily recommend waiting for a more complete Elite.    … Expand
  3. daroczi
    Jan 14, 2015
    7
    I despise everything related to trading.
    I despise everything related to missions.
    I don't mind the time it takes to travel because it's an expected side-effect of the 1:1 size galaxy. I don't mind that the systems are all similar and repetative because I expected it. I'm disappointed with the absence (not lack, absence) of multiplayer features. I'm disappointed that all of a ship's    I despise everything related to trading.
    I despise everything related to missions.
    I don't mind the time it takes to travel because it's an expected side-effect of the 1:1 size galaxy.
    I don't mind that the systems are all similar and repetative because I expected it.
    I'm disappointed with the absence (not lack, absence) of multiplayer features.
    I'm disappointed that all of a ship's aesthetic options cost actual mf dollars.
    I love the visuals.
    I love the audio.
    I love lamp.
    I love the combat (i didn't know until yesterday that visiting Nav Beacons guarantees a steady flow of combat).
    I love that this game has endless potential. Yes this is a shell of a full-game, but its a perfect shell. When the modding community gets their hands on this, they've got the best foundation to support their talent. I'm optimistic.
    I'm so invested in this game that I often catch myself talking to myself while playing, and even if it's something minor, I'll leap outta my chair yelling whether I'm giddy or pissed. Not having some unintellectual hand-holding HUD to play the game for you and actually having to do tasks yourself like travelling makes for a sense of accomplishment and individuality (Skyrim vs Morrowind). I can see how many gamers wouldn't have the patience to enjoy this and I don't blame them. It isn't a casual game, its a long long-term investment. Please Frontier, IMPROVE CORE GAMEPLAY BEFORE ADDING NEW. Scouring a whole star-system for a USS (unidentified signal source) is more repetative, frustrating, and boring than travelling or docking. Last thing, do Discovery Scanners need to be so expensive?

    -3 points for: poor customer service, no multi-player features other than coexistance, everything related to trade, and "find" missions (including: how the f am I supposed to selectively retreive personal weapons or slaves in 2 hours?).    … Expand
  4. BastardySkull
    Jan 2, 2015
    7
    Ultimately unfinished. Beta should have been extended for at least another 6 months, and the game should not have launched without any serious multiplayer functionality. Ship hulls are too expensive and the game expects too much of an unrewarding grind for larger ships. If Frontier listen to their toxic fanbase they risk losing this game to frustration.
  5. bbcokeley
    Dec 16, 2014
    7
    Very pretty game, solid combat and decent structure. Although a lot of recent news surrounding the 'Offline mode' being dropped is true, I have played since Premium Beta and have a lot of hours in this game.
    .
    the mining as it stands is pretty good, a solid mechanic and a bit of thinking is required to get to/find the best places. . Like I said combat is solid, its engaging, exciting    Very pretty game, solid combat and decent structure. Although a lot of recent news surrounding the 'Offline mode' being dropped is true, I have played since Premium Beta and have a lot of hours in this game.
    .
    the mining as it stands is pretty good, a solid mechanic and a bit of thinking is required to get to/find the best places.
    .
    Like I said combat is solid, its engaging, exciting and can be rewarding as an early career path.
    .
    Exploring still needs some work, bu I kind of enjoyed this feature as it can be easily done in a starting ship to get you on your way with a couple grand in Cr.
    .
    This is it for a basic out line of the game.
    7/10 for the following reasons:
    .
    you need a joystick/HOTAS setup so -1 point for that.
    .
    there is are a few missing features and or broken petty things that should have been addressed -1 point for that.
    .
    Offline mode was killed but its not a major feature for me personally I can understand if its off putting for some people but just remember there are clever people that can (and probably will) mode the files to make it off line (watchdogs had it (got hacked), SimCity had it....(EA finally gave inn) this will have it eventually) -1 point for that    … Expand
  6. nightia
    Dec 18, 2014
    7
    Merely a platform and framework for something better in the future, experience and atmospherics really great. Solid stability. Beneficial to have some sort of HOTAS input peripheral to really appreciate the experience. It has a very steep learning curve. Performance is good, even on less than powerful hardware. Generally the other reviews are correct, its warm but not hot.

    It has the    Merely a platform and framework for something better in the future, experience and atmospherics really great. Solid stability. Beneficial to have some sort of HOTAS input peripheral to really appreciate the experience. It has a very steep learning curve. Performance is good, even on less than powerful hardware. Generally the other reviews are correct, its warm but not hot.

