Elex

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1316 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 863 out of 1316
  2. Mixed: 128 out of 1316
  3. Negative: 325 out of 1316
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  1. MaWo79
    Oct 18, 2017
    5
    The idea of a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy in a post-apocalyptic world sounded good at the very beginning. But in the end Piranha Bytes totally failed to put all these different elements together in a rather consistent way. ELEX wants to be a Jack of all Trades with its world pieced together from borrowed designs and ideas from all kinds of different sources like Fallout, Mad Max, Skyrim,The idea of a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy in a post-apocalyptic world sounded good at the very beginning. But in the end Piranha Bytes totally failed to put all these different elements together in a rather consistent way. ELEX wants to be a Jack of all Trades with its world pieced together from borrowed designs and ideas from all kinds of different sources like Fallout, Mad Max, Skyrim, The Witcher, Mass Effect, Star Wars and whatnot. In return ELEX has almost no own ideas or anything that makes it outstanding or special in some way. Sadly it all boils down to a hodgepodge of weird arranged designs that make it feel strange at best and ridiculous at worst. I must admit that I have rarely seen so little creativity in a game concept.

    As with the basic idea of the game there is a lot potential in the complex interlocked quest system they created. Unfortunately all that potential gets destroyed by the game’s overall dull and uninspired story and the bland protagonist.

    A stiff and clunky combat system, childish dialogs and weird animations add to an underwhelming gaming experience.

    Yet I wouldn’t call this game a complete disaster. This game is made for die-hard fans of the studio that can (strangely enough) see over most of the flaws and quirks. My recommendation to the others: Don’t waste your money. Do yourself a favor and wait with your purchase until the price for this game has significantly dropped or until it is on sale.

    BTW: It is a shame how so called "fanboys" flock to this site to rate this game 10 or how German magazines give this game high rankings in paid "tests". This game is mediocre at best. No matter how hard you’re trying to sugarcoat it.    … Expand
  2. Shnig
    Oct 17, 2017
    7
    It is best Piranha Bytes game in last 10 years!
    Regarding the graphics. For a low-budget game, it looks pretty good, the animation is improved, everything looks fine. Today they say that a bad combat system, but it is really interesting, a few weak blows you combine in one powerful, if the endurance does not end.
    It's very pleasant to play the game, I believed in it from the very    It is best Piranha Bytes game in last 10 years!
    Regarding the graphics. For a low-budget game, it looks pretty good, the animation is improved, everything looks fine. Today they say that a bad combat system, but it is really interesting, a few weak blows you combine in one powerful, if the endurance does not end.
    It's very pleasant to play the game, I believed in it from the very announcement, from the very beginning, made a pre-order and apparently did not!    … Expand
  3. GReviews
    May 2, 2018
    7
    I really like this game. The world, factions and interactions with its characters are very well realised. To me that's the best part of any good game. Yes it has some flaws and a fair few technical glitches. I had more than one chat with NPC's where they simply skip lines of dialogue and jump to a whole new conversation. But really when it comes down to it, the most important thing is thatI really like this game. The world, factions and interactions with its characters are very well realised. To me that's the best part of any good game. Yes it has some flaws and a fair few technical glitches. I had more than one chat with NPC's where they simply skip lines of dialogue and jump to a whole new conversation. But really when it comes down to it, the most important thing is that when I was at the pub the other day I was thinking to myself "I can't wait to get home and play ELEX."… Expand
  4. Thothistox
    Jan 13, 2019
    7
    I've played through this game twice. At the end of my first playthrough I would have been ready to give it an 8 or 9. The promises it makes are wonderful: factions that care about who you've sided with, "emotional" and "cold" play styles that lead to different endings, interlocked questing with unpredictable results, three different skill trees that depend on your faction, companions withI've played through this game twice. At the end of my first playthrough I would have been ready to give it an 8 or 9. The promises it makes are wonderful: factions that care about who you've sided with, "emotional" and "cold" play styles that lead to different endings, interlocked questing with unpredictable results, three different skill trees that depend on your faction, companions with approval systems, a secret society, some romances, and a gluttony of exploration. Sounds great, right? Well, try playing it twice.
    The game delivers on only around half of what it promises. The factions are probably the best part. Unlike some games where you can join everything, here it feels much more meaningful because it's a commitment. The groups don't feel like believable societies, but at least your interaction with them is consistent, which gives some illusion of realism. The associated skill trees give the game additional depth and replay value. Turning your character from very weak to almost invincible is satisfying and addictive. The game map is three dimensional and deep. There will be valleys that surprise you and entire locations you can miss on your first playthrough.
    However... Let's put it this way: doing a "cold" playthrough does not feel believable or consistent. The last part of the game feels like a poorly edited B-movie when playing "cold". Most of what Jax does is suited towards the role of a hero and he repeatedly talks of no longer taking Elex, though I had him drink a few bathtubs of it. All this being so, it makes little sense that towards the end he would suddenly become a turncoat and betray almost everyone. In the epilogue his encounters with the NPCs who acquiesce to his decision made me laugh. The truth is that there is no "cold" play style. The game was made for "emotional" or mediocre middle and "cold" was added as an afterthought. Quite often the dialogue that counts as colder or warmer doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and the ultra-cold responses are confusingly marked as "enough emotion" in the dialogue option. It took me a while to figure out that "enough emotion" actually means cold.
    Another broken promise is your allies' approval system. You get to recruit around seven NPCs to fight along side you and they can approve or disapprove of almost any conversation you have... but it all doesn't matter. They don't leave you. You have no option to get rid of them. One of these NPCs is even the one who shot down your raider at the beginning of the game, but you have no option of punishing this person. Every line of dialogue with this character involves you being complicit and helpful.
    The two romances are abrupt and feel unnatural, but at least you have to choose one or the other (or neither).
    The worst thing about the game is the villains: the Albs. They are so platitudinous they seem to be straight out of a late Bioware game (after they were destroyed by EA). Everything about the Albs is a platitude. I found myself forgetting what they'd said immediately after they said it. They're a master race based around obedience of the main villain and The Directive, which means obedience. And they must evolve, which means become monsters.
    I know that realism is a strange thing to ask in a game like Elex, but why can't you make the villains a more believable society? In good fiction as in real life, no large group of intelligent beings conspires towards a bad thing consciously. They always have justification--a perceived injustice that turns out to be misguided.
    No. In this case we have the Albs--a group so wafer thin and uninteresting they seem like teenage fan fiction.
    Besides this there are also the technical aspects of the game. The combat is janky. Your character buffers his moves a second in advance and crowd control is terrible until you get the right talents. Targeting is sometimes problematic. Sometimes you hit your own people, other times you turn around to face something you wanted to avoid. Expect some frustration, especially early in the game.
    The graphics are a mixed bag. I've never seen a game that made such tawdry assets look so beautiful. Picture rays of light and wind swaying the tree branches and a pile of bones on the ground in a pool of blood--that's PB's idea of a dead body.
    I've never felt so much atmosphere in a game with sound effects that came out of someone's basement studio. Walking sounds like two little pieces of wood clanking on a table.
    Yet, it is addictive. Combat is fun when you get strong. The interlocking quests are refreshing in this day and age when quests tend to be self-contained modules that can be removed without affecting the whole. I am happy to say that PB hasn't followed that insidious trend.    … Expand
  5. kruci
    Dec 12, 2020
    7
    Mocno nierówna. Pierwsze kilka godzin męczące. Następnie się rozkręca na około 8h. Po czym pod koniec zabawy znowu poziom spada w dół. Robi sie nudnie, powtarzalnie oraz widać że zabrakło czasu i pieniędzy by doszlifować końcówkę przygody. Na plus rewelacyjna mapa, dużo lokacji które zostały wykorzystane tylko raz, dzięki czemu co chwila napotykamy na nowe miejsca
  6. Joewashere
    Aug 27, 2019
    7
    After having shat their ledehosen with Risen 2 and 3, it had seemed that the Piranha Bytes that gave us the GOAT Gothic 2 was no more. The mainstream gaming media was happy to confirm that; they wrote ELEX off as a broken turd. But, as we all know, the mainstream gaming media doesn't know ****

