Summary So much to like. Held back by so many issues. If you are like me and like PB's games you may like it. But for now the AI and various other littles things NEED to be patched. Also sorry for what some are calling very late game spoiler stuff. I tried to steer clear of it and its quick enough I think it passes. apologies Also any stutter in the video is I guess youtube. So odd. Its not been doing well with its transcodes. But aside from the drops as I said in mists and random little bits it actually is very smooth.

- 1 hour in and " how do I fight? Is it broken?" - 5 hours in and " mmm... I can defeat the weirdest enemy, maybe ....I can ..." - 10 hours in and " ... I see where this going " - 15 hours in and " this new sword is a game changer. Has any weapon its animation set ? Cool !! " - 20 hours in and " Everything has a purpose! Loving it!! " Of course I knew (unlike most critics) I had to avoid and run from too powerful monsters early on. This saved me the unnecessary frustration so many people seem to find. The games wants to be accessible but never easy or compromising. Loving it

first 20 hours was tough, i didn't mind the AI, as for most of the time i preferred to travel alone, i love how hard the game is at the start, basically i spent good amount of time in Goliat ,just doing bits and peaces to lv up just to be able to advance my attributes and skills so i could get a crappy armor and a better sword, but then slowly you progress and start exploring - which i think is the strongest part of PB games, with Elex being best example. The whole experience is slow but so rewarding, traveling further and further from the areas you got to know, discovering all kinds of things, meeting new companions , factions , or just crazy monsters and of course finding a great Loot . I am having a blast with it. 80 hours and counting , did all the missions possible before joining faction, saved the game at the point where all factions would accept me, and joined one, that way after completing the game you can just load and join a different faction to see their point of view, and how it affects the ending. I would Recomend this game to anyone who loves open world exploration RPG's . Yes it is rough as shit sometimes, and has issues, but i think it's a rough diamond that has so much to offer.

Is it just me or did they do a bad job at marketing this game? I never heard of it till now and it looks like something that should be a lot more popular. Hopefully they fix the ai, its wishful thinking to even hope for them to fix the other issues though.

Playing the game now, months later, the AI issues are basically gone, people are fighting and reacting properly. Combat is still janky. The game runs well. It's still the same game he described but the devs have fixed a lot of it.

I was recommended this Review in the commentsection of Gamingbolts half-assed video. Since I'm a massive Gothic fan, a game series also made by Piranha-Bytes, I was really interested in this game. Looks nice and 45€ doesn't sound too much. I'm glad it's not a total disaster. Great Review

7:16 I love how that bird flies XD

You re the only channel whose reviews I watch all the way through and dont just skip to the end for the verdict. Good shit.

PiranhaBytes are like that girlfriend you have too many fond memories of.

PiranhaBytes? Arent they the dudes who made Gothic?

I love Piranha Bytes games. Gothic 3 (with the community patch, of course) is my favorite game of all time. This is the game look forward the most this year. I am sure it will be buggy, glitchy and with technical issues, but I love the atmosphere and handcrafted feeling in their games.

Had never heard of this game before this. Looks pretty interesting though, great review!

Elex may be not for everyone, but the Piranha Bytes Games always deliever in areas where other RPG's are lackluster. It's no polished mainstream product and thats totally okay.

Maybe I pick it up. Clunky rpg's are kinda a guilty pleasure of mine, and it's been a while since I last saw one.

I've been waiting for this...THANK YOU Karak for this particular review. I've been a Piranha bytes fan since 2001 when I played Gothic 1 for the first time and fell in love with their type of games. Gothic 2 specifically is my 3# game of all time and seeing your review solidifies my purchase even more. I cannot wait to dive into this game the second it becomes available tomorrow.

finally a deep rpg. i honestly dont give a crap about the janky combat or lackluster ai, i just want a big detailed world to immerse myself in while roleplaying and this game does just that. the world is just incredibly well crafted with tons of npcs who all got some unique stories to tell. also lots of different choices during quest, which is a big plus in my book

I love all PB Games so far. Also I live in Germany and of course it has some extra delicious "LOKALKOLORIT" on top since the Devs come from here too and they stuff the dialogues with funny accents, voices and cult references.

All I hear: PLAY IT!

I'm excited because Gothic was awesome

Choice to players doing quests? Great. Mix of weapons and abilities? Yes. Large open world. Yeah! I will buy it when i finish divinity 2 and AC Origins. I think this game with patches will be just the fun i needed after finish the games i mentioned.