    It has the potential to become the "Killer App" for Oculus Rift when the Rift goes mainstream.

    Just don't expect a top tier AAA title with story line with a vast multi-player experience, since the on-line social interaction is hopelessly weak to say the least. This is modern take on Elite:1984, ground breaking at the time, but hopelessly weak compared to its modern contemporaries.

    I know quite a few individuals who have picked this title up, well aware of what they were getting into. They have all expressed the notion that the experience will greatly improve as the game develops.
    Difficult to justify the $50 cost at this stage for what you are getting. I see that $50 as an investment for something better in the future.

    Frontier Developments now have the responsibility to deliver an experience ultimately better than its modern contemporaries. The only problem could be forthcoming space combat/trading titles due for release in the 2015/16, they may steal the thunder.

    At least coming in at the ground floor at this stage, if the game does eventually take off, individuals should have a head start with equipment, cash and experience.

    I have no issues with the online cloud server interaction, if it protects the investment Frontier Developments have made in Elite Dangerous.

    I'm giving it 7 out of 10, since it has the potential to be something fantastic. From a gaming perspective. I wouldn't put it into the realms of BF4, Skyrim or GTA V at this point, since I'm not going to be running into the office tomorrow saying what an epic session I had on Elite Dangerous last night.    … Expand
  7. Trebonius
    Dec 29, 2014
    9
    I expected a wonderful game but I am severely disappointed. The world is vast indeed, but the 400 billion star systems are very similar and there's little entertainment to be had.
    You can forge your own path - be a trader, pirate, bounty hunter... well, you sort of do a little of almost everything anyway and what they advertised about creating your own story is a joke, there is NO story    I expected a wonderful game but I am severely disappointed. The world is vast indeed, but the 400 billion star systems are very similar and there's little entertainment to be had.
    You can forge your own path - be a trader, pirate, bounty hunter... well, you sort of do a little of almost everything anyway and what they advertised about creating your own story is a joke, there is NO story whatsoever, at least not yet.
    What's really annoying besides the "400 billion" glitches that the game has is the bounty system which is very poorly conceived. You can get attacked by an NPC and if you retaliate you get a bounty on your head for no reason, unless your attacker is marked as "wanted", and this makes life of a bounty hunter very difficult.
    Excellent graphics but in spite of my PC specs being far above Elite's recommended system requirements, the game runs far from smoothly so the game's code optimization upon release promise was not kept. God knows what sort of rig one needs for this game...
    If you haven't bought this game yet I don't recommend it, not until serious changes and fixes have been made.    … Expand
  8. Pannon
    Dec 26, 2015
    4
    The gamer site reviews reflect the score, that has hopes and wishful thinking has attached to it.
    If you read them, note the date of the review. They reviewed the game not long after it was released and the game has (had) a huge potential to become something much bigger. The reviewers gave the high scores for high hopes. A year later, the game barely changed, beside a few additional    The gamer site reviews reflect the score, that has hopes and wishful thinking has attached to it.
    If you read them, note the date of the review. They reviewed the game not long after it was released and the game has (had) a huge potential to become something much bigger. The reviewers gave the high scores for high hopes. A year later, the game barely changed, beside a few additional features, which ultimately just gave the game more grind, instead of adding meaningful content.
    If you play it for a few hours you get the vibe, that you may have to do a lot of things to progress anywhere, and perhaps you get excited, just thinking about the endless possibilities and options and choices.
    Give it another 10 hours, and your entire gameplay consist of preparing to start to play the game and waiting for that moment, when you start really playing. Unfortunately, that moment never comes. What you do in your first hour, is what you will do for the rest of the time. Either trade back/forth between stations, which consist of taking off, traveling - loading screen -traveling - landing, or fighting endlessly spawning enemy ships, which change absolutely nothing, whether it comes factions or affiliations of various powers. All the other ships you may see as traffic is nothing else, but background filler. They serve no purpose or function, beside they are giving the illusion of "things happening". You can actually test this by trying to follow a ship, which will end up traveling somewhere infinitely, or landing at an non particular space station, and then taking off and doing over and over, without selling something or fighting.
    You can also test, that whether those ships you blow up makes any difference to their faction or base. They do nothing.
