Gothic fans rejoice!

Have you been waiting for a game in the vein of the Gothic games? Then this might be the game for you. Risen scratched that itch, but its sequels strayed away from the formula.

ELEX is a game that is very unforgiving in its earliest hours, but you will become an absolute beast in the end. At first, you will have to be very careful of your surroindings. Stay close to settlements and try to do quests there. Why? Because even the most harmless looking monster can wreck you. As you gain levels and better armour, you will be able to explore further into the wilderness. Beware though, that overconfidence in this game will be punished. Companions that you recruit can make life easier for you, and buy you some time, but you can't completely rely on them. Coming back to an enemy that could one shot you 20 hours earlier and return the favour feels really satisfactory. Bigby, I'm looking at you.

There are three different ways to tackle combat, melee, ranged or magic. All three ways are viable and it isn't wrong to combine these styles. One important note about melee combat. At first, the game has auto target enabled. I advise you to disable this option as soon as possible for your own sanity's sake. You can block, dodge, roll, use your jetpack to hover in the air for ranged attacks or even a jetpack melee attack. The game uses both a stamina system and mana system, so be careful when fighting. There are fast and heavy attacks, direct ranged attacks or blast attacks and damage over time attacks. There's a summoning spell and some buffs.

The weapon categories include these types: one handed, two handed, ranged and heavy ranged. You can improve your weapons for money with crafting. Upgrade or unlock gem sockets. Maybe add an element to the weapon. My only complaint regarding weapons is that the unique ones are mostly not on par with regular stuff that you upgrade. This is especially true for melee weapons. There are som cool unique ranged ones.

You improve your character stats with attribute points that you gain on a level up. The higher your attribute, the more points will be needed to raise it. Note that no attribute needs to be raised to the max. I do not think that attributes add a lot to your character's power. They allow you to pass the requirement to wield equipment and magic. There are also skill points. Different skills require a certain amount in some attributes. Skill points can't be allocated directly. You need to find the right skill trainer for the right skills. You can also find and craft different kinds of Elex drinks. They give either, exp. Attribute points or Skill points. There is much else to be crafted, but you'll have to find out what on your own.

My favorite parts of the game are quests and exploration. While the game doesn't have the best writing or the best looking environments, they have structured them in a great way. The jetpack adds another dimension to exploration. Find places that would like only be a vista to look at in other games. Finding some old world ruins to scavenge while hoping that a slime drakon or something else don't jump you gives a great feeling of excitement. There are many nooks and crannies to search. As for the quests, you can join different factions and it will give you a different experience. You can still accept some quests from the other factions. Many quests can be handled in different ways, which might have very different outcomes.

The story wasn't anything special, but it was interesting enough for me to want to know what would happen next. There will be some twists and turns later on.

My main complaint about the game would be the UI. It doesn't look great and its functionality leaves something to be desired. The inventory is more appropriate for a console game. There are barely any numbers, which for me, is a fun part of rpgs. I raise my magic energy, but how much do I have? No idea.

All in all, this is a great game and for me, the best game of 2017. This is despite some flaws here and there.