It was just released on GOG, and you can find it here.

I know we have some GameBoomers who are Gothic fans, so I wanted to bring this to your attention.

I don't speak that language

Excellent, Marian! Thanks for the heads up. Elex looks like something to look forward to.

What language are you talking about, Guybrush?

Whatever language that link lead to it wasn't English. I had to close that window and reload gog myself to get English.

Hmmm... everything was in English for me. There was one review in German and part of another one in Polish, but the link was the regular GOG link with English. Strange.

I watched the trailers and it just doesn't look like Gothic to me. I miss the medieval settings and sword fighting as well as the animals you have to battle. I loved the Gothic games but this seems more like a war game.

Sometimes people do post their reviews on the GOG website in other languages.

Every once in a while the entire GOG site comes up in a different language -- German, French, Spanish, even Polish. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen it -- and I saw it earlier this week.

Close your browser and retry the exact same link. You might have to empty your browser cache, but it shouldn't happen twice.

Thanks for the reminder Marian! We had an earlier thread going on this shortly after its announcement. While the game is by the same production house and development team who put out Gothic (THQ Nordic,) it is a departure from that particular series.

It's more of a science fiction/post-apocalyptic themed RPG; combining technology with the stylizations of high-fantasy. By leveraging the post-civilization setting, they can inject any kind of tech, weaponry or beasties they want into the settings.

The producers describe it as follows - From the original press release:

"Developed by Piranha Bytes, creators of the award-winning Gothic and Risen series, ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience set in a post-apocalyptic science-fantasy universe, and puts players into a huge, seamless open world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action. From swords and axes to bows, crossbows and harpoons, ELEX offers one of the widest selection of weaponry in the history of role-playing. Pick up a shotgun, power up a plasma rifle or unleash a flame thrower – there’s a weapon and combat style for every fighter out there. Then find a companion, choose a faction and influence the world; in ELEX, every choice will forge the future of your game."

Here's a link to the ELEX website for more infomation.

I feel the same way, Pokey. I'm a "dyed in the wool" bow & arrow gal myself

But thanks very much for the update, Marian

[And GOG definitely came up in English for me :)]

I watched a couple more trailers that look a bit more like Gothic or Fallout, though they use very modern weapons.

http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/256684337/movie480.webm?t=1498512463

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saiu5NbvK9A&feature=youtu.be

I really just don't fancy this one

I so much prefer the "old" Gothic style environments and weapons such as swords, etc !!

Well, I just bought it. I was playing a ridiculously difficult game of Oblivion (Mage skills and speechcraft only) and am limping along. Perhaps after a bit more of this abuse from everything stronger than a rat or crab I'll load Elex up and see what's what.

I will be very interested to hear your thoughts about it.

It'll be next on my list. In the end I abandoned Fallout New Vegas. Great game, but I decided to take a break. Something new appeals. And hey, Elex sounds like a cross between Oblivion and Fallout, so what's not to like?

I do hope you like it. You were one of the people I thought would be interested in this news when I started this thread.

When ever I see these mash-up RPG's I always think how cool it would be if someone brought Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura into a modern day graphics engine.

I'll never forget how much I laughed when my character was strafed by an Orc in a WWII bi-plane. Truly a classic.

The game is downloading...and downloading...and downloading...I set it to download last night and much to my chagrin it was still only at 29% this morning because my lazy computer decided to have a long nap.

But now I know how to tell my computer NOT to sleep when I'm downloading a large file.

How frustrating! I hope it's done soon

Games have gotten so bloated...

Gothic -- 796.9 MB
Gothic 2 Gold -- 2.1 GB
Gothic 3 -- 3.1 GB
Elex -- 26.4 GB

Wow

Okay. First impressions; it's Gothic, more or less. Same tough guy hero -- and I take issue with that. Surely by now we could have a badass woman hero! I mean, seriously. What that says about the game`s developers. You`d think they`re just a bunch of guys that never met a woman other than their mothers. This is the 21st century. We got women doing all kinds of stuff now. Not just kitchen and babies! We too can be heroes! Lots of games have female protagonists! Really, they do. Get out more, you guys! There`s more to life than programming and pizza. Get out of the basement and check it out someday.

