RPG Codex have released a preview of Elex as well as an interview with Björn and Jenny from Piranha Bytes. RPG Codex had the opportunity to play the game and to talk with the developers at Gamescom in August. The two editors got different impressions of the game in the process. While the first one thinks the game looks mediocre, the other one got a more positive impression. Among others, the combat system is being criticised:

The demo certainly didn't make me feel optimistic about the game. The version in the public hands-on booth was a very early, very rough pre-alpha version; I'm not sure if it was a smart idea to make it available to the public [video here]. I'm struggling to say anything good about my gameplay experience; the controls felt clunky both in and out of combat, the animations were bad enough to be distracting, the AI seemed rudimentary at best, and there were only minimal opportunities to talk to people.

On the other hand it is stated:

This time, it looks like Piranha Bytes learned their lesson and are going back to the design principles that led to their success and fame. The world is going to be seamless and open again. There are different factions you can join, each focusing on a different playstyle (technology, melee combat, magic). Exploration is free and unrestricted, you can go anywhere you want and nothing is off limits. [...] This is pretty much Gothic with Guns. And it is the game that will have to show the world that Piranha Bytes still got it. After the disappointing sequels to Risen, they have to prove that they can still work the same kind of magic that made the Gothics so great.

In the interview the Piranhas talk about other aspects of their game and their ambitions for Elex. They made sure to offer a believable world despite the science-fantasy setting and they took into account many wishes from the community. The whole interview can be found at RPG Codex.