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That transition to dialogue at the end was beyond even Oblivion levels of hilarious. The way the monster just stood there listening patiently just fucking killed me.
Gran Turismo is the only reason I've bought any consoles for the last 20 years. Taking willpower not to go buy a new PlayStation. Since I know it will collect dust when I'm done with GT7.
The unbalanced world is an absolute plus. You really feel getting more powerful. Other games just spawn tougher mobs for you so you're basically always the same. Post-Morrowind Elder Scrolls games are notorious for that. In Morrowind you could literally become a god while in Oblivion the first rat felt like the last demon lord.
The "unbalance world" is the whole point of these games! You cant just go anywhere or fight anything you want as a low level weakling. It feels more scary too to explore witch is fucking cool but then you come back when stronger and it feels amazing.
This is about what I expected, it's a Piranha Bytes game and it does what it says on the tin. I think I'll grab this one despite the jank, as I always love these despite their flaws, it's just simple and honest gameplay. Thanks for the review
yeah screw the story and hand holding.. the fun part was always just stumbling upon a lair of very dangerous creatures then seeing if you could get in, steal their loot and then make it out alive.
I love their world-building and the choice and consequence they provide for the player, but they seriously need to sort out their janky combat. The games would be so much better if they just addressed that one thing. Having said that, I loved the first one, despite its flaws, and I'll buy this one too.
i always love the stories, they are pretty good at story telling. As someone that played all the pyrana bytes games, from gothic to elex, it is always clunkey but there is something there! something powerfull there! I always buy em and ive never regretted it.
I'm so glad you've succumbed to it eventually. I loved the first one, same as all the other games from PB apart from Gothic 3. I've been looking forward to this one for the last 5 years. Nice review!
gothic 3 is such an underrated gem kinda sucks that alot of ppl hate it :( and if you hate because it doesn't work properly and not because of the story or gameplay ect then download these in that order and it will work great 1 gothic 3 patch 1.75 2 gothic 3 patch 1.75 update 3 g3 questpaket 4update2_volversion (for fan made quests) 4 qp update for patch 1.75 ( a patch for the fan made quests) 5 cm 3.1 6 mini mod pack 7 4gb patch
How likely are we to get patches and updates for the things that Mack mentioned in the video? If the problems will be fixed in 3 or 4 years, I'm fine with waiting.
@@aligmal5031 Ali, I have discovered Gothic back in 2002 and since then I have been eagerly awaiting their every game and played them on release day. Gothic 3 was a mess, true, but I could look past that. For me G3 wasn't really a good Gothic game, you know? The quests weren't interesting, the world was too large for it's own sake. It felt disjointed, lacked personality. I can tell you that I felt Arcania was a better "Gothic" game than G3. And that's saying something :( Risen games and Elex all have that personality, intricate quests, characters. Even Risen 2, as much as it is a rather large departure in its Pirate-focused design. But boy I love those soundtracks. Kai Rosenkranz and Björn Pankratz both have done an outstanding job. BTW thanks for the suggested QuestPaket - maybe it's time for me to sometimes revisit G3 - it's been 16 years after all... God I'm old :D
When I was young and played Gothic, I couldn't make out all the jank. So now I remember it as one of the most immersive RPGs I've ever played. I even believe that everything that you've said also applies to Gothic 1 and 2.
I'm glad you stuck through it to get to enjoy it. I had the same experience with elex 1. Start it. Hate it. Quit. Retry later. Spend first 5 hours running around not fighting and just looting because fighting sucked too much. The game grew on me. Didn't put it down until I was done.
Did not expect that! You're basically in line with the fans of the developer's games. The games are janky as all hell and the production value is at times laughable, but even so, there's this kind of magic to the atmosphere that makes you wanting to play it more. And unlike games like Skyrim or Fallout 4, you actually DO get rewarded for pushing on in Elex. Whether it be from the story/quests, or from the progression, or whatever else.
I dont see "very little level balancing" as a downside, it's literally how piranha bytes games are always designed on purpose. It's to have a less streamlined, hand-hold approach like most new games have. You get ur ass kicked and come back later for revenge, it gives you a feeling of progress/accomplishment, it's boring as hell when you just follow a path and kill everything in the way
Their older games used much more sensible difficulty zoning so you could make sense of areas to visit later. Meanwhile the balancing in Elex 1 in terms of enemy difficulty placement felt completely random which I guess is the product of the (imo) counterproductive size of the world.
This is true I agree with you but I also think there should be so.e sort of clue as to how tough an enemy will be. Some areas generally being harder than others or etc
I've played both Gothic games, then Risen was the last one but it just felt like the same game all over again. Now I see this Elex, it's still the same clunky mess. They really need to improve this after 2 decades.. seriously
I hope you give elden ring another try once its fixed. The balancing thing you talked about here reminded me of it. Never quite sure which enemies are going to one shot you.
