Elite: Dangerous

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 54

Play It

If you can overcome its intimidating early hours, Elite: Dangerous is a phenomenal space adventure.

Play It

Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 54

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 54

If you can overcome its intimidating early hours, Elite: Dangerous is a phenomenal space adventure.

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Critic Reviews for Elite: Dangerous

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

54

Reviews

Average Score - 80/100

80%

Ranges

7.5/10

Joseph Bradford (IGN)

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.

July 7, 2017 |

Full Review

A great game and, with time, potentially a classic. Much rests on Frontier’s ability to build on these broad but somewhat shallow foundations.

December 23, 2014 |

Full Review

86/100

Chris Thursten (PC Gamer)

4/5 stars

Jonathan Leack (Game Revolution)

Elite: Dangerous has come a long way since its debut in 2014. It’s now a much more complete product, making it an attractive option for PS4 gamers who have the urge to leave Earth and see what the Milky Way galaxy has to offer.

June 28, 2017 |

Full Review

Joseph Bradford (IGN)

7.5/10 - (Read Review)

Chris Thursten (PC Gamer)

86/100 - (Read Review)

A great game and, with time, potentially a classic. Much rests on Frontier’s ability to build on these broad but somewhat shallow foundations.

Jonathan Leack (Game Revolution)

4/5 stars - (Read Review)

