Image: ELEX
Having cut their teeth on the Gothic series and the Risen games, it was always going to be fun to see what Piranha Bytes did with a sci-fi RPG. And, for the most part, people seem like they’ve enjoyed themselves.
The critical reception to ELEX has been pretty mixed, and that’s reflected to a degree on Steam. The open-world action RPG has a user rating of 72% from more than 1600 reviews, which is pretty indicative of people’s up and down experiences.
Across the board, people’s experience have plenty of caveats. It’s been an up and down experience for many, with users praising the game but noting that many of ELEX‘s systems or bugs get in the way. Similarly, there’s a string of negative reviews complaining that there’s still fun to be had, even if the game seems to fall under the weight of its own ambition.
It’s that ambition that gets the highest praise across reviews good and bad, with users enjoying the openness and size of the in-game world. Others also praised the depth of the customisation, the post-apocalyptic sci-fi aesthetic, the balance between the different factions, and the way in which choices impact your character hours down the road.
Also, having an unlimited inventory is great. Death to inventory management.
On the flipside, there’s a general lack of polish across the board which has manifested in several ways. Users pointed out that the combat is, at best, janky. Others noted the low quality of the animations, and the dated nature of the graphics overall.
Users also complained about an unrefined UI, inconsistent audio mixing, major bugs and model glitches, an inability to remap buttons, unresponsive controls and ordinary voice acting.
Here’s what users are saying about ELEX:
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