Sci-Fi Meets Fantasy In Upcoming Piranha Bytes Game

Nordic Games and Piranha Bytes, the team behind the Gothic and Risen franchises recently announced that they have a brand new game in the works. Called ELEX, it is going to be a bit of a departure from their previous work, thanks to a brand new post-apocalyptic science fantasy universe. The developers are promising a vast, seamless game world populated with interesting characters along with mutated creatures. In addition to plenty of thrilling action the game will also ask players to make deep moral choices on their journey.

Magalan, the open game world of ELEX was reduced to its post-apocalyptic state after a catastrophic meteor strike. Along with the meteor came a substance called Elex, which each faction in the game uses in a different way. Whether being used in weapons or magical powers or even just as a pure stimulant, Elex is highly sought after in Magalan.

Piranha Bytes aims to provide players with all the game elements expected from a great RPG, but within a unique science-fantasy setting. This contrast will be seen in the use of magic versus laser weapons and logic versus emotions, as well as the various factions that populate Magalan. For example, the Albs is a cult that ingests Elex while the Clerics shuns this practice on religious grounds and instead use Elex to construct high-tech weapons. Two other factions, the Berserkers and the Bandits also have their own rules and motivations.

According to Björn Pankratz from Piranha Bytes, the setting for ELEX is something that they have been thinking about for almost ten years. Their aim for ELEX is nothing less than being the most dynamic and realistic RPG sim ever, which are pretty lofty standards indeed. Not only will the game have a complex combat system, but players will also be able to use jetpacks to make exploring even more interesting. ELEX is scheduled for a Q1 2017 release and is being developed simultaneously for PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4.

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