Elex

[Brick Bungalow]

 

This is the eighth (I think) title from Pirhana Bytes Studios who produced Gothic, Arcania and Risen. Their games all have a characteristic look, feel and structure. This is their first foray into dark future sci fi. 

It's an action adventure game in the third person. These games all feature a main character who is essentially stripped of all possessions and powers by some convenient plot device and basically left to die in some hostile backwater. This isn't exactly original but it's handled well in this game. At least you don't literally have amnesia. The graphics are comparable to recent elder scrolls and fallout titles. Perhaps a little more in the way of caricature. There is a nice array of gear, skills abilities... again, comparable to those games. The map is similar but features a focus on very high highs and low lows. Your character makes use of a jet pack and the maps make sure to utilize it to full effect. You need to practice hitting jump jets to avoid falling damage. Lots of other stuff that could be compared with other games. Companions, guilds, quests, side quests, lots of extra background for those who with the patience to sit through dialogue sequences,  read notes and listen to audio samples scattered about. The story is actually pretty compelling. 

Things that make the game unique, at least for me;  The guild factions are handled with above average attention. Most quests of any consequence are not simple and do not yield simple rewards. You earn the standards of cash, gear, esteem and quest tree options but you also burn bridges, create enemies, lose items and even lose attributes on occasion. If you do quests randomly or fail to pay attention your total character development will suffer a lot and you may even break the main quest line. Even while paying careful attention it will often prove impossible to complete certain tasks completely or optimally because every decision can potentially count against you and deny you future possibility.

The combat is pretty tough. All missile weapons have limited ammunition and its difficult to keep it consistently replenished. Melee features follow through delay and cool downs so you cannot button mash your way to victory. You can barely fight anything when you start and many monsters will be next to impossible for the majority of the game. Lots of fights require trickery. Higher levels tend to open strategic options more than simply giving you the brute force to over power opponents. If you find a lot of action rpg's too easy or too boring combat wise I think you will appreciate this difference. The AI is sometimes impressively strong but not always. 

The companion characters are a lot of fun. They all have a back story and goals of their own. They are all sometimes useful and sometimes harmful. Some of the funniest sequences involve them saying stupid things and spoiling your dialogue sequence, costing you a quest. You have to learn to use each one and not simply run them autopilot. One in particular will graze you with friendly fire a lot if you don't make the effort to coordinate. 

The skills, equipment and abilities are managed well. You don't get a lot of good loot for free. It feels like a real accomplishment when you get an upgrade. You can find rare items but cannot use them until you have leveled certain stats and skills. 

There are a few common PC game warts but they didn't impede my enjoyment. Certain animations are stiff and awkward. Not every environmental effect is top notch... minor things I think considering how many things this game gets right. 

[Guest]

On March 3, 2018 at 11:15 PM, Brick Bungalow said:

All missile weapons have limited ammunition and its difficult to keep it consistently replenished.  

I had this problem too. Wasn't until very high level did I figure out the trick: EACH time you talk to a vendor, they will have a fresh stack of ammunition for sale for each weapon they support. So getting ammo just means talking to them over and over again. You still have to pay for it, but it isn't scarce.