    ELEX is very flawed, I'm not gonna deny that. Some weapons are overpowered, the Cunning stat    After having shat their ledehosen with Risen 2 and 3, it had seemed that the Piranha Bytes that gave us the GOAT Gothic 2 was no more. The mainstream gaming media was happy to confirm that; they wrote ELEX off as a broken turd. But, as we all know, the mainstream gaming media doesn't know ****

    ELEX is very flawed, I'm not gonna deny that. Some weapons are overpowered, the Cunning stat is worthless, everything's poorly tutorialized, so on and so forth... but you'll quickly stop caring once you get to the exploring. It hits that "dog looking for truffles" spot in the way only Piranha Bytes can. Just like in the Gothic games, you have a hand-crafted world where you can snoop around for hours, plenty of enemy and weapon variety, and minibosses in fixed locations. After you wander into an Ogre's territory and get demolished, it's just satisfying to come back at a higher level, get your revenge, and never have to deal with him again.

    Sure, ELEX may not be quite up to the standards of the old PB, but it's fun, and that's what really matters.    … Expand
  7. keens
    Jun 6, 2019
    7
    ah, Piranha Bytes, what are we going to do with you?
    I'm a hardcore fan of PB games since Gothic 1 and played all of the Gothic/Rise series.
    I really like the style and atmosphere these games have. But PB must start changing things... Did I enjoy the game? Hell yea! Did I want to punch the developers in the face? you have no idea how much... Pros - a big world to explore -    ah, Piranha Bytes, what are we going to do with you?
    I'm a hardcore fan of PB games since Gothic 1 and played all of the Gothic/Rise series.
    I really like the style and atmosphere these games have.
    But PB must start changing things...

    Did I enjoy the game? Hell yea!
    Did I want to punch the developers in the face? you have no idea how much...

    Pros
    - a big world to explore
    - quite good voice acting
    - nice quests and plot
    - graphics are decent

    Cons
    - atrocious, clunky and unresponsive combat
    - bad UI
    - not polished enough

    I can recommend the game to players familiar with Gothic/Risen, others might have a hard time to like this game.    … Expand
  8. DaniloNovakovic
    Aug 30, 2020
    7
    A unique and interesting game that does manage to capture "Gothic" feeling but is ruined by a frustrating combat system, in core it had good ideas but needed way more polish (like the ability to sidestep, better enemy NPC indicators that they are going to attack, faster light attack (or ability to increase attack speed), etc.). If you are a fan of Piranha Bytes games then you will enjoyA unique and interesting game that does manage to capture "Gothic" feeling but is ruined by a frustrating combat system, in core it had good ideas but needed way more polish (like the ability to sidestep, better enemy NPC indicators that they are going to attack, faster light attack (or ability to increase attack speed), etc.). If you are a fan of Piranha Bytes games then you will enjoy this game too, but it would be really hard for me to recommend this game to somebody who hasn't played any of their previous games (or is new to RPG genre) as you can easily spend 20+ hours in this game and still feel useless unless you are min-maxing your stats :P

    That being said it has some very interesting side-quests (my favorites being around Outlaw & Doomed City areas) that actually impact the story and your interaction with the NPCs. The game also promotes vertical exploration with the introduction of the Jetpack, so if you don't mind watching some tutorials to get through the early game more easily you will have an enjoyable experience. Personally I have a love-hate relationship with this game, and in the end, despite its flaws, I just couldn't stop playing it :)    … Expand
  9. Geralt123
    May 30, 2022
    7
    I had fun playing the game. It is a good, solid game with minor flaws like clunky combat. But you will get used to it.

