ELEX

Great exploration RPG with an extremely hard starting phase, requiring players to switch mentality and learn to run from fights for many levels and come back later for revenge.

The clunky combat will scare away most players, so rely on companions and pick your fights wisely until you have decent gear.

Melee combat is subpar compared to ranged and forces new players to use ranged weapons or drop difficulty to survive.

Jetpack mechanic is a great addition and allows a fresh approach to vertical exploration of such a big and interesting map.

The annoying parts are the amateur user interface and user experience: try selling trash while having to scroll past half a minute of notes and text files. Icons look all the same. No clear info on player stats.

Story is mediocre at best and feels rushed and incomplete in the finale.

Cold mechanic is not well described and requires quicksaving before dialogues to benefit from the desired outcomes.

Armor textures are very low res and could have benefitted from of a more detailed rendition, considering the importance gear has in the survival aspect of the game.

One single time the game glitched in an animation phase and once crashed to desktop after save without warning.

Get the game on sale and for what they ask now its well worth the 50+ hours it offers. Replaying and choosing the other two factions and taking different paths should add to the longevity and value of the game.

So after almost 40 Hours of play I want to add my Mustard here. I went To the Game Elex with reasonably normal Expectations. In many Things you already know what to adjust to, because it has the Piranha Bytes typical Mistakes etc. So here's a little Summary: As you're used to, you start in Elex as a Hero who (as always, for some Reason) has no more Powers. This Time it is the Withdrawal of the Elex, which has always been taken before. Unlike in the past, however, this time you have a Name. The World was destroyed by a Meteorite, most of Humanity is dead. However, the Meteorite has also brought a new Element to Earth. The Elex. Now it is exactly as it used to be In the first two Gothic parts or in Risen, you can join three Factions. There would be: The Berserkers (one People based on the old Vikings) who do without all technology and are not so enthusiastic when other People use it. The Outlaws, a People who have settled in the Desert and live there in "Freedom." They craft their Huts, Weapons and Armor Together from Scrap metal. The Clerics, a highly technologized People who follow their own Religion. So Much for that. In addition, there are the Albs: The Albs are People who have consumed the Elex in large Quantities and over a large Period of Time and thus became more and more machines, as the Elex increases the Forces but also further and suppresses the Emotions. The Game world: The Game world of Elex is, in my Opinion, a very beautiful one. There is something to discover everywhere in the farthest corners and you can see that the World has been lovingly designed. And the first Item that you discover here in the Game, what you use permanently, opens up completely new Possibilities for you to discover it. The Country is divided into different Areas. There would be the Forest of Edan, Home of the Berserkers. Then the Desert of Tavar where the Outlaws can be found, the Volcanic Land of Ignadon where the huge Cleric fortress can be found, the Hill Country of Abessa and last but not least the Empire of the Albs, Xacor, which is a huge Ice Desert. The Graphics: If you expect a Graphic Novelty at Elex, I have to disappoint. The Graphics look very pretty, but you can see that it is not the most up-to-date and also not necessarily the best. I have in my Computer a GTX 1080 and even that has to work quite a BIT, despite the older Graphics Engine. Still, the Hand-crafted And lovingly designed country makes up for it all. It makes me spend hours just running around the Area and exploring everything. The Mechanics: The Game Mechanics are like in the Gothic-and Also Crack Games. You start as a little Sausage and you will get on the mouth at the Beginning of everything and everyone. But This changes relatively quickly and you get stronger very quickly. The Combat System takes getting used to. Especially at the Beginning it is hairy and difficult to understand, but you also come in relatively quickly and I find the System really well done. For Starters, though, I can highly recommend a Ranged Weapon, as these do more Damage at the Beginning. The Story: Well, it's a Piranha Bytes Game. So You can't expect Storydepth like a Witcher game, for example. There are plenty of Quests and smaller Stories, but these are usually limited to hole the or kill that. Often stop Messengers. However, you can find little Fitzel everywhere in the world to gradually find out the History of the World and there are also some Eastereggs to discover. Nevertheless, the Main Story is relatively exciting and the new "Moral System" makes decisions more effective. Depending on how you decide on Quests etc., you change. If you Act rationally, your Cold Value rises, you act emotionally decreases your Cold Value. This gives you different Bonuses. In Addition, many Decisions will affect later. But you have to discover that for yourself. Conclusion: I can only recommend any of the Gothic or Rise Games (Gothic I + II) to buy And play Elex. But I have to say to everyone else, of course, that you should have no Expectations, as with Witcher, for example. If you don't have it, you'll have a hell of a lot of Fun with this Game:)