Thanks for an awesome review as always , one question though, is performance better on ps4 pro/xbox one x vs the original consoles? Specifically in the fps department? Thanks

Probably one of the best reviews I've seen for this title

Thank you for this review. I could not find anything about this game that was not reposted "15 minute walkthroughs and demos". Awesome review as always.

Great review once again. I am very curious to check this one out, since I pretty much skipped the Risen games. I think you hit the nail on the head mentioning the time it takes to get into a PB gameworld. Let's hope they patch up some of the jank.

I've been fallowing this game for a while. I appreciate you doing a video on it. It helps people find out about the game, and gives them the chance to decide whether to buy it or not.

"fantasy peanut & futuristic chocolate" this dude's descriptions

You’re awesome for being the first to review this before it even comes out. My man.

after watching two reviews from you I had to subscribe, they have enough fun comments and are filled with informative info about the game. You seem completely unbiased when reviewing and simply you do a very good job in every aspect of the reviews.

about that bird falling out the sky at 7:05. lol.

I always feel that PiranhaBytes are the little engine that almost could. I wish they just had more backing as it just feels like so many of their games have good to great ideas but are missing a million or three here or there to not have such gaps in what they offer. Here is hoping this game finds it's audience so a publishing team that at least tries something fun often stays afloat. Karak thank you so much for the in depth quality reviews you always do and taking time to spot light this game as you do. An thank you to all your patrons who allow you to stay sponsor free an allow you to be independent and unbiased. Happy Gaming all!!!

Thank you so much for this review! I was so looking forward to this, but I guess I'll have to hold on the buy for now and see how the updates come in. I did kinda expect this, as you said yourself PB is known for it, but I was kinda hoping they'd upped their game. Guess not.

Hi your reviews are the best. I allways check the game I want to buy with you first. I really don't understand people who gives your videos dislike. Gj

@ACG thank you for this looks like something to look for ont he steam sales for Thanksgiving and Xmas. Looks like some good here just too much jank. Thanks again for all the depth and effort and time.

This wasn't on my radar, but damn.. It seems like they have a lot of really great ideas, however they're definitely being held back by execution. I agree with your, "Wait for sale," rating. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

thanks ACG this really helps, ELEX is on sale on steam and i was trying to figure out if its something i would play. thanks to you i think i will get it.

Sounds like my sort of game. Always loved the jank of titles from PB and Spiders. This legitimately has me excited. Soon to purchase.

I'm over 22 hours in, and I love this game. It gets better and better. Despite all the flaws, it has a very beautiful charm. The world is immersive and the enemies do not re spawn unrealistically. The story keeps me going. I felt very weak to begin with but, I'm a lot strong (still not op) and it is so satisfying. I also love the numerous choice you have in dialogue and decision. Accept it for what it is, and you will absolutly love this game! P.S. great review as always Karak.

Looks pretty cool tbh. I'll look at picking it up in a steam sale.

This is the first ACG review I've ever seen, and am impressed. Very thorough, and entertaining. Well done.

Thanks for covering this game. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. I can't say that I am at all surprised by the glitches, but I am very happy to hear that the game world is so interesting and enjoyable. Keep up the good work!

Wait I never heard of this. First glance reminded me of Technomancer which I just played through in the summer and really liked!

Thanks Karak for the review, had my eye on this for a while!

Looking forward to your review of the second episode of LiS: BtS

Please help!! In this review you had shown footage of buying furniture items and had mentioned base building aspects. I have the game on ps4 and am still lower level but have yet to find these aspects in the game. Is it that I'm too low of level or looking in the wrong places, or are there game differences between systems?

I have completed this game, it's really good, unfortunately very few people know it!

Thanks for the review. Been waiting for this, surprised it was early. Hopefully Xmas sale then I'm grabbing it 😁

Think I'll subscribe now. I realized watching this that I've seen a number of your videos and always enjoy them. Great work!

It's weird I haven't heard of this until today, happy to see you did a review

Elex is one of my favourite games ever. Give me a hand crafted world with character and personality over bland Ubiworld shite any day if the week

Now THATS a Review. Thank you. I might think of buying this game now when it gets on sale or if i have few spare bucks.

Just found your channel. I like the way you review games. Especially the suggested price thing! Really good idea that I don't understand why most reviewers don't touch on.