    Pros
    ------
    - Beautiful world
    - Fun, weighty combat
    - Good story
    - Cool companions

    Cons
    ---------
    - Same faces/voices used for multiple NPCs
    - Combat sometimes unprecise, clunky
    - Some quests not triggerung, but not game breaking
  10. Ingepunk
    Dec 20, 2021
    7
    ELEX is actually a good Action RPG by Piranha Bytes, but I'll tell you now why it's not as great as it could be.

    GRAPHIC: Hui and ugh! Elex actually offers really pretty graphics in the representation of the world. However, the characters' clothes and armor are very modestly textured and look rather muddy on closer inspection. You have seen that much better. The fact that mostly    ELEX is actually a good Action RPG by Piranha Bytes, but I'll tell you now why it's not as great as it could be.

    GRAPHIC:
    Hui and ugh!
    Elex actually offers really pretty graphics in the representation of the world. However, the characters' clothes and armor are very modestly textured and look rather muddy on closer inspection. You have seen that much better.
    The fact that mostly female characters almost all have the same face wallpaper is almost ridiculous. In 2017 something was already out of date, today in 2021 it looks even worse.

    SOUND:
    Good. Dolby Surround is fine. Piranha Bytes typically you have the usual top speakers and the pieces of music are very well done.
    On my 7.1 system, the music is too loud, even if it is reduced by 50%, it sometimes annoys conversations. The same goes for sound effects. In a cutscene the growling of mutants was so loud that I couldn't hear the speaker. Something like that is ugly, but luckily it rarely happens.

    GAMEPLAY:
    Typical for Piranha Bytes Games and many other RPGs, you knock people and monsters, do quests, explore the big big world. Then you level up, distribute the attributes and learning points you have earned, the latter with teachers for expensive splinters (the currency in Elex).
    REALLY BAD SUCCESSFUL the developers here is the combat system. An attempt was made to create a Souls Like-like system with stamina bars, luckily this can be switched off, because it does nothing to improve the fights.
    The weapons and their command were also unsuccessful. The close combat is quite lame, the autofocus is superfluous, because it prevents you from running away quickly from the fight for example. To take a potion.
    If the autofocus is turned off, the fight is much faster, but it also harbors many a trap. So for example. the game character takes forever to turn, which makes it difficult to run away and turn to the opponent.
    The long-range combat is also not so well done, on the one hand very weak, on the other hand arrows and projectiles do not always hit despite precise aiming, it also happens that shots go through the opponent without effect.
    In addition, large opponents throwing rocks after one throw at one time have homing rocks.
    We know the principle of gravity, what you throw in front of you lands on the ground in front of you.
    Not so in Elex, the opponent throws the rock, you run behind the opponent, the rock turns around in the air (!) And hits a target! Wrong world.
    Also annoying, fight animations are stubbornly unwound, if you click, for example. the attack button four times in a row, you can't do anything else until the four attack animations have ended. If you drink a potion, you cannot attack until the potion has been taken. This is very annoying in hectic situations.
    For beginners in Piranha Bytes Games, the level of difficulty is also a number in itself.
    I know that the games are all quite difficult, especially at the beginning, but here the "easy" mode is already very difficult, you die a thousand deaths, leave quests aside until you think you are strong enough for it and die another thousand deaths. Although the game puts a comrade at your side.
    You can forget a “story mode” in Elex, nobody is taken by the hand here!
    Advantageous: Auto save every 3 minutes and free quicksave prevents excessive frustration.

    TECHNOLOGY:
    Well here too there are still construction sites, now nothing bad, no game breakers and crashes. Piranha Bytes, RPG and Open World typically contain smaller, noticeable but not particularly annoying bugs.
    The Genome Engine has been revamped since Risen 3 and offers nice DX11 effects.
    Animations could be more realistic, less old-fashioned and not as stiff, but otherwise okay.

    CONCLUSION:
    If you love the Piranha Bytes Games, you can't avoid Elex, everyone else should look at the gameplay material in detail whether they like it or not.
    Elex is not an easy game, has a high learning curve and requires patience and some hard nerves from the player away.
    The greatest strengths of Elex are in the wonderfully designed world, the quests and dialogues.
    However, the developers screwed up the combat system badly.
    Therefore my rating:
    7 out of 10 points. Recommendable    … Expand
  11. SaniCorpus
    Oct 25, 2017
    7
    Even I do not like the setting "science-fantasy" so much, I felt addicted to the game after a few hours. It starts not very interesting and at the beginning it it confusing what to do and where to go. The Best part of the game so far is that you can explore so much. And that keeps me playing and playing. Quests are nice, ist a good mix of simple and more complex quests. Unfortunately theEven I do not like the setting "science-fantasy" so much, I felt addicted to the game after a few hours. It starts not very interesting and at the beginning it it confusing what to do and where to go. The Best part of the game so far is that you can explore so much. And that keeps me playing and playing. Quests are nice, ist a good mix of simple and more complex quests. Unfortunately the NPCs do not have much personality compared to the Old Gothic NPCs. For example: The teachers that u have to find to learn more abilities sometimes give you quests aswell, but the fact that they can teach you something is not bound into the conversation. You just simply ask "tech me something" and they say: "OK"... Loveless in my opinion and the "eating Animation" "looting Animation" is loveless aswell... Immersion? Could be better. Compared to "Gothic 2" this game is a 5/10 for me. But compared to all the other RPGs it is still 7/10 for me.… Expand
  12. The_MightyM
    Nov 3, 2017
    7
    Not for casual gamer!

