GRcade

Detail
Title Elex
Format PS4, XBO, PC
Launch 17 October 2017
Developer Piranha Bytes
Publisher THQ Nordic


Cover artwork



Background

Developed by Piranha Bytes, creators of the award winning Gothic series, Elex is an action role-playing open world game for PC and Consoles and is set in a brand new, post-apocalyptic, Science-Fantasy universe where magic meets mechs.

Story - Being raised as an Alb and fed pure Elex to strengthen your body, which also stripped you of all emotions, your world of cold logic and military discipline were all you knew. Set to rise through the ranks, a scourge to your enemies, your destiny seemed certain. Now, as the smoke rises over the wreckage of your glider in the mountains of Edan, you are trapped far from your home Xacor. With no access to pure Elex, you are experiencing emotions for the first time in your life. Stranded amongst your enemies and outcast from your people, in front of you lies a new and open path, as heavily laden with magnificence as it is with ruin. The decisions you make will decide the fate of the world. Magalan – will you be its slayer or its saviour?

Exploration - Thanks to the open world, players have access to all five regions of the game world right from the very start. Go where you want, choose your battles and your allies. The only thing in the world that will stop you are the mutant creatures that live in Magalan’s Elex-polluted landscapes. Walk, run, or punch your jetpack into action. If you can see it, you can reach it. Open world role-playing has never been more open.

Role-playing - Find a companion, choose a faction and influence the world. In Elex there is no traditional class system. Instead you must earn the trust of experienced teachers to develop the skills you select. But, skills alone won’t be enough to survive in this harsh and challenging world. Your attitude towards the people you meet will influence those around you. Will you make an ally or an enemy? Is now the time to show emotion or take the course of logic? Every choice will forge the future of your game.

Combat - From swords and axes to bows, crossbows and harpoons, Elex offers one of the widest selection of weaponry in the history of role-playing. Pick up a shotgun, power up a plasma rifle or unleash a flame thrower – there’s a weapon and combat style for every fighter out there. Be it a hammer, a rocket launcher or the power of magic, Elex balances science, fantasy and brute force to let you choose the combat style that fits your role best!


Links
> Official website: Click
> Fan site - World of Elex: Click
> Community forum: Click
> Wikipedia: Click


Screens / Artwork




Trailers

> Story trailer (CGI)

>Prologue trailer

> Faction focus: Berserker

> Faction focus: Outlaw

> Faction focus: Cleric

> Faction focus: Alb

Right... so this is the new game from Piranha Bytes, the guys behind the Gothic and Risen series of titles. I haven't played them but they appear to have a "cult" following; the games gained a fair amount of criticism but there are hardcore fans out there.

I like the look of Elex; the post-apocalyptic, open-world environments appeal to me and I am keen to get out there and explore. Even so, the game has been built to a budget and player animations look a wee bit clunky, whilst some of the fighting looks a little unwieldy. I am hoping that the ability to go where you want and approach things in varied ways will make up for this.

Aren't the Risen series considered to be some of the worst RPGs of the last console gen?

I predict low sales.

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:Aren't the Risen series considered to be some of the worst RPGs of the last console gen?

Risen scored 77% (PC) and 60% (360) on Metacritic. Risen 2 got 69% (PC) and 60% (360). Risen 3 gained 65% (PC) and 51% (PS4).
Gothic scored 81% (PC), Gothic 2 79% (PC) and Gothic 3 (PC) 63%.

Not really the "worst", but each series has suffered with its most recent entries. It'll be interesting to find out if Piranha has learnt from those mistakes and applied a higher degree of polish to Elex.

Preezy wrote:I predict low sales.

I think the "cult" fanbase for Gothic and Risen 1 could deliver reasonable sales but, yes, I have seen very little advertising or even previews of the new game. I have watched a few vids on YouTube but they often seem to feature the PC version rather than the XBO or PS4 versions.

The game is quite ambitious for a relatively small studio and I hope that the "feel" of the open-world game can cover for any technical drawbacks.

Risen 3 has a Metacritic score of 36 on PS3 http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/risen-3-titan-lords making it a strong contender for worst RPG on the system, I can see only one RPG with a lower score but I've never heard of it (Magus). So I think I can comfortably say Risen 3 is the worst PS3 RPG that I've heard of.

Risen 2 isn't much better with 47 http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/risen-2-dark-waters

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:(PS3 game scores)

Yeah, it seems that the PS3 versions were worse than other formats.

jawafour wrote:

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:(PS3 game scores)

Yeah, it seems that the PS3 versions were worse than other formats.

I just remembered seeing them in a video of worst rated PS3 games on YouTube. Gothic 4 did pretty badly on PS3/4 too.

For the record I actually think this looks at least okay.

A world-exclusive livestream of the game starts at 17:00 (UK). In German.