I just signed up, like your reviews, the attention to detail and the sound. And ofcourse humor! My only complaint is that you seem to like almost every game :-) ! Greetings from Holland

Was hoping you would be one of those people(including me) who can look past its problems and appreciate the special game hidden within Wasnt disappointed.

Face animations are better than Mass Effect Andromeda

7:06 the birds look so weird. Btw great work karak on getting review for this game cuz i am not sure if anyone would review the game.

Great review ACG. I know your a busy guy and october must be the best and worst month for you, i was just wandering if your skipping SOW or still working on it. Either way your doing a great job 👍

For me this is the best rpg game i played in a looong time. And believe me, I play a lot. Its not for everyone definitely, but this is a true classic RPG experience. If you are always looking for brand new games with dominant combat, too flashy colorful movie-like realistic graphic - This game is not for you. The thing is, the game is supposed to be like it is (in a matter of everything except graphics- it can always be better). Developers made it just the way they wanted, and believe me, if they wanted to make it different, the way some ppl imagine it should be, they would do it. So, I would say that people completely dont get this game. They compare it to Witcher, Shadow of War, etc. But it just isnt supposed to be like that. Im playing about 30 hours, and its so amazing. There isnt a single thing that that affects my gameplay, not least. Some of the voice acting could be better, but f*ck it, there are so many conversations it doesnt matter anymore. Everyone hate on combat, but what they dont get is You are supposed to be slow weaksh*t getting wrecked by everything. The more you play the more powerful you get. If you think later in game it would feel'like sh*t you are very mistaken. The longer you play the more beautiful game gets, and more dominant your character becomes. All talents attributes weapons armors shields magic other items, there is a whole lot of it and its all planned perfectly as your character progress. It gives real feel of satisfaction and joy. Atmosphere is great, story is great, music is very nice and world looks beatiful. Second thing i kept reading a lot, game is buggy as hell, we need patches etc... What-The-F*ck ? Only thing i find bugging is sometimes combat music if companion is still in combat when you are having a conversation. That is it. I realized ppl find out buggy something that is supposed to be like that and they just dont get it ( example - game is not balanced ( its perfectly balanced ), i die from falling (youre supposed to), stamina fades when i get hit ( supposed..), Companion stand still (you need to attack first for him to act, you are the main character not him, he is not a hunter's pet) etc. ). So this is my opinion, everyone has a right to have theirs, if you hate it hate it I dont give a f*ck, for me its one of the best this year for sure. And yeah, if you do play it, do it on ultra or difficult. And for those Gothic fans who feel like robots and shooting killed Gothic vibe, you are mistaken and should try it, I kinda felt the same but I got amazed how great it all turned together. And Hell, its made of such small team that it is a miracle, for that I would give them bonus rating and respect in my book. Cheers !

facial animations look better then mass effect

Just wanted to say I usually avoid reviews as these videos tend to be either more about pushing a product or the reviewer thinking the video should be all about showcasing their 'KZfaq personality'. I really appreciate that you stick to the details without the need for theatrics. Fact-based mature reviews are a breath of fresh air.

Thanks for the incredibly honest review. I still plan on buying it, based on the fact that they will be dropping a patch today or soon (I think), but I also just love the setting and exploration potential. I hope this game does really well.

Im one of the guys who liked risen trilogy alot,, even with all its problems, i really had funnwith those games So im definately buying this

im too much of a piranha bytes fan, love gothic and risen to not pick this up. gives me an edge on looking past its flaws

Just wondering if you know what the best factions to join are the best one to join in this game I just started playing couple weeks ago

Great review karak.. though i noticed (for the first time in all your videos anyway) some very odd or messed up editing on your end in the video. At least 2 instances where you seemed to cut yourself off mid-word and edit to a new scene / topic. I normally am unaware of your editing as it flows smooth and natural, but I heard and noticed a bit of awkward editing in this video this time around. No biggie, just thought I'd point it out.

Thank you for this reivew, if they patch some of these issues I hope you revisit this game cause it looks really awesome.

I really don't understand why PB can't make a good combat system after around six games. It was decent in the first Risen. Just take that system and improve it.