Anyway, rant aside, the game has the same controls as Gothic. I was just able to jump in and start playing. The menus are a bit more complicated, and there is one combat move that has me stumped because I have no idea what to do (it's very cool anyway), but basically it's the same deal. You're alone and helpless. Find a faction to join -- combat, mage, or what have you. Gather stuff. Level up. The presence of collectible plants clearly means alchemy in one form or another. It looks as though the levelling options are pretty cool, varied and branching, though it`s a bit early to tell. The acting is as bad as Gothic, which is to say a bunch of guys (again with the guys) delivering tough guy lines in tough-guy-ese.

I`ll keep going for a while and let you know how it goes, but so far, I like it.

Sounds good to me, hagatha.

Thanks, hagatha. Nice of you to test it out for us. I am more encouraged.

My first impressions tell me that if you like Gothic and Risen, you'll like this. Even the music is Gothic-like.

The plot is as follows: a comet hit the planet. Chaos ensued. Civilization collapsed. Elex, which is what the comet was made of, has polluted the planet. Many years later, some use elex for magic, some use it for technology. So far I've met an ally who gets me to the first community, where I meet some other people, get a few quests, and learn more about the other factions. This faction is magic-using and anti-technology. One of the other factions is technology-oriented, addicted to elex (a drug?) and robotic as a result, and the third one is clerics. There's another faction I can't get a handle on yet, but it's early days. And they all want world-domination, natch, because what else?

The graphics are pretty, and on my laptop the game is smooth as silk.

I'm going back to my Oblivion game for a while, but I'll be back to this shortly. I need to figure out that cool (but flummoxing) combat move before I move on in Elex.

Agreed, they should have a female protagonist available by now. Preferably in heels, carrying pizzas that shoot nachos.

Pfft. Basement dweller's fantasy. Though the nachos would be sort of cool. Extra-spicy, right in the eye.

Okay, so I'm now playing this for real. I'll keep you posted.

We will look forward to hearing about it.

It's Gothic, but with way cooler stuff, like a jet pack, and a much more interesting game world. So far, it's great. I'm working on quests for one faction, but I haven't decided where I'll end up -- sort of like in Gothic, the first place you land gives you some easy quests and some idea about what the other factions are like.

You're tempting me now, hagatha

The game world itself, at least in the first part of the map, is quite lovely, verdant green forest dotted with crumbled buildings from the industrial era before the meteor -- sort of like Fallout meets Gothic, really. Old technology (which is banned among your first-contact group) can be found in these locations. Near the settlement, the usual Gothic-style low-level critters abound, like the snappers and giant rats, only with different names.

Levelling up gives you ten character points to spend (the usual Str, Dex, Con, etc), as well as a skill point for buying what seems like a wide-ranging number of skills. Needless to say, I've already invested in the lock picking skill.

The combat is the only thing that gives me pause, but I think I've worked it out. Flailing away will use up what seems to be fatigue, and then you can't hit at all, leaving yourself helplessly open to attack. This is where a level head prevails, because you can block and move around. Also, combat allows for devastating power attacks, similar to those in Witcher, if you get your timing right.

All in all, this looks like a decent game, at least from a game mechanics and character development viewpoint.

Thank you for all that even more tempting detail, hagatha

But A level head in combat ?? Me ??

That's done it !!!!

I know, right? But I'm managing it, and slowly getting the hang of it, just as I did with Witcher, and with Gothic, too, when those critters right at the beginning, on the first hill, seemed impossible, then probable, and then downright easy.

I suppose I might persevere if the game as a whole appealed to me - but a post-apocalyptic setting with jet packs and sci-fi type weapons really doesn't

And I have got plenty of "medievals" not even started yet - so I'm more likely to try those first

Depends on your faction. I'm currently using a sword and bow and arrow.

Wow !! And you can beat the gun totin' folk ????

Well.....I can barely keep up with low-level critters at the moment. But yes, the game eventually CAN send you down that path if you choose it. I found a companion from another faction who has a flame-thrower, so that helps a lot (heh heh...all I have to do is let one arrow fly and he does the rest). He's an android, clearly, though the game hasn't "revealed" that to me yet. But, duh, given his speech patterns. He can be killed, so I have to watch it.

The combat is a bit hard to learn. It's all about timing. Somewhere I'll find a trainer who can get me more Stamina, because that's the key to combat. More stamina = more hits.

Anyway, so far so good. The game was freezing my computer but I've now disabled the autosave and so far everything seems fine. The last game that did that on this computer was Gothic 3 and I never was able to finish it as a result. Guess my laptop doesn't play well with PB games.

