What happens when you fail in the open world "Elex 2"? A "second life" full of mistakes

An open-world game where you can land in a vast world and explore it at will. There are also works where you can enjoy interacting with NPC characters, and you can call that experience a "second life" that you can enjoy only for a while. "ELEX II" is also a work that allows such an experience. It is an open world game in which the impression of people and even relationships with powers change through the player's decisions. However, in this work, Happo-beauty does not work. Who will you side with and who will you give priority to? Actions always have consequences. It is a work that allows you to taste both the sourness and the sweetness of relationships with people.

This time, THQ Nordic Japan gave us the opportunity to dive into the world of "ELEX II". This work is available for PS4/PS5 package version/PS4/PS5 download version/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S download version/Steam version. In the Steam version, I acted according to my intuition and desires, and challenged my "second life" in a world where human relationships are intertwined. I will tell you about the play experience that makes you feel the breadth of this work, where you can enjoy failures and regrets.

Introduction of "ELEX II"

Before talking about my experiences, I would like to introduce "ELEX II". This work is a sequel to the open world game "ELEX". Piranha Bytes, known for the "Risen" and "Gothic" series, is in charge of development. It is an action RPG with a third-person perspective, and it is a game system where you can freely explore the vast world and interact with people from various cultures.

The stage of this work is the planet "Magalan" where civilization collapsed due to a meteorite collision. The world view presents a fusion of post-apocalyptic, sci-fi and fantasy. Some powers manipulate advanced technology and energy weapons, while others rely on nature and magic to survive. In this work, five factions with such various ideologies will appear. There is no government that governs Magalan, and basically they are wary of each other.

The main character of this work, which is the alter ego of the player, is a man called "Jacks". He was also the main character in the previous work "ELEX" and showed a remarkable performance. On the other hand, in this work, he lives in a remote place and embarks on an adventure with the arrival of a new invader, "Skyand". In order to save Magalan from a new threat, Jax is tasked with working with five factions to create a "sixth power". However, it is not easy to bring together factions with different ways of thinking. The player's choices affect relationships with characters and factions, which in turn influences the development of the story. To get the best results, you need to understand people and make careful decisions.

Can you enjoy "ELEX II" even if you are "self-centered"? I made a decision. This is because most writers tend to be rather timid and always think, "If possible, I don't want anyone to hate me." That's why I don't care about other people's feelings in the middle of the game, and I want to act selfishly. Also, I wanted to see if ELEX II, which requires irreversible decisions if it fails, can be enjoyed even if you play it casually. As a result, this work provided a wide-bodied gameplay that "even failure can be enjoyed".

The first move destroys your home

The film begins with a scene in which Jax returns to his home after killing his prey. The calm atmosphere made me think, ``I wonder if the slow life part will teach me how to operate it and the story will unfold,'' but the wholesaler wouldn't let me down. Our peaceful home was ruthlessly shattered by a sudden meteorite. Adventure doesn't wait, it comes from the other side. What's more, from the meteorite, dangerous creatures with purple marbles on their heads keep springing up. Driven and hit, Jax falls off a cliff and faints.

A character named Adam helped Jax regain consciousness. He plots against a common threat to Magalan: the new invaders Skyand (a faction with marble heads). For that purpose, he proposed to the former hero, Jax, the establishment of the 6th Force, which will serve as a fortress for mankind. Then, he left the jetpack with Jax, told him that he was waiting for him at the northern base, and left. As soon as I tried blowing the jetpack indoors, of course I ended up banging my shaved head against the ceiling.

After going outside, I headed south. He didn't like Adam's somewhat dubious appearance. I also wanted to try out the jetpack that I had just acquired. Jetpacks can be activated at any time during exploration, reaching great altitudes with great speed. When I climbed over the southern rock wall with ease, a group of Skyand was waiting. When I attacked just for revenge earlier, it took more than half of my physical strength with a light blow like a cat punch. The author, who had escaped with only one body, stayed in a small hut for one night to recover his physical strength. Although you can act freely from the beginning, it is a system that involves a certain amount of risk.

The Worst Father

Repenting on my reckless wanderings, I head north where Adam waits. However, there are some disturbing ruins along the way. When I explored, there were many items that existed. Also, if you carelessly fall from a high place, you will take damage by hitting your knees hard. He might have wondered, "When is he coming?"

Taking another step north, you encounter Kaja, Jax's spouse. Currently, she seems to have a considerable position in the "Berserker", a force that believes in magic and nature. They're supposed to be a couple, but when I talk to them, they're awfully harsh, and it seems they don't have very good feelings for Jax. As a result of various consultations, it was decided to protect their son, Dex.

Successfully reunited with Dex, he takes him on his journey north again. However, the appearance of his father that Dex witnessed on the way was a back that single-mindedly snatches things from a private house where people live, let alone ruins. When I encounter a stronger monster, it ends up being decoyed by the author, that is, my father. With this, it can't be helped that Jax is hated by Kaja. Although he is not hated by the accompanying NPCs for stealing, his son silently staring at his father stealing is quite surreal. Also, during conversation events, companions may interject according to their personalities, making various situations even more interesting.

Thank you for waiting, Adam

While I was busy traveling and exploring, I found myself making Adam wait for almost a week in game time. As he waited, he might have thought, "He won't come again." When I joined him, a quest to "negotiate with the five powers", which is the axis of the story, appeared. After a detour, the story of this work finally begins to move. Also, while exploring, the aforementioned Kaja reluctantly joins. It was a trip with three parents and children, but the thing to do is still theft by breaking into a private house. A family of thieves.

