It’s been some time since we last checked in on the imaginative sci-fi universe of Magalan as well as its typical bald protagonist from a video game Jax in the year 2017. And although the world has changed, much remains the same. I’d like to see more of it change honestly since the elements that remain from the first Elex were the main reason for Elex 2. disappointing. A lackluster and unclear character writing undermines the main story’s intriguing premise Graphical glitches ruin the beautiful post-apocalyptic landscape and straight-up awful combat destroys every other aspect of the game.
Let me get this out of the way in the first place I’m unable to think of any positive things for the fighting which makes it difficult to endorse Elex 2 in spite of everything else it does right. It’s clunky, incoherent and a bit annoying. The hitboxes are absurd. A lot of enemies repeat these sluggish and downright absurd attack animations which make it nearly impossible to discern when it’s danger to be around them. Jax who has been able to save the world one time in the past, could even be killed with just two strikes by a random varmint in the middle of the highway. They will at the very least display useful skull icons on each enemy’s health bar to alert you when you’re facing something not in your realm So I received a adequate warning that the stray rodent killed me was designed to be a certified badass.
Fight Club
Combat In Elex 2 is not bad because it’s challenging enough It’s a statement from someone who’s currently enjoying Elden Ring. It’s just poorly designed. The stamina system is not balanced, which creates a difficult change between attacking, defensive and maneuvering when you increase your stamina regeneration later. It creates a very an ‘on-turn’ feeling, but not in a positive way. I strike, then I stand back , look at the attacker take a long, ponderous swing at the air before I go back and strike again. The act of standing your ground can get you killed. Even basic enemies have hitpoints , and it takes Jax many levels to feel more solid than a damp piece of paper. Like the first Elex the lack of mana potions and ammo makes it difficult to create a truly one-shot build, although being able to create your own ammo will help somewhat. In addition it’s difficult to find alternatives to choose from when you’re attacked in melee.
Shields aren’t really useful up to a point as some of them allow only three hits in a row instead of two. There were times when I had to hunt money to buy potions in order to make it through difficult encounters and it was a pain. One thing that’s enhanced from the fighting system, is the fact that there aren’t numerous encounters where you’ll be able to see 360-degrees of an offscreen firing squad and have to sling melee troops over the cliff for hours to get out of the line of vision. This is a plus.
This is so disappointing is the fact that I’ve seen other studios making such RPGs that are hardcore and Euro-style get better in recent years , but not lose aspects that make this subgenre distinct. The Witcher 2 with all the nostalgia players have for it also had a horrible combat system. But CD Projekt Red fixed it with ease and grace to make The Witcher 3. A game called Technomancer which was a part of Spiders was also abysmal in combat. However, its subsequent game, GreedFall, was a major move in the right direction that improved hitboxes, attack windows, improved the enemy’s tuning, and offered new and interesting options for defense. We live in a time filled with “Post-Eurojank” RPGs but it’s not like the developer of Elex, Piranha Bytes is the only studio in the wheelhouse that hasn’t caught up.
It’s not a bad thing: there are many things to be preserved from the era of RPGs. But the concepts Elex 2 seems determined to be a part of aren’t one of the best. Why am I required to have an animation of my character bent down to collect each and every lootable thing that exists? Why is it that every quest has to be accompanied by an adventure that is bound to require another errand to be given by an outside party as if they’re trying to get their time? Why am I required convince an overseer to offer her employees an increment, then walk across town to inform the workers about the increase, and then go all back to inform the supervisor that they are pleased? There are a lot of little fragments of outdated design that are clinging to the world that make you feel like you’ve gotten something stuck to your socks if you’ve played any modern RPG lately.
Say What?
Although it’s the biggest, it’s not the only issue here. The majority of dialogue is anything from good to great, but certain characters can seem to be created by aliens. They’ll do and say things that aren’t logical. They’ll throw out monologues which make me cringe so much that my cheeks hurt. “Hey! C-can I leave now?” asks a scared prisoner in a tape I found in a ruin. “Oh yes, definitely,” his captor responds. “You are free to… Get a thigh into your own body You dipshit!” I have spit out coffee across my screen and I couldn’t even realize that the intention was to make it so awful that it was funny. The writing, at least, can be enjoyable at times, in a sort of schlocky B-movie style.
There are also absurdly stupidities of logic for example, such as the fact you aren’t able to enter Berserker’s main Berserker settlement without doing a few tasks, even if with Caja who is a top-ranking Berserker Warlord as well as the parent of the child you have. If you are asking her why she doesn’t simply endorse your claim, she’ll say something about keeping rumors to a minimum and rumors. This is a dialog that I’m certain was derived from a different conversation. It’s almost like that idea of having her along to be a friend was later added in the development and they did not want you to go through the motions of a busyworker therefore they had to make up for an explanation.
Certain characters are often sounded like they were created by aliens.
It’s a lot worse than that. One time, I spied an underground facility stuffed with enemies spies fighting against the group I wanted to join. I decided to take them all out and that’s what you’re permitted to do. It was pretty cool. However, somehow, somebody declared this an act of crime even though it was two stories underground without any witnesses and with the blessing, or support! from the police. It was hilarious to have to pay a fine to exactly the same man who had paid me a bounty to take the police out. This sort of thing happens frequently.
Eye of the Beholder
Magalan certainly looks pretty even when there aren’t any weird glitches or distracting pop-ins occurring that seemed to become worse when I was using playing with my alt-tabs a lot on PC. It’s basically the same game that was the first Elex however, it has changed in fascinating and interesting ways. Elex’s Berserker conclusion has been made canon and consequently this central desert area is flourishing thanks to post-apocalyptic medieval LARPers as well as their magical world seeds. The majority members of The Mad Max-esque Outlaws faction has been absorbed into the Berserkers and have created new forms of design and fashion that blend pelts and amber necklaces, as well as scrap and old automobile tires. If you haven’t played the original version, some of these modifications might be difficult to understand however Elex 2 does a decent job of getting players up to speed the majority times.
I was really impressed by the clever worldbuilding. It was interesting to see what characters, such as female mortale Outlaw, Nasty, or the infamous Albs and the villains in the very first Elex and the first Elex II, were involved in since the last time I was able to see them. The new factions, especially the death-worshipping Morkons have intriguing designs and ideas in their very own. The new threat Skyands, the Skyands, the alien Skyands are also sporting quite unique and amazing styles for the soldiers as well as beasts of war, as well as some surprising secrets. I’d like to think I enjoyed the game enough that I could enjoy the game without being constantly angry.
The massive, shiny new item you can use Elex 2 is a big, shiny toy that Elex 2 is an upgradeable jetpack. In my opinion, upgrading it from the basic utilitarianity it had in the original Elex to something that you could eventually mix up and move around in the style of Iron Man, is fun and satisfying. It’s just not enough for the fact that different progression systems are linked to a rather abrasive combat system that is slightly more acceptable the more the skill points you put into it, but isn’t able to go beyond being enjoyable. Exploring the world is amazing, up until you’re required to fight everything or even talk to anyone.
Verdict
Elex 2 seems geared toward an individual kind of player who believes that the 2006’s Gothic 3 represents the golden time of RPGs, and nothing that has been released since then is worth taking inspiration from. In most instances, this game hasn’t done it. The experience of traveling around the globe in a stylish jetpack that can be upgraded was the best time I’ve had. I was never a fan of the slow and tedious combat or playing with its frequently bizarre or absurd script. I enjoy a large and sprawling RPG more than the majority gamers, and so I wish I could play these more then I am. If they don’t take notes about the direction that the genre has gone over the past decade, I’ll probably decide to give Elex 3 a pass.
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