We like Elite Dangerous quite a lot. We gave it an 86/100 in our 2014 review, and six years later it still holds a spot on our list of Best PC Games as "an open-world (open-galaxy?) space flight sim that masterfully gives players total freedom." And speaking of freedom, it is also now free for the week on the Epic Games Store.
The Elite Dangerous freebie includes the Horizons expansion, which was rolled into the base game in October. It debuted in late 2015 and made some big changes to the game, including planetary lands and SRV ground vehicles, multi-person crew options, ship-launched fighters, and the return of the Thargoids, the mysterious malevolence from beyond the galactic rim! Or wherever it is they come from.
It's a big one, but it's not the only one: Also free this week is The World Next Door, "a mix of lightning-fast puzzle battles, powerful storytelling, and immersive visual novel elements" about a rebellious teen trapped in a parallel world that's inhabited by magical creatures. It's developed by Portland-based studio Rose City Games and published by manga and anime distributor Viz Media.
Elite Dangerous and The World Next Door are free on the Epic Games Store until November 26. After that, the Russian offroad driving sim MudRunner will take their place. And if this isn't enough free games for you, don't worry, because we've got more: Here's a list of the best free PC games of 2020, and a rundown of all the free games you can grab right now.
