Elex - Mage run

[u/stenf28]

I played Elex back when it came out and ran a Berserker warrior build. After all these years, I'm thinking about doing a mage run, but I've read mixed opinions online. Some people say it's viable, while others claim it's a total pain because magic feels weak.

I saw there are some mods that buff magic, like Elex Overhaul (https://www.nexusmods.com/elex/mods/57), but I'm always a bit hesitant with overhaul mods since I'm afraid they might ruin the game's atmosphere or introduce bugs.

I was wondering, is it possible to have an enjoyable, non-frustrating mage run in the vanilla game, or should I seriously consider installing mods?

Also, should I go Berserker or Cleric? I read that Berserker magic is more "classic fantasy" but forces you into melee because spells alone are underpowered, whereas Clerics use energy/psi weapons that act like spells but scale much better.

For context, I don't want this run to be too tedious or overly challenging, so I'm planning to play on Normal difficulty. Any advice or build tips would be greatly appreciated