**Read all 54 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (54 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Attack of the Fanboy	AOTF Staff	4 / 5 stars	01-16-2015	Elite: Dangerous is a very ambitious title which has been implemented well so far. It has been “released,” however its current base form will leave much to be desired for the majority of players as, while the universe is exceptionally large, what you can actually do, while initially fun and engaging, is quite limited and repetitive.	Read review
CGMagazine	Bryan Calhoun	8 / 10	10-20-2015	In the end, Elite: Dangerous isn’t a terrible game, but I don’t think it was made for mass appeal.	Read review
Chalgyr’s Game Room	Robert Risdon	9.3 / 10	07-20-2017	It is no secret that I love Elite: Dangerous; I have covered it quite extensively since we first got our hands on the preview in 2014 and ever since I have been utterly hooked. Now, after what seems to me is a lifetime of waiting (it wasn’t), Elite: Dangerous is now available on the PlayStation 4 and it is every bit as glorious as the other platforms and in regard to the consoles, it is far, far superior than its Xbox counterpart. With HOTAS peripheral support on the PlayStation 4, Elite: Dangerous is absolutely the game to show that space sims not only work on console, but they excel there.	Read review
COGconnected	Brian Connor	82 / 100	01-04-2015	There’s definitely a strong core game principle here, and all my problems with it are ones that can be solved with some continued developer TLC. Flying your ship feels good, the galaxy accurately conveys an immense sense of scale, the use of real life stars and planets adds an amazing sense of wonder, and the trading and combat systems have strong cores. Overall, Elite: Dangerous is really cool, but mostly as a tease of what it could be. I genuinely hope the developers continue to support it as they have thus far, because this game is just a few more levels of progression away from being truly incredible.	Read review
Cubed3	Albert Lichi	7 / 10	10-20-2015	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.	Read review
Daily Star	Lloyd Coombes	4 / 5 stars	07-06-2020	Elite Dangerous is for a very specific type of player. If you’re a fan of open-ended universes where you make your own fun, filled to the brim with nuanced customisation and a supportive community, you’ll find a lot to love.	Read review
Destructoid	Joel Peterson	9 / 10	07-05-2017	If you read up on the planets for fun, enjoy movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, or Moon, or find the idea of hauling cargo from system to system and maybe getting in the odd fight along the way appealing, there is very little else out there like Elite Dangerous. I’m highly recommending it despite the tedium in its game play and the long periods of time you will spend just looking at stars/reading stuff on a screen. It is a beautiful, one of a kind experience that I cherish, one of my favourite games in the last few years, and the PlayStation 4 release is no exception.	Read review
Digital Chumps	Brandon Parker	8.2 / 10	10-15-2015	Elite Dangerous is a very compelling and adventurous game. It’s a story you get to tell based on your decisions. This is more than just a game. It’s an ever-changing experience you get to participate in. Elite Dangerous is not for the Casual Gamer, and it’s certainly not for everyone. If you’re thinking about buying this simply for the space combat portion, you may want to explore other options. It’s much more complex than the typical shoot’em-up experience.	Read review
Digital Spy	Mark Langshaw	4 / 5 stars	01-14-2015	Everyone’s experiences in Elite: Dangerous will be unique to them, and it only takes a couple of mesmerising ones to justify the early grind.	Read review
Digitally Downloaded	Nick H.	3 / 5 stars	10-09-2015	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.	Read review
Eurogamer	Dan Whitehead	Recommended	12-21-2014	There’s a lot of balancing to be done in the long term, then, and the big hurdle for new players will be getting up to speed without losing interest in those stodgy early hours. The mid-point, where everything coalesces, is so liberating, so brilliant in its scope and possibility, that it’s hard to be too upset about these wrinkles. For all its frustrations, you’ll spend much longer in the sweet spot than you spend getting there. Elite: Dangerous demands much, but repays your devotion many times over.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Francesco Serino	8.6 / 10	07-05-2017	Elite Dangerous is more than a simple ‘videogame’: it’s a mesmerizing space-simulation, which offers the player an incredible experience among the stars. The PS4 version preserves all the quality of the PC edition. It’s almost a masterpiece.	Read review
Game Informer	Daniel Tack	7.5 / 10	01-05-2015	Despite a solid framework for an incredible game, right now the title can feel barren and lacking in variety	Read review
Game Revolution	Jonathan Leack	4 / 5 stars	06-30-2017	Elite: Dangerous has come a long way since its debut in 2014. It’s now a much more complete product, making it an attractive option for PS4 gamers who have the urge to leave Earth and see what the Milky Way galaxy has to offer.	Read review
GamesBeat	Dan Crawley	83 / 100	01-13-2015	Elite: Dangerous is unforgiving, obfuscating, and occasionally dull, but it’s always immersive and beautiful. It offers an incredible universe to explore that, despite occasional graphical repetition, offers the tantalising possibility of wonders yet unseen at the end of each new hyperspace jump.	Read review
GameSkinny	Stephanie Tang	7 / 10	01-15-2015	There’s so much to see, do, and explore… if only you knew how.	Read review
GameSpew	Wesley Scott	7 / 10	12-29-2015	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	Read review
GameSpot	Leif Johnson	7 / 10	10-09-2015	Although slow and complicated at times, Elite: Dangerous nevertheless provides a rewarding open-world experience on Xbox One.	Read review
GamesRadar+	Andy Kelly	4 / 5 stars	10-06-2015	Massive, intimidating, and stunningly beautiful, Elite: Dangerous is one of the deepest, most rewarding open-world experiences you can have on Xbox One.	Read review
GamingBolt	Alex Jackson	7 / 10	01-21-2015	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.	Read review
GamingTrend	Justin Pauls	85 / 100	10-09-2015	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.	Read review
Geeks Under Grace	Wesley Wood	6.2 / 10	02-23-2015	One day Elite: Dangerous might be worth the price tag, but currently it is not.	Read review
God is a Geek	Mick Fraser	8 / 10	10-08-2015	Elite: Dangerous is a well-made space sim with incredible scope and wondrous plans for the future, but it might put off some players with its complexity.	Read review
Guardian	Justin Pinner	4 / 5 stars	01-04-2015	W]ithout doubt, Elite: Dangerous is a purchase that will provide inestimable value, delivering many hours of gameplay opportunities and experiences. Furthermore, this is a developing universe, with many planned updates and new features due over the coming months. It seems likely that the depth and scale of the experience is only going in one direction: to the stars.	Read review
IGN	Rob Zacny	7.5 / 10	12-18-2014	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.	Read review
IGN Italy	Francesco Destri	8.2 / 10	07-05-2017	The strenght of the game three years after its release is not in discussion and this new version for PlayStation 4 (although not much “Pro”) is well done.	Read review
