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. eynard
    Aug 9, 2023
    8
    At last!
    Of course Elex has its drawbacks. but there are many interesting things: scientific&fantasy setteng, story, gothic series atmosphere and just good role plaing game!
  2. mustwin555
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Elex might be the most underrated game I have ever played.
    If you can look past the chunkiness and relatively bad graphics(and the fact that it takes a while before you can actually start killing something), you will find one of the most unique and immersive game world ever created, a great story and amazing progression mechanics.
  3. IamNader
    May 17, 2023
    8
    I Love THE GOTHIC and RISEN series, This game has excellent world building and a very interesting story - 8/10
  4. TastieToasty
    May 15, 2023
    8
    great game i dont get all the seething from these chuds.
    it is not perfect duh
  5. Nick7000
    Mar 5, 2023
    8
    Очередная Готика от Пиранья Байтс, но, мне к счастью, Готикаобразные игры более чем нравятся. Сэттинг необычный, иногда смешной, иногда нелепый, но все же, я такого еще не видел. Мне понравилось, разок прогуляться точно стоит.Очередная Готика от Пиранья Байтс, но, мне к счастью, Готикаобразные игры более чем нравятся. Сэттинг необычный, иногда смешной, иногда нелепый, но все же, я такого еще не видел. Мне понравилось, разок прогуляться точно стоит.
  6. kesik93
    Dec 7, 2022
    9
    Alongside Witcher III this is the best action RPG game from the last decade or so. It's not a triple AAA, so animations are not the greatest and combat system is pretty junky but world and exploration are absolutely great. This is the best Piranha Bytes game since Gothic II.
  7. Krazerack
    Dec 4, 2022
    8
    A mix of witcher 3 and Bloodborne. Has some issues but i like it. Good story.
  8. teshia
    Sep 30, 2022
    10
    I'm going to give a good review score because I want to say good things about Piranha Bytes. They build some of the best open worlds there are. This is the central reason I play their RPGs. When you play a PBRPG, you really feel like you're living in a well designed world. That said, you can't ignore the landslide of issues facing PB that make their work seem AA rather than AAA. ThisI'm going to give a good review score because I want to say good things about Piranha Bytes. They build some of the best open worlds there are. This is the central reason I play their RPGs. When you play a PBRPG, you really feel like you're living in a well designed world. That said, you can't ignore the landslide of issues facing PB that make their work seem AA rather than AAA. This is hardly a surprise but there is so much they need to improve. The voice acting is awful and the translation of the dialogue from German to English is embarrassing, causing the story to make almost no sense. The combat is rough, the character animations are awful, the cold/warm system is ridiculous, the ending is poor, and the initial learning curve makes the game unattractive to new players. I should hate this game but I don't. If it wasn't for the amazing environments that they create, I'd be a lot less forgiving. One of these days, I hope PB does a good job again, putting them on the level of what they made with Gothic, Gothic 2, and the first Risen game. This isn't it, but I'll throw them a nice score in hope that they get it right again at some point.… Expand
  9. r-aymond90
    Aug 20, 2022
    8
    Very underrated game, had a very good time with it. This game needs a lot more love!
  10. tshrimp
    May 22, 2022
    9
    I almost didn’t buy this game because the polarizing reviews. I am not the best at gaming, and reading about the difficulty I almost missed out on one fantastic game. If you can understand that it is not shameful to run from a fight until you level up then you will be fine. Sometimes you also have to abandon a quest and come back when you are stronger. If you are okay with that then II almost didn’t buy this game because the polarizing reviews. I am not the best at gaming, and reading about the difficulty I almost missed out on one fantastic game. If you can understand that it is not shameful to run from a fight until you level up then you will be fine. Sometimes you also have to abandon a quest and come back when you are stronger. If you are okay with that then I think you will like this game. The world is fantastic, the side quests are actually real quests that have meaning instead of just fetch quests. Story will always be subjective, but I would put this at the top of most rpg games I have played. The world has great design and not sure I can think of an rpg that is better. Factions that are actually different from one another is done very well. It actually made me want to take sides. The more I played quests for the Outlaws the more I realized there is no way I wanted to join those icks with a d. So then choices were between the others, and each of those pushed on my emotional buttons that made me want to join it not join. Never have I felt such a push/pull on my faction choice. Just fantastic. So we have a great world, great quests, great story, and even a good level up tree. So what are the negatives? Voice acting is terrible. Especially the main character. Character movement is good, but doesn’t translate well during fighting. Still better than the crappy Skyrim fighting mechanics, but could be better. There seems to be about maybe 10 actual faces they use across characters. The bartender Bob will have the same face as the commander Jeb. Very strange and noticeable.

