The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales isn’t just another Zelda knockoff—it’s a bold, if imperfect, fusion of classic action-adventure design with RPG mechanics, and critics are divided on whether it succeeds as a standalone experience or a nostalgic throwback.
The game, developed by Square Enix’s Team Asano and released for the Switch 2, blends time-traveling storytelling with a combat system that rewards experimentation, yet struggles with repetitive design and a story that only pays off in its final hours. While some critics praise its visuals, exploration depth, and weapon customization as a fresh take on the genre, others call it a missed opportunity—an experience that could have been iconic with minor refinements.
A Zelda-Like with RPG Soul
At its core, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales borrows heavily from Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda formula: a hero (Elliot, clad in a red cloak) explores a sprawling world, collects heart pieces to boost health, and battles beast tribes threatening a protected kingdom. But where Zelda games often rely on puzzle-solving, this title leans into action-oriented combat, with a focus on weapon mastery and time-travel mechanics. The game spans four distinct eras of its world, allowing players to revisit locations across millennia—a mechanic that Game Informer calls “brilliant” in theory but “frustrating” in execution.
The time-travel element is the game’s most ambitious feature, letting players witness pivotal moments in history—yet critics note that the eras feel eerily similar, with little variation in enemies, dungeons, or overworld design. The Verge points out that while the narrative spans a thousand years, the actual gameplay loop remains largely unchanged: “You’re far more likely to travel to the past to learn about a problem’s context than you are to solve it before it occurs.” The payoff comes late, in a true ending that Game Informer describes as “absolutely mandatory” for understanding the story—but by then, many players may have already lost interest.
Combat and Customization: A Double-Edged Sword
The game’s weapon system is its strongest asset, offering seven distinct tools—sword, bow, boomerang, bombs, spear, hammer, and chain sickle—each customizable with Magicite, enchanted gems that alter attacks. Players can tweak damage, add elemental effects, or even make weapons explode on impact. Nintendo World Report highlights how this system encourages experimentation, but notes that the upgrades feel shallow: “Most Magicite just raise attack power or crit chance—rarely do they offer anything truly novel.” The bonus drops feature, which rewards players for defeating enemies without taking damage, helps mitigate combat fatigue, but Game Informer admits even this grows stale by the end.
What sets The Adventures of Elliot apart from traditional Zelda games is its RPG-inspired customization. Unlike Link’s fixed arsenal, Elliot’s weapons evolve based on player choice, a nod to Final Fantasy’s magicite system. However, RPGFan criticizes the lack of depth in these upgrades: “The system is fun early on, but it rarely challenges you to the point where the more unique Magicite are worth chasing.” Meanwhile, Nintendo Everything gives the game a perfect score, arguing that its “mass appeal” lies in its accessibility—appealing to both action-adventure fans and RPG enthusiasts.
Visuals and Nostalgia: A Love Letter to the Past
Square Enix’s HD-2D art style, first popularized in Octopath Traveler (2018), shines here. The game’s sprites are meticulously detailed, with full-body portraits that RPGFan compares to Studio Ghibli films. Elliot himself is a standout, described as “dashing” with a “musketeer” flair, while Princess Heuria exudes “youthful goodness.” The backgrounds are equally impressive, with The Verge noting how the camera sweeps past “exquisitely detailed” environments, like a glittering watercourse that feels alive.
Yet for all its visual charm, the game’s design choices sometimes undercut its potential. Nintendo World Report observes that dungeons and caves repeat across eras with little variation, creating a sense of déjà vu. The exploration is rewarding early on, with shrines and temples offering upgrades, but later stages feel repetitive. Game Informer sums it up: “The time travel is an interesting hook, but it rarely changes the core experience.”
The Verdict: A Flawed Gem or a Missed Opportunity?
The reviews for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales are overwhelmingly positive, but with caveats. Nintendo Everything awards it a perfect 5/5, calling it “one of the best executed action-adventure titles in years,” while Vooks.net gives it 4.5/5, praising its “memorable world” and “rewarding exploration.” Nintenduo scores it 8/10, acknowledging its Zelda inspirations but noting it “could shine even brighter” with minor tweaks. Game Informer, however, is more critical, arguing that while the game is “pleasant,” it never quite reaches the heights of its inspirations.
“All in all, my time with The Adventures of Elliot has resulted in a game that I’m always excited to return to. I want to see and do more, I want to delve deeper, I want to tackle one more shrine. The meat and potatoes of gameplay are top-tier, and the bells and whistles like Faie abilities and Magicite make for an even sweeter meal.”
— GoNintendo, via <a href="https://www.nintendolife.
What unites the reviews is the sense that The Adventures of Elliot is a game that could have been great—if not for its repetitive design and a narrative that saves its best moments for the end. The time-travel mechanic, the weapon customization, and the HD-2D visuals all point to a title that was meant to stand out. Instead, it feels like a love letter to the past that occasionally stumbles in execution.
What’s Next for Square Enix’s HD-2D Line?
Square Enix’s HD-2D series has evolved from turn-based RPGs like Octopath Traveler to action-adventure titles like this one. With The Adventures of Elliot now released, fans are left wondering: Will Square Enix refine this formula in future entries, or will it remain a niche experiment? The game’s mixed reception suggests that while it has strong foundations, it needs more innovation to truly compete with Nintendo’s legacy titles.
The demo remains available on the Nintendo eShop, giving potential players a taste of its strengths and weaknesses. For those willing to overlook its flaws, it offers a charming, if imperfect, adventure. But for critics, the question lingers: Could this have been something truly iconic?
Sources: Google News, Game Informer, Nintendo World Report, The Verge, <a href="https://www.rpgfan.
<!– /wp:paragraph Fans and critics alike agree that while The Adventures of Elliot delivers a solid foundation, its full potential remains untapped without deeper narrative and refined polish.Find more reporting in our Technology section.
