Elex 2 – Review
Despite its flaws, the original ELEX was a favourite of mine. There’s something about new open worlds, character storey arcs, and challenging mechanics that stick with me. As soon as the release date for ELEX 2 was announced, I’ve been eager to get my hands on the game and explore all of its secrets. Even though I’ve spent quite a bit of time with ELEX 2, there are a few things that I don’t particularly enjoy. ELEX 2 Review: Let’s Get Started!
ELEX 2’s interesting decision is that your choices don’t carry over for returning players. Instead, the developers opted to maintain the options and outcomes from the first ELEX based on player feedback. Most of my choices were the same as in the previous game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The main storyline is heavily influenced by my choices from the previous game. Flashbacks are a common feature in the early stages of a game to help players remember or learn about the most important decisions they made. Overall, it’s a good fit for the plot, but it would have been interesting to see how previous decisions might have affected the rest of the world in this way.
The choices made in the first Magalan game have a significant impact on how things have changed in the second game, which takes place several years after the events of the first. As the world has evolved between games, ELEX 2’s re-use of locations and characters has been something I’ve greatly enjoyed. It’s easy to get caught up in the storey and events because they’re tied back to places you’ve already been and characters you’ve met before, so there are a lot of interesting conversations and scuffles. Despite the fact that the dialogue isn’t as in-depth and impactful as in some major titles, it does a good job of making you care about the characters and the world.
This is a typical “save the world from the end times” storyline, but it’s intertwined with your relationship with the companions you bring to The Bastion and the primary faction you choose. Sub-missions to “kill X” can be found scattered throughout the game’s various regions. While the main mission is entertaining and has some great plot twists that I won’t reveal, the repetitiveness at the end of the game really dragged it down.
The best part of the game, however, was the organisation of the factions and the dynamics between them. For a while, I found myself enjoying the side quests and “subfactions” for each faction more so than the main quest itself, especially for the Berserkers and Outlaw races. Aside from the side quests for the kids in The Fort, which is probably my favourite side quest in the entire game due to how delightful it is, the world is littered with quick but entertaining side quests.
In the context of the storey, there was a compelling reason to kill hordes of enemies, but I found it tedious to see the same enemies repeatedly slaughtered, and I would have preferred to see more of the coolest models like the Brood Devils.
ELEX 2 is no less challenging than the original ELEX game. You need to keep track of where you’re going in an RPG that takes place in an open world. Pick your battles wisely and avoid certain areas early on, or you’ll get stomped. There were still a few fights I couldn’t win even at the end of the game, despite having all of my skills honed and my best gear. Melee combat can be challenging, especially if you’re surrounded by seven or eight different foes, but ranged combat can be just as vulnerable. Despite the fact that shotguns were the primary cause of most of my game crashes, having a fully upgraded double-barrel shotgun and all of my ranged skills at their highest levels was like playing on “easy mode.” Enemies are wiped out in a matter of seconds.
Despite this, enemies are vicious, and surviving the early stages of the game will require some deft manoeuvring and dodging. A hybrid melee/ranged build was the best choice I could have made because unless you’re able to dodge perfectly, melee combat can be a quick way to get killed over and over again. You’re punished if your equipment isn’t up to standard. ELEX 2 will force you to upgrade and improve what you have, and finding the game’s unique weapons is almost a necessity. You can sometimes push your luck.
The way ELEX handles levelling is probably my favourite aspect of the series. While attributes are fairly standard in that they enhance specific abilities and become more expensive as you progress, the way you learn skills and the ease with which you can max out every stat by creating potions really highlight this aspect of the game. Your character’s starting strength is so low that you must work your way up to its full potential by levelling up and learning skills that reduce the number of weapons you need to equip, boost the power of particular weapons, and even speed up levelling. These systems work well together so that you can increase your power without feeling too overwhelmed by the game’s end.
The inventory and crafting systems, in addition to levelling, add some flavour to the world. There are a few weapons worth upgrading to their enhanced versions even if you don’t intend to use the majority of what you find. When you combine this with the fact that your inventory is infinite, it’s worth picking up everything you find to upgrade and sell, so you don’t have to go back and forth between locations to sell items. It’s wonderful to be able to do whatever you want.
If I didn’t mention the Jetpack, I’d be remiss. First, the controls were simple, allowing you to easily traverse cliffs, or you could take your time and perform some impressive stunts. Increased fuel and a booster that allows you to FLY across the map are two upgrades that can be added to the Jetpack in the game ELEX 2. As with Master Chief’s grapple in Halo Infinite, the Jetpack in games with open worlds is a great way to get around, making exploration even more enjoyable.
There are some issues with the visuals and character models, but if you’re looking for a game that gives you a lot of freedom to explore, level, and improve your character, ELEX 2 is a game worth checking out. There are moments that shine and can overshadow some of the more frustrating ones in the game, even if the overall experience isn’t quite as enjoyable as the original. If you don’t mind getting stomped on early in the game but still want a challenge as the game progresses, then this is the game for you.
