The newest Piranha Bytes game, ELEX II, is now available everywhere. The second in the ELEX franchise from the veteran developer. The science fantasy action role-playing game has had a mixed reception with its call back to the yesteryear of role-playing games. For those now-familiar Piranha Bytes, the developer is known for their previous franchises, Gothic and Risen. These franchises were of the same playstyle genre, so it makes sense that ELEX would follow the same style known from Piranha Bytes. So, how does the newest release ELEX II play? Find out in our review of ELEX II.
Story: Same Magalan, a new threat
The story is set on the planet of Magalan, after which a comet strikes, which brings mass destruction and a new mysterious resource. With the few survivors organizing with their ideologies and technologies. The future of the planet is at stake. The first ELEX put players into the shoes of former Alb commander Jax, having to navigate the politics and dangers of Magalan now.
In ELEX II, step back into the shoes of Jax, as the story continues years after the events of the first ELEX. With the previous dangers overcome, Jax must now prepare to overcome a new threat. There are many stories to explore with tons of side quests and characters throughout Magalan. Learn about your companions and close allies as you prepare for the oncoming threat to the land.
The story is filled with lore and exposition, to the point where if you haven’t played the previous game, missing many of the nuances can be easy. Additionally, playing through the side quests and the main quest, players meet various characters of the prior release. Therefore, playing the first ELEX is recommended before jumping into the sequel to grasp the entire storyline.
Gameplay: Fighting, flying, and falling with slight difficulty
ELEX II is a romp through a post-apocalyptic science fantasy wasteland. The jet pack offers tons of variation on exploring the various regions of Magalan. There is much to explore and fight, even though the controls will hamper the player with fair regularity. At first, controls are difficult to adjust to, feeling a bit dated at today’s standards. In addition, camera controls and the lock-on function require a bit of tact to work the way you want. The jetpack offers an even great level of exploration but will need players to master landing without death.
Using the lock-on system can be cumbersome during combat requiring added tact between the camera and lock-on system. This cumbersome feeling continues while entering and exiting the combat system. The combat system, out of everything, is probably the weakest part with poor functionality and a lack of variety with each set of skills. Of course, this was the same with its predecessor, ELEX.
Looking at the release state of both ELEX and ELEX II, it’s fair to say the cumbersome nature of the control is by design adding a layer of added difficulty. The design choice could be similar to that of the Dark Souls series, which adds a layer of difficulty making the control less seamless but doesn’t seem to translate as well as the Soul’s franchise does.
Graphics/Audio: ELEX II, a world built with a modern vintage style
Using the Piranha Bytes in-house engine, ELEX II continues the same semi-polished style. This is an excellent example of a style of game called Eurojank. These ambitious games attempt to have the same level of gameplay and content as AAA titles without the added polish.
Facial animations have been improved compared to the first ELEX, yet they still leave more desired. However, the engine can produce fairly attractive environmental scenes for the player to enjoy. The in-house engine that Piranha Bytes has built shows promise for future games, but with ELEX II, it’s nothing groundbreaking.
The audio is also a mixed bag as well. The environmental sounds are great. For example, walking through a biome will give the player sounds of animals, wind, and sounds of grass and trees as they blow in the wind. On the other hand, the audio has its problems. Background music can become out of sync or far too loud at unnecessary times.
Conclusion: What’s the verdict?
ELEX II can be a challenging game to review. There is a certain clunkiness to the graphics, animation, combat, and graphics, but that is almost expected when playing a game like this. With a jam-packed story featuring tons of different characters and backdrops, the game is held back by Eurojank style. However, for fans of this game style or Piranha Bytes games, picking up ELEX II is a no-brainer.
For those who are looking to check out ELEX II and are looking to this review. I would not recommend it for those who are unacquainted with the game or the style, as the game can be frustrating for those unfamiliar. Preserving this style of games is excellent and all, but it may be time for Piranha Bytes to look at evolving their style to something different in their future releases.
ELEX II is available for PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X|S, and PC. Any information about the developer Piranha Bytes can be found on their development website.
ELEX II Review
Expansive open world
Free exploration with the jetpack
Deep well held together storyline
Skill variety is lacking
Combat is terrible
Story pacing can be slow
Graphically poor