I loved Elex 1 so much so I'm glad this got a sequel! Yes it's rough, but these guys really care about the games they make. They aren't following trends or milking people for DLCs, they're just making the games they want to for their staunch fans it seems.
@@NORWOODShadow not all their games gothic 1 and 2 are great for their time risen 1 and 3 are less clunky than elex and gothic 3 with patches in working great
The original Elex has been my favorite open world game despite all its clunkiness. There's something about Elex that I can't explain but it's just magical. I can't pin point what exactly it is, whether it's the world, atmosphere, characters, etc, or some combination of them but the end result, while very flawed, was pure magic. Seems like Elex 2 is following the exact same route. Not much seems to have changed, which is unfortunate as Elex had many things to improve on, but it seems like it still maintains the original's magic, which is a good thing as many sequels don't live up to their predecessors. A small note on your comments regarding balance, it's not that the game lacks balance it's the Piranha Bites special of starting extremely weak and slowly but surely growing ever stronger to emphasize your growth as a player and character throughout the game. It's so unlike most games that it just feels off, but once you understand that it's intentional you learn to appreciate this design. Same goes for the open world itself. It doesn't restrict you at all regarding where you can or can't go, which is a good thing, as most open world games aren't truly open world because they level cap you or divide you into different zones based on your progression. In the original Elex you could decide to take on the albs, who were some of the toughest enemies in the game, right from level 1 if you so chose, but than unless you're an absolute god at the game you get 1 shot and die. That's not lack of balance, instead it's absolute freedom to explore an open world game. It's up to you as the player to determine what your character is and isn't capable of doing, through both common sense and trial and error.
When you said: "I love it and I don't know why". That is the feeling I had since I ever played Gothic 1 first Piranha Bites game as my first game ever at age of 10. Most people of my age have their first game Oblivion but I was introduced to gaming world and to love for RPG via Gothic. Since then I played all their games. They all share the same feeling. Open world with lots to do and discover, but everything is walled not by content but by difficulty and level of mobs. So you many times go around some mobs and think what could be there for loot ... but you can't go there. Ever since I played Gothic 1 I fell in love with their games especially with Gothic 3 .... I can't wait for their remake of Gothic 1.
You described EXACTLY why I love PB games. The feeling of crawling your way inch by inch up the food chain and the satisfaction of stompin the bastards that made your early game hell
For anyone who's wondering which enemies are too dangerous to you just look for the scull icon to the left of enemy's health bar (it doesn't say if you will die in 1 or 3 hits, but as general indicator it helps)
Getting rid of carry weight in a looter-shootery action game is great IMO. That's one of the things I don't like about Borderlands or Cyberpunk: every 10 minutes or so of action means my inventory is full. 🙃 Lots and lots and lots and lots of running to drop off vendor trash. Or not running: crawling. _Full inventory speed. Immersive heavy backpack. Aaaaaah! 🛎_
I wouldn't call cyberpunk a looter shooter. It's an open world story driven game. Enemies MAY drop their weapons but they're not shitting out 10 weapons at once like borderlands
@@Cypeq I hear Mack say there's 70 hatchets in his inventory and I start to think about looter-shooters. It may be too specific a term for a broader set of mechanics; plenty of games have the [carry too much and go slow], such as Skyrim. But RPGs in general are a subjective genre: what's an RPG vs an "action game", and so on: I suppose I'm thinking of looter-shooter-ism a similar way. If you disagree, I'm probably just wrong. 🤷♂️
Just don't pick up the worthless stuff, or bear in mind the price to weight ratio when you pick things up (if you're in it for the money). Many valuable items have no weight so you can hoard them like crazy. And recent 1.5 patch in Cyberpunk made even more weightless (such as grenades, I believe).
Elex has to be janky, it's an gamer's game for gamers.. No public testing, no marketing meddling, no measured audience reactions BS, no targeted demo , no NFTs or dopamine circle-jerks, just an actual passion project and it shows. Bunch of folks made their D&D tabletop session into a game, played it and what the heck, sell it..for what its worth.. I bet it's the same as Elex 1, first you really don't know what, where or why but once you get a hang of things, it's an really great open-world old-school game(no hidden agenda's, no selling microtransactions, no loot boxes, nothing of the sort, just an honest B+ game). And, let's be honest here, when was the last time anyone enjoyed AAA+++ game(and, what the heck does that even mean, just marketing)? It's all forced and phoney(and, don't get me started with horrible obnoxious marketing campaigns that turn even an good game into an bad one).
It would be so cool if more people would think like you. We would get better games again. I respect them, that they did not go for the mainstream bullshit. It's a janky game, but a good/fun and honest one.