    The setting of this game is awesome! The mix of science-fiction with fantasy and Mad Max is refreshing. Dialogues and characters are funny and dirty, as we know it from Piranha Bytes. Biggest critic is the fighting system. Some say it's challenging. I say it is simply hard to handle. Especially the low stamina and the inflexible fights are annoying. If you're ok    Not for casual gamer!

    The setting of this game is awesome! The mix of science-fiction with fantasy and Mad Max is refreshing. Dialogues and characters are funny and dirty, as we know it from Piranha Bytes. Biggest critic is the fighting system. Some say it's challenging. I say it is simply hard to handle. Especially the low stamina and the inflexible fights are annoying. If you're ok with that (and with the not so good graphics), this game is entertaining. If you're a casual gamer, you will hate this game.    … Expand
  13. PrincessRose
    Jan 1, 2021
    7
    Despite how hard it is when you first start. I enjoyed playing this game as I love exploring and discovering things and it's an interesting well made world.
    I love seeing how your choices eventually affect things and like the infinite inventory space.
    Combat is the weakest part of the game, it feels very clunky and awkward and not very good, even so in time I got used to it even though    Despite how hard it is when you first start. I enjoyed playing this game as I love exploring and discovering things and it's an interesting well made world.
    I love seeing how your choices eventually affect things and like the infinite inventory space.

    Combat is the weakest part of the game, it feels very clunky and awkward and not very good, even so in time I got used to it even though the combat isn't fun.    … Expand
  14. feather7
    Dec 9, 2018
    6
    This game has a big potencial. Good story, good dialogs. Good gameplay. Interesting landscape. BUT difficulty made idiot. Yes sorry for this. But this game could be very good, but is not. When you play and talk with other people in word you feel like Gerald from Rivia alias Witcher. But when start combat you feel like Marigold. Big noob without combat experience. Yes you can changeThis game has a big potencial. Good story, good dialogs. Good gameplay. Interesting landscape. BUT difficulty made idiot. Yes sorry for this. But this game could be very good, but is not. When you play and talk with other people in word you feel like Gerald from Rivia alias Witcher. But when start combat you feel like Marigold. Big noob without combat experience. Yes you can change difficulty to easy, but... you know...… Expand
  15. Woolee
    Oct 30, 2021
    7
    I have a really nice time playing this game, there is something in it that makes you want go further.
    I like how the game rewards exploring the world, you can always find something interesting on a top of a mountain or deep in some well.
  16. anarky321
    Oct 18, 2017
    6
    way behind the curve in many ways....Gothic standards in a 2017 world are inadequate

    Gothic 3 setting and dialogue was far superior imo

    dated graphics and poor UI
  17. MentalDraco
    Nov 15, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I ll start by saying that ppl who rate this anything above average have probably never played a decent RPG in their life.

    Now let's start with the good - the grafics are fine, some things look very good, others not so much i would say it hits about a 6/7 out of 10. The soundtrack i find fine and I do like the Gothic like play stile of figuring out what to do.

    The AI of your followers is also good when it comes to following you, prob. because of the jet pack, prevents them from getting stuck, but in combat... lord oooo lord.

    Now that that is done let's get to the meat of the game.

    1. It is very short for an RPG, exploring most of the map and getting to the end took me around 20 H, and that is coming from someone who took 50 H to finish Deux Ex Mankind Divided.
    2. So many bugs, it is insane ! Listing them all would take me a whole book. But there are a lot.
    3. Super stiff animations and attacks, the characters all seem to be made from granite, bad animation for attack, band facial animations, very weak dialog, no emotion in it.
    4. Poor selection of weapons and armor
    5. Exploring is not very rewarding, a lot of areas that have super tough monsters have very bad rewards for killing it/them
    6. The Risen problem, at the start especially enemys are WAY to strong and give very little XP
    7. The UI for inventory, skills is very poor
    8. No memorable characters like Diego
    9. Laughable boss fight ad the end

    AND the fact that YOU CAN NOT MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICES !!! - now to clarify what i mean in a lot of places certain options depend on your COLD, more cold logical option, less emotional option. Now that would be fine as long as you can get any results by doing the quest in a certain way or picking certain dialog options BUT in a lot of places you CAN'T.

    Let me give you some examples, minor SPOILER so beware : Now at one point you have to go and see if you can get the separatist albs on your side, but if you don't have the right COLD rating you can't tell them you are going to kill the Hybrid, which no matter what my cold might be I wanted to do ! BUT I could not chose that.

    Also ate the boss battle with the Hybrid you can't kill it if you don't have the correct cold rating
    - W - T - F -

    Now it was not super bad, perhaps because i was hungering for a new Gothic - proper Gothic, but this apple has fallen a few continents way from the tree.

    I played at the same time with a friend and he also had a ton more problems and bugs to report like initial quest have extra options that have charisma/combat/survival dependence and because they are THE FIRST quests and discussions you have there is no way you would already have them, unless you grind enemy's like a mad man.

