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Elite
When speaking about persistent open worlds, Elite bears mentioning. Developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, it was released in 1984 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron PCs. It quickly became a hit thanks to its 3D visuals, space trading and space flight mechanics. At the time, travelling between the eight galaxies, taking on missions to destroy targets or deliver information, managing fuel reserves and engaging in economic activities was unheard of.
It served as a big influence for open-world games, inspiring the likes of EVE Online, World of Warcraft, and so on. Many may not have played the original but its legacy lives on in Frontier Developments’ Elite: Dangerous.
