However, by building up your character in the desired way, you’ll eventually eclipse the difficult curve. If you give the game a chance, be warned that you’re going to get your ass handed to you in the beginning. It’s as if they yoinked the only redeeming quality of Anthem and applied progression to it making it all the more satisfying when you go from no jetpack juice in the beginning to having entire Dragon Ball Z-esque aerial fights with grotesque winged beasts.įinally, and to that point, player progression is such a notable aspect of what really drives Elex II. It’s this wonderful positive feedback loop whereby the more you explore to find fuel upgrades for your jetpack, the quicker you can whoosh across the wastes and ergo find more upgrades hidden on higher ground. So as you become more familiar with the intimidating map, the more traversal becomes a point of enjoyment by way of teleportation and your jetpack. It’s the way I personally like, and I find this method of exploration creates a level of attachment to the world when I’m not constantly looking at map markers to check for content. There are no icons to tell you where the ‘content’ is as Elex II begs you to take your time, explore and accidentally stumble your way into its quests. It’s very experiential, immersive in some ways but definitely antiquated. When you initially set off into Magalan’s wasteland, it’s a visually impressive yet seemingly empty steppe that meets an icy tundra. Especially when Elex II pulls no punches with its difficulty, with respect to its engrossing exploration, and progression. None of these functions are a major deterrent from enjoying the combat as learning to overcome these oddities has a rustic charm of yesteryear. Gunplay also has a weird obscurity, as sheathing and unsheathing your weapon is a quicker reloading method than watching the locked animation. It’s strange because most games that look like Elex II have finely tuned combat feedback for the player’s benefit, whereas here it feels like something ripped from the mid 2000s.

It’s as if every fight is a naked oil wrestling match with lasers and magic. Melee attacks have a floatiness to them, you slide off of and towards engaged enemies in a strange capacity. Whether you’re casting magic, shooting laser weapons or bludgeoning enemies with a caveman club, combat in Elex II can be best described as an obtuse, yet satisfying experience.

As a whole, it’s by no means brilliant or deeply insightful but uplifts a story that might otherwise be passé.ĭictating your overall playstyle is the vast plethora of skills that hits all the notes you expect it to. It’s a consistent and well-layered theme that runs throughout the entire game, only growing more prescient the more you discover about your common enemy the Skyands and their motivations. What elevates it beyond simple political disagreements, both internal and external to the factions, is the poignant characterisation of these conflicts being petty squabbles in the face of total annihilation.

Albeit the conflicting ideological positions and territory disputes of the five factions creates an interesting enough backdrop to carry the weight of said broomstick issue. Characters in conversation are animated and emote like a broomstick leaning against a wall, occasionally shifting in a breeze when they need to do something very specific.

It genuinely feels or at least creates a believable illusion, that the world perceives you and your actions, with most NPCs’ (especially your companions’) affection towards you being able to be shifted between hatred and adoring love.Ī fair warning though, there is a stiltedness and flat delivery of a lot of the voice acting. Examples like walking with companions to their quests instead of fast traveling or closing a door during a break & enter give this mystique of the game testing you at every turn reminding you that it isn’t strictly your dialogue or faction choice dictate the outcomes. Now while this sounds like every videogame plot ever, and it is, it’s the incorporation of player-choice that uplifts it in an unexpected way.Īt both a macro and micro level, Elex II shines brightest when it’s bonking you on the head with consequences for some of the most innocuous decisions you make. With it comes an enormous world and story that has you, Jax, a gruff, bland, and stereotypical protagonist from a bygone era trying to prevent Magalan from being colonised by a race of cosmic beings called forth at the end of the previous game. One that is surprisingly mostly killer and rarely filler.

Elex ii voice cast