Well "good on ya" hagatha. You definitely seem to be giving the game a fair trial !!

Yes. It's definitely worth playing. I see some criticism out there, but honestly it's a decent game. Lots to do.

edit: Now that I'm a few hours in, I can say that this game is pretty tough; as in, seriously get your local quests done before you start adventuring, because it takes a lot of work to level up enough to build your character. I'm Level 12 and most enemies outside the first zone can still drop kick me. I've found three companions so far, and possibly a fourth, which helps. They fight while my Jex bravely runs away.

Heck !! Tougher than normal combat is very bad news as far as I'm concerned

But congrats. are certainly in order for YOU !!

Whew. Sometimes this is punishingly hard. But I keep forgetting I'm only level 12 and I'm roaming the far reaches of the game world. Tactics are required (this is when the jet pack becomes helpful). I suppose I could lower the difficulty if I really wanted to.

There is one way to power up using certain potions, but that steers you towards a faction and ending you might not want, so I'll resist the temptation for now. I just need to get to the point where I can upgrade my weapons. Then I should be fine.

I doubt I'd get as far as you with this game even if I started on the "easiest" difficulty level, hagatha !!

But you know, I remember the first time I played Gothic and wondered if I'd ever get the hang of the combat; it seemed impossible until I'd upgraded my skills and stats. I'm thinking this is much the same. As of late yesterday I can now dispatch quite a few types of enemy without too much trouble, though only one at a time.

As for the science-based versus medieval weaponry and gear, all I gotta say is, I love my flame thrower. I've also got two laser-based rifles, a bow, a crossbow and a sword. No weight limits in this game. I'm aiming to join the low-tech bunch because they have magic, but I can still use all the weapons.

The world is varied and interesting, though not as big as that of Skyrim et al. Searching odd little nooks can net valuable finds like stat and skill-boosting amulets and rings. And I've got a pair of cool sunglasses that highlight objects I might otherwise miss.

It's so much fun to get upgrades

Finally, two upgraded weapons, and I'm now good enough at combat that I can go looking for trouble instead of running away from it!

This game is a lot of fun. Like all PB games, it's a little rough around the edges, but it's a good game nonetheless.

hagatha, it sounds like you are having WAY too much fun! I love it when I finally level up enough in a game to start causing trouble.

Fantastic progress, hagatha !! Well Done You

This game also has a kind of morality score, too. Cold, logical decisions steer you one way, and more emotional decisions another. NPC's remember what you say and do, and I'm assuming some of my naughty behaviour will haunt me later in the game -- you know, the usual RPG thievery, lying and double-dealing.

...or when you lay waste to an entire city, like in Oblivion. Not that I've ever done that personally....

TUT !! TUT !! Shame on you both !! Whoever heard of such naughty goings on ??

But these games practically take your hand and draw you over to all that stuff lying around that okay, belongs to someone else, but I want it even if I don't exactly need it.

In Elex you're stealing mugs and plates and dinnerware and for heaven's sake TOILET PAPER that happens to be lying around in the ruins of civilization (one might argue that if you have toilet paper, civilization can't be too far off). I've fought huge battles to get into a ruined building that contained an old flyer, some plates and a mug.

EDIT: And there is a fast travel option, which means you can go way farther and higher than you really should, courtesy of jet pack, and scoot home when the going gets too rough.

You also have companions, each of which has a joining quest. I haven't found them all yet, but so far I have a drone, an android cleric, an Alb warrior, a Berserker warrior, and a ne'er-do-well outlaw.

I'm appreciating the game world more and more. It's intricate and larger than I initially thought.

*me* "Oh sure, an android cleric, wait, what!?!?"

This game is looking more and more attractive.

Toilet paper? An android cleric? Oh, my. You ARE having way too much fun! I agree, Trail - this is looking better all the time!

Now, I haven't been TOLD that the cleric is an android, but if it talks like Data, you gotta be just a little bit suspicious. His voice is oddly expressionless.

Apparently there is a female companion in this game, though I have yet to find her.

I just took out several low-level bots and a MASSIVE combat bot with nothing more than my sword, my jet pack, and a few healing potions. I haven't joined a faction yet, but when I do it'll be the Berserkers for their magic. At the moment I'm developing my ranged combat skills, specifically for Dex-based weapons, though I have found a bow that requires high Str as well. But it looks as though a primitive weapon can indeed fight against powered weaponry.

