EDIT 07/10/2024:

At the time of editing this review, I last played Elite Dangerous on 23 December 2023, 677 hours played total, there is a special place for Elite in my heart because it was integral to keeping me sane when getting off work and needing a game to chill with. I even picked up the Odyssey expansion around that time, which was a bit of fun, but... Oh man this is just so depressing at this point.

I can't recommend this game anymore due to the way that Frontier Developments treats their Elite franchise, arguably it is their identity as a developer, and they seem to hate it - from the outside looking in anyway.

They refuse to do what they said they would do in the Kickstarter for this game, it has pushed many players away to Star Citizen or No Mans Sky, I dislike both of these games; Elite Dangerous' flight model and UI is second to none, I haven't been able to enjoy other space sims for this reason.

I struggle to find the excitement and drive to put any more time into this game, namely because the developers are hellbent on infrequently revamping existing systems in the game (they recently announced a "big update" that is just a rework of their 'powerplay' aspect of the game and a new ship, and that's about it) instead of investing a modicum of innovation to this product that is yearning for some TLC.

ObsidianAnt, a YouTuber that covers a lot of space/sci-fi related gaming news, has put out many videos about Elite Dangerous, it is constantly littered with comments from disenfranchised current/ex Elite players who all echo very similar sentiments about this game. One of the biggest gripes is that they released Odyssey (aka Space Legs, the ability to get up out of your pilot's seat) and there was not a single peep about ship interiors - something they said would eventually be in the game in the Kickstarter, since then I believe there has been murmurs of the devs saying that we [the players] "don't want ship interiors" but we think we do? All the while there has been mass-exodus of players to Star Citizen over time, because - you guessed it, they have ship interiors.

Star Citizen is not a very good game at all, its barely a game, but your player retention is through the floor because you refuse to admit that you cannot be bothered to innovate.

I commented on one of ObsidianAnt's videos, and a fair few people seem to agree with my pleas for:

- Ship interiors with gameplay loops tied into it
- Unlockable multicrew allowing you to actually have meaningful interaction and task delegation that would enhance the RP experience (i.e. allow a crewmember to pilot the ship if you explicitly enable it)
- Atmospheric planets with weather systems
- Better content accessibility that don't require you to take up Elite as a second job
- Player owned capital ships and possibly asteroid stations
- More variety e.g. more than just a single room on stations
- Expand off of space legs
- Better integration of ground to air combat and vice versa
- Give me better value for my time
- Allow mixed wings i.e. multicrew & ships but have size class limits to enhance the 'playing with friends' viability of the game; plus if we got better value for our time alongside that, then things like engineering and powerplay would be more accessible to people who have busier lives and player retention would improve.

I used to highly recommend this game. Now I would advise nobody to purchase this game at this stage, not even if it is on sale. FDev do not deserve any more money for Elite Dangerous if they aren't going to invest it into this title in a meaningful way, they probably funnel the majority of what they make from this game into their other simulator games anyway.

Seriously, f*ck you FDev. I had so much hope for you.

________________________

My previously positive review:

Fantastic game. Incredibly immersive. With beautiful visuals and equally fitting sound design.

I have to say though, if you have a friend who has this game, ask them if you can try it out first. In the event that it isn't your thing, its difficult to get to grips with the gameplay, jump into the utterly huge setting, get a taste of what is out there and earn enough money to advance your ship and equipment far enough to enjoy the game fully in under 2 hours. (i.e the time it takes for the chance of a refund to be lost). This game requires you to sink a lot of time and patience into it to get the full enjoyment out of it, and believe me, you WILL lose your ship and you WILL lose a lot of money at times. But the game is fair and forgiving when it comes to post-destruction and you will make the money back.
It is definitely worth the full price you pay, but if you can pick it up in a sale, then all the better.

Sure it can seem quite empty, but it is a space sim, and to be honest - space is pretty damn empty. So get used to it.

I rate 9/10, I can't play it every hour of every day but I have so much fun with it and it is an awesome break from many other games I play.

