ELEX II Hands-On Preview - Spread Your Technological Wings
Piranha Bytes is a development studio that requires no introduction, especially to fans of role-playing games, as it is the studio behind the Gothic and Risen series. Back in 2017, the studio branched out from its two series with
ELEX, an open-world role-playing game that did worldbuilding and role-playing right, but not much else, as the gameplay wasn't particularly inspired. A few years later, and with more experience under their belt, Piranha Bytes is ready to bring players back in the world of Magalan with ELEX II, a game that stays true to the studio's roots but that also tries to move the series' experience further.
To be completely honest, ELEX II doesn't feel very different from the original, although the many tweaks made to the open-world formula make the experience feel considerably smoother. Jax's new adventure to save Magalan from yet another threat coming from outer space, however, still feels markedly "Eurojank": animations, while smoother, are definitely not on par with modern AAA productions, and the presentation, while improved on multiple fronts, still screams low-budget at every turn. But this isn't inherently bad, as ELEX II, like many similar titles out there, is not without its charms.
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