    Avoid unless massive discount and a lot of patches !    … Expand
  18. Corehaven
    Feb 4, 2018
    5
    -Graphics are passable, and unless you are a graphics hog I'd not listen to people parroting that line.
    -Wonderful world interactivity. I can sit in chairs and sleep in beds, and interact with other things. Tired of games not having this.
    - World map seems large enough. Lots of territory to cover with an easy fast travel mechanic if needed. - Looting seems satisfactory as there is a    -Graphics are passable, and unless you are a graphics hog I'd not listen to people parroting that line.
    -Wonderful world interactivity. I can sit in chairs and sleep in beds, and interact with other things. Tired of games not having this.
    - World map seems large enough. Lots of territory to cover with an easy fast travel mechanic if needed.
    - Looting seems satisfactory as there is a good variety of things laying around to pick up and sell. From toilet paper to weapons.
    - Animations are quite good. Running looks very good. The character even puts his hand out for balance if they are near a wall or railing. Climbing ladders looks horrible. I'm not sure what people are ranting about in this regard though.
    - Jetpack works for getting yourself where you want to be. Nice mechanic.

    - Conversation dialogue is more passable than people make it out to be, but it's LONG WINDED. I could have gone through the game's dialogue myself and with time made all the dialogue far shorter and probably more interesting. Hate to think how this probably inflated the devs voice over budget for no good reason.
    - Mobs are not a matching level and they do not adjust such as in a game like Skyrim. And it's a problem. You're going to die a lot especially in the beginning and there's nothing you can do about it. Difficulty ranges all over the place.
    - STAMINA is BROKEN. The entire awful **** mechanic. I had to cheat and give myself infinite stamina to enjoy the game. All the NPCs have infinite stamina ( they have a stamina bar! It just never lessens ) and you suffer HORRID stamina issues, that interrupt running, fighting, everything you do. And stamina in this game is not even a core attribute. It's not needed. It's a major annoyance.
    - leveling your character is abysmally slow. Most people say you have to play this game for about 10 hours before you'll be able to kill much of anything. Ha....HAHAHAHAHA! Oh wait. I found out they're right.
    - Often little or no direction. That's because the game doesn't hold your hand! Uh huh. Really it just doesn't provide context or narrative enough ( despite everyone blathering on for hours ).
    - Yes the combat is horrendous. Janky. Imprecise. If you're using the stamina mechanic with it? Lmfao! Have to make sure I fight creatures on a flat surface. If I have the high ground advantage and swing my weapon at a monster, I'll swing the weapon over their head because they're standing downhill making them shorter than my swing. Happens very easy.
    - Game music is horrendous. It's not music. It's just tones they've recorded that play in the background and might sound like music. I can sit in front of a piano and hit one note too every 3 seconds " Ding........ding........ding ". So amateur.

    It's painful to play. You'll be reminded of all the awesome AAA RPGs you've played, and you'll remember how you had more fun and less frustration in them. And the only reason you'll keep playing this, is because you're so very bored with everything else you own.    … Expand
  19. Yosa
    Nov 4, 2017
    5
    I don't get the graphics criticism, many better games have worse graphics; what makes those games better are things like game play, functional descriptions,

    Right off the bat you'll find the inventory and control scheme to be a bit on the console side, same as many pc games for years, the reason is obvious; the next thing you should be aware is that stats have no bearing on your    I don't get the graphics criticism, many better games have worse graphics; what makes those games better are things like game play, functional descriptions,

    Right off the bat you'll find the inventory and control scheme to be a bit on the console side, same as many pc games for years, the reason is obvious; the next thing you should be aware is that stats have no bearing on your character beside weapon requirements, the descriptions meen nothing.

    My first gripe is with combat, of course. As was the design in there risen series, they adopted slow locked in animations for melee attacks while keeping the enemy teleporting triple attack insta dodge hard to hit crap; Gothic had a fairer combat system and the suggested style in that game was to use a bow.

    My second complaint, there are areas that seem like there missing npcs, triggers for events, some map icons that arnt present in game, beta style stuff; I will couple this with the water rendering bug, a purple flickering were ever water should be. (in case this is not common knowledge, there is an issue with amd video cards properly rendering water, there has sinse been an official patch, it has not fixed the issue for all amd owners). Short, doesn't seem finished.

    Man, map design, it is always a sticking point in open world games, just because you include a jet pack that is so limited it mine as well have come with a warning, doesnt mean you desighn the whole landscape on the z-axis, Fallout 4 was worse for it, so is this game.(also, city layout, suck.

    There a few more things that I feel are to minor to add, the fact is this game is still decent despite
    glaring flaws bugs, and hell even dumping every level up in to constitution thing it would increase my Hp,

    You will get hooked within the first play, I can almost guarantee that if you like RPGs, It has exploration, story, loot, character building(albiate broken).

    The environments "are awesome" (in the words of Dean Winchester). You will enjoy the game, and then swear your ass off at the combat as you continue to play; its not a bad game, its also a tolerable mess.    … Expand
  20. ZyablikRus
    Nov 9, 2017
    7
    Каждый раз, когда за дело берется студия Piranha Bytes, получается старая добрая Готика. Что касается ELEX все так же, как и в старые добрые времена. Те кто застал первую готику, они обязательно получат свою порцию удовольствия. Да и RPG в этом году вроде как не было, а это большое путешествие, которое обязывает к прохождению. https://youtu.be/QaGHMTPSxD4Каждый раз, когда за дело берется студия Piranha Bytes, получается старая добрая Готика. Что касается ELEX все так же, как и в старые добрые времена. Те кто застал первую готику, они обязательно получат свою порцию удовольствия. Да и RPG в этом году вроде как не было, а это большое путешествие, которое обязывает к прохождению. https://youtu.be/QaGHMTPSxD4
  21. MadclownJack
    Apr 7, 2018
    5
    Ah Piranha Bytes...Still trying to re-live the glory days of Gothic 3...Still failing.