EDIT 07/10/2024: At the time of editing this review, I last played Elite Dangerous on 23 December 2023, 677 hours played total, there is a special place for Elite in my heart because it was integral to keeping me sane when getting off work and needing a game to chill with. I even picked up the Odyssey expansion around that time, which was a bit of fun, but... Oh man this is just so depressing at this point. I can't recommend this game anymore due to the way that Frontier Developments treats their Elite franchise, arguably it is their identity as a developer, and they seem to hate it - from the outside looking in anyway. They refuse to do what they said they would do in the Kickstarter for this game, it has pushed many players away to Star Citizen or No Mans Sky, I dislike both of these games; Elite Dangerous' flight model and UI is second to none, I haven't been able to enjoy other space sims for this reason. I struggle to find the excitement and drive to put any more time into this game, namely because the developers are hellbent on infrequently revamping existing systems in the game (they recently announced a "big update" that is just a rework of their 'powerplay' aspect of the game and a new ship, and that's about it) instead of investing a modicum of innovation to this product that is yearning for some TLC. ObsidianAnt, a YouTuber that covers a lot of space/sci-fi related gaming news, has put out many videos about Elite Dangerous, it is constantly littered with comments from disenfranchised current/ex Elite players who all echo very similar sentiments about this game. One of the biggest gripes is that they released Odyssey (aka Space Legs, the ability to get up out of your pilot's seat) and there was not a single peep about ship interiors - something they said would eventually be in the game in the Kickstarter, since then I believe there has been murmurs of the devs saying that we [the players] "don't want ship interiors" but we think we do? All the while there has been mass-exodus of players to Star Citizen over time, because - you guessed it, they have ship interiors. Star Citizen is not a very good game at all, its barely a game, but your player retention is through the floor because you refuse to admit that you cannot be bothered to innovate. I commented on one of ObsidianAnt's videos, and a fair few people seem to agree with my pleas for: - Ship interiors with gameplay loops tied into it - Unlockable multicrew allowing you to actually have meaningful interaction and task delegation that would enhance the RP experience (i.e. allow a crewmember to pilot the ship if you explicitly enable it) - Atmospheric planets with weather systems - Better content accessibility that don't require you to take up Elite as a second job - Player owned capital ships and possibly asteroid stations - More variety e.g. more than just a single room on stations - Expand off of space legs - Better integration of ground to air combat and vice versa - Give me better value for my time - Allow mixed wings i.e. multicrew & ships but have size class limits to enhance the 'playing with friends' viability of the game; plus if we got better value for our time alongside that, then things like engineering and powerplay would be more accessible to people who have busier lives and player retention would improve. I used to highly recommend this game. Now I would advise nobody to purchase this game at this stage, not even if it is on sale. FDev do not deserve any more money for Elite Dangerous if they aren't going to invest it into this title in a meaningful way, they probably funnel the majority of what they make from this game into their other simulator games anyway. Seriously, f*ck you FDev. I had so much hope for you. ________________________ My previously positive review: Fantastic game. Incredibly immersive. With beautiful visuals and equally fitting sound design. I have to say though, if you have a friend who has this game, ask them if you can try it out first. In the event that it isn't your thing, its difficult to get to grips with the gameplay, jump into the utterly huge setting, get a taste of what is out there and earn enough money to advance your ship and equipment far enough to enjoy the game fully in under 2 hours. (i.e the time it takes for the chance of a refund to be lost). This game requires you to sink a lot of time and patience into it to get the full enjoyment out of it, and believe me, you WILL lose your ship and you WILL lose a lot of money at times. But the game is fair and forgiving when it comes to post-destruction and you will make the money back. It is definitely worth the full price you pay, but if you can pick it up in a sale, then all the better. Sure it can seem quite empty, but it is a space sim, and to be honest - space is pretty damn empty. So get used to it. I rate 9/10, I can't play it every hour of every day but I have so much fun with it and it is an awesome break from many other games I play.