ELEX is pretty much the gaming incarnation of a mixed bag. While exploring the massive world of Magalan is an enjoyable experience and the lore easily pulls players in with lots of interesting quests, the mediocre combat, poor companions AI and severe balance issues prevent it from securing a spot in the ever more crowded RPG limelight.
There's quite a treat coming for fans of Gothic and games by the Piranhas - Elex 2 - the sequel to the studio's latest IP. We've asked two of the devs, Bjorn and Jenny Pankratz of Piranha Bytes, about what it was like to develop a game like this.
I'd love to see them prioritize quality over quantity for once. The jank in their games is pretty severe.
I started playing Elex 1 recently and I am loving it. Really looking forward playing the sequel next year
Elex might very well be one of the better Piranha Bytes games of the decade. But how does it fare in direct comparison to Gothic? Can it reach the heights of the celebrated classic? An in-depth review.
I liked the Risen series, but ELEX was easily their best game since Gothic 2, and definitely gave me similar vibes.
Agreed. I was a bit sad that it didnt quite reach the Gothic 2 levels, but it was definitely refreshing to play after a almost a decade of Risen
Risen 1 was awesome, despite being a bit of a broken game. I never played Elex, maybe I will pick it up at some point.
Rumor is they are working on a new Gothic game.
The Gothic remake is by THQ. They released a prototype on steam for those that own any piranha bytes games in their library. Piranha Bytes haven’t revealed their new game, but people think it’ll be Elex 2.
Piranha Bytes is always very active in their social media (Youtube, Twitter, Facebook), altough on their Youtube-Channel they talk in German (with English Subs). They have been "hit" by the pandemic, saying that their production got slowed down (which is ok imo). They also say that there is a lot of content already but they are waiting for the "right moment" to announce it. I am super excited and think it might be Elex 2 but I am not super sure as they have been very "secretive" about it until now.
THQ Nordic announced that the acquisition of the Piranha Bytes team, trademark and the intellectual property Gothic has been finalized, as well as the rights to Risen and ELEX.
i wish them the best of luck reviving these dead brands with a different team :/ i can‘t see how something good can be produced under these circumstances.
THQ is quickly becoming a powerhouse. Now let take back that WWE license from Take Two.
That was an, err, interesting choice?
Piranha is one those studios where you see the potential, then experience the reality
Big fan of PB's games. Not for everyone, but good RPGs.
Here's to hoping for a strong future.
PirahnaBytes is getting better at the stories they want to tell, now if only the gameplay could match.
They're very much in the same field as Spiders; making inspired, if largely janky roleplaying experiences that are very much their own. Love them or hate them. I largely enjoy them.
Yeah I feel like the mainstream doesn’t get it(which is ok because I don’t get a lot of things). I love single player rpg games and yeah this and many other devs make some janky ish games but they are a damn good time. Most of the games I play through way too many times are games like this.
This game captures that oldschool open world RPG atmosphere I fell in love with playing Gothic, so it's no surprise that some reviewers just don't get that these developers are catering to a smaller niche of people.