ELEX II

 PlayStation 5
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
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  1. Hardcore Gamer
    Feb 28, 2022
    70
    Elex II is a uniquely ambitious game made by a developer that already focuses on ambitious games, and Piranha Bytes almost stuck the landing. As a title that focuses on the role-playing part of RPGs, it’s rather smartly put together. Magalan isn’t a generic world and the plot builds on familiar concepts to something intriguing. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be found in the package, as it’s completely packed with unique and compelling content. The missteps found on the journey do a ton to hold it back, but it’s nothing a patch or two can’t fix up. Should these get resolved, then this is a title that’s dense and uninviting at first. Those who push past that gruff exterior will find, well, more gruffness, as well as a world that’s interesting to explore and make a true mark upon.
  2. Shindig
    Feb 28, 2022
    70
    All these pieces come together to make ELEX II’s world a fascinating one to explore and get lost in, so long as you approach it with the right frame of mind. There’s more to discover than you could ever see in one playthrough, but that’s also not really the point—it’s not about checklists and activities that pave the road to 100% completion, but about discovery and adventure. And, yes, the jank is part of that—it’s unwieldy and often frustrating, it’s going to be a deal-breaker for a lot of people, but there’s a certain low-budget charm in the messiness of the game’s combat and pulpy dialogue. Polished to a sheen isn’t always better, and ELEX II is a nice reminder of that.
  3. COGconnected
    Feb 28, 2022
    70
    When Elex came out in 2017, it filled a niche despite its many issues. Elex 2 is bigger and its world is more dense, but Piranha Bytes hasn't really fixed much of what was wrong about the first game. Janky movement and weak combat top the list. Annoying mechanics and glacial progression are right up there, too. Elex 2 has ambition, I'll give it that. If it pared that ambition with polish, a more coherent narrative and better pacing, Elex 2 might be a more viable alternative to those other RPGs that are getting so much deserved attention.
  5. SpazioGames
    Feb 28, 2022
    68
    Elex II retains both the best qualities and the worst problems of its predecessor, but it's overall a better game. Still, it's hard to recommend it without qualms to anyone who hasn't played a Piranha Bytes RPG before.
  6. PlayStation Universe
    Feb 28, 2022
    65
    Elex 2 asks a lot of you and only gives so much in return. The game provides several special concepts and attempts, but the team’s resources limit their potential the entire way. As long as you know what Elex 2 has in store, you might find something there for you.
  7. PlaySense
    Mar 21, 2022
    55
    The interesting game world is worth exploring, thanks in part to the many fun easter eggs and missions you get to choose from. The fact is that it is technically rather messy. For example, the game has quite a bit of screen tearing, frame drops and more. Also, the battles are stiff, making it all feel a bit shaky. If you know how to get past this, then the game is quite nice to play.
  8. GamingBolt
    Feb 28, 2022
    50
    ELEX 2 ends up delivering a buggy game that occasionally entertains.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 39
  3. Negative: 11 out of 39
  1. Spierko
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    Bardzo dobra gra Drętwa ale co za klimat Fabuła bardzo dobra i mam nadzieję na zwieńczenie wątku w trzeciej części Dobra robota pirania
  2. rockugun
    Mar 6, 2022
    9
    Que juegazo, no puedo creer lo bien hecho que esta, no se dejen llevar por una postura casual, si no es para todos pero si es tu estilo es buenisimo.
  3. Jt0429
    Mar 2, 2022
    5
    Good-
    Has some pretty decent old-school RPG mechanics. Feels very old-school like an RPG out of the 90s or early 2000's. There is some    Good-
    Has some pretty decent old-school RPG mechanics. Feels very old-school like an RPG out of the 90s or early 2000's. There is some meaningful challenge for fans of grinding.

    Bad-
    The combat is absolutely mediocre at best. The performance is arguably the worst I have ever had on my PS5 ever. Sometimes frames dipped even into the single digits. Was basically slideshow territory. The story and characters are just so bland and uninteresting that I couldn't even really got wrapped into the story.

    Thoughts-
    ELEX 2 is not a game that gives you a very good sense of purpose or even immediate goals at times, nor does it have a very interesting cast of characters or a particularly good story. Nor does it run very well or reward the player for trudging all of those issues in a way that feels proportional. Yet I can see why the uphill battle of getting much of anywhere and the perpetual mystery of what exactly you’re getting yourself into at any given time can add up to a genuine delight for the right players. There are undeniably some addicting loops to be found beneath the rubble, but not enough to make this a particularly recommendable game in a day and age where so many better iterations of this genre already exist. If this was simply a case of the game catering to a niche crowd and being “more about the journey than the destination” I could roll with that. But with mediocre-at-best combat, vanilla-at-best graphics and some staggeringly bad performance issues eating away at ELEX 2’s already limited appeal, I can’t help but advise those entering this version of Magalan to proceed with caution.    … Full Review »
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