Elite: Dangerous Reviews
Check out Elite: Dangerous Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 14 reviews on CriticDB, Elite: Dangerous has a score of:
The popular space simulation game is finally on PS4! Read our Elite Dangerous PS4 review to see if the long wait has been worth it.
Elite launched a gaming institution in 1984 which allowed gamers to explore the galaxy in glorious 3D wire-frame graphics as they traded, battled and
Frontier shoots for the stars—but how close do they get?
Frontier Developments have done a magnificent job of creating an affordable universe that is fun to play. With tons of game styles and the entirety of the Milky Way to explore, this one is truly for space sim buffs with one caveat - if you’re feeling lost, we recommend you check out video tutorials online.
In Elite: Dangerous is a space simulation game where you take a ship and 100 credits to make money legally or illegally - trade, bounty-hunt, pirate, assassinate your way across the galaxy.
Just as 2013 was the year of the bow (Tomb Raider, Crysis, etc.) and 2014 was the year of the broken-ass game (Unity, Master Chief Collection), 2015 is going to be the year we venture into space. With giants like Star Citizen and No Man’s Sky coming at some point hopefully in the next year, hype is at an all time high for exploring the stars. What better way to kick off the trend than with a super late 2014 release that sets the tone nicely for the journey to the dark unknown, Elite: Dangerous.
A call has been sent out to all commanders in the Pilot Federation for help. Apparently things have been getting a bit rowdy over in the Rakapila system, and they’re after some able pilots to come and hunt down any wanted ships in their system. The rewards are good, and with the credits you earn you’ll be able to buy some much needed upgrades for your newly acquired Cobra MK III.
After years of dormancy, space combat titles are flying back into the limelight. Wing Commander’s Chris Roberts is heading up Star Citizen, Eve Valkyrie is the dogfighting wingman for the Eve Online, and No Man’s Sky is poised to pave the way for a procedurally generated universe-exploring experience. All of these games owe tribute to Elite, a classic 1984 space sim franchise that is also returning after nearly 20 years.
Elite: Dangerous is a beautiful game and an amazing space sim let down by a universe devoid of character and low on excitement. It's great to fly the various ships and experiment with different loadouts, and there are a lot of different roles to play in Elite that helps keep the experience fresh. But without any special missions or narrative threads to pick up, and a universe that seems more mechanical than alive, Elite also seems far smaller than its 400 billion star systems.
For some of you obsessive accountancy types out there this will be a dream come true as there’s plenty of busy work like optimising trade routes and maximising your mining yields. For the rest of us, Elite: Dangerous will let you finally become The Last Starfighter for a few hours before you fail a cargo mission on approach to a space station after 20 minutes of tedious mucking about in hyperspace, toss your joystick aside in frustration, and never pick it up again.
There's so much to see, do, and explore... if only you knew how.
Elite Dangerous is a very cool, atmospheric experience with an outstanding presentation. The flexible gameplay and progression loop are two great reasons to keep coming back for more if the game’s mechanics click for you. However, it is easy to see why some people might be turned off by its aimlessness, and with the lacking narrative contextualising what you’re doing, you might be left with the nihilistic question of why you’re bothering doing anything at all.
I would recommend this game if you want a space experience that you can have by yourself, with friends or with people you meet along the way. While not as big or feature laden like EVE Online or the upcoming ambitious Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous is a satisfying experience that fills the void of a space simulator game, yet has an easier to climb learning curve and requires less time investment (and is already released). The game is not for everyone though, especially those expected a space combat game or cannot stand grinding for money.