    Had to retract a point because its incredibly buggy. Quests get stuck so i can't advance. Honestly, i want to like this game. The setting seems interesting. I'm a fan of Gothic 3 through and through. But i also thought some mechanisms from Gothic needed an overhaul. Sadly it has not happened.    Ah Piranha Bytes...Still trying to re-live the glory days of Gothic 3...Still failing.

    Had to retract a point because its incredibly buggy. Quests get stuck so i can't advance.

    Honestly, i want to like this game. The setting seems interesting. I'm a fan of Gothic 3 through and through. But i also thought some mechanisms from Gothic needed an overhaul. Sadly it has not happened. You're still stuck having to grind for exp so you can spend it on a teachable skill, so you can be able to grind some more, get another teachable skill and so on. It's not streamlined well. I often have my character die because everything seems to be stronger than me. I don't mind difficulty, but i prefer a gradual increase. They could've fixed this in Risen or Risen 2, but no they're just too stubborn.

    And whoever says that the fight system is good is a greasy fat liar. It exists, sure, but it's unforgiving at best, and at worst completely broken. Hitboxes are completely broken, sometimes the timing of attacks changes, it's awfully bugged. I liked the idea of fantasy meets tech, but its been done better in other games. It's not as interesting as advertised. The graphics look old. Like 2005 old. Sure the models are somewhat better than older games, but the textures leave a lot to be desired.

    The story is boring, nothing you haven't seen before. It's not awful but with all the information thrown at you it's really easy to get lost in nonsense.

    If you want to play a good game, play Gothic 3 Gold. It's everything this game aspires to be, only better and with a somewhat clearer context of story. Elex on the other hand feels rushed, boring and predictable. And Piranha Bytes should know better by now.

    PS. Also a lot of "bought" reviews in here. Many of the high grades are made by new members with only one review. Don't get why they bothered, it's not that bad, and this won't make it any better.    … Expand
  22. nickderpderp
    Jun 24, 2018
    5
    Might be a good idea on paper. Might, because it's not. The game is glitchy and should be polished. It's more like early access than full game. Indie developers are trying their best without this kind of budget when pirhana bytes takes money from THQ nordic and can't even test their game. there are bug, there are glitches and if you are willing to suffer it could be a good experience. ForMight be a good idea on paper. Might, because it's not. The game is glitchy and should be polished. It's more like early access than full game. Indie developers are trying their best without this kind of budget when pirhana bytes takes money from THQ nordic and can't even test their game. there are bug, there are glitches and if you are willing to suffer it could be a good experience. For me? I couldn't stand this. If it would be alpha or beta, indie devs or anyone honest and told me that it's not finished product. But no, it's game from experienced developer supported by thq. Shame. Shame on you devs. Next time? Try to do your job better.… Expand
  23. BigPipiMan
    Nov 26, 2018
    5
    Good and old school approaches but a bad execution. The setting is new and interesting, but the mechanics aren't. Most of the times the combat feels absolutely terrible. The whole skill and leveling system is huge step backwards in comparison to risen 1 or the old gothics. The quests and the beautiful and diverse world are the things which keep this game playable. Even though the questsGood and old school approaches but a bad execution. The setting is new and interesting, but the mechanics aren't. Most of the times the combat feels absolutely terrible. The whole skill and leveling system is huge step backwards in comparison to risen 1 or the old gothics. The quests and the beautiful and diverse world are the things which keep this game playable. Even though the quests seem quite good the story overall feels flat and predictable. If you are a big Piranha Bytes fan then this game is worth playing otherwise i'd say the money is not worth it.… Expand
  24. admad
    Dec 17, 2021
    6
    Not bad but not good either. This game is very uneven. In some ways it is very good but in some ways it is very bad. There were times I really enjoyed this game but also times I literally went here to watch negative reviews to get some understanding for my anger and have a virtual fist bump "yeah dude, this game f***ing sucks, give it to them" :).

    Let's start with good things +Very    Not bad but not good either. This game is very uneven. In some ways it is very good but in some ways it is very bad. There were times I really enjoyed this game but also times I literally went here to watch negative reviews to get some understanding for my anger and have a virtual fist bump "yeah dude, this game f***ing sucks, give it to them" :).

    Let's start with good things
    +Very climatic environment, you can feel the post apocalyptic atmosphere, old notes, recordings, different approach to life in each place.
    +Side quests are very good. They are practically all different, not typical "Go there, do that, get back" quests.
    +Music is ok
    +Typical PB Gothic/Risen like game. If you liked gothic this will also be quite enjoyable.
    +/- The main story is interesting in beginning but gets worse as you progress. Controversial system of cold level that determines what your ending can be, which depends on some random conversations with people and how many elex potions you drink. I would prefer to make a choice on my own. To have a dialogue option locked because I used too many attribute boosting potions is quite bad solution for RPG type game.

