Piranha Bytes' RPG Game Elex Gets Release Date

The release date for the open-world RPG called Elex from Piranha Bytes, the video game developer responsible for games such as Risen and Gothic, has been announced for later this year.

With the news came a cinematic trailer from publisher THQ Nordic that was uploaded to the publisher's YouTube account on Thursday. There's definitely a lot going on in the trailer, and while it looks interesting, it may be a bit hard to grasp exactly what the game is about just from watching the protagonist make his way through multiple hostile environments. From a hellish Mordor-esque landscape complete with battle mechs to a grungy, dystopian Fallout setting and finally ending in a magic-filled forest, it certainly looks as though this open-world game will have plenty of world to explore.

The story behind the game is that a massive meteor crashed into the planet known as Magalan and turned a prosperous, advanced world into a fractured fight for survival. The mysterious substance known as Elex flew in with the meteor, a resource that opens an array of doors by enhancing abilities, powering technology, and unlocking magical potential. People of the planet weren't sure what to make of the ethical use of the foreign substance, and with those not-so-peaceful discussions came the division of factions that range from Elex-hungry groups to lawless tribes.

As for who players will be controlling, the game's main character is no stranger to consuming Elex to enhance powers, but once you crash far from home, you're cut off from your supply. The use of the resource also blocks the user from feeling emotions, and as withdrawals kick in, you begin to experience emotions for the first time. This is probably a key point where the decision-making element of the RPG comes into play, as there's sure to be plenty of tough decisions to make as you choose to roleplay and align yourself with a faction throughout the story.

A Collector's Edition of the game will be released alongside the base copy that will include props from the game and a map of the Magalan world. Elex is set to be released on Oct. 17, 2017.