ELEX

After improving so much in combat mechanics in Risen 1 and 2 to some extent, then we get this... Poorly thought out mechanics giving no interesting dynamics and trade-offs between attack wild-up, recovery, dodge frames (beasts are ridiculous, chronic issue with this developer) , range vs attack speed (two handers are so painful to use), useless jetpack in combat due to every enemy having ranged attacks. After churning out so many titles this developer still don't understand basics of a fighting game, even though there are so many excellent old arcade titles to learn from. Please spend some time to learn basic concepts of frame advantages and anticipations vs risk-taking, such core concepts to any proper fighting game... there are none in this game. Story is non-existent for the most part. Then we have the much-advertised big world with so many loots. But unless you are a toilet paper and cutlery aficionado, exploring and looting in this game is painfully boring and tedious. Regret 100% buying this game, even on sale for 15 bucks. Can't get it back now. But I'd pay another 15 bucks if the system would allow me to rate this game score of zero.

Like all of Piranha Bytes' games, ELEX lacks polish, but it excels in a few key areas that distinguishes it from other open world RPGs. Exploration and world design were always strong points of PB's games, but ELEX takes those concepts to new heights (literally) thanks to the jetpack. I've always appreciated the vertical level design of the original Gothic games (and Risen 1), but ELEX pushes that even farther thanks to the jetpack. While it doesn't allow you to fly across the map like Superman, it does enable you to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Exploring ELEX's hand crafted world is a lot of fun, and you are almost always rewarded with useful items, tidbits of lore and environmental storytelling, or just a scenic view. Combat is fine. It's not going to appeal to everyone, as even the melee combo system can be a bit unintuitive, but it's visceral, challenging, and rewards skill, which is more than what could be said for most games in this genre. I played as a Cleric, who in addition to having access to some of the best looking armor in the game, are able to learn some devastating 'magic' abilities, like the ability to open small black holes that pulls enemies in. I was less impressed by the plasma and laser guns, however. Like all of this developer's games, ELEX isn't going to appeal to everyone. It doesn't explain its systems very well, and in a game this punishing that can be an issue. But at its core ELEX is another immersive open world RPG by developer Piranha Bytes, and is quite possibly their best game since the incredible Gothic 2. The setting is refreshingly original, and it's clear a lot of thought was put into the world design and lore. It's fun, challenging, beautiful, and a bit janky.

I did not have high expectations of this game, I liked Gothic 2 a lot and enjoyed Risen 1, but this futuristic fallout-ish fantasy story did not fit so well with my PB image. And then I tried it out, and found out I could not let go. The workd is beautiful, even tranquil sometimes, much in contrast to the beasts that roam it and want to kill you with one blow :-). Exploration is rewarding. Game mechanics are good, fighting is good, and the story is captivation. Above all this, it preserves the spirit of PBs games, it is hard in the beginning, and every fight won is an acomplishment. I had a lot of fun with this game.

Boy, did i wanted to love this game. But the Combat and the unforgiving enemies are just is too much for me.

I have played many games and based on the reviews about ELEX .. I bought it .. and am sorry I did. I find the whole experience poor. I have only played for about 2 hours ... but here are a few reasons: 1 - NPC interaction - even if the NPC is close by they sometimes do not engage with the enemy to help you 2 - POOR COMBAT - the combat is not enjoyable ... if you have an axe and you need to slash ... the amount of effort to hit the target is just too hard 3 - PICK UP - you cannot pick up items while you are holding a weapon ... are you kidding me ... ? 4 - WHAT TO PICK UP .. there is no way to know what is avaiable to pick up until you are standing on top of it .. all other games have something to indicate an item is able for pick up .. why not with ELEX 5 - NO VILLAGE MAP - I have NEVER seen a game where you are in a village or town ... and the mini-map does not show you what the buildings are. How are you supposed to find things. 6 - LEARNING CURVE - you really need ESP to figure out how to play this game ... the game play is not "intuative" and therefore you stumble through ... make mistakes .. and die a lot 7 - GRAPHICS - the game was released in 2017 ... I have seen older games that look and feel better. I know most of the reviews say this game is great ... but if the items I listed about annoy you ... then make your choice wisely.