Some of the mutant beasts have ranged attacks, which, until I have increased my resistances, makes them hard to target with anything but melee. And every skill like Poison or Fire resistance requires a skill point, and you only get one of those per level. You can find amulets and rings that boost stats and skills. The only other way is to make certain potions, but taking those can steer your personality in a direction you might not want.

NPC's react to things you say and do and this affects the story, as does every death of an NPC -- the game even tells you the story has changed. In what way is not clear, but you have to be careful. No random slaughter, in other words.

This game is definitely beyond my meagre RPG capabilities, hagatha - and I have much admiration for you in your tackling it so well !!

I don't know, Mad. If you like Gothic then you would like this game. I dropped the difficulty level to Easy for a while until I felt I understood the combat, and now all is reasonably well. I feel absolutely no shame at doing this, and I continue to do this for unusually difficult battles. My second game run-through will be on a higher difficulty level.


EDIT: Yes, my Cleric IS an android.

Well obviously, with this game earning your favourable comments, hagatha, I will keep it in mind

As with all Gothic-type games the really good equipment and stuff really goes into high gear once you pick a faction. I think you can actually play this game without joining any faction -- there seems to be a neutral group you can hang with -- though I can't see why you would do that.


EDIT: Oh, yeah. Got me a ranged poison spell and a ranged fireball spell, and it's payback time for all those mutant creatures that killed me with their disruptive ranged attacks.

Hi everyone. Not sure if I should start a new post or jump in here, so please move me if I'm not in the right place!

I was just reading through the posts and had never heard of Gothic, so I went to check out some screenshots. It looks really good but I don't know anything about it really, and was curious if it's anything like Morrowind or Oblivion? (I'm replaying Morrowind again and so am curious if the Gothic series is anything like the Elder Scrolls games) : )

Thanks so much,
Tracy

I would say the Gothic games are similar to stuff like Morrowind and Oblivion .... but more so from the second game onward

And they do have plenty of "story" content. Which is what I like

[The original Gothic had slightly less "easy to handle" controls. But I managed them so they can't be too bad ]

I have a Gothic Collection of (I think) 5 games now and have played two and a half of them so far - and have to say they are definitely my type of RPG

Tracy, the Gothics are great games, but not really as "open world" as the Elder Scrolls; in the first two games in the series the world is smaller, though somehow that doesn't matter because the content is so good. Also, the first two Gothics are a little rougher around the edges in terms of visual polish. But in terms of story and re-playability, they are awesome games and well worth playing, especially if you can get them cheap. Loads of fun and highly recommended by this Boomer.

Thanks SO much for your replies, Mad and Hagatha! I appreciate hearing the details because I tend to just look at screenshots and buy stuff based on them, but I want to pare down my impulse buying (lol) so this really helps.

Tracy

I'm pretty sure it was comments from hagatha about the Gothic games that made me want to play them.
I seem to like most games she recommends

[Thanks, hagatha !! ]

Yeah, I get that. I have dozens of games in my GOG and Steam libraries I don't even remember buying!

Better than not having enough games, though, eh ??

So I'm now a level 27 Berserker Paladin. I use mostly magic and bow and arrows, though I do admit to the occasional use of my grenade launcher and sometimes my laser cannon. And yes, a bow and arrows, with sufficient skill and upgraded equipment, can take down a combat robot. Even better is the Fireball spell. Mechs of any kind don't stand a chance against that.

I just found a Thieves Guild of sorts, with several quests to do. At this point, I'm broke. My Paladin armour was so expensive I barely had enough left for arrows. Fortunately, this game repopulates beasts, and they do seem to be levelled to some extent.

EDIT: Correction; enemies levelled to a large extent. All of a sudden there are Trolls everywhere! BTW, many of the beasts are the same as in Gothic, but with slightly different names. Biters=Snappers, eg.


EDIT: Okay, wait...what's that soft pretty music? What's...what's....is that a ROMANCE in a Piranha Bytes game?

Anyway, it's a good game and don't be put off by the technology stuff. I'm playing a straight-up mage/archer just as I did in Gothic.

EDIT: Game finished at level 36 but you could quickly grind up indefinitely until you maxed out all skills if you felt a burning desire to do so). I would give this game a 7.5 out of 10. Lots of replay value, good value for the money. Fun.