Elite: Dangerous Reviews

Elite: Dangerous is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
5.5 / 10.0
Aug 1, 2017

Elite Dangerous is just not a fun game to play. It is extremely pretty, and catapulting through space with no particular goal is quite relaxing. When it comes to creating a fun game that keeps the player coming back for more, it still has a long, long way to go.

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Digitally Downloaded
Nick H.
Top Critic
Oct 9, 2015

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.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Dec 12, 2017

Elite: Dangerous feels a bit like a lifestyle choice, honestly. Getting good at piloting and traversing this universe takes almost as long as a full length game in and of itself. For those who endure, there's some exciting things happening in space, but for the rest, the price might be too high. This is clearly an example of a niche game, a remarkably thorough space sim that requires patience and tenacity to unearth its many secrets.

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6.2 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2015

One day Elite: Dangerous might be worth the price tag, but currently it is not.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Oct 20, 2015

Elite: Dangerous is still considered a "work in progress" and will be getting updates and new features implemented over time. In its current state, it does have nigh infinite amount of content due to the randomly-generated nature, so there is usually something to keep interest, even if players are spaced out by what feels like hours at a time. It can be immersive thanks to the methodical pacing, but in the end, it is still boring due to the exciting bits being so few and far in between, so it's is a mixed bag in terms of how experiences will vary, depending on who is playing. Elite: Dangerous has its obvious flaws, but the game itself is unique and is unlike anything else on the Xbox One, so for just being different it can be worth a shot.

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7 / 10
Dec 29, 2015

It's beautifully modelled, filled with colour, has incredible sound design, the sense of flight is exhilarating, and from time to time a challenging battle presents itself that gets your heart pumping

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Jan 15, 2015

There's so much to see, do, and explore... if only you knew how.

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7 / 10
Oct 6, 2015

With a fantastic sense of scale, attention to detail, great combat, and an ambitious vision of a shared universe make Elite: Dangerous well worth checking out. But its let down by punishing opening hours and tedious pacing. If you can stomach these, you'll find an entire cosmos begging to be explored.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2015

Elite Dangerous is not going to be the game for everyone, and in fact most are going to be turned off by all it demands from players. The fact remains though, that the game does exactly what it wants, and does it very well. It isn't here to please everybody, but those who it is for are going to have a good time.

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7 / 10
Jan 9, 2015

Elite: Dangerous is a beautiful arcade experience, plugged into an empty galaxy, one so big and bold that it might trick you into thinking there's more to see and do than there really is. You'll probably love it anyway.

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3.5 / 5.0
Nov 23, 2015

Elite Dangerous is a great representation of the space sim genre that will have fans tickled by its large galaxy, open world and solid combat. Admittedly, it isn't for everybody. The more measured pace will be boring for folks who want action all the time and the lack of guidance also will likely turn off newcomers. At the same time, if you love the genre and you're looking for something to sink your teeth into before Star Citizen comes out, this will definitely scratch that space sim itch.

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Oct 15, 2015

Elite: Dangerous is a unique game. It's given us a gigantic galaxy to explore of which it is nigh-on impossible to see the full extent. It's a classic space simulator through and through, to the point in which the controls and game mechanics can be hard to grasp. This in itself isn't a bad thing, but it won't appeal to everyone. Those who enjoy this genre of games will have a blast, but others will find it hard to fully enjoy. Only with a huge time investment will players get the full experience of the title, but with that comes a greater feel of reward. The powerplay and CQC aspects can be exciting, but they can be completely ignored. The servers have caused the game to have a rocky start on the Xbox One, but the developers are thankfully listening to the community and doing their best to fix the problems. Now that Elite: Dangerous is available to all, it is a good alternative to exploring the Milky Way galaxy in all its glory instead of training in real life to become a fully fledged astronaut, but be prepared before you suit up.

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7 / 10
Dec 16, 2014

A "launch" build with some features still in infancy, Elite: Dangerous nonetheless offers terrific space flight ambiance and trading progression befitting of the once-revolutionary series. In a few months time, this title could be outstanding.

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7 / 10
Oct 9, 2015

Although slow and complicated at times, Elite: Dangerous nevertheless provides a rewarding open-world experience on Xbox One.

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7 / 10
Jan 4, 2015

A welcome return for the pioneering space adventure, but despite a solid start it will need a steady supply of new content and tweaks to reach elite status.

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72 / 100
Jul 3, 2017

Elite: Dangerous is a well crafted and complex space simulation in flight, combat, and a number of RPG elements such as resource management, questing, and upgrading gear. With real world science creating the games universe and some very nice graphics, the game's downfall comes from the overly complex controls used for flight, making the game difficult for newcomers who may be expecting a more user friendly experience.

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IGN
Top Critic
7.4 / 10.0
Dec 18, 2014

Elite: Dangerous puts you in some amazing spaceships, but doesn't always give you a lot to do with them.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jan 5, 2015

Despite a solid framework for an incredible game, right now the title can feel barren and lacking in variety

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Joseph Bradford
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Jul 7, 2017

Whether you're soaking in the cosmos around you, banking large sums of credits from a well-planned trading haul, or surviving a harrowing encounter with space pirates in dazzling ship-to-ship combat, Elite Dangerous has plenty to keep me excited to come back. And when those long-haul sessions become too much, Arena mode is there to inject some much-needed action at a moment's notice.

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7.7 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2015

One of the biggest games ever released, but not the most fun. Elite Dangerous may be too slow and even tedious for some players, but if you are into it's sci-fi simulation, this game is a blast.

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