    Now for the bad things:
    -The game seems rushed, unfinished. You can see a lot of things that were clearly abandoned during development. The world is too big for the resources the devs had. It would be much better if the world was smaller but more polished, rather than being a big mess.
    - There are quite many bugs, I played this game after 4 years from release date, and lots of things were clearly bugged, still not fixed.
    - Dialogues are generally not inspiring.
    - COMBAT SYSTEM, I mean what the f**k, it is very very bad. The melee attack can be made only in a straight line, it is very easy to get stuck attacking air, both you and your opponent. It is also quite easy to fool the enemy as they have the same limits as you and the attack has to be made in a straight line only, no rotation is possible during attack. After having played Witcher 3 this is a major step back. The combat system in Gothic 2 was much better than in this game. The stamina system is also very bad, you can make only few hits and then have to rest, this would not be so bad if it would not be stuck at 0 if you continue to try attacking, the result is that you are stuck in place, make no moves but the stamina does not recover (only a "!" symbol appears)...
    - Range combat is better but still flawed. You can change attack type for plasma gun that blows the enemy away after each attack, making it impossible for enemy to get back at you. Same for flamethrower, just get it and you can kill big monsters (trolls etc) with no worries, while such attack with melee weapon is practically suicide even at the end of the game.
    - UI, exact numbers of health/experience etc. NEVER repeat the **** system used in Elex. You want to know how much experience you have, or how much you need till next level? Well f**k you, just guess. You only get a simple progress bar showing what is your current point between levels, if you are half way through, you might as well need 500 or 10000 experience points to level up, you have no way of knowing that.
    While this is not so bad with experience, with health bar it is just outrageous. Each item/potion has description how many hit points it will heal. You will ask, ok, how many hit points does my character have? Well f**k you, just guess :) You only get a health bar, you might have 50 or 500 hit points you can only estimate by drinking potion and observing the percentage it restores. You have a ring which increases health by 20 points, you don't really know if it is a lot or not.
    - Same goes for attribute points, some increase health for example, you want to know how much? you will not... this is just ridiculous and has no logical argument to support the decision of removing exact number of attributes. Might as well describe the health potion as "Restores some health" Why bother with exact number like +40 if we don't know max health points our character have...

    While I replayed Gothic 2 many times, I doubt I will play this game again soon. Will I play Elex 2? Most likely yes. I just hope they will improve at least half the bad points that Elex had.    … Expand
  25. Exven
    Oct 1, 2020
    7
    This game better than Risen 2 and 3 for sure. Dont be mad on this game if you dont play it.
    This real game of Piranha Byte. Piranha Byte is back, I hope it is. Will see. Now i just to wont to play this game so much i can do.
  26. dr_flint
    Jan 16, 2021
    7
    I have been a fan of Piranha Bytes games since I played Gothic II almost 15 years ago, so I am not going to pretend to be entirely objective in this review. I liked Elex. At the beginning, after leaving the first city, brutal difficulty kicked in, which was a bit annoying (almost everything could kill me without much effort and apparently no zone has been even remotely safe), but afterI have been a fan of Piranha Bytes games since I played Gothic II almost 15 years ago, so I am not going to pretend to be entirely objective in this review. I liked Elex. At the beginning, after leaving the first city, brutal difficulty kicked in, which was a bit annoying (almost everything could kill me without much effort and apparently no zone has been even remotely safe), but after some travelling and questing I could feel confident again (also, later I found out that majority of trouble came from wrong attribute points allocation after first few level-ups). Ultimately, that's what makes Gothic-like games so rewarding - feeling of progression and character strength increasing over time. Combat was initially difficult and I thought (and read in multiple reviews) that it was clunky and shallow. After some time I found that it was not true - some clunkiness is kind of a trademark for PB games, but unless you spam attack buttons like a madman, there is quite a lot of depth in Elex's combat system and, in the end, skill counts. Story-wise, I liked how plot started as a personal quest for answers and revenge. Later it (obviously) evolves into something bigger, but in my opinion, it also becomes less interesting with time. What I did not like, is that almost every side quest is dropped on you immediately (even though most of them are impossible to complete at the time), so in the beginning, you have in your journal a wall of undoable quests, and later on you have none. Also, I miss companions with a soul, who can sometimes do something for you (as it was in Gothic I and II), instead of always waiting for you to help them. In the end, whether you will like Elex or not, depends mostly on what kind of gamer you are. If you are, like me, a fan of Gothic and similar western RPGs, you will probably like it, possibly very much. If you like RPGs in general, value story and characters higher than awesome graphics and combat systems, chances are you'll like it too. If none of above apply - steer clear.… Expand
  27. FrostormNidhegg
    Jun 24, 2020
    6
    Мне понравилась. Биомы разнообразные, мир симпатичный и в себя засасывает. Момент, когда в одной локации у тебя деревянные домики и мужики с топорами, а в другой - роботы огромные ходят - меня не смущает, тут пытаются объяснить, почему так. И играть не скучно, можно кардинально сменить визуальный дизайн просто сходив в другую локацию. Джетпак - великая вещь. Хочу джетпак во все игры от 1Мне понравилась. Биомы разнообразные, мир симпатичный и в себя засасывает. Момент, когда в одной локации у тебя деревянные домики и мужики с топорами, а в другой - роботы огромные ходят - меня не смущает, тут пытаются объяснить, почему так. И играть не скучно, можно кардинально сменить визуальный дизайн просто сходив в другую локацию. Джетпак - великая вещь. Хочу джетпак во все игры от 1 или 3 лица, в каждую. Он прекрасен. Мотивация фракций прописана очень прилично, и тут нет хороших и плохих, просто разные взгляды, выбирай тех, кто тебе ближе. Ну и традиционная система от Пираний - первую треть игры ты бомж, тебя убивают с двух ударов, а под конец - прокачиваешься и начинаешь уничтожать сильных противников, что дает большое удовлетворение. Такой себе Дарк Соулс, только задолго до Дарк Соулс. Хейта в сторону игры не понимаю вообще. Она лучше, чем все трехмерные Фолауты, кроме Нью Вегаса. В общем, ознакомиться крайне рекомендую. Она не ААА, но она - та самая игра второго дивизиона, которая если зайдет, то принесет много позитивных эмоций. Ну а не зайдет - не сильно расстроитесь, вы ничего особого от нее не ждете.… Expand
  28. Willkinsas
    Feb 7, 2022
    6
    This game is euqualy as bad as it is good. :D

    If not clunky disconnected unimpactful and somtimes frustraitingly broken combat system and skill system which does not feel like it does much (key word feel)- game is great :D I liked the game, it could be 8 or 9/10, but because of those lacking points objectviley can not give to it more than than 6. Pirnanha Bytes fans- you know what    This game is euqualy as bad as it is good. :D

    If not clunky disconnected unimpactful and somtimes frustraitingly broken combat system and skill system which does not feel like it does much (key word feel)- game is great :D

    I liked the game, it could be 8 or 9/10, but because of those lacking points objectviley can not give to it more than than 6.

