Based on the ending to the first Elex, its sequel always had a clear objective: protecting the planet from an otherworldly threat. Elex 2 not only realizes that goal but pulls together a story with plenty of turns and twists, while also setting up for a proper threequel. Truly, at the end of the day, Elex 2 delivers on its marketing promises and is what a proper open-world RPG and sequel should be.
Elex 2 will not be for everyone, however, and it’s highly recommended that the first game is played before it. Otherwise, there are a lot of nuances that players will not be able to pick up on. But, up-front, the biggest hurdle for some players will be that Elex 2 is clearly a Eurojank game. Eurojank is a subgenre defined as ambitious games that punch above their weight, typically missing a level of polish expected of AAA games.
Indeed, someone looking for stellar graphics will likely be disappointed in playing through Piranha Bytes and THQ Nordic's Elex 2. Its facial animations, textures, general graphics, and more are nothing to write home about. Some mistake Eurojank games as something often riddled with bugs too, but this is a common misperception. In our entire playthrough of Elex 2, bugs were rare and never intrusive. Overall, what Elex 2 may lack in appearance and polish is made up for in sheer depth.
In Elex 2, players once again lace up the boots of Commander Jax. Although he was once a hero in the game’s setting, the planet Magalan (which was wrecked by a comet), his deeds have been forgotten to time. Thus, players must once again pull together all the factions of Magalan to face a new threat: the Skyands. In doing so, players will learn more about the history of the planet, the purpose of Elex, the arrival of the comet, and who the Skyands are. While it may seem simple on the surface, Elex 2 will make major reveals throughout the game—always tugging the player to return for the next mystery.
In Elex 1, there are three factions players can join: Outlaws, who are the rough and tough bandit-like faction of Magalan; Clerics, who are highly religious and can effectively use technology; and Berserkers, who use mana and magic to try and restore the world. Elex 2 retains all of these factions, allowing players to side with them in the coming war, but expands on them in the best of ways.
Not only has the elapsed time impacted their presence and power in Magalan, but players are given even more Elex 2 factions and choices beyond these. Players can also join the Albs, who were the primary antagonists of the first game, as they’ve grown and learned from Commander Jax. Players can join the Morkons, who worship the God of Oblivion and embrace death, allowing players to have an almost Barbarian or Death Knight-style build. And, should they so wish for the most punishing playthrough, they can refuse to join any faction.
Players will be joined by their companions, though. Many familiar faces from the first game return, though there are brand new companions in Elex 2 as well. Each has their own compelling story, if their quests are somewhat repetitive. Generally speaking, players will either travel to a place to kill an enemy or enemies or go looking for something, upon which players will need to kill enemies. Still, the overarching stories of each companion are interesting and varied, and the potential romances of Elex 2 are much more intricate and mature than the first game.
Elex 2's dialogue and choices also operate off a fairly standard morality system. Players' words and actions can contribute to Jax's Destruction score--a low one means Jax is a good person, a high one means Jax is an evil person. Its impact on the overall game is rather minute, but it does impact how one deals with companions. It's entirely possible to be locked out of choices because of a Destruction score.
On the other end of the spectrum, combat is more refined than Elex 1, but still not quite to the level of many RPGs nowadays. Players can parry, dodge, and use unique faction abilities, while improving their weapons and armor throughout the game. The variety of weapons and armor is quite limited, but as most of this should tie into a player’s faction, it doesn’t prove to be a big detriment to the game. One improvement that really sets Elex 2 apart from its predecessor is the use of the Jetpack.
Not only has its functionality in the open world been improved, but it now has proper uses in combat. Players can “hover” and that allows them to face flying foes in the sky or zoom down to enemies on the ground. Even if the animations are somewhat repetitive, there is nothing more thrilling than seeing Jax do a barrel roll through the sky to melee a flying enemy.
Where Elex 2 truly shines is in its open world. Players are encouraged to explore every nook and cranny of it, especially areas dominated by factions. It’s a world where aliens, fantasy creatures, and robots are around every corner, and players are going to get jumped, insulted, helped, shook down, and admired at every turn. This isn’t some form of check-list open-world game, where the map is scattered with a bunch of icons to complete. No, instead, it’s an open-world game in its purest form, complete with the freedom of exploration, the ability to go anywhere, the sense that the world is living and breathing, and the rewarding sensation of the adventure.
On top of this, the sheer quest variety and detail of the game is top-notch. Of course, there are some generic quest types like kill X enemies, escort this NPC, or fetch something, but all of this falls to the wayside for its unique quests. Without going too far into spoiler territory, Elex 2 runs the full gamut of RPG quests, and players will find themselves doing something different every time they turn around. Elex 2 is a time investment that truly respects players' time, giving them plenty to do without just throwing them a list of activities to complete.
However, it should be noted that come Elex 2’s final chapter, players will be doing a lot of fighting—against the Skyands, against rival factions, and against everyone if need be. Elex 2 players will be preparing for war this entire time, and once the war comes, the battles truly feel epic if somewhat repetitive. Still, for a game where the majority of quests are uniquely satisfying and this war is clearly coming, it only makes sense from a design standpoint.
Ultimately, Elex 2 has some small shortcomings like any video game but not where it matters. If players can look past the rough edges, they’ll find an open-world RPG that puts others to shame and a proper sequel that takes everything from the first game and improves upon it tenfold.
Elex 2 releases March 1 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided an Xbox Series X code for the purposes of this review.