German magazine gamestar already has a test up for the game ( with video ) , but its currently only for plus users ( e.g pay a month because we are greedy fucks ). By the few parts u can read as a free user it seems its one of PB's best games, even better than gothic 2.
Quote:
Elex doesn't take your hand
- tiny small tutorial
- all enemies kill you at least within 3 hits
- you can miss quests/infos/mechanics if you miss proper attention
- first hrs are hard and at times frustrating
- might be either refreshing or totally overwhelming
Elex embraces Piranha-Bytes strengths
- your char is bluff; piles of coarse dialogs
- huge open world however with fascinating details around every corner
- environmental stories; hidden camps; people; weapons; all sorts of stories, audiologs and letters
- gameplay is defined by the classic gameplay-quintet of combat, conversation, exploration, scavenging and leveling
- ruthless difficulty
- but ALSO all the known PB shortcomings (animations, textures, production values...)
Elex is NOT an AAA game
- graphics doesn't knock anybody's socks off; not ugly either
- 30 devs working in a single family building
- animations are stiff, facial expressions and faces are repetitive, some textures look rough.
- creative Art-Design: picturesque landscapes due to diverse sceneries
- german syncro is doing well
- best score since good old Gothic days
Elex runs on a toaster
- runs on even weak PCs decently
- with min. details (16x AF, SMAA) even a Geforce GTX 760 will run it with 45fps
The strength of Elex' stories is found offside the main story
- main story THE most interesting PB has ever written: your alter-ego is a former terroristic ALB-General, who finds himself amidst normal people and societies. We gradually learn more about his own violent past, learn about a vile betrayal and decide how the world should keep on spinning.
- mix of genres invites to learn and see more of the world
- main story remains in the background for some time
- no arc of suspense a la Witcher 3
- interesting moments offside the main story - side quests, environment, companions
- each main protagonist has its own little story
- quests with nasty moral decisions which end up far more gripping than in Gothic or Risen series - HIGHLIGHTs of the game
- standard fetch quests but also most quests can be solved in more than three different manners
Elex is no Bug-Fiasco, but has rough edges
- while testing no severe bugs that affect test score
- however glitches and small issues along the way; nothing has impact on the overall fun factor though.
- many mechanics lack the necessary fine-tuning; combat can be fiddly and clunky; the jetpack lacks the proper pace; Interface and inventory are neither particularly impressive nor managable.
Elex is a true RPG
- no Action Game with RPG elements but a true RPG
- combat is subordiante to the character system
- Leveling and specialization is often times more interesting than the actual use of such enabled combat mechanics; killing a horde of raptors after you've been pathetically running from them hours priorly is extradordinarily satisfying
- satisfaction of leveling combat mechanics > clunky combat
- Crafting, using sockets, alchemy and the correct choice of factions can create a deep and rewarding rpg system.
++ Huge and diverse world (mix between post-apocalyptic sci-fi and fantasy), bigger than Gothic 3 while also maintaining a high amount of detail; a lot to discover (including useful items and enemies that are way too strong for you and send you to kingdom come)
-- Partially outdated (textures, clunky animations), no severe bugs found, only minor ones like clipping issues (enemies stuck in buildings)
++ Quests, almost all quests have multiple ways that lead to completion (some even have more than 3); rarely there is a "right" decision, the player has to consider whom a decision might upset. Also a handful of companions that can accompany you (they help in combat and also talk during conversations with other NPCs + have their own quest line). There are also "collect x" quests though but even they allow for additional decision: Give a bow to an apprentice and get gold and exp points OR give it to his teacher which gives us nothing in return but promises to help us with a quest that we would otherwise not be able to do on our own until later (where the rewards we get are not as helpful anymore since you are the weakest during your first hours)
-- Combat system: Combo system requires you to score five hits in a row to deal a great amount of damage, three hits only deal a slight amount. This gets better as the game progresses as we get stronger but especially in the beginning this can annoy you. Humanoids are exploitable (you can "cheese" them). Combat system is not a failure but while playing you look forward to leveling up so it becomes less frustrating
++ Content: First playthrough can certainly take you up to 60 to 80 hours, since you can only side with one faction (out of 3) there is also a lot of replayability. While the combat system may not feel great, the variety and role-playing depth make up for it. There are a lot of items, there is crafting, alchemy and you can create sockets. Each faction has specific class talents that allow you to specialize even further. A plethora of quests and treasures (as mentioned before). Elex is a great choice for those who want to spend weeks playing it
-- Controls: Jetpacks can be hard to control, stones and what not can make you "trip". Inventory/ menus provide a great overview but are not spectacular (a lot of text)
++ (to end the video in a positive manner): Atmosphere, the result of the world + quests, is great, easy to lose yourself in the world
Same here, though it's going to be one of those overcrowded Indian trains, let's hope we all arrive to destination safe and sound! (I already risked my life twice with Risen 2 and 3 )
I disliked Risen 2, by far their worst game. Risen 3 however was solid, and got them back on track. Let's see if there is a positive trend here. I will be buying this.
I disliked Risen 2, by far their worst game. Risen 3 however was solid, and got them back on track. Let's see if there is a positive trend here. I will be buying this.
I've never understood how the third risen was that much better than the second. They were pretty similar if you ask me. I liked them both though.
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Who knows, maybe Piranha's are finally back on track.
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