ELEX II Released, Reviews

ELEX II, Piranha Bytes’ latest open world RPG, is now live on Steam, GOG, and both Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Priced at $49.99 or your regional equivalent, the game will invite you to unite the science-fantasy world of Magalan against a new threat. To do so, you’ll have to explore the game’s world, interact with its many factions, and participate in plenty of challenging battles.

Here’s the official launch trailer:

And the game’s description:

ELEX II is the sequel to ELEX, the vintage open-world role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic and Risen series, Piranha Bytes. ELEX II returns to the post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy world of Magalan – with massive environments that can be explored with unrivaled freedom via jetpack, you will be able to move through the epic story any way you want.

Several years after Jax defeated the Hybrid, a new threat arrives from the sky, unleashing the dangerous powers of dark Elex and endangering all life on the planet. In order to defend the peace on Magalan and the safety of his own family, Jax has to go on a mission to convince the factions to unite against the invaders and find his own son, Dex, who got separated from him …

Dive into a huge, hand-crafted, completely unique world with multiple factions and diverse environments set in a post-apocalyptic science fantasy universe.

The game allows you to:

• explore the planet of Magalan with unprecedented freedom, using your trusted jetpack to traverse the map and even fly!
• interact with a lived-in world, full of unique NPCs, who
  • will remember what you’ve done and react accordingly
  • will join or leave your group depending on how you behave
  • are able to be killed, which will have an effect on the story
• engage in fluid close and ranged combat with a massively improved control system
• experience a story where your actions have consequences, immersing you in a world of moral decisions

And if you’d like to know more about the game, you can find a number of reviews below:

COGConnected 70/100:

When Elex came out in 2017, it filled a niche despite its many issues. Elex 2 is bigger and its world is denser, 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.

Twinfinite 4/5:

The use of the jetpack meant that the map had to have more to it. There could no longer be somewhere players couldn’t/wouldn’t go. This is probably the first game of its kind where I honestly believe I saw at least 90% of the map. ELEX II is one hell of an experience and made swooping around the map to unlock fast travel points and complete the main story feel like an adventure rather than just ticking off boxes. The freedom ELEX II allows through the traversal mechanics is something that I have never encountered before in a game like this but will now always think about going forward.

GameRant 4.5/5:

Ultimately, Elex 2 has some small shortcomings like any video game but not where it matters. If players can look past the rough edges, they’ll find an open-world RPG that puts others to shame and a proper sequel that takes everything from the first game and improves upon it tenfold.

GamePressure 7/10:

Once you get past this initial shock, however, you will realize Elex 2 is a solid RPG with a unique story that grows on you over time. Even Jax, however much of a jerk or good guy you make him, will become the hero you want him to be thanks to the game’s customization and morality features. The draw of gaining experience and getting stronger are what will keep you playing and looking forward to the next arc in the story. For that, Elex 2 is an acquired taste that can grow on you if you let it.

GameGrin 5.5/10:

An average RPG spoiled by janky combat and technical issues. I’d only jump into this if there was literally nothing else to play.

GodisaGeek 5/10:

Elex II is another example of Piranha Bytes aiming far too high. It’s a plodding, often clunky adventure with few bright spots.

Well Played 3/10:

The saying that everything deserves a second chance should not have applied to Elex. Elex II takes so many steps backwards from an already poor game, it’s astounding. Its writing, optimisation, combat, and game systems all stand as a new benchmark on what to not do.