Although Kaja doesn't get along very well with Jax, he does a great job as a companion. Because she is a mage, she supports her with powerful magic. Rather, Kaja's combat power is several steps higher in the early stages, and he basically just runs around using her as a decoy. It is natural to be hated. Kaja also has a grumpy side. When he threatened the gatekeeper of a visiting Berserker base with physical strength, he hated him at once. In addition, my feelings are getting worse and worse with each of the author's little words and deeds. On the other hand, even if they are somewhat disliked, they will follow you on your journey. Marriage is a complicated thing.

Also, in this work, people other than Kaja have a lot of cold responses. On top of the collapse of civilization, I think it's only natural for factions to quarrel with each other, but there are still times when they come down and inadvertently threaten them. Each time, there is a decrease in favorability and a penalty that makes you think, "Oh, I failed," but the effect on the progress of the game is not too severe. However, I felt that it was a good balance to feel the retribution, such as being refused in a scene where I should have cooperated.

Also, even though it's an experience in the game, it's fresh to say what you think. It is a system that allows you to act according to your heart even if you hate it. Also, in addition to the auto save function, this work also has a manual save function, so if you don't want to fail in a scene, you may want to try insurance. There were times during my playthrough when I was on the verge of inadvertently punching an angry guard, and a save kept me from losing progress. The guards were ridiculously strong.

The best part of RPG: failing in "ability enhancement"

While enjoying human relationships, it is also fun to enhance the hero's ability. In this work, by leveling up and using items, you can get "AP" that strengthens the main character's various stats, and "LP" that is used to acquire abilities and strengthen the jetpack. There are five types of stats: "Strength", "Physique", "Agility", "Wisdom", and "Cunning", and they have various effects on the game. Specifically, dexterity is required to equip long-range weapons, and physique is required to equip heavy weapons, both of which must have a certain amount of strength. This also affects ability acquisition, for example, hacking ability requires quickness and cunning, which greatly affects gameplay.

There is an element that upset the author's judgment in the ability value distribution that requires such prudence. It's a jetpack. The jetpack in this game feels good. If you take off with one button, you can basically leave the safe area immediately. It is useful as a trump card that can be used at any time in dangerous situations. It is also used frequently for movement and exploration. To be honest, I have a better opinion of the jetpack than the kaja as a travel companion. Therefore, at the very beginning, the author gave a lot of points to the "wisdom" necessary to strengthen the jetpack.

What if you don't have enough stats to equip new weapons? In other words, although he has a big mouth and is wise, he has become a weak Jax who relies on his allies in battle. On the other hand, the regret didn't last long. This is because the jetpack function that I sought was worth sacrificing combat power. The sprint booster, which was obtained by sacrificing physical strength, enabled high-speed horizontal flight, and was useful not only for comfortable exploration, but also for tossing the enemy. Even the status distribution that makes you regret it for a moment, if you make good use of your strengths, it will be useful for your adventure in some way.

Irreversible failures are also interesting

A lot of things happen when you play this game. There are many different endings, and decisions made in quests that you thought were completely unrelated may be blamed for other quests. As an example, there was an act in which the guards suspected him of being kind to a child and hindered his later actions. Although I was about to slash with a thud, I remembered the strength of the guards and put my sword away. However, even casual choices have weight, and the fact that they have unexpected effects later is just like life, and it is also fun.

There are also choices that have immediate consequences. One day, Jacks and his party visit a subway station leading to their destination. However, there were nomads living there who were out of faction. At first, the vagrants were friendly, but their attitude changed after talking to their leader. If you want them to let you through, sell the guest-like quest companions.

To be honest, the guest character who was with me at that time was a bad impression. However, I don't like a man who invites me in with a smile and then threatens me. The author, who was completely confused, immediately refused, saying, "That's fine, I'll take a detour." However, as the conversation continues, the weather becomes more and more suspicious, and the tense tension increases. I couldn't stand the tension, and even though I had other options, I said, "I'll stab you in the ass with my kick," and chose full-scale war.

An army of vagabonds attacking. The person who started the war, the author, fled in the air with all his might. Because you will die the moment you land. After the author's screams and sword flashes stopped, the corpses of vagabonds were lying in piles. Luckily, thanks to the efforts of my friends, I won. However, a large number of vagabonds living in the subway station all died miserably. The author felt a strong sense of pity for the tragic scene in which so many lives were lost, and murmured, "Why did this happen...?" It's because the author got mad. However, perhaps because of his injury, he was able to snatch away the belongings and supplies of the wanderers.

A Taste of Life

I made a ton of other mistakes in ELEX II. On the other hand, there were times when the bullish attitude paid off. Also, no matter how much you screw up, it's rare to be in a so-called "stuck" state. Life as Jax goes on, even if your spouse doesn't like you, or if a wrong choice ends in tragedy.

The many failures and outrages that the author, Jax, has done would not be funny if they happened in real life. But in the game world, we can accept it and make fun of it. "ELEX II" allowed me, a timid author, to experience the joy and risk of acting selfishly. It is a work that you can enjoy the taste of "second life", which includes both sour and sweet.

Also, this work has a difficulty level selection, and I played in normal mode. There are easier difficulty levels, Easy and Story Mode, which can be changed at any time during play. Even those who are not good at fighting can easily enjoy life as Jax. Whether you're a cautious type who doesn't want to fail or a person who believes in intuition and takes chances, we want you to enjoy the world of "ELEX II" in your own way. Your own adventure story or a story on a rare road awaits.

ELEX II is currently available for PS4/PS5 package version/PS4/PS5 download version/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S download version/Steam version.