ELEX II (v1.04)

Magalan remains one of the stranger open worlds in modern RPGs, where ruined highways, mutant-infested forests, medieval fortresses, laser rifles, and jetpacks all fit into the same harsh landscape. ELEX II follows veteran scavenger Jax after his earlier victory brings only a brief peace, as a new force descends from the sky and corrupts the planet with dark Elex. His search for his missing son, Dex, runs alongside a broader effort to stop an invasion by persuading Magalan’s fiercely independent factions to work together. The result is a rough-edged science-fantasy adventure with a serious tone, plenty of dark humor, and the old-school willingness to let players fail, offend people, or wander into danger far above their level.

Freedom drives the experience. Jax travels across a large handcrafted map on foot or with a jetpack that gradually becomes a genuinely useful tool for reaching rooftops, cliffs, hidden caches, and alternate routes through quest areas. Combat combines swords and heavy weapons with bows, firearms, magic, and Elex-powered abilities, while timing, stamina management, positioning, and enemy preparation matter more than button mashing. Joining factions such as the Berserkers, Clerics, Albs, Outlaws, Morkons, or Skyands opens different trainers, equipment, powers, and quest perspectives, and the NPCs around them remember major choices, can join Jax’s party, or disappear from the story permanently.

Piranha Bytes’ signature strength is its reactive, lived-in world rather than polished cinematic spectacle. Conversations frequently present uncomfortable compromises, questlines overlap in unexpected ways, and the jetpack makes exploration feel more vertical and less restrictive than in the original ELEX. Combat and animation can still feel awkward, especially early on when Jax is weak and resources are scarce, but that vulnerability gives progression real weight. Players who enjoy Gothic, Risen, or the faction politics of Fallout: New Vegas will find a dense RPG that rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to live with the consequences of their decisions.