Hear he, Hear he. The Elex sequel is finally out. And we couldn’t be more excited about it. Indeed. Among the great 2022 games that are gracing us with their presence, Elex 2 is right there in the top 3. Along with Elen Ring (available here) and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl (here).
But yeah. This article is about the Elex Sequel, as much as it’s about the studio behind it. We’ll cover them both don’t you worry. We did quite similar articles with other cool studios. Data East first comes to mind here.
But as the tradition suggests, it’s time to start the article with the game that inspired it. Elex II. Somewhere you can find the title of the game as Elex 2 but yeah. Whether you prefer Roman numerals or not it doesn’t matter. The official title is Elex II.
So… What’s Elex II (Or The Elex Sequel) All About?
Developed by Piranha Bytes and published by THQ Nordic GmbH, Elex II is an action/adventure RPG game with a vintage open-world experience.
Several years after Jax defeated the Hybrid, a new threat arrives from the sky. Unleashing the dangerous powers of dark Elex and endangering all life on the planet. So, In order to defend the peace on Magalan and the safety of his own family, Jax has to go on a mission. To convince the factions to unite against the invaders and find his son, Dex, who got separated from him …
So, dive into a huge, hand-crafted, completely unique world. A world with multiple factions and diverse environments set in a post-apocalyptic science fantasy universe.
ELEX II returned to the post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy world of Magalan – with massive environments that can be explored with unrivaled freedom via jetpack, you will be able to move through the epic story any way you want.
Elex (here) and Elex II (here) are available for purchase here at IndieGala. So hurry up!
Meet Piranha Bites. The Studio Behind Elex II
Well, Piranha Bytes GmbH is a German video game developer based in Essen, Germany. Founded in 1997, by Alex Brüggemann, Michael “Mike” Hoge, Stefan Nyul, and Tom Putzki, the company released its first game a couple of years later. Yes, we’re talking about Gothic, released in 2001. And even with plenty of corporate turmoil in the mid to late 2000’s the studio managed to release another successful series. Risen. However, On 22 May 2019, THQ Nordic announced that it had acquired the studio to undisclosed terms. But just 2 years prior, Piranha released Elex. The game series that is getting a sequel in 2022. So we’re here about that. But, also for the other game series that the studio has produced so far.
But let’s start in a rather different fashion.
Elex And The Elex Sequel Are Great. But So Are Gothic And Risen
Indeed they are. But let’s go back to the original Elex game. The one that came out in 2017 and started the whole series. Well much like the sequel, Elex is a science fantasy-themed action role-playing video game in which the game world is a mix of futuristic and medieval locations. Fans and critics alike “edgy, dark, uncompromising, and complex” post-apocalyptic game, but many of the comments I found on Reddit praised the beauty of it.
Well, for an AA game anyway. But at the same time, I found conflicting thoughts on the Jax character from the game. Some disliked the fact that he’s unlikeable and unemotional, while others praised it for exactly those things. Oh and yeah. There’s plenty of fan art for this game too. But for the most part, the praise was aimed at the futuristic and medieval locations and the fact that you can use guns, swords and magic. Nice right? Yeah. We thought so too.
Let’s Face It! Risen Is Awesome As Well!
Oh yes, it is. Published in 2009, the fantasy-themed action role-playing game is a fan favorite as well. set on Faranga island, Risen has two main settlements there. Harbor Town, under the rule of Bandit chief Don Esteban. And the Monastery, where mages and scholars study and research magic. But on Faranga island, ancient temple ruins spontaneously rise from the ground. And it provides access to a network of interconnected underground areas such as catacombs and dungeons. you can become a bandit, a warrior of the Order. Or a Mage. Regardless of your choice, you become involved with the plans of Mendoza. And those are not for the faint of heart. Back in the day, ING gave it a fantastic review, praising it for its hard yet rewarding gameplay, impressive graphics and solid voice acting even.
Risen 2: Dark Waters made a transfer to the Caribbean and the theme itself. Yes, the classic Caribbean pirate themes to a fantasy world where monsters, ancient gods, and voodoo magic exist. While in Risen 3: Titan Lords, the world has been abandoned by its gods and is scarred from the rampage of the Titans. At the same time Risen, 3 is the game with the most mixed reviews (from the critics and fans alike). However, the true die-hard fans of the series love it nonetheless. They’re outnumbered, but they exist. But yeah. The majority of the Risen fans, love the first game of the series and have lukewarm feelings for the sequels.
Don’t Forget About Gothic!
Oh yes. Don’t forget about the Gothic series. When it comes to picking favorites, the personal preference here goes to Gothic II. An open-world game set on the medieval-styled isle of Khorinis. But the original 2001 game is also fantastic. The story, complex interaction with other in-game characters, and graphics. They’re all amazing. But in my research, I found that the fans are much more in love with Gothic II as well. Some even go as far as to compare the game with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and it’s something I find fascinating. But here’s something else that’s fascinating. This is for the first Gothic game BTYW. The r/worldofgothic sub-Reddit adds:
*The atmosphere, exploration and attention to detail is so amazing for a game that’s about two decades old now. I also really love how the game makes me feel much stronger the more I play, I felt like a novice absolutely clueless to the world and now I am slowly becoming accustomed to this world.
And I think it’s the key in explaining what’s so great about the game series. The timeless appeal that I has. As the sub-Redditor suggests, it’s a game series that’s more than 20 years old. And fans will likely be playing for years to come, without the fear of losing some of the appeals. It’s going to be fun and engaging for the fans for quite some time.
So yeah. You can probably expect the same level of admiration and devotion from the Elex series as well.
But What Are Your Impressions Of The Elex Sequel?
We love it here at IndieGala. But what’s your favorite game series from the Piranha Bytes? Let us know in the comment section.
