Elite Dangerous is more of a Space Flight Sim, rather than a Space Life Sum, but they do add elements of Space Life, and the game was kind of originally marketed as a Space Life sim. Honestly, walkable ship interiors would be cool, but yeah, there really isn't much reason for them to be added.

I think the main 2 things that Elite has going for itself are the 1:1 realistically scaled galaxy and the art direction. Very few other games can so beautifully simulate what it feels like to be on a lone exo planet, 50000 light-years away from Sol.

I kind of bounced off of No Man's Sky, and it was mostly because of the visuals. It was too cartoony for my tastes, but I should really give it another go.