    Eventually, you will realise, that the entire universe is created for you, and outside of your visual radius, nothing really goes on, and everything ceases to exist as soon you leave. Unidentified signals sources pop up for you randomly, if you fly slow and their content isn't determined, until you stop to investigate by dropping out of hyperspace.
    Sound effects is great. That's why I'm giving it a 4. If nobody else, then it's the sound team, that perhaps did their best to make something.
    I see, a lot of people praising graphics. I don't see it that way. It's not hard to draw space and place objects floating in it.It's much harder to create Earth based fantasy worlds or actual locations with buildings, vegetation.
    I can't give more than 4, and if I would not consider the sound and music, this game is maybe a 2.    … Expand
  9. Ranulph
    Mar 6, 2015
    7
    After spending probably around 80 hours playing Elite: Dangerous, I find it a bit of a mixed bag. Echoing other reviews I have read out there, when it is good, it is very good, but it can also be dull and slightly infuriating at times. I have been mainly doing exploration, with a side of bounty hunting. The former can be very dull, even if profitable if you have the right specs in yourAfter spending probably around 80 hours playing Elite: Dangerous, I find it a bit of a mixed bag. Echoing other reviews I have read out there, when it is good, it is very good, but it can also be dull and slightly infuriating at times. I have been mainly doing exploration, with a side of bounty hunting. The former can be very dull, even if profitable if you have the right specs in your ship. The latter can be exciting, but it really depends on your opponents. The frequency of dog fighting in Elite is a bit uneven. Sometimes one gets attacked by pirates in supposedly safe systems, while in star systems where anarchy reigns you don't get almost anything happening. The steep learning curve is fairly steep, which is both good and also bad. I feel some systems would require a bit more explanation. The controls, even if highly customizable, are a bit overwhelming for newcomers. However, if you get a decent flight stick controller (I have the Hotas X) flying will seem like second nature after a while, and that is a pretty good feeling to have. Overall, the game is just good enough to keep me interested, albeit mildly, and I look forward to what the future brings to Elite: Dangerous.… Expand
  10. Vidicus
    Mar 28, 2015
    7
    When it comes to space flight sims, none can touch Elite Dangerous. The game is beautiful, has great sound, and the flight controls work fine. The only downside to this game is the current lack of content. No story, no NPCs, and little to do outside of mining, hunting, exploring, and trading. However, if you own a Oculus Rift.... this game is a must have. Perfectly executed for VRWhen it comes to space flight sims, none can touch Elite Dangerous. The game is beautiful, has great sound, and the flight controls work fine. The only downside to this game is the current lack of content. No story, no NPCs, and little to do outside of mining, hunting, exploring, and trading. However, if you own a Oculus Rift.... this game is a must have. Perfectly executed for VR gameplay.... a true treat to behold.… Expand
  11. hawkenfox
    Apr 3, 2015
    7
    PROs
    1 - 400 Billion Stars
    2 - Great Ship interface 3 - Great fun in wings with friends 4 - Cruising through space demonstrates it's vastness. 5 - Ever changing player crafted storyline with their interaction with persistence AI characters. 6 - No 2 planet are the same 7 - Nebulas are beautiful and getting more beautiful thru updates. 8 - If you are a space nerd you will get space    PROs
    1 - 400 Billion Stars
    2 - Great Ship interface
    3 - Great fun in wings with friends
    4 - Cruising through space demonstrates it's vastness.
    5 - Ever changing player crafted storyline with their interaction with persistence AI characters.
    6 - No 2 planet are the same
    7 - Nebulas are beautiful and getting more beautiful thru updates.
    8 - If you are a space nerd you will get space orgasm.
    9 - No hand holding figure the game out ... for those who love this sort of stuff.

    CONs
    1 - Not really a full game yet.
    2 - Certain career path are not focused on and lack polish. Eg. Exploration.
    3 - Space can feel empty when you travel the fringe world.
    4 - Bugs and more bugs (expect that in all next gen games with loads of hardware to render to.)
    5 - Downloading the game from frontier can be a pain but there is a steam version now.
    6 - Steep learning curve for some players who require hand holding (Hint : Play the training mission)

    Elite is not a full game at the moment. Although it's released in Dec 2014, frontier is still developing the release version. I am a beta backer, did not really agree with the way it's being done. Certain key feature
    that were promised never came, some backers asked for refund on the game. They felt betrayed.
    Nonetheless I still hold high hope for the game as there were active development every month and lots of
    patches when the need arises. Needless to say it's a painful still beta game, and probably will forever be
    beta.

