Elite Dangerous is a frustrating grindfest, with the learning curve of an Apollo mission heading for the moon, ultimately pointless and demoralising at every turn.

Playing this game is the closest simulation to having your fingernails torn out under torture that you can experience without stealing money from a drug cartel.

Which is just how we like it.

For those of you reading the reviews looking to see if this game is dead or not, it isn't. Elite Dangerous is alive and well, and is in the best state its been in YEARS. It's a very fun and complex space-sim that's destined to take hundreds of hours from you. In my 381 hours to date, I feel like I've just begun my journey, and can't wait to play more. Come join us, and ignore the toxic idiots who feel like they have to criticize everything about this game. The community is dedicated and incredibly welcoming.

Elite Dangerous has been on quite the journey, having originally played on Xbox in the Game Preview program, I have recently migrated over to PC and gotten back into Elite. While this style of game is not for everyone, and Elite does have some flaws, the Developers have recently been revitalizing the game and are finally adding more ships and features again. Now is a fantastic time to get into Elite or come back to it. Many quality of life features have made getting started much easier than before, and the launch of PowerPlay 2.0 could spark a good deal of life back into the game.

Now, some people may not like PowerPlay 2.0, and you certainly don't have to like it, but Elite is a game where you make your own journey, decisions, and define your own play-style. That could be Exploring, Bounty Hunting, Mining, Trading/Cargo Hauling, being a Passenger Liner, and a few other options as well. You are by no means required to participate in PowerPlay, but there are incentives to do so! (Unique modules and weekly pay dividends based on contributions)

I'd highly recommend finding someone or a group to help you get your space legs up and running, but starting out on your own is nowhere near as difficult as it once was.

Overall, I would recommend this game to those who enjoy flight simulator and make your own path kind of games. Elite is also an entirely different experience in VR! The scale is definitely something to behold.