A short story about how one of my favorite games, Elite Dangerous, offers a fantastic, immersive experience. To learn how to play this game, check out: https://learnelitedangerous.org/

1. Elite Dangerous Offers an
Immersive Experience

3. • Have you ever dreamed of flying a futuristic spacecraft? In Elite Dangerous,
you can do that in a beautifully rendered simulation of the entire Milky Way
Galaxy.You are free to make a life for yourself among the stars.You can
engage in thrilling dogfights, become a master trader, or set out and explore
the vast number of worlds.The game is a sandbox, meaning you make your
own decisions about what you want to do.
• The biggest reason why Elite Dangerous is so immersive is that you are
always inside your ship.You do have the option to view your ship from
outside but there is a camera overlay making it seem as if you are looking at
a screen on your ship as opposed to most games that allow a 3rd person
camera.

5. • Normally, you are seated at the helm of your ship.The interior of each ship
is different and they are all incredibly detailed. If you look down you can see
your body.Your arms move the control stick and the throttle to match your
inputs.There are even some animations of the pilot flexing their hand to
stretch it out occasionally.

7. • One of my favorite features of Elite Dangerous is how the game handles
ship menus.When you press a button a menu doesn’t slide down from the
top of the screen or pop-up. Instead, your character looks at that location in
the cockpit and you focus on that menu.This makes you feel like you are
actually in the cockpit and reading the menu as if you were the pilot.

9. • Another way Elite Dangerous creates immersion is with all the animations
the game utilizes.You start out in a hangar. When you want to take off, the
ship is guided along an elevator up to the landing platform. After you land
and enter the hangar, the process is reversed.This is way better than the
screen fading out to black and fading in the new location. It makes you feel
like you are truly in a space environment and that you never leave it until
you log off.

10. • Another thing Elite Dangerous does well is the lack of loading screens.
During my time playing the game, I have only noticed two loading screens
once you are actually in the game.This occurs when you switch ships and
when you are on a planetary surface and you switch to your rover from your
ship. However, the negative effects of the loading screen are overcome by
the animations of moving from one hangar to another or the animation of
the rover lowering onto the planet’s surface.

11. • These aspects contribute to a truly immersive experience. One in which if
you aren’t careful, you could spend hours in. I have enjoyed my time in Elite
Dangerous and I highly recommend you check it out.
• To get an idea for the gameplay, check out this fantastic guide:
• https://www.learnelitedangerous.org/flight/