    It's only right that I should warn potential buyer into this game that if you are not ready to come into a beta
    game that have been said to be fully release , dont. Just dont because you would feel cheated. But if you
    came here to see some beautiful space scape your money will be well worth. Just have to sit tight to let
    the feature roll in. I come on and off the game once in a while so I don't feel burnt by the current lack of
    content. The only cool thing in Elite Dangerous is pvp , war , community events and wings system where
    you can have friends in a squad of 4.

    With that being said it's a strange kind of MMO ... althought it's an MMO with 100K players only 32 players can appear in the same instance. So for example no more than 32 human players will be visible to you in the same system. There have been some issues with match making, bugs that make wing members invisible and such. Yes there are bugs and issue, but all modern games have loads of them as they become more complex over the years to write and compile... so this will be the future issue of all next gen games.    … Expand
  12. Mhiester
    Mar 24, 2015
    7
    The 1.2 update and patches after it are a very good sign for Elite. Progress continues at the same pace that was going at beta.

    Yes, the game is unfinished, and it's still a grind, but it's gotten better. The developers have added features that were needed (wings), and have been balancing, along with adding promised content (ships). If you are able to stand the grind to progress, and    The 1.2 update and patches after it are a very good sign for Elite. Progress continues at the same pace that was going at beta.

    Yes, the game is unfinished, and it's still a grind, but it's gotten better. The developers have added features that were needed (wings), and have been balancing, along with adding promised content (ships).

    If you are able to stand the grind to progress, and the continuous development process, then this is a great example of a space game. The flight mechanics feel great, and make combat about much more than just aiming fast. If you aren't convinced by the game at the moment, keep an eye on it as more time goes on for it to be developed.    … Expand
  13. Heathy87
    Apr 7, 2015
    7
    Compared to the X-series that is X3:TC or AP, Elite simply lacks depth, Its not finished like others have said and is largely hinging of the success of its expansions and content patches. Elite is good in many ways, Its graphically superior to X3, has deeper combat and has a much larger game world (the entire milky way) but lacks any real depth or synergy with the game play professions youCompared to the X-series that is X3:TC or AP, Elite simply lacks depth, Its not finished like others have said and is largely hinging of the success of its expansions and content patches. Elite is good in many ways, Its graphically superior to X3, has deeper combat and has a much larger game world (the entire milky way) but lacks any real depth or synergy with the game play professions you can take up.

    You either Fight, Trade, Mine, or Explore.

    Fighting is done in various places in the game, it doesn't feel very consistent in that there are either a limited number of ships in your instance, or they continually spawn in, it can be fun but becomes a grind relatively quickly no matter where your doing it.

    Trading speaks for itself, unlike the X games however where trading seemed to have an effect on the stations, getting them to create new items over time, the Commodities market in Elite seems flat and lifeless, there is no crafting in this game by players or by the game world itself everything simply exists, so trading is a means of moving stuff from A to B endlessly trying to make a profit while doing so.

    Mining is a sub set of trading, as there is no crafting or manufacturing aspect to this 'mmo' you simply sell what you mine, no depth here. fly to asteroids shoot them scoop chunks, currently its less intuitive than if you could get out the space ship with a pickaxe.

    Exploration has the most depth for me, you have enough star system to explore the galaxy is massive, if all you need is the variety of space itself to keep you entertained you'll enjoy this aspect of the game, although it doesn't necessarily have much depth in itself, its a matter of going out scanning planets and star and returning to civilisation with the data.

    Basically I feel its potential but Elite: Dangerous doesn't really do anything new, the cockpits are nice to look at, space is great, the detail and sound are top notch, but there is barely an mmo here and barely a game I would consider playing for more than a couple of hours every other day. No matter what profession you do in Elite it doesn't not feel like a grind toward a new ship.

    If your the kind of person that is happy just exploring space from a first person perspective, uninterested in too many complex game features and player impact, you'll like it, there are plenty of places to visit in the galaxy and plenty of nice vistas to find.

    If you want a deep complex sand box mmo similar to Eve online, you will not find it in Elite, they both try to achieve similar things that is a breathing universe, although Elite is a far cry from the intricacies that gives Eve its notorious wrap for having a extremely steep learning curve. and depth/synergy with the professions.

