Elite: Dangerous is a MMO (Massively multiplayer online) sci-fi game by Frontier Developments, set 1286 years in the future. You play as one of many commanders, a group of elite pilots.
Allll the stars!
The 'map' for the game is arguably one of the largest of any game (with only No Man's Sky being a real contender) - as it contains a 1:1 scale map of the Milky Way galaxy. The game's "Stellar Forge" is used to generate each of the 400 billion systems on the fly, so the game clocks in at a moderate 52 Gb.
The game is build on Frontier's proprietary game engine - 'Cobra' - the same on they use for their selection of construction & management simulations. The game can run fairly well on low-end hardware (although the graphics drop is noticeable), but higher end systems will need thorough tinkering with the graphics settings to make it look stunning.
After a few years of neglect, Elite is in somewhat of a bounce-back period with two major updates released recently and another on scheduled for the summer.
Trailblazers update promotional image. Shows a orbital construction site.
The most recent update - Trailblazers - allows for the colonising of previously unoccupied systems. Players can build stations, outposts and settlements all of their own!
Arguably the strongest part of the game, the community is more mature1 than most (as many of them were fans of the original Elite game from 1984). This means that most players are very happy to support new players, with multiple YouTube channels, Discord groups and a Subreddit for commanders to give and receive assistance. See my full list here.
It is also recommended that players use sites like Inara, Spansh and install Elite: Dangerous Market Connector - but these are optional. I have a full post on what these apps do, and how they work here.