@@snaski2738 Slight joke about how "good" games were once an monthly thing, then yearly and now we maybe get one good one per generation of consoles, rest are just derivatives.. I get development cost, but no one asked for 100mill marketing campaigns or even worse for what is basically crap(and, at the end if the day, these are just games, not second jobs or "careers" outside development). Good product always got recognized all over world even before RU-vid.
To sum up Piranha Bytes games in a nutshell: They always come with many technical issues, mediocre graphics, but somewhat an enjoyable experience, because you can feel how passionate the developers are at their work.
Elex 1 was one of my favorite rpg's ever. The exploration, freedom of who you can kill, the combat while clunky rewards learning it, excellent story, and the non hand holding (high level and low lvl enemies in eevery zone) made it a great playthrough. For some reason the whole is way better than all the individual parts and I can't wait to play Elex 2
OMG MAC WELCOME BACK!!!! I absolutly loved this review. In the beginning you had me thinking, OK I reckon I am going to refund it. Then you hit me with the curve ball! Great review and OMG the ending was hillarious. It's so nice to have ya back. Thank you for a great review. Even if you would have thumbed it down, I was onboard with ya. I sure hope you read this one as I was a bit rough on you the Elden ring one. Anyhow, cheers from an old Pong player :)
I dont get the complaint about "unbalanced world", I see it as a positive, things dont revolve around you. Other then that, absolute banger of a review!
@@Charok1 I don't think it's mediocrity at all - it's unique - and I am a massive gothic fanboy - also loved Risen (less so their later ones) - their approach to game making is very different - but there is something in the aesthetic of it all that I have always enjoyed
Honestly Piranha Bytes is one of the best developers.. not because of graphics or anything, but because of putting alot of love and thought into their games, I got sucked in for hundreds of hours into Gothic series from 1 to 3, and I got some of my favorite gaming experiences I EVER had. Elex is something you definitely don't want to miss if you look for some fun immersive game.
Mack just understands the Piranha Bytes magic :) The games are clunky, yes. But they have soul and a strong identity. PB really cares about creating a compelling and immersive game world.
While I never really liked the gameplay, the World of the Elex games I've always found interesting to explore, with it's odd juxtaposition of Fantasy/medieval elements, Sci fi technology plus Mad Max esc settings sort of clashing with each other, almost like three separate time periods crashed into one another.
Gothic 1+2 are the best openworld A-RPGs to this date. While modern Piranha Bytes games still pertain some of their old magic, their first two games still are two school grades above the rest. They are timeless masterpieces and i love them so much.
I have a soft spot for these “middleware/AA” games. And this Developer makes some of my favourites. Looking forward to picking it up when I clear my backlog.
Mack, the combat is not that spamy if you know how to use it. Use the kick to throw enemies on the ground and drain their stamina , etc. This way you could fight much stronger opponents.
Anyone who's played a Piranha Bytes game knows what they're getting into, and you either enjoy it or you don't. I think they make fantastic RPGs despite the rough edges.
I have this, and it is super fun, and looks a lot better than any review video i have seen. Im at a super smooth 60fps 4k max settings. Combat gets a lot better when you skill up, and get better weapons. This game, is like getting new content for the old games we love.
love me some piranha bytes games ...been a fan since Gothic series...they just know how to build worlds and all the jankiness is a must imo...great game, will get for sure !
the part about how the world isn't like a movie set, hit me hard! i wanna play the game just for that reason! but then i just realized my system cant handle it so i might have to settle for the first one :(
So glad you looked beyond its obvious flaws & you could see that this is a brilliant franchise. Most will probably fall at the 1st fence. Others will say "right I cant do this quest. I need to go away & come back when im stronger". Its a game for old skool gamers
Yeah I felt exactly the same with the first one.. it had so many clunky issues but t was just such a fun game once you got into it.. picked this up yesterday but did not get chance to try it out and was hoping for more of the same.. by the sounds of it thats exactly what i will get :) PB are kinda known for their clunky games that just suck you in.. the Gothic series are a perfect example.
I love this review . A review from a real gamer. Don’t need flashy shit. Give us a damn open world and let us do what we want to do. I’ll buy this once I finish the first one.
Goggles it and one of the first reviews by "gaming outlets" reads: a bonkers RPG hampered by unpleasant characters. They couldnt hack the meanies with the rude words that captivated our mack
i love the balancing in elex and gothic. you DO feel more powerful later on when you take on enemies that used to be deadly before. not like most other games where it always feels like you didn't advance at all because the enemies just level up with you
This game is like those old 80s horror flicks.... It's so bad its actually good. I really mean that in a positive sense. I am massively enjoying this game.
Well, that sums my issues with Elex 1. If I didn't know this was a review of Elex 2, i thought it was an old review from 1. It's nice to know they fix none of the issues of the previous installment.
The problem with this developer is that they specialize in Jank. I feel as if they have no plans on improving and with every game they just hire a new set of 17 year olds to make the game. One giant Jankfest. At this point I'm beginning to think they have a setting in their engine labeled from "1 - To Jank".