    I think if you play this game and understand you have to level up before you can do much fighting, you will be treated to a fantastic game.    … Expand
  11. Jimbooh
    May 2, 2022
    10
    Elex is a juci Game! As Gothic and Risen Player, i can say Elex is a greatful and good Game with Atmo, GOOD Dialogs, Greatful Landscapes and some little special Things u dont wanna miss in a RPG. We have May´22 and i played again. Questions ?
  12. derek_
    May 1, 2022
    9
    This game is very, very underrated. Had fun from beginning to the end. Dialogs are great, your choices really matters and there is no road back once you made "wrong" one. Graphic looks great even now. I understand combat might be little bit of downfall fom someone, but for me, this game is not about combat. Really, really loved it.
  13. squaIl
    Mar 5, 2022
    10
    Meiner Erfahrung nach kann die Hingebung eines Spielers zu einem Spiel weitaus größer werden, wenn es ein Gesicht hinter dem Spiel gibt bzw. ein Entwicklerteam, welches mit Herz und Seele bei ihrer Arbeit dabei ist. Ich als Spieler möchte meine Freizeit doch mit Bedacht gestalten und nicht jedem beliebigen triple-A Titel hinterherhechten und feststellen, dass es mal wieder eine liebloseMeiner Erfahrung nach kann die Hingebung eines Spielers zu einem Spiel weitaus größer werden, wenn es ein Gesicht hinter dem Spiel gibt bzw. ein Entwicklerteam, welches mit Herz und Seele bei ihrer Arbeit dabei ist. Ich als Spieler möchte meine Freizeit doch mit Bedacht gestalten und nicht jedem beliebigen triple-A Titel hinterherhechten und feststellen, dass es mal wieder eine lieblose open world mit kopiertem Inhalt ist. Ich möchte etwas spielen, was Bedeutung hat und vor allem in Bezug auf das Rollenspiel-Genre etwas spielen, was mir bedeutungsvolle Entscheidungen abverlangt. Das Spiel soll für den Spieler eine Reise und Entwicklung sein, die sich im gespielten Charakter widerspiegelt. Genau diese Erfahrung bietet mir Elex bisher.

    Sehr gutes Rollenspiel in dem man sich verlieren kann. Es bietet ein Konzept, was es nur bei Piranha Bytes gibt und von dem sich andere RPG Entwickler mal was abschauen sollten!

    // Google Translation because of time
    In my experience, a player's commitment to a game can be far greater when there is a face behind the game, or a development team that puts their heart and soul into their work. As a player, I would like to use my free time wisely and not chase after any random triple-A title and find out that it is once again a loveless open world with copied content. I want to play something that has meaning, and especially in relation to the RPG genre, play something that requires meaningful choices from me. The game is intended to be a journey and development for the player, which is reflected in the character played. Exactly this experience has been offered to me by Elex so far.

