Piranha Bytes , authors of Gothic or Risen , are one of the few studies that understand well the transcendence of these words and know how to reflect in all their works. THE ELEX is not an exception, but as it has happened with the last projects of the German team, it also suffers from the same technical and playable problems that in one way or another end up reducing a great attraction to the final set. Do not misunderstand me.
I am fascinated by the colossal size of Mágalan , the post-apocalyptic world to which they transport us, and I really admire the freedom of action that they offer us as soon as we start our journey in the skin of Jax , one of the high command of the ar
my of the Albos, basically the villains, who have been betrayed and seriously injured by their own being completely disarmed and without special abilities. An unoriginal excuse to start an RPG that in the plot, and in the design of its science fiction universe, with s
omething of fantasy, sins of being that same, unoriginal; too typical for current standards. It is not something that bothers me excessively although it does reduce its appeal by presenting its story with a somewhat irregular , clumsy narrative , without the excitement expected from a videogame of these characteristics.
It has its moments, its outstanding characters, but in general lines the parents of Gothic do not finish giving the exact key that makes you fall in love with the chaotic world in which they let you loose almost without limitations … which is precisely what I value most of the video game. You can go wherever you want, as you want and when you want, always bearing in mind th
at your actions, your way of proceeding, will leave a mark on the inhabitants of Mágalan. You will be able to admire them for your deeds, but you can also cause them to hate you, to go to death for you or, out of simple negligence, for someone important to lose their life leaving you without the possibility of knowing their history, of facing missions and challenges I had saved for you. You really feel inside a living world, that grows with you,
Magic? Technology? Whatever you decide!
As in a good cooking recipe ELEX has all the ingredients to become a great RPG, but the development team has gone hand in the kitchen and has ended up missing the shot where they should have done less, presenting a combat system something clumsy, squared, that at times can even be frustrating. The movements of the hero and his enemies are crude, orthopedic, which in some way makes it difficult for you to fully enjoy battles that combine the use of firear
Each faction has its own weapons and special abilities. Which of them will you choose? This decision will mark the course of the adventure.
The variety of weapons is appreciated, the one that you can specialize in several styles of combat, but if to these bad sensations you add some enemies with an artificial intelligencelittle lucid, that also affects our allies, or that in the battles against seve
ral rivals the action becomes tortuous due to certain problems with the system of setting objectives, it costs not to feel tremendously disappointed. Despite the good ideas and the many options that you have at your fingertips, the fights in ELEX are not especially fun and this, in a video game where there are many and many matches, is serious. Pity. And I say it sincerely. Using swords, axes, bows … or betting on grenades, pistols, flamethrowers or laser w
eapons is an unparalleled show that does nothing but improve when in between you can also use magic to surprise the rivals with fantastic special abilities. Everything will depend on how you distribute the experience points, of course, but mainly on theFaction you decide to follow.
Despite the good ideas and the many options, the fights are not especially fun
The options are not very original although they fulfill very well with the expected. We have the Berserkers , renegades of technology who bet on knives and magic; the Clérigos , a society that grows around technology and, therefore, makes use of it to create deadly tools of mass destruction; the Outlaws , a lawless society whose greatest virtue is its ability to create, modify and personalize any weapon they find in its path; and finally the Albos, of course, the great enemy to beat; a militarized faction that uses the Elex, a precious raw material capable of endowing those who consume it with unparalleled power … until they end up succumbing to it, like a drug, and lose control of their bodies. It is not something that affects the Albos, and that is why they are such a tough opponent to beat.
When leveling up you can improve the physical attributes of the protagonist, as well as learn new skills of the teachers you will find in the cities.
Unfortunately the Piranha Bytes video game does not allow you to ally with more than one faction and, therefore, when you opt for one or the other, you are giving up on acquiring the most outstanding special weapons and abilities of the other factions. Sometimes it is a hard trance because, in some way, they limit you when creating the character that you like the most. And that there are options !, Although the video game sin of a poor user interfacewhich helps little to understand and enjoy all of them. With your experience points you can strengthen the strength, dexterity, intelligence … and with it acquire the necessary knowledge to use certain types of weapons, magic or perfect your dialectical skills; and then you have the talents, a wide variety of skills that you must learn from the masters that you find in the many cities that make up the world of Mágalan, and that delve even deeper into the possibilities of personalization of our adventurer.
