Space, the final Frontier. I have always wanted to say that! For me 1984 was a special year because that was when i first saw a space game running on a BBC Micro by the name of Elite. This groundbreaking space trading game was developed by David Braben and Ian Bell. I myself was a huge fan of Elite for the Spectrum and also played it to death on the Commodore Amiga.
We now have the most recent incarnation of the game, Elite Dangerous. Originally started as a kickstarter back in 2012, the project was fully funded and released on 16th December 2014.
The original game featured space trading and combat, but Elite Dangerous takes this and more to a whole new level. Elite Dangerous has jaw dropping graphics, sound design and an incredible flight model. The game also fully supports virtual reality, HOTAS flight control systems and head tracking devices. Elite Dangerous is no longer just a game, it’s a full on space simulator.
The games features include trading, mining, exploration, passenger-transportation, bounty-hunting, piracy, assassination and planatary landings where you can explore strange worlds using your SRV space buggy.
Fast forward to 2022 we now have the Odyssey expansion update which adds walking around on planets, privately owned carrier ships and space stations, plus you can even sign up for ground first person shooter combat.
Gameplay can be solo, in private online groups or fully online. Elite Dangerous even has its own Quake arena-style space combat mode.
The Elite Dangerous galaxy is massive and features a vast 1:1 scale simulation of the Milky Way. The science behind it is all based on real principles and current scientific data and theories. It includes around 400 billion star systems and is modelled on actual galactic charts. Last time I looked online, only 0.05% of the game’s galaxy had been discovered.
The game has had many updates and improvements over time and still has a huge loyal fan base which runs fantastic groups, helpful apps and even great live conventions such as Lavecon.
Even though the PC version is more features rich, it’s still available for PS4 and XBOX One but without the new ODYSSEY expansion.
If you loved the original Elite then this is the game you dreamed of back in the 80s. I myself have been playing the game from the beginning and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Over time it has built up its own welcoming community which amongst other things raises money for good causes, for example Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and Special Effect.
Gaming Charity Supporting the Physically Disabled | SpecialEffect