    Very good role-playing game to lose yourself in. It offers a concept unique to Piranha Bytes that other RPG developers should take a look at!    … Expand
  14. gman321
    Feb 16, 2022
    9
    Combat is rough and clunky. Jax takes a bit to enact what you tell him to do and the targeting is pretty frustrating. But the exploration, world, story, and most of the are great.
  15. Orvist
    Oct 17, 2021
    10
    Игра 10 из 10, как минимум потому, что даёт необычный опыт. Только не надо прыгать на всех и вся с палкой-копалкой в начале игры. Реактивный ранец дан, чтобы убегать.
  16. mrcavallo
    Oct 3, 2021
    9
    Anyone scoring this game a 0 is just a **** **** There is no way these developers who have clearly put so much into this game deserve that. This is not a AAA game but the result of a small group of developers who - if you look past the rough edges - have put together an immersive and incredibly deep game that doesn't hold your hand. Most of these younger players who are a bunch of ****Anyone scoring this game a 0 is just a **** **** There is no way these developers who have clearly put so much into this game deserve that. This is not a AAA game but the result of a small group of developers who - if you look past the rough edges - have put together an immersive and incredibly deep game that doesn't hold your hand. Most of these younger players who are a bunch of **** and have no idea what a real game is unless it has **** loot boxes and is designed to be played by someone who has undergone a lobotomy will never appreciate the wonderful world building, decision making and challenges this game has to offer. If you are a fan of the old school Gothic series don't listen to the wankers and give this a go. I've had an absolute blast- and have enjoyed it so much more than AC Odyssey and even Red Dead 2… Expand
  17. Nyhes
    Aug 14, 2021
    10
    Amazing world with great story behind it. Best Piranha Bytes RPG since gothic 2 definitelty.
  18. fetqqq
    Jul 25, 2021
    8
    + the open world is really interesting to explore
    + well-developed side quests
    + solid main storyline + groupings without insanity, each in its own way has a place to be -the music is not good, but in such games it is very important to be good. For RPGs, this is a significant disadvantage. -funny companions ... well, mostly they do not take part in dialogues (90%), no one cares if for    + the open world is really interesting to explore
    + well-developed side quests
    + solid main storyline
    + groupings without insanity, each in its own way has a place to be
    -the music is not good, but in such games it is very important to be good. For RPGs, this is a significant disadvantage.
    -funny companions ... well, mostly they do not take part in dialogues (90%), no one cares if for example, with me an alb in the form of an alb in a village where albs are enemies number one, etc.
    -craft is scarce for an RPG
    - sometimes there is a feeling that 100 people survived, bc. there are very few people in every capital
    -It's completely unnatural to kill huge fighting robots with ordinary arrows
    -bottomless backpack and dull gathering process due to meager crafting    … Expand
  19. zoidberg73
    Dec 26, 2020
    9
    a very good story-driven freeform action rpg. Three main points: a huge lush complex handcrafted world; absolutely no game comes close in terms of exploration. perfectly varied, balanced, rich and complex gameplay: deep crafting systems, perks and progression system, impressive overall cohesion of very intricate and rewarding system. third: dialogues factions and quest systems isa very good story-driven freeform action rpg. Three main points: a huge lush complex handcrafted world; absolutely no game comes close in terms of exploration. perfectly varied, balanced, rich and complex gameplay: deep crafting systems, perks and progression system, impressive overall cohesion of very intricate and rewarding system. third: dialogues factions and quest systems is new-vegas-par with impressive interactivity, repercution and openended possibilities. while the base story might not seem compeling and it's actually king of meh, the reactivity of player choices makes it uniquely satisfying. about 70 hours to complete without anything repetitive stuff whatsoever, and god knows how long to 100% if ever possible. i was impressed on realease, and also impressed 2 years later with a different playthrough. highly recomended… Expand
  20. auttore
    Dec 21, 2020
    8
    It's like old Gothic series games, difficult at the beginning and with amazing atmosphere
  21. Blauberge
    Dec 14, 2020
    8
    In my opinion this is one of the most underrated games. It offers a huge open world experience and a very unique and compelling storytelling.
  22. AmarettoAnal
    Dec 11, 2020
    9
    I Love that Game, and i'm a harcore fan of the Developers.

    But to make it short: Story is nice.
    + Gameplay and Fighting system needs a little bit of practise but when u got it it's very nice.
    +The whole world invites you to discover i love it.