    I'll Score the game a 7, and put it on Par with what X3:TC is sitting at on this site, which i think is fair, although X3:TC or AP, are currently the deeper games of the 2, what elite has is better fidelity and sound mostly, but less player control no empire building which directly results in basically less things to do to keep the game feeling grindy. Elite: Dangerous is not a terrible game its simply not a very deep one, although as time goes by it hopefully will grow depth to bring it in line with X3 or Eves longevity/complexity.    … Expand
  14. Rauta
    Mar 17, 2015
    7
    My opinion is based on current state of E:D (v. 1.2).

    As for the graphical side of the game it's very good, even on worse PC 's game's running smoothly enough. Sounds and music stands on a high level. The feeling of flying is great on joystick and decent on mouse and keyboard. Although there are a lot of things that are not yet fully finished and makes me feel that I payed 40€ for    My opinion is based on current state of E:D (v. 1.2).

    As for the graphical side of the game it's very good, even on worse PC 's game's running smoothly enough.
    Sounds and music stands on a high level. The feeling of flying is great on joystick and decent on mouse and keyboard.

    Although there are a lot of things that are not yet fully finished and makes me feel that I payed 40€ for product not yet finished. The universe is beautiful but it feels like it is mostly dead, and as far as there are community goals that are bringing the game back to life a bit there's still not really that much to do. There is no planetary landing (yet) and no first person module (yet) which in Star Citizen (SC dev 's had much more money and the game is not released but still) will be already implemented on release. Nonetheless it is a good game that can bring up a lot of fun if you are not against a continuous repeating the same scheme all over again. I would also love to say that after adding needed expansions and some more polishing it will be perfect space sim but right now it deserves 7/10.    … Expand
  15. behastie
    Dec 17, 2014
    7
    There's a lot to like in Elite: Dangerous, but there's also a lot missing and even more that isn't working. The grouping system doesn't work, so the game is multiplayer that doesn't let you play with your friends. They have a really good economy, except that the AI doesn't work so well, so space stations are a mess of exploding npc transports and missing commodities. They have a reallyThere's a lot to like in Elite: Dangerous, but there's also a lot missing and even more that isn't working. The grouping system doesn't work, so the game is multiplayer that doesn't let you play with your friends. They have a really good economy, except that the AI doesn't work so well, so space stations are a mess of exploding npc transports and missing commodities. They have a really good set of bounty hunting, exploring and trading careers to advance with, but bounty hunting often makes the feds or random factions turn red and shoot you (confirmed bug), trading cargo is glitchy and exploration data disappears. At this point, after around one million credits lost to bugs, most of the tension in the game boils down to a question of whether a given feature will explode when I try to play with it.… Expand
  16. gAndyGD86
    Feb 26, 2015
    7
    since freelancer i'm waiting for a game like that and this could be it...almost.
    the best thing about this game is the atmosphere. there is no other game where you feel like a real space pilot like this. on the bad side are the quests which are for the most parts pretty boring, repetitive and sometimes just really hard to complete without getting an appropriate reward.
  17. Ciger
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    Just a game shell, would compare to some early access titles. Dont get me wrong it is a lot of fun, just dont expect any deep gameplay mechanincs. Still some bugs to be dealt with mainly with alternate missions. Games hangs up from time to time. 6 is the best I can give ED right now.
  18. wolverine2710
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    ED looks great but the gameplay is a bit hollow. Atm a lot of the things discussed in the DDA-archives are NOT in the game, like for example wings. FD has released a good platform (if MP works OK with release that is) to build upon and they have said they will build upon it. To be fair atm I would give it a 6 but future improvements could make this a 8 or 9.
  19. RandyFandangle
    Mar 11, 2015
    4
    EDIT: Back after a month to update review, and it's going down from a 5 to a 4. Nothing new of any use, still empty and buggy. On the plus side, an XBOne version is on the way..... wish they'd stick some content in the PC version before trying to cash in with a feeble port. The 4 is still for potential, though I'm not holding out much hope any more at this stage. Disappointing in theEDIT: Back after a month to update review, and it's going down from a 5 to a 4. Nothing new of any use, still empty and buggy. On the plus side, an XBOne version is on the way..... wish they'd stick some content in the PC version before trying to cash in with a feeble port. The 4 is still for potential, though I'm not holding out much hope any more at this stage. Disappointing in the extreme.

