Elite: Dangerous launch trailer flies into the danger zone

By Will Fulton December 11, 2014

elite dangerous launch trailer flies danger zone — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier Developments has dropped a launch trailer in anticipation of the open galaxy space sim’s December 16, 2014 release.

The trailer cautions at the beginning that it does not show in-game footage, but rather pre-rendered sequences that capture the game’s spirit. Watch as spaceships dodge, weave, and shoot each other down in an intense couple minutes of dogfighting.

Frontier’s upcoming space sim has been in some form of development since 1998. This impending release bears the heavy expectations of fans who have waited since 1995 for a sequel to Frontier: First Encounters, the previous entry in the franchise.

Designers David Braben and Ian Bell (no relation to Digital Trends’ own co-founder and CEO) set the template for open world games in 1984 with the original Elite, and 30 years later the industry has followed suit in creating expansive worlds filled with flexible gameplay. After years of quiet, Braben brought Elite back into the public eye with a 2012 Kickstarter campaign that raised approximately $2.5 million for the development of Elite: Dangerous.

Elite: Dangerous arrives for Mac and Windows on December 16 at a cost of $60 (or $50 if pre-ordered before then).

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

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