I'll be watching and I feel pretty certain that *hundreds* of other GRcadians will, too!

"ELEX - The Game" which will be streamed PRE-RELEASED on 2017-10-13 6:00PM (CEST) EXCLUSIVE by Streamers of il_Network!

Remember the Time and don't miss that!

► zu_KriiiZz https://go.twitch.tv/uz_kriiizz playing the faction of Outlaws

► Invictus https://go.twitch.tv/invictuslp playing the faction of Clerics

► The_Headbreaker https://go.twitch.tv/the_headbreaker playing the faction of Berserkers

More information here: https://www.facebook.com/ImmortalNetwor ... /486146648

Or, here is a current livestream in English on the PS4.

I have watched a few streams and it has made me think that I’d like to give the game a go. I don’t anticipate that the game will gain amazing review assessments but it looks to be my kinda stuff; open world, plenty of scope to wander about and a range of ways to make progress. It is clunky in places but I think I would get along well with it.

(...)

There are other issues and inconsistencies, most of them amusing and all of them sure to be patched out of existence. I'll mention a few of them for posterity, such as footsteps that sound like stilettos on a tin tray, creatures than have been shipped in from the Risen series, behind-the-wall camera placement in numerous cut scenes and boobs that gently twitch when any female character is delivering her lines.

For more serious is the underwhelming and manufactured premise, a narrative progression that seems to follow, more or less, the same path as many of Piranha Bytes' previous games, and a combat system that seems focused on quantity rather than quality. If you can see past these issues, perhaps even embrace them as many people will, it becomes easier to appreciate the game's open world web of unscripted interactions and interconnected quests. Indeed, those that persevere will at times experience a world so rich with choice and consequence that it can sometimes make The Witcher 3 seem like a Fighting Fantasy gamebook.

One can't help but wonder what game might one day arise were Piranha Bytes ever given the development resources of Bethesda, because with less than a quarter of the numbers that worked full-time on making Fallout 4, Piranha Bytes have cobbled together an RPG that in some areas comes close to matching it. Yes, Elex is far, far scrappier overall, the lore is clumsy and unconvincing, and there's enough grit in the combat, presentation and parts of the narrative to have you running for the nearest GOTY Edition chart-topping RPG. But, if you give Elex the benefit of the doubt, it's many freedoms will start to win you over - to the point that on completion you may subsequently find yourself thumbing through this developer's undervalued back catalogue before cracking the seal on the Next Big Thing.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017- ... lex-review

Will give it a bash on rental when nothing else is available.

Ta for the heads up on this, Jawa.

Quite liked the look of this, but no character creation in RPG games is a turn off for me these days.

Saint of Killers wrote:...Will give it a bash on rental when nothing else is available.

Ta for the heads up on this, Jawa.

Yeah, I would like to get this but I got realistic and thought that I still have Fallout 4, Witcher 3 and Zelda BotW to play through. For me, it’s something to look out for in a future sale.

Plus I spent the money on another game instead which, at this point, I’m not sure was a good move or not.

Gemini73 wrote:...but no character creation in RPG games is a turn off for me these days.

I, too, was surprised that you can’t create your own character. The default one is a bit “standard space-mariney”.

jawafour wrote:Plus I spent the money on another game instead which, at this point, I’m not sure was a good move or not.

Was it Elite?

Preezy wrote:

jawafour wrote:Plus I spent the money on another game instead which, at this point, I’m not sure was a good move or not.

Was it Elite?

Nah... it was WWE 2K18. Only played the opening half-hour and I’m really struggling with the controls; I barely got through the first tutorial phase . I will expand further in the game’s thread later!

jawafour wrote:

Preezy wrote:

jawafour wrote:Plus I spent the money on another game instead which, at this point, I’m not sure was a good move or not.

Was it Elite?

Only played the opening half-hour and I’m really struggling with the controls; I barely got through the first tutorial phase

To be fair you could have been talking about Elite there as well

I liked the first Risen game, the second was boring as strawberry float but Im interested to see what they do with this. Ill wait and see what impressions are but Im quietly optimistic.

(Bump)

Okay... the game has been substantially patched on console and the price is currently £22 in a PS Store sale. I know that there are janky bits in the game but the setting has always had me intrigued. Downloading now .

Edit: The official forum is no longer available and the fan forum has barely been posted in for months . Still up for diving into this .
Edit: Even the official website doesn't mention the console patch that launched on 22 March .
Edit: The patch notes are detailed on THQs website - click.

The game has downloaded and I'm ready to play . Will post my initial impressions here - exclusively - in GR .

> Start-up music is terrific!
> Went to options and, under controls, the text for each button is bugged; the writing is blurry . Luckily the descriptions are fine when you look in-game
> The opening environment looks good; lush forest and plenty of detail
> The lead character is super-macho!