    (Previous review)
    Giving this a grudging FIVE for now, as I've only been playing for a couple of weeks. I'll come back later and update after another week or so.
    What I can say is that NO WAY IS THIS WORTH 10/10 AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW!
    There are just too many bugs, and mechanisms that don't work as they should. Well, I'm praying they aren't working as they should, cuz if this is how they have designed it then God help us.
    Had some fun, but it's hard to find sometimes. Frontier are gonna have to release some damn good stuff very soon or players are gonna bail.
    Hey, the 5 is for potential. Will have to see.    … Expand
  20. grimdar00
    Dec 21, 2014
    7
    Elite is basically an amazing space sandbox, with an enormous size to play in. However, you'll get bored rather quickly at the moment due to lack of content and things to do.

    The missions are randomized and based off templates, so you'll see the same mission pop up at different stations with a different item to acquire, or person to kill. Unlike the X series of games, each    Elite is basically an amazing space sandbox, with an enormous size to play in. However, you'll get bored rather quickly at the moment due to lack of content and things to do.

    The missions are randomized and based off templates, so you'll see the same mission pop up at different stations with a different item to acquire, or person to kill.

    Unlike the X series of games, each planet/star only has ONE station in it. And there's only a small handful of station designs. So while there are literally billions of systems to visit, they all seem the same.

    Right now the esthetics, visuals and controls of the game feel FINISHED, and really nicely refined. It feels *really* good to fly especially with a nice joystick system. However the content is painfully lacking. I've spent a LOT of time grinding, doing research on best trading runs and making lots of credits, but I actually have nothing to buy with all these credits.

    - I can't make a fleet
    - I can't build a station
    - I can't make my own empire
    - Very, very limited number of equipment/customizations to buy for my ship
    - and even if I could customize my ship the way I wanted, I can't even see it from the exterior, except in "outfitting mode"

    As far as a trader is concerned, all I can do is just buy a bigger ship, and continue... grinding with absolutely no end point. And when I get the "elite" trader status, then what?

    Ok, but we do have a REALLY fantastic sandbox right now. So I'm just hoping this was planned by the developers to release the "heart" of the game so to speak, by a series of expansion packs. I do sincerely hope there is something amazing planned to input into this cool world, because it has amazing potential.

    Right now unfortunately, feels pointless.    … Expand
  21. tpapas1
    Dec 16, 2014
    5
    well at least its not x-rebirth :) for which we waited 3 yrs to have a playable non buggy experience. it seems like arma 3 . Bohemia needed an extra year to delivered a full game...

    Elite at its present state its extremelly promising but unfinished. Not worth the money they ask but still enjoyable. positives 1. I like the combat and exploration system. 2 graphics are great. 3 ship    well at least its not x-rebirth :) for which we waited 3 yrs to have a playable non buggy experience. it seems like arma 3 . Bohemia needed an extra year to delivered a full game...

    Elite at its present state its extremelly promising but unfinished. Not worth the money they ask but still enjoyable.

    positives
    1. I like the combat and exploration system.
    2 graphics are great.
    3 ship handling
    4. Rift + track ir support magnificent
    5. they convey nicely the feeling of the unknown- unexplored . especially within meteor fields

    sadly the disadvantages are many
    1. game is a shell = no real missions= you are paying for an always online beta version....NOT a full game
    2. while the need for always online it is not an MMO= no interaction with other players
    3. GAME SERVERS MOT STABLE, NOT POSSIBLE TO PLAY WHEN YOU WANT...
    4. bad support

    Come back in 1 year    … Expand
  22. helioarc
    Jan 21, 2015
    5
    Half a score for half a game. Looks pretty at first, but lacks any depth. You'll be bored within an hour or two. Maybe one day it will be worth buying, but for now I'd steer clear.
  23. ShottyMonster
    Dec 16, 2014
    5
    I've been playing since premium beta (about 4-5 months).

    Flight mechanics: Great, responsive and adrenaline fueled. AI: Ok bordering on bad Universe Sim: Weak and shallow Trading: Good but currently broken Supercruise: Terrible and boring Combat: Fun but repetitive Sound design: A* Graphics: Very good but some odd decision made regarding supercruise HUD Overall: Fun for a    I've been playing since premium beta (about 4-5 months).

