Piranha Bytes is working on a brand new sci-fi title called Elex. They briefly showcased the game at a demonstration at this year’s GamesCom in Cologne, Germany. There’s a nine minute video that Piranha Bytes posted up to give gamers a look at the actual gameplay that they’re working on and some of the combat from the pre-alpha build of Elex.

The video features the main character with a blade, going around scavenging items, looking at some of the sights to behold such as flying vehicles overhead and battling some raptors and trying not to be eaten.

Some of the sword strikes and attacks look pretty slick. The game has a beautiful set of animations for the playable character. You can check out the video below.

One of the key tactical elements of the combat is the jetback, which is used to get out of tight spots against enemies who try to get in close to scratch, claw and nibble away at your life bar.

Later into the video we see some of the projectile-based combat, where the main character uses a grenade launcher to take out a mutant and its baby.

It’s not all about blowing things up and cutting things down. Elex also features scavenging and exploration. We get a clip of the character examining what looks like an abandoned homestead, taking necessary supplies and replenishing some items in the inventory.

The chainsaw blade, reminiscent of weapons found in the Warhammer 40K universe, is used to strike down some foes and completely eviscerate some soldiers at a small settlement.

There are vibes of Mass Effect in some of the armor sets and weapons, but the game seems to have a Fallout meets S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vibe going on.

Later into the video we get to see more exotic enemies, like a towering mech, with hard-hitting laser weapons. It’s taken down pretty briskly, though.

Some of the environments look okay and the game certainly has an impressive atmosphere. The subtle weather effects and changes in wind direction really help bring the game to life.

The German RPG looks like Piranha’s natural evolution from the Gothic franchise into a more sci-fi oriented design. The game is due for release on the PC, PS4 and Xbox One. You can learn more about Elex by visiting the official website.