What are the pros of ELEX?

Deep and immersive world-building with a large, engaging open world to explore.. Compelling story and characters that provide a strong incentive to progress.. High replayability for players who enjoy the specific Piranha Bytes RPG formula.. Rewarding sense of progression once the player overcomes the difficult early-game hurdles.. Strong atmospheric charm that appeals to fans of old-school, gritty RPGs..

What are the cons of ELEX?

Clunky melee combat design characterized by poor hitboxes and frustrating mechanics.. Significant technical "jank," including animation glitches and occasional crashes.. Extremely slow start that can take 10-15 hours before the gameplay becomes truly enjoyable.. Punishing difficulty curve where early enemies often feel impossible to defeat.. Imperfect movement and navigation mechanics that can feel unresponsive..

ELEX

ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic series, set in a brand new post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy universe that puts players into a huge seamless game world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action.

74%

Mostly Positive

DeveloperPiranha Bytes

PublisherTHQ Nordic

Release DateOct 17, 2017

$29.99

Peak Players22.9K

Metacritic67

Controllerfull

PlatformsWindows

Action

Adventure

RPG

AI Review Summary

ELEX is a polarizing, hardcore open-world RPG that rewards patient players with deep world-building and a gritty, immersive atmosphere. While it suffers from significant mechanical "jank" and a punishingly slow start, it offers a unique experience for fans of traditional European-style roleplaying games.

Pros

Deep and immersive world-building with a large, engaging open world to explore.90%
Compelling story and characters that provide a strong incentive to progress.80%
High replayability for players who enjoy the specific Piranha Bytes RPG formula.70%
Rewarding sense of progression once the player overcomes the difficult early-game hurdles.70%
Strong atmospheric charm that appeals to fans of old-school, gritty RPGs.60%

Cons

Clunky melee combat design characterized by poor hitboxes and frustrating mechanics.90%
Significant technical "jank," including animation glitches and occasional crashes.85%
Extremely slow start that can take 10-15 hours before the gameplay becomes truly enjoyable.80%
Punishing difficulty curve where early enemies often feel impossible to defeat.75%
Imperfect movement and navigation mechanics that can feel unresponsive.60%

Notable Mentions

The game is reported to run well on the Steam Deck out of the box.
Reviewers frequently describe a "love-hate" relationship with the game's unpolished nature.
Success in the game often requires previous experience with or an affinity for Piranha Bytes' specific design philosophy.

Confidence: 73%

Based on the 49 most relevant reviewsGenerated on Sep 16, 2026

Game Vitals

Live snapshot

Player Activity

Current peak

Peak · last 90 days

214

All-time peak

22.9K

Price

Current price

$29.99

Lowest tracked

$7.49since Jan 8, 2026

Review Sentiment

Last 30 days

57%

All-time positive

74%

Review Statistics

Total Reviews19.6K

Positive: 14.6K (74%)Negative: 5.0K (26%)

Reviews from Steam Deck

Dev Response Rate

97h

Avg Playtime at Review

90%

Credible Reviews

ELEX