You’d be forgiven for thinking that Elex II is just a janky, low-budget action RPG because, well, umm… it is. But, hidden beneath its jagged exterior and rough edges is a certified gem waiting to be unearthed.
Sure, while another open-world RPG that also begins with ‘E’ will surely be dominating everyone’s game of the year conversations in 2022 – and FromSoft bloody deserves it – I’m going to go out on a limb and declare a little title from Piranha Bytes as one of my personal sleeper hits of the year. Am I mad? Maybe. But sometimes, it takes courage to admit the truth. (Well, that’s what my therapist says, anyway.)
For the unaware, Elex II is the follow-up to 2017’s critically-maligned Elex (though I quite liked that one as well), and is an unusual blend of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and sword-and-board fantasy, much akin to a fusion of Bethesda’s Fallout and Elder Scrolls series. At its core, it’s an open-world action-adventure game that sees you starting as a zero and building your way up to a fully-fledged hero in a true role-playing style.
Before I get into what makes the game really zing, I need you to know one important thing: the Elex series allows you to zip around using your very own jet-pack. I’ll let that sink in for a second. I mean, it’s a scientific fact: jet packs make everything better!
Going even further, Elex II’s world has been designed around said jet-pack, so there’s an element of verticality to the world design that makes getting from A to B all the more exciting. Plus, as you make progress, you can even upgrade it to fly even further or even hover around as you pelt monsters with high-powered weaponry from afar. Satisfying.
In essence, then, Elex II absolutely nails two critical aspects of an open-world RPG: exploration and progression. Not only is the world of Magalan absolutely gorgeous to behold, but because it’s been carefully handcrafted, the feeling of discovery is all the more potent and imbues your moment-to-moment gameplay with genuine “wow” moments.
You’ll find unique weapons hidden in the nooks and crannies around the world, as well as NPCs who can teach you awesome perks and abilities that can totally change the game, and that’s on top of the usual multitude of melee and ranged weapons that are exhaustive.
Elsewhere, combat is much tighter than its predecessor, with more abilities, magic spells, and perks at your disposal, and the game’s impressive bestiary is full to bursting point with monstrous dinos, gigantic bugs, towering trolls, and even some alien-like beings to boot. And that’s without even mentioning Elex II’s six distinct factions that offer unique abilities, storylines, quests, and perks of their own.
Having said all that, I can see why Elex II may not be a mainstream success per se. When the action gets busy, the framerate can be pretty inconsistent, even on a PS5, and the slightly wooden dialogue and voice-acting is a wee bit hit-and-miss. (It’s worth mentioning that the voice-acting, dialogue, and writing is definitely an improvement over the studio’s other games.)
Oh, and enemies occasionally clip through bits of the environment, which is far from ideal. Honestly, though, your patience will likely vary with these minor foibles, but overall, Elex II is a huge step up from the developer’s uneven predecessor.
All in all, I’m calling it now: Elex II is possibly Piranha Bytes’ magnum opus so far. Yes, Gothic 2 was incredible back in the day, but this feels like a culmination of all the things the Germany-based studio has fastidiously worked on over the course of its 25-year tenure. Sure, it may not appeal to everyone, but I’m having an absolute blast with it, to the point where it’s become a sort of home away from home for me, which is always the sign of a good game.
But don’t just take my word for it. Our very own Cameron Waldrop was super enamored with it, too, so perhaps I’m not completely mad… right?
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