    -Only some mechanics and weapons are really unfair and destroys ur Game fun, if an enemy use some of these types.
  23. PanPrado30
    Dec 10, 2020
    10
    The best game on this decade. Very interesting plot, fantastic charactera and we have three endings and method to plays
  24. AliasAndrew
    Nov 20, 2020
    9
    Best rpg of the year (2017) by far. The enemies don't scale to your level like in Skyrim, in the beginning you will feel like the weakest entity in the game (and you will be) but that makes it all the more rewarding when you level up your character enough and go on a killing spree against the creatures that would kill you with one blow in the beginning. Excellent story and lore, manyBest rpg of the year (2017) by far. The enemies don't scale to your level like in Skyrim, in the beginning you will feel like the weakest entity in the game (and you will be) but that makes it all the more rewarding when you level up your character enough and go on a killing spree against the creatures that would kill you with one blow in the beginning. Excellent story and lore, many different paths to take, amazing exploration, interesting combat. If you have never played a Piranha Bytes game before make this your first. The atmosphere is incomparable. Ignore the low scores, they don't know what they're talking about… Expand
  25. TheFrog
    Oct 18, 2020
    8
    EDIT: Nearly three years later, I picked up Elex again after trying the somewhat similar (but much, much worse) Outward. To my surprise, after finally enduring one of the most cringe-inducing quests ever and managing to enter the cleric faction, the game started to pick up momentum and hasn't let me down yet. Well, I did change the difficulty level to normal along the way, which makes theEDIT: Nearly three years later, I picked up Elex again after trying the somewhat similar (but much, much worse) Outward. To my surprise, after finally enduring one of the most cringe-inducing quests ever and managing to enter the cleric faction, the game started to pick up momentum and hasn't let me down yet. Well, I did change the difficulty level to normal along the way, which makes the game more playable and enjoyable.
    The world is huge (I hadn't fully realized the scope of it in my first run) and filled with many little secrets and places to explore. Combat becomes better once you reach a level that allows you to finally fight on par with most enemies. I got a cleric weapon that is a huge help in dealing with groups, bought a flamethrower, whose stagger effect is a huge help against tough enemies, and can now move almost everywhere in the map, although there are enemies I'd still rather avoid.
    I have started to like the graphics more, especially since the environment is pleasant and varied. Music is ok. Controls and animations are still sucky, though. What I really hate the most is the fact that it often takes several seconds for your character to start sprinting, after you hit the corresponding key, which still results in me dying pretty often. Another issue is the hit box of the flamethrower. Quite often your bullet will fly right through an enemy, therefore failing to damage and stagger it. If it's a heavy, you're often toast. What about my companion, who bluntly ignores a charging horde until one hit lands on me?
    But then I mix my PSI abilities with the flamethrower and the good ole sword and shield to take down a group of enemies. Or control aggro so that between me and my companion, we take down a heavy enemy without using ranged weapons, by alternating melee strikes. Or manage to take down a behemoth by using the terrain as a cover. And I forgive the game its many flaws.
    In terms of story, characters and quest, it's rather poor. I think I'd like it better if there was a likable faction you can join, but all of them are designed to be hated. Where it works very well is in combat (after level 12 or so) and exploration.
    If you can find this game at a bargain price, you might end up enjoying it.

    Original, negative review:
    I really wanted to like this game, as I'm a long time fan of Piranha Byte, but I simply cannot. Even ignoring the ten year old graphics, the abysmal dialogues and the clunkiest combat animations this side of the galaxy, the game remains terrible.
    I tend to like difficult games, for example I really enjoyed Nioh. The character there responded instantly to controller input though, making hard challenges rewarding and fun. In Elex, on the other hand, you move a wooden character who moves veeery slowly and is instantly exhausted, every single encounter is a major PITA.
    Maybe my mistake was to choose the "difficult" level, but at level 8 my weapon DID NOT DAMAGE AT ALL enemies near my level (no skull next to their name). Level 9, better weapon, now I can deal some minor damage to basic critters that ravage me any time they hit. Considering that they are much faster, can hit several times in a row while I'm exhausted if I so much as perform one roll and one light attack, I still have to rely completely on my follower to deal any damage, and I'm really fed up with this.
    Did they playtest the game before release? Is "normal" the only level one is supposed to play? Did they not realize just how bad the combat system is, with second-long lags between one keypress and the corresponding move?
    Whatever the answers, I really cannot recommend Elex to anyone.    … Expand
  26. Anberlinroxx
    Oct 10, 2020
    10
    A bit stiff as most Piranha Byte games but the open world and branch story lines are awesome ! Replay-ability is definitely something that hooked me. I really loved the deep rpg systems as well. I spent about 200hrs with this game.
  27. Xandl7
    Sep 30, 2020
    10
    loved the game
    played every piranha bytes game
    hyped what is coming next from threm
  28. C1D3RL0V3R
    Aug 11, 2020
    9
    Amazing world depth, quest variability and characters. Visuals vary from stunning to afwul. ELEX is a game for people who love to read and listen rather than watch.
    PS: You're going to be owned by almost everyone for the first 10 hours or so, but come on, it's Gothic.
  29. James_Jimmy
    Jul 30, 2020
    10
    If you really like older Piranha Bytes games, especially Gothic and Gothic II, this game is right up your alley. It's one of the most impressively designed Western RPGs, in terms of world-building, exploration (because having vertical exploration is huge in my book), most of all, quest design.

