Elite

Elite presents a simulated galaxy where players assume the role of Commander Jameson, beginning with minimal resources at Lave Station. The core activity involves navigating between star systems to generate income, primarily through commodity trading but also via missions, mining, or more illicit actions like piracy. This financial progression allows for significant ship customization, including weaponry, defensive systems, and utility upgrades.

The experience is viewed through first-person wire-frame graphics, creating a pseudo three-dimensional space. While there is no prescribed narrative, hostile Thargoid ships provide a consistent combat threat. Engagements are action-based, requiring both tactical maneuvering and weapon management within the same open environment. Aggression against non-hostile vessels carries consequences, damaging the commander's standing and inviting police intervention.

A defining feature is the scale of the universe, which contains eight galaxies with 256 visitable planets. Travel is constrained by a ship's fuel capacity, limiting single jumps to a range of seven light-years. The player's freedom to explore this vast setting is otherwise largely unrestricted, supporting the game's open-ended structure.