    Flight mechanics: Great, responsive and adrenaline fueled.
    AI: Ok bordering on bad
    Universe Sim: Weak and shallow
    Trading: Good but currently broken
    Supercruise: Terrible and boring
    Combat: Fun but repetitive
    Sound design: A*
    Graphics: Very good but some odd decision made regarding supercruise HUD

    Overall: Fun for a while but marred by terrible games design decisions ultimately resulting in a boring experience.    … Expand
  24. CptBadger
    Feb 1, 2015
    6
    Half-baked release, with essential features missing and VERY dodgy multiplayer. Unable to play with friends.

    "Miles wide and an inch deep" seems to be a general consensus about this release. Pros: - Great sound design - Nice visuals - Great fly mechanics. - Rather on the "sim" side of things Cons: - bad core design - lackluster multiplayer - laughable amount of content -    Half-baked release, with essential features missing and VERY dodgy multiplayer. Unable to play with friends.

    "Miles wide and an inch deep" seems to be a general consensus about this release.

    Pros:
    - Great sound design
    - Nice visuals
    - Great fly mechanics.
    - Rather on the "sim" side of things

    Cons:
    - bad core design
    - lackluster multiplayer
    - laughable amount of content
    - very little variety
    - bugs

    tl;dr Will certainly get better with time, but right now it certainly does not deserve the praise it gets.    … Expand
  25. LordDwyer
    Apr 3, 2015
    8
    Firstly, if you are thinking of buying this game, do the research. It is NOT and arcade shooter or a casual game. It is MASSIVE! I mean bigger than anything I have ever played. I've read some reviews that are negative, and to be fair, the majority of the negative reviews are written by morons who had no idea what they were buying.

    Graphically: It is beautiful. Depth: I'm still    Firstly, if you are thinking of buying this game, do the research. It is NOT and arcade shooter or a casual game. It is MASSIVE! I mean bigger than anything I have ever played. I've read some reviews that are negative, and to be fair, the majority of the negative reviews are written by morons who had no idea what they were buying.

    Graphically: It is beautiful.

    Depth: I'm still sinking and I am 6 months in. You can role as combat, trader or explorer and that is only down to ship loadout and option, not a class selection. Freeform is the word of the day.

    Playability: Expect a steep learning curve and remember that the forums are your friend. I use a HOTAS, keyboard and mouse. To be fair, I'm currently saving for a Wookie co-pilot.

    My only negative is that because the play space is so vast you may forget it is an MMO at times. Exploring is a lonely business, but combat if gritty and intense. Don't expect to dock at a station with a nice cutscene sequence, you land that ship yourself, controlling all aspects of your ship position.

    Anyone with less that a few weeks in game experience writing reviews is simply not qualified, and so their opinion should be immediately discounted.    … Expand
  26. Slickums
    Feb 3, 2015
    0
    Really tried to like this, but after 6 weeks giving it a go, me and my friends have given up.
    So overhyped - shame on some of the reviewers. Can't believe we bought it and stumped up $60 for this empty, broken and frustrating game.
    There are lots of promises of future content, but I really don't think it's been designed very well as it stands, and promises are worth spit anyway.
    YMMV.
  27. bombocloddo
    Jan 2, 2015
    7
    Not quite there yet. Needs more variety, more content and some immersion enhancers such as voice / radio / video feeds and better mission texts. Its a bit too generic. only 3-4 stations, and planets with different textures, then 2-3 sorts of asteroid fields, makes the 400 Billion star systems seem a bit strange. instead 50 star systems with more detail would have been much better.

    They    Not quite there yet. Needs more variety, more content and some immersion enhancers such as voice / radio / video feeds and better mission texts. Its a bit too generic. only 3-4 stations, and planets with different textures, then 2-3 sorts of asteroid fields, makes the 400 Billion star systems seem a bit strange. instead 50 star systems with more detail would have been much better.

    They should watch the old Freelancer game, that made many things quite right.    … Expand
  28. ShearForce
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    Doesn't matter how big the sandbox is if there is no sand in it, or in this case very little of it.

    If you truly do love the space games, go ahead. Currently there are five things to do in game. Running missions Bounty Hinting Mining Exploration Trading Non of them earns you a vast number of credits, but the ships and upgrades cost a lot, so be prepared to grind for that ship    Doesn't matter how big the sandbox is if there is no sand in it, or in this case very little of it.

    If you truly do love the space games, go ahead.