Impulsegamer	James Wright (Impulsegamer)	4.4 / 5 stars	01-19-2015	Sure, learning the controls was frustrating and boredom crept in when transiting from one system to another but overall the thrill of exploration and discovery dwarf any grievances I have with the game.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	Roger Hargreaves	8 / 10	01-04-2015	The pioneering space adventure makes an impressive landing on PlayStation 4, with more content than ever and the promise of even better things to come.	Read review
MMOGames	Shannon Doyle	8.5 / 10	02-06-2015	To summarize, Elite: Dangerous is awe-inspiringly beautiful, but a time sink of galactic proportions.	Read review
MMORPG.com	Jonathan Doyle	8.3 / 10	01-13-2015	Can I go back to my spaceship now? There’s a real sweet run I want to make….	Read review
PC Gamer	Chris Thursten	86 / 100	12-22-2014	A great game and, with time, potentially a classic. Much rests on Frontier’s ability to build on these broad but somewhat shallow foundations.	Read review
PC Invasion	Peter Parrish	7 / 10	12-16-2014	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.	Read review
PCGamesN	Steve Hogarty	7 / 10	01-09-2015	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.	Read review
PCMag	Will Greenwald	4 / 5 stars	01-30-2015	Elite: Dangerous is a fascinating exploration of space that will endlessly appeal to some players and thoroughly bore others.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	John-Paul Jones	8.5 / 10	07-05-2017	Minor shortcomings aside, Elite Dangerous delivers with aplomb on its promise of a massive galaxy for players to explore and write their own stories within. There are very few games on PS4 that will devour your social life as completely as Elite Dangerous.	Read review
Post Arcade (National Post)	Chad Sapieha	Recommended	10-07-2015	Frontier Developments has created an impossibly huge galaxy with almost limitless potential. Now they just need to fill it up with more interesting personalities and conflicts and reasons to explore.	Read review
PSX Brasil	Bruno Henrique Vinhadel	90 / 100	07-12-2017	Despite having a slow learning curve, Elite Dangerous becomes excellent in every spacial simulator aspect, with lots of liberty to explore, a huge amount of content and a fun combat system, which makes it the best PS4 title of this genre so far.	Read review
Pure Playstation	Jason Frye	7.9 / 10	07-13-2017	Elite Dangerous is a simulation with a steep learning curve, but the freedom to explore the Milky Way Galaxy and its 400 billion star systems is unlike anything else on the PS4. Whether playing solo or with friends, you have multiple ways to earn credits to buy and fine-tune your newest space chariot with better parts. You can also just be a tourist on a sightseeing trip.	Read review
Push Square	Alex Stinton	8 / 10	07-07-2017	With a legacy stretching way back in gaming history, the Elite series has always asked a lot of its commanders and Elite Dangerous is no different. With so many game systems packed into this gigantic space-sim, it’s unsurprising that for new players the first small step can feel more like a giant leap. Even after getting over any initial frustrations, the frequently vexing mechanics will test your patience time and time again, but despite these issues there’s a magic to Elite Dangerous that will keep you playing. Whether it’s a close encounter with a white dwarf, an intense dogfight, or a just cruising between star systems, the freedom and opportunity laid across its billions of stars means that Elite Dangerous offers spectacular space-tourism all from the comfort of your sofa.	Read review
Rectify Gaming	Rectify Gaming	8 / 10	07-01-2017	Elite Dangerous is an awesome space simulator game that you can dump tons of hours into, and with it being the only space sim on console i say it’s worth a buy.	Read review
Reno Gazette-Journal	Jason Hidalgo	7 / 10	11-23-2015	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.	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Brendan Caldwell	Recommended	01-15-2015	Most of the time, Elite works. The excitement, even the boredom, of the game is still preserved for me as something I am happy to have paid for. But it would be a poor reviewer indeed who did not mention that the sim’s rough edges have not been satisfactorily sanded down.	Read review
Screen Rant	Rob Keyes	4 / 5 stars	11-06-2015	Frontier Developments proves that hardcore space sims can deliver on home consoles with the Xbox One version of Elite: Dangerous.	Read review
SelectButton	Kevin Mitchell	9 / 10	01-14-2015	Elite: Dangerous has core mechanics that work well within the online multiplayer universe, but has many single-player components built-in. Missions tend to get repetitive, but I have yet to exhaust myself exploring a new system or planet. The universe can feel quite empty, even if you are playing with the open-world options. Frontier promises to expand the game with content updates, and if you were looking for a new paint job, they are available for purchase. You’ll be sure to experience a new “wow” factor every time you play.	Read review
Sirus Gaming	John Matthew Fernandez	9.2 / 10	06-25-2015	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.	Read review
Slant Magazine	Alexander Chatziioannou	4 / 5 stars	10-16-2015	On a technical level, it nearly pulls off the impossible task of dazzling on par with its predecessor.	Read review
The Digital Fix	Peter Taylor	8 / 10	10-23-2015	Elite: Dangerous is a superb game with plenty of room for growth and maturation.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Dominic Leighton	8 / 10	10-03-2015	Elite: Dangerous is a phenomenal piece of simulation software, masquerading as a game. I felt like Mal Reynolds, Captain Picard and Luke Skywalker at various points, while at others I felt like a delivery man who was able to make a cup of tea whilst travelling to the next drop off. The emptiness of space can be overwhelming, and Elite: Dangerous revels in that a little too much, but for the brave, or foolhardy, it offers an experience that is unlike anything else on Xbox One.	Read review
TrueAchievements	Marc Hollinshead	3.5 / 5 stars	10-15-2015	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.	Read review
USgamer	Kat Bailey	4 / 5 stars	12-24-2014	My general sense is that this is only the beginning for Elite: Dangerous. The foundation is strong, the community is dedicated, and the development team is committed to building out the world for what appears to be a long time to come. Give it a year or two, and I expect Elite: Dangerous will have a huge amount of new content. As it is, Elite: Dangerous is still a fascinating and entertaining space combat sim with nearly unmatched scope, which more than makes up for its gigantic learning curve and lack of structured content. If you’ve spent the past decade pining for a new space combat sim, then you’ll find a happy home in Elite: Dangerous. I’ll see you there.	Read review
Wccftech	Jeff Williams	8.8 / 10	10-08-2015	An absolutely brilliant space sim that has no equal on the Xbox One. Despite the relative lack of “depth” and other small issues, Elite: Dangerous still manages to impress with a very dynamic, unique and incredible experience. For space sim fans, this will no doubt become a staple in this genre on console.	Read review
We Got This Covered	Tyler Treese	4 / 5 stars	10-15-2015	There’s a really special game inside Elite: Dangerous for those that are willing to put up with the steep learning curve. If you’re not though, it’s too confusing of an experience.	Read review

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The next game in the Elite series – an amazing space epic with stunning visuals, incredible gameplay, breath-taking scope and fully multiplayer. Carve your own path through the richest, largest gaming sandbox ever created, set against a backdrop of raw anarchy, galactic powerplays and intrigue.

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