    Yes, the combat isn't one of its strong points, and it does need the player to get used to its    If you really like older Piranha Bytes games, especially Gothic and Gothic II, this game is right up your alley. It's one of the most impressively designed Western RPGs, in terms of world-building, exploration (because having vertical exploration is huge in my book), most of all, quest design.

    Yes, the combat isn't one of its strong points, and it does need the player to get used to its quirks first, and yes, it does have a slow start because it's pretty brutal in the beginning, but trust me, it does pay off later on.

    I'm having so much fun with it, and with the Elex Overhaul mod (only available on PC), that I'm ready to start a second playthrough right after finishing the first one. I would give it a 9/10 but I am giving it a 10, in order to mitigate some of the negative reviews on here, that I feel like are very unjust towards this game. Can't wait for Elex 2!    … Expand
  30. CaptainChaos
    Jul 27, 2020
    10
    If you like Skyrim, Fallout 3, NV, 4, and Thundarr the Barbarian, this is the game you waited your whole life to play. I just bought it not more than 2 weeks ago tops, and already have 72 hours in it. I have not even SCRATCHED the surface. NOT EVEN CLOSE (so I can't review the whole game only what I have seen - still that's a LOT of time). I should say this is 2020 and many bad reviewsIf you like Skyrim, Fallout 3, NV, 4, and Thundarr the Barbarian, this is the game you waited your whole life to play. I just bought it not more than 2 weeks ago tops, and already have 72 hours in it. I have not even SCRATCHED the surface. NOT EVEN CLOSE (so I can't review the whole game only what I have seen - still that's a LOT of time). I should say this is 2020 and many bad reviews were 2017 pre-patch. I have no had NO serious ISSUES so far, just a few gfx glitches rarely.

    What I Love:

    (1) the faction/background CONCEPT is AMAZING. Sword & sorcery, Mad Max Crocodile Dundee gunpower weapons, and psionic guards with laser rifles. WHOLLY CRAP. I have never been so happy in my whole life. Add in a truly diverse and epic map with desert, arctic, temperate, etc. Many many many different monsters as well, although they tend to have similarish attacks. Still, I KEEP finding new ones!

    (2) I LIVE for games where I can explore every nook and cranny, look behind every rock, and find a new surprise; this is it. If you played Gothic or Risen you know

    (3) the CHALLENGE. It's friggin impossible for multiple levels especially since the leveling system is a bit hard to get the hang of (stats do nothing except enable you to use better stuff which you need to train to use as well as afford or find); then everything is too easy, until - oops, you were wrong, it's hard again. If you're like me and play Skyrim on Master, you know what I'm talking about - very satisfying level progression

    (4) jet pack is incredibly fun

    (5) so far stories and missions are decent; surprising follow-up sometimes if you go back and see what happened after the quest was "finished."

    (6) voice acting is superb. the sound effects and music are some of the best. I love the eerie spooky woods in the valley.

    (7) graphics is decent in parts, especially the lighting, and some terrain is breathtaking. Sense of humor in many places, like a well placed skeleton.

    The Bad: Not a lot.

    (a) gfx while absolutely decent feel 2009 or 2010, pre-Skyrim level. Don't even compare it to Witcher 3 or you won't play

    (b) crafting system is uneven. Some things are very good (potions), others like golds mithing seem useless unless I'm missing something

    (c) sometimes I have money and skill points I can't really spend b/c there's nothing I can do with them and stats alone don't do anything for you. Maybe that will change later in the game.

    (d) can only join one faction so I dk if it's worth replaying the whole game to do another faction. I mean I replay Skyim every 3-5 years so maybe.

    (e) game / weapon balance is a bit uneven at times. At first, you are totally helpless. I like a challenge but it's a bit ridiculous. Then, certain weapons give you a stun-lock ability which can make you invincible except in some situations, which sorta takes the fun outta it. I know you could not use the weapon, but that seems cheap that I need to police myself. It's not even a clever exploit. It's use a certain classes of weapons, period. They are expensive though (ammo) so I suppose that's the balance? That said, I have been killed a few times even still. I'm a glass cannon actually.

    (f) not sure I like the melee system but the ranged system is fine.

    Enjoy :)    … Expand
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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]
See all critic reviews »