    Pirnanha Bytes fans- you know what you are getting into, it is worth it. For all others- buy it at your own risk. But it is not that well known rpg gem.    … Expand
  29. Allisra
    Dec 20, 2020
    5
    Graphics and game mechanic is from 2007, I guess. textures, animations and physics are really really bad for a "2017 released" game. Only lighting effects makes it bearable. Fight mechanics can be really boring and frustrating. So much stupidity happens while fighting. Loot system is not rewarding for exploration. cutscenes, and cinematics are really bad and idle. Seems like they tried itGraphics and game mechanic is from 2007, I guess. textures, animations and physics are really really bad for a "2017 released" game. Only lighting effects makes it bearable. Fight mechanics can be really boring and frustrating. So much stupidity happens while fighting. Loot system is not rewarding for exploration. cutscenes, and cinematics are really bad and idle. Seems like they tried it to look kinda epic but there is so much missing element here that makes it looks cringy.

    Good things are, the games doesnt make you start like a fighter at all. You are just a normal humanbeing, who is trying to just survive. It goes like that for a long time, and you have to grind to achieve power. Upgrade's are relevant and rewarding yet hard. and that's a good thing make you keep playing. Voice acting is great but games sounds are generally poorly produced and programmed. Sometimes a nearby sound can dominate whole conversation.

    There is a lot of quests, nice stories, well built characters but gameplay and cinematic direction is really bad and hurts the immersiveness of the game. I want to cut it short, This is a mediocre game helped me very well to practice my German language. And yet I didnt enjoy much to play, but it's System friendly, any low spec pc can run it well, and thats al ı say.    … Expand
  30. lovepcgames
    Apr 3, 2022
    6
    Так уж получилось, что мое знакомство с игровой индустрией было тесно связано с проектами пираний, которые в буквальном смысле стали частью моего детства. Всем сердцем любимые серии готики и ризена, которые всегда навевают положительные воспоминания и побуждают желание возвращаться к ним спустя десяток лет после их выхода натолкнула меня на мысль познакомиться с ее прямым наследником,Так уж получилось, что мое знакомство с игровой индустрией было тесно связано с проектами пираний, которые в буквальном смысле стали частью моего детства. Всем сердцем любимые серии готики и ризена, которые всегда навевают положительные воспоминания и побуждают желание возвращаться к ним спустя десяток лет после их выхода натолкнула меня на мысль познакомиться с ее прямым наследником, вызывающим весьма противоречие отзывы фанатов прошлых проектов. Решив наконец поставить для себя точку в сложившейся разноголосице мнений, решил познакомиться с игрой самостоятельно.
    В начале игра создает положительное впечатление, однако разобравшись в используемых механиках оно полностью разбивается о гору недостатков.
    Сразу перейду к плюсам ELEX:
    1) По настоящему большой, гармонично сочетающийся открытый мир;
    2) Неплохая графика, кто бы что не говорил;
    3) Вариативность оружия;
    Минусы:
    1) Абсолютно сломанный баланс игры в котором вы с напарником будете коврять одного противника своими палками по 5 минут, ради 25 ед. опыта; (и продлиться это примерно до +-20 лвла.)
    2) Огромный дисбаланс оружия ближнего и дальнего боя;
    3) Абсолютная неестественность персонажей, не вызывающих какого-либо эмоционального отклика;
    4) Достаточно скучный сюжет, который под конец хочется бросить и просто пробежать;
    5) Обилие скучных и неинтересных дополнительных заданий;
    6) Ужасная система прокачки персонажа, в котором ваши характеристики ни на что не влияют;
    Вердикт: если вы хотите познакомиться с данным проектом из желания получить позабытые впечатления предыдущих игр пираний, то увы, данных эмоций ELEX вам не подарит.
    P.S. 6 мужиков с огнеметами из 10.
    Отзыв отражающий мое мнение , скопировал из стима , спасибо автору @Vinhayd    … Expand
  31. Czechinator
    Oct 18, 2022
    5
    Mediocre music , mediocre story. The characters are more or less uninteresting. Dialogue is terrible. Graphics are ok. Beautifully designed world that I enjoyed exploring.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 31
  3. Negative: 2 out of 31
  1. RPG Site
    Feb 2, 2018
    70
    Elex is a hard game to genuinely recommend, it does so many important things to only an acceptable level or worse. It's a game that's carried based on the strength of its quest design, or more pessimistically, one that's let down by a general lack of polish and uninteresting combat. It feels like a nice refreshing counterpart to some modern rpgs that treat their quest lists more like chores, but as a complete package, it falls disappointingly short.
    Read full review
  2. Games.cz
    Jan 2, 2018
    70
    A flawed jewel. Beneath its layers a sophisticated game is hidden, created with love yet with bugs and poor technical design. The game mechanics are the top, but they are nowadays detrimental. Whoever wants to find a treasure in Elex, must try very hard.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Dec 30, 2017
    76
    Although dialogue writers were burning the midnight oil, the team responsible for combat was obviously slacking off and did nothing to really improve that mess of a close combat which ELEX inherited from Risen. Monster fights are as choppy, unnatural and buggy as ever, for example, enemies slide right up a steep slope if they happen to dodge in that direction. [Issue#225, p.68]
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