ELEX Reviews
I still consider Elex one of the best CRPGs of this decade
ELEX follows in footsteps of the previous Piranha Bytes games. Don't be fooled by the attractive post-apocalyptic and seemingly accessible and open world, this isn't another Horizon Zero Dawn. This is a ruthless old school game that'll give you nothing for free.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
With great quests and an even better game world, Elex is the best Piranha bytes game since Gothic 2, but inherits its deficits.
Review in German | Read full review
I made a big mistake that didn't play ELEX sooner. If you are an action RPG fan, ELEX is one of those games that you must play. With a beautiful big fantasy-sci-fi world full of various mission and activities, tons of RPG elements, upgrades, weapons, characters, important choices and with challenging combat system, ELEX is an absolutely valuable game by Piranha Bytes. Of course it has tons of technical isues and graphical problems like annoying map control or animations, but in the end, good aspects of the game is so many more than its weaknesses and ELEX is a game that i easily recommend it to hardcore action RPG fans.
Review in Persian | Read full review
I was very impressed by ELEX and I'm glad I didn't take the game at face value. If you're willing to put in the few hours it takes to figure out why ELEX is so great, then you'll be rewarded with an awesome and memorable experience -- especially if you're an RPG fan.
THQ Nordic and Piranha Games had a really ambitious project in ELEX, and one that surprisingly went under the radar for a lot of people after it was announced back in 2015. For me, it's an incredible surprise, and it's definitely a game that's worth playing if you're an open-world or action RPG fan. It may have a few technical issues here and there, but I can't remember a lot of open-world games in recent years that didn't have any, and it's nothing that should prevent you from appreciating the game – plus there's probably a patch on its way. Don't let this one pass you by, since there's a hidden gem in ELEX.
There is a fantastic RPG at the core of Elex with some excellent world and quest design, remarkably diverse factions and environments awaiting those who can get past its slow start, clumsy combat and overall lack of fine polish.
Elex is not an accessible game and doesn’t make a great first impression but it deserves more than one chance. Fans of Piranha Games should prepare themselves for more of what they love (but they must accept a strange fantasy & sci-fi mix). The final grade could have been higher if it weren't for too many technical issues.
Review in Polish | Read full review
ELEX is a title that leaves us so, in half, in a limbo of emotions a little upset. On the one hand we find an old RPG style that reminds us of the old Gothic years; an interesting story that is enriched by details and subversions that make perfect contours. A very ambitious setting that offers vast worlds and environments studied as well as several choices and paths to take. Opponents and NPCs of the most disparate who will have different means to face us and various stories to tell. On the other hand, however, we find an old gameplay, with woody movements and a often frustrating combat system. Animation and graphics leave a little to be desired, and although there is a texture improvement, the engine used does not show pace with the times, offering an interesting eye but not enough.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Piranha Bytes sticks to what they know best, providing another distinctly Gothic-like RPG, for better and worse.
Poorly designed in term of combat, storyline and mechanics, ELEX is a game that Piranha Bytes should be ashamed of, especially considering their previous RPG legacy with the Risen and Gothic franchise.
All in all, though, the game remains an impressive, if flawed, effort. Toting an interesting setting and some standout design choices, ELEX goes farther than any previous Piranha Bytes game in making the case for sticking with it in pursuit of a certain old-school ideal of RPG gaming, even if it can come at a cost in polish and presentation.
ELEX is the very opposite of the accessible games that have revolutionised the open world RPG in recent years. I enjoyed it as a modern looking take on the Gothic series, but newcomers will have to be prepared to fight against the systems through the beginning of the game. This has resulted in the game quickly gaining a cult following who celebrate its obscurity and lack of accessibility. I don't agree with this take and would argue that the best aspects of the game would only be improved by a more polished and refined presentation.
Elex is a raw diamond full of flaws but with too much value to consider it as an ugly and wrong game. Give it time, be patient and it will capture you.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There's a great game hidden somewhere in ELEX, but there are just too many technical missteps and niggling bugs to give a wholehearted blanket recommendation to all RPG fans.
In Elex we'll find the elements that had made Piranha Bytes great: an enormous world ready to explore, an interesting story and skilfull difficulty. The tecnhical problemas and low graphics can deminsh the experience. Definitly, this is not a game for impatient players.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
You simply have to try Elex for yourself, but be ready for some stiff animations, framerate drops, mediocre graphics and clunky combat. However if you are familiar with Piranha Bytes games, you'll be fine.
Review in Polish | Read full review
ELEX is a game that suffers from its lofty ambition. It aims for admittedly high goals that are worth aspiring to, but it seemed to have forgotten some key things along the way. The sheer expanse of the world, rich backstory, and a mind-boggling amount of things to see/do in the game are fantastic, but the game suffers from technical issues, absurdly challenging gameplay at times, and a buffet scenario where you just have too much to choose from. The technical issues alone can be frustrating, but when you combine those with incessant deaths at the hands of minor enemies the game starts to really drive the point home that you should play on easy. Be warned though: you'll still face a hard time.
It feels like a nice refreshing counterpart to some modern rpgs that treat their quest lists more like chores, but as a complete package, it falls disappointingly short.
All in all, if you’re a fan of open world exploration and complex combat, ELEX may be the game for you, though I would add the caveat that you may want to see how things improve over the coming months. There’s already a plan for a Day 1 patch that may take care of some of the game’s most glaring issues.