ELEX II

Lore & Background

ELEX II is set in a post-apocalyptic, science fantasy world where the substance elex, originating from outer space, grants powers equivalent to magic. Players control Jax, a survivor, from a third-person perspective. The game features six factions, each representing a different philosophy, with varying preferences for magic or technology. Combat relies on a stamina system: actions such as attacking or defending drain Jax's stamina, and without enough he cannot attack or defend. A jetpack allows exploration of the open world, and gaining levels increases Jax's attributes, enabling the use of better equipment. The antagonists are techno-organic aliens, against whom Jax must unite the factions.

Reader's Guide

ELEX II received mixed reviews on Metacritic. Critics noted that the game felt clunky and janky yet compelling, with Rock Paper Shotgun stating that Piranha Bytes was still making games with the same issues found in the Gothic and Risen series. They found this forgivable but disliked the unappealing and mean-spirited characters, including the protagonist. IGN said the game seemed stuck in the mid-2000s, ignoring innovations since Gothic 3, and criticized the dialogue as sounding like a schlocky B-movie and the combat as clunky, imprecise, and annoying. RPGSite called it a poorly implemented retread, recommending it only to ardent die-hard fans of the original. RPGFan wrote that ELEX II can be entertaining in all the wrong ways, but as a sequel it is just more of the same. Despite the critical reception, ELEX II was among the top three best-selling games released in 2022 on GOG.com. Its legacy is tied to being Piranha Bytes' final release before the studio's closure, a divisive entry that polarized players and critics alike.

Did You Know?

• ELEX II was Piranha Bytes' last game before their closure.
• The game uses the proprietary Genome Engine.
• The protagonist Jax returns from the 2017 game ELEX.