That's how Piranha Bytes games are. Lots of jank but cannot stop playing them, because no other studio does open world exploration quite like them. Risen 1 was the only one with legit good melee combat, but after that they went back to shitty combat again.
great review! try part 1 its pretty great. esp. if you enjoyed this, safe bet! somehow i was not patreon this month. i will fix! hope your arm is better Mac.
This is why you are my number one source for game reviews! I played first elex and thought it was a clunky jankfest, BUT I found enough in it to overall enjoy the game. When I seen the sequel I hoped it was a fixed and polished shiny new elex, but it sounds like the same old Piranha Bytes style, somehow just ok enough, but poorly done and rough around the edges.
If you ever wanna see the roots of what made that studio so popular I can definitely recommend Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 to you, also Risen 1 is quite nice. The first two need patching but once you do that and get past the tank controls you are in for a good time! Would be nice for a classic review.
Is the Elex series made by the same guys behind the Gothic series. Elex 1 is pretty good if you install the community patch and some fog removal patch. The game can be a bit clunky but it oozes atmosphere, I played Elex 1 for 85 hours and rarely ever fast traveled. Its one of those games where you end up enjoy exploring and doing your own thing.
That's how pirahna bytes games are, on a technical level very lackluster but they make up for it with a believable world, characters and awesome stories. I really wish gothic 1 and 2 would be remastered at some point, the exact same games but with better (modern) controls and graphics updates but No changes to the world or story.
So it still has that Gothik DNA that the first two Gothik games from German developers Piranha Bytes had - clunky, great worldbuilding, no handholding and fun. Would be fun to check out.
theres a unique, traditional and actually good reason why you come across characters that will stomp you, its not lack of balance, its their traditional world building that many of us really like, to understand check a video called, a love letter to gothic s open world design
"Lame story and a janky, disjointed mess, and I just can't stop playing it!" Ha ha. Best review I've seen in a long time. I'll buy a ticket to that mess too. Thanks for the review.
Thank you for making me have to clean my monitor after spitting out my coffee this morning on that last Mutant Bug conversation. Glad you're back doing reviews and being hilarious as always.
This puts me in mind of an episode of Sex in the City where one of the foursome is dating a guy who just slobbers all over her when they kiss. When she breaks up with him, she tells him it's because he's a terrible kisser. His response is "yeah, that's my thing." Piranha Bytes has had every opportunity to clean up their signature jank, but they don't, because it's their thing.
So excited for this Game. While Risen and Elex never reached the amazement I felt with Gothic (which I sure replayed about 15 Times) Piranha Bites Games just have their own magic to it. While for sure they have bugs and feel clunky, you just feel that it's a real game from developers that really love what they are doing with the limited resources they have. And others mentioned it already - the balancing in these games is what I love about them the most. Leveling up and then go back to areas where your ass got kicked a few hours ago just feels too good. You just can do whatever you want but you always have to be aware of the consequences. Great that you found enjoyment in this one, mack!
You are the most honest and fair reviwer on the whole interweb :D :))))) Great review ! I Thank you for this review !!! I am sick of all the people seeing all the bad in the game and not seeing any of the good but you nailed it ! A really fair review ! Beers are on me :)))) ! loved Elex 2 ! Also I subscribed ! Cheers brother !
The skull on top of emeries is an indicator that they are too high of a level for you atleast in Elex 1. But I prefer how it was in Gothic where there are no enemy levels, just tougher enemies very well put in the right areas of the map where you will only be able to explore later in the game.
If you haven't already, try Gothic 1 and 2, the masterpieces of Piranha Bytes, RPG-gems that are often overlooked in the western gaming world (but are highly popular here in Germany and eastern Europe). It seems you felt the good ol 'Ruhrpott-Fantasy' and you liked it, so you'll probably like Gothic aswell, they have that, but better, at least imho. Its brutal, its dark and everyone is an arsehole or worse and the whole world just makes sense, the people in it and everything, the immersion is off the fcking roof. It is a bit clunky aswell, but the combat actually works once you've gotten used to it and you have the same thing like in Elex, where nobody levels with you so in the beginning, you get your cheeks clapped by every little bird thing and in the end, you can be the arsehole yourself. I could probably write whole paragraphs about it, but one has to try it oneself. G1/2 are my nostalgia gems, but I think they stood the test of time quite well; there are patches online and I'd actually recommend playing it in german with english subtitles cause the english sync seems to be horribe (I'm german so I'm biased doe but I've seen ppl play it in English having fun too, mostly due to some really ridiculous voices and accents lo)l. Elex 1 (havent played 2) had bits of that atmossphere and brilliance that Gothic had, thats why I enjoyed it, but G1/2 are on a whole different level.