    Currently there are five things to do in game.
    Running missions
    Bounty Hinting
    Mining
    Exploration
    Trading

    Non of them earns you a vast number of credits, but the ships and upgrades cost a lot, so be prepared to grind for that ship you really want.

    Anyways, off to play some more.    … Expand
  29. TravisPerkins
    Feb 6, 2015
    0
    Guy in the other office was raving about this for months, so I bought it when it came out.
    Asked him today if he was still playing - he said nope "It's too boring and fake".
    He's dead right. Wish I'd waited before buying. Oh well, it's only money, right? LoL.
  30. Toumal
    Apr 2, 2015
    8
    There's currently a campaign going on against Elite due to the developer announcing that they are not shipping with an offline mode (They might do one lateron, but they said they can't make promises).
    If you see reviews giving 0/10 then you know you've found one of the disgruntled offline players. Did Frontier handle that whole thing well? No. However those are not reviews anymore, just    There's currently a campaign going on against Elite due to the developer announcing that they are not shipping with an offline mode (They might do one lateron, but they said they can't make promises).
    If you see reviews giving 0/10 then you know you've found one of the disgruntled offline players. Did Frontier handle that whole thing well? No. However those are not reviews anymore, just revenge attacks.

    Yes it's online only at the moment. Don't buy if you live on an oil rig with no internet connection. It's annoying that the developers basically keep all the stellar data on their servers and you need to have internet connection for the game to know what stellar bodies to generate, but that doesn't make Elite a 0/10 game. Not by a long shot.

    Elite Dangerous is an amazingly beautiful, if troubled game. The feeling of space flight has been nailed in a way that competitors will struggle to match for some time. Space really does feel big, you're not restricted to a cubical "mission area", Space is also pretty empty, but when you do get close to planets, gas giants, stars or even black holes, Elite turns into the most beautiful space game to date. There are entire websites dedicated to collecting the best screenshots from the game, and for good reason. And then you stare into space and wait for your frameshift drive to take you to a station that's quite some distance away, doing nothing. Well, almost, for there's pirates pulling you out of frameshift. But there can be stretches of boredom.

    Sound design is simply 10/10, hands down. The entire idea of your ship "generating" sounds for your situational awareness instantly solves any of the "sounds in space" issues, and the first time someone shatters your cockpit glass you'll hold your breath instinctively.

    The overall stability is good. There's a constant stream of patches with both bugfixes and major new features. Multiplayer is a bit hit and miss, with the peer-to-peer networking sometimes causing problems. These days it works most of the time, but it's still spotty at times.

    The controls are perfect. The ships are huge and have significant mass, and the game feels like it. You're not turning on a dime in Elite, since even the smaller ships are the size of a small house, and the bigger ones get up to half a kilometer long. And that without even counting the non-controllable capital ships that are several kilometers long and announce themselves with one of the most amazing warp-in effects you've ever seen in a game.

    Oh and you don't need a joystick for this game, many people including myself are happily playing with keyboard and mouse.

    Why is this only 8/10? Because once you've mastered the various activities, you realize that a lot of the long-term motivation is still missing. We've had a big update recently that does help and turns Elite into a great Coop experience, but it clearly needs more actual content, more activities to do.

    Luckily Frontier is working on new feature updates and there's even (paid) expansions adding a first person mode as well as multicrewing and flying and landing on planets coming up.

    As it is, Elite is not a 10/10 game. That said, it could end up being a 10/10 in the future, and it is wholly recommended in it's current form. It will definitely entertain you longer than any CoD game. Elite is a deeply atmospheric game with slightly spotty networking but extremely polished combat and controls. You will have a lot of "wow" moments, and the next feature update isn't too far away.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Best PC Game of 2014
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2015
    80
    First minute the game takes your breath away and then it entertains you for another couple of hours to end up like a meditative tool for hard working individuals. What a waste and shame for a game in such beautiful environment. [Issue#253]
  2. Ragequit.gr
    May 11, 2015
    90
    Everyone who played the original game back in the 80's, should be right at home. It's the 21st Century version of "Elite." But newer, uninitiated players may find it strangely desolate and repetitive. A grand space simulation, aimed at the series' hardcore fans.
    Read full review
  3. Games.cz
    Apr 23, 2015
    80
    You can focus on the journey, not the destination – even when some "road work" signs will bother you for the time being in the reincarnated Elite. But their numbers are declining with every new update so a thirty-year-old vision becomes more and more complete.
    Read full review
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