Analysis of Elex II on Xbox

If you liked the first opus, you will know very well what you will find in Elex II

The European role is a very controversial aspect. Either you love it, or you hate it. That’s because it’s hard to play, whether it’s because of its difficulty, its approach, or its visuals. However, those of us who, as children, spent hours in these dangerous worlds see these proposals with different eyes. As a challenge. the people of Piranha Bytes are experts in this fieldsince they are the developers of sagas as consecrated as Gothic or resurrected. On this occasion, they continue their role-playing adventures with Elex II, a sequel that retains many aspects that we saw in its predecessor, but adding interesting improvements that we will comment on in the following analysis.

From living legend to forgotten myth

People may remember the name of Jax, the hero who saved humanity in the past. But the selfish nature of human beings has made them forget over time the exploits that saved the people of Magalan from a dire fate. This progression of events is not well led by Jax, who prefers to continue his life in anonymity and far from the cities…until a new threat hangs over his head, literally.

No matter how strong we are in Elex II we won’t be able to carry the full weight of the fight on our shoulders. we will face a full fledged alien invasion, and for this we will have to seek alliances between the five factions that coexist in Magalan. It will not be an easy task, as many of them are in conflict with each other and we will need more than fine words to join our cause. An interesting and open first approach to our own decisions, since we will be able to choose the friendly camps, the companions themselves who will fight side by side at our side and all this will lead to one end or another.

Back to origins

As in the first iteration, in Elex II we can do use melee weapons, ranged or use magic that we will learn as we go up levels. Whatever we choose, the road will be difficult. The studio is unforgiving, as happened in its original installment, and you’ll have to be very careful not to end up killed by a group of bandits. It’s an RPG, but sometimes it feels like a survival game. And that’s part of the charm, even if it may seem like a handicap at first sight. Planning missions, managing your team in cities and inundating yourself with potions is not an easy task if you want to fulfill your objectives.

Born to conquer the sky

One of the juiciest additions that we will find in Elex II is the possibility of using a thruster that we carry on our back to fly for a short period of time. This factor makes exploration infinitely more affordable. And it’s not just about finding items anymore. If we have to go down a cliff, look for shelter because an enemy “drives us crazy”, this little thruster will be our best ally.

Like the good old times

For a long time, the graphical aspect is not the number one priority of Piranha Bytes. In their time, games like Risen or Gothic “scratched” compared to other RPG alternatives, and dazzled users for other reasons. With this latest work, it was not going to be less, and there is no doubt when seeing the images that the visual aspect is a step below compared to titles of the same genre.

Jax’s expressiveness is zero, the companions who accompany us behave strangely and the physique is not very accomplished. I even got flashbacks of PUBG when I walked into a house to sweep up all the objects that were strewn about its rooms.

The law of the strongest (and the best equipped)

Speaking of physics, the fight we face is drinking a lot of dark souls (stamina bar, measuring distances before performing an attack, sweeping the ground… that sort of thing). If the technical section was polished, I have no doubt that it would be a very fun fight, where the skills of the user are put into practice and not so much the level of experience and armor of our protagonist. But it’s not like that. Due to these sudden movements, it is difficult to know the intentions of the enemy, let alone score a “choreography” of hits and counters with the rival. Too bad, because this system would have worked very well.

All for a few coins

Despite these small technical and visual problems, Elex II hangs on. I don’t know if this will be his story, the tension of always being at the limit of our possibilities or the great freedom to go where we want, but we will always look for and get that little job that will allow us to buy better armor, or level up and fill our gaps. Side quests might not be anything fancy compared to other games like The Witcher 3, but they don’t need them either. As long as we get that experience or coins that help us to be a better warrior, all kinds of missions are worth it. When we are well prepared, with our alliances forged, the time will come to save the world and soak up the intrigue that lies behind it.

Conclusion of Elex II

As I said at the beginning of the review, either you love Elex II or you hate it. Piranha Bytes and THQ Nordic have returned to the fray with what they do best: an old-school European role-playing game title. It may seem complex, rough and difficult at first (eye, it is) but as we play, internalizing the protagonist and imbuing ourselves with the factions and classes that inhabit Magalan, everything will take on a color different.

And while we can raise our hands somewhat with its visual appeal, playable scheme, and unbalanced difficulty, we can’t do the same with its technical section. If the title includes combat elements based on Dark Souls, at least in this area, it must work perfectly, and it does not. Jax and enemy animations leave a lot to be desired. This is blamed when facing an opponent, especially at short distances. If we know how to forgive their weaknesses and magnify their virtues, you will surely spend many hours of fun trying to eradicate the alien invasion that aims to end the human race.