Great review, I like that it was in depth and concise at the same time. It also seems like there is a lack of bias with the review which makes it helpful. Best rating system ever; I shall wait for the sale on Steam

Thanks for the review. I might give this a go during the barren Xmas/New Year months. Too many other interesting games to play first though. I think they would've been better off releasing this mid January to improve sales

No micro transactions? Bought

Hey Karak, could you review divinity original sin 2 please

Have to say, I love your reviews. They're detailed, honest, and surprisingly humorous. But..the most important thing is you seem to have, if not the same, then similar taste in games. Almost every game I've played, that you have reviewed, I've tended to agree with your reviews. And that is the most important thing when looking for a reviewer. So, thanks for your work, and keep it up

The reviewer clearly understands a lot about how games are made, it's nice to hear specific technical details in reviews.

Hit 40 hours plus wow great game.

Glad to be Austrian.... So the German Voices are just genius, just like always from PB :)

amazing review. very well made. Clear and concise and non biased. Great points and nice job hitting on all the main topics someone could have questions about. This game for me personally was a hidden gem and i really enjoyed it. It took me some time to get use to the sort of clunky combat and slow start but once i was in, i was all in.

immediately subscribe because how detailed this review is, bravo my man, keep up the great work!

Ah man, i swear i thought the jetpack was a big belt that says "MoM" on it.

great to see that the lineage of Gothic continues

Thanks for the great and informative review. I do hope the issues you touched upon, mainly the AI and framerate on consoles will be patched at some point, as although I won’t get it at this point, I will when the issues are mopped up. Cheers

If this gets a good update and continued support I might just look into this. I always meant to try out the Gothic series, I just never got around to it.

Elex 2 has been announced today because THQ Nordic is celebrating their 10 year anniversary!!!

"like, 10,000 square miles of shit is somehow worth more than 1-sq ft of diamonds" lovely analogy.

Hey ACG, I always wanted to ask you. What microphone do you use?

Good video, I love PB's past games so I am excited to play this!

"A house and a couple of vegetables to call his own"...lol living the post apocalypse dream

ACG - Review level 99 - Master

I hadn't even heard of this game and your one-liners have never been better. Been watching you for a while but now I'm convinced to donate to your Patreon.

Great video as usual. Cant wait for your GT Sport review!

Phirana Bytes is a very odd developer for me. There was a time when they where my all time favorite developer and Gothic 1 and 2 was my favorite all time games for a long time. Gothic 3 came out a buggy mess unfortunately, but with the help of an excellent community it became a really great game. Then they released Risen 1 and while it had its issues it brought me back to the golden days of Gothic as a true spiritual successor to that franchise. But then things started to go wrong. Risen 2 was abysmally bad in both setting, story and the combat somehow got worse. I barely even scratched Risen 3 before dropping it as Phirana Bytes seem to not really improve a lot on their game design with each new game. And I still hated the stupid pirate setting. Combat and animations has not really evolved much since the old days and I don't really understand why they are so stuck on these kinds of archaic combat systems. What Phirana Bytes excel at compared to any other RPG developer though is making interesting worlds to explore. There is always something cool to find in their games, and a lot has to do with the fact that the world is more static and there is no stupid level scaling or any such system that makes exploration kinda pointless. It is just sad that they don't try to improve the aspects of their games that constantly gets criticized. I will probably pick this game up later on when it is on a deep sale as there is something magical about the exploration in their games, but they really need to start to get with the times as I am not sure i can go through such a long game with such a lame combat system.

Love it! Fun reminds me of new Vegas sorta. But damn guns swords magic

OMG the birds at 7:05 and 7:15 I lold so hard XD

Good thing about these issues is that they can definitely be fixed over the next couple of months. Looking forward to giving this game another look at a future date.

It looks good enough for me to pick up. As long as the rpg elements and story are good i tend to forgive any graphical or gameplay issues but I probably won't get it right away til the price drops.

All of their games start slow and are very hard. Once you level up and get some gear it only get easier. But I love that since that's how you get stronger and you feel it while playing it. You not God at level 1.

Karak has the most in depth and accurate reviews I've found. Thanks for another one.

Short Circuit reference really made me sit up and take notice :D ! I think if the game has so much flexibility with missions then I can overlook other flaws and go for it.

"A bad guy freaking generator in a mole hill" XD I'm done.

Was waiting for this!!!

Very detailed review, you've got a new subscriber!

Thanks for the review. I found it to be *VERY* helpful! I started a free trial to Gamefly just so I could rent this game. I'm loving it. Like you said, it doesn't start to shine until you get out of the initial area. The outlaw town quests have been especially fun.