Elex 2 Review

Developed by Piranha Bytes and published by THQ Nordic Elex 2 is the sequel Elex, the post-apocalyptic open-world RPG.  The first Elex was known for being very tough and unforgiving and that has somewhat been carried forward. Piranha Bytes were kind enough to add a story difficulty for those wanting an easier ride but even that has some challenges. The factions remain from the original game and this time you need to unite them against a new alien threat. You have also been given a jet pack to speed up travelling around this large open world which is a great new addition.

               The story continues years after the first game whereby Jax has defeated the Alb Hybrid and essentially saved the world Magalan, but he knew something happen before the Hybrid was finished. It was calling to something or someone and Jax tried to warn the world to prepare for this threat, but his actions were ignored leaving him frustrated. That was until the invasion happened and this new alien threat lands on top of Jax’s hut and he is infected by one of the alien attackers making him lose all the strength and power he once had. But he must now try to unite the factions that fiercely hate each other to use their combined force to overcome this alien threat who are trying to terraform the world and kill all inhabitants on it.

               The game looks impressive graphically, the environments are varied and it’s captured the gloomy essence of a post-apocalyptic world without just being grey everywhere. There are some greener areas here and there and it’s fun to explore all the different environments. I am not saying it’s in the bracket of the triple-A games for graphics, but it runs pretty close. The voice acting in the game is also pretty good with Jax being as gritty and direct as ever. The dialogue involving your companions when speaking to others seems odd at times but that doesn’t detract away from it too much. There is some humour to much of the dialogue which helps balance what could be a pretty bleak game otherwise.

               In terms of balancing between the combat and the story, I would say this game is more story focused and does it quite well. Being familiar with the first game helps as you know the different factions and you will recognise many characters from the first game. In the same way as the first, your decisions have a lot of impact on how the story plays out. You need to lean favourably to one of the many factions which will upset the others. You can also choose from a few different companions who react to your decisions in different ways. One might approve of your diplomatic approach whereas another will enjoy your tough aggressive approach. There is also the chance that your companion could leave if they disapprove of your actions or worse still, they could also be killed which will affect the story.

               As with many RPGs like Elex and Risen which is created by the same people, there are lots of side quests to tuck into. They vary in length and content, so they are not just your usual fetch quests.  They have a particular quest type in finding items which they have done too well in hiding the items as I have struggled hard with those. There is still a casket I have spent 45 minutes searching for that I had to give up on for the sake of my sanity. But these side quests are important in building the relationship with your companions and earning the trust of each of the factions, so it is all worthwhile to do.

               The movement and controls of the game are where I feel the game hasn’t really pushed on since the first game. As with Risen and the first Elex, there is a distinct basic feel to the combat. It seems purely a hit and run tactic with all enemies who are on par or higher in strength to you. The lower enemies you can beat whilst losing minimal health but anything close to your strength or above you have to hit and then dodge like your life depends on it. But you only have a normal attack or if you hold the button, you have a heavy attack but that is much slower and leaves you very vulnerable if you miss. I would say the companions you take with you are much more help here, but they seem to struggle the same as you. It was only when witnessing my companion getting launched by a troll did I realise that maybe I am just not ready to take on some of these enemies. Luckily there is a frequent autosave feature if you do like to take a different approach to things and that can happen a lot. But I do think they could have done a lot more with the combat as there are so many tough enemies that you could be doing a hit and run tactic on a single enemy for a good 15 minutes and it’s not even a boss enemy.

               What they have not progressed in combat they have done so in traversing the map with the addition of the jet pack. This makes getting around so much faster and trust me, with maps this large and no vehicles in sight, the jetpack is a lifesaver. Don’t get me wrong there are teleporters around the map for fast travel but even with those you still need to get around quickly. They also have many different aspects of your character that you can upgrade as you level up and these assist with the gameplay as with all RPGs. You have upgrades for combat, upgrades for dialogue, upgrades for crafting and also upgrades for thievery. But you cannot just learn these upgrades, you have to find the right teachers within the different factions to be able to upgrade them which is a cool touch.

               The game has a lot of content to explore, and you are definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck. It has been rumoured that the main game can take about 60 hours to complete a playthrough and much more to complete the game fully. I found myself quite immersed in the game and story and although I am looking forward to seeing this through to the end.

Conclusion

Elex 2 has come a long way from the first game back in 2017. Graphically it looks much better and the storyline feels much more robust. The story mode difficulty has made the game much more accessible for those just wanting to play and enjoy the story. The combat hasn’t pushed on too much but it’s not terrible, but it does feel a bit dated. But if you are a big RPG fan then there is plenty of content to sink your teeth into.

This game was tested and reviewed on Xbox Series X/S. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.