The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Reviews
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a rather unusual game, with many strengths but not without its flaws, and I cannot help but regard it, in some respects, as a missed opportunity. It had all the potential to be a masterpiece, but this was unfortunately undermined by a somewhat banal script and controversial design choices. It is a game with solid, satisfying and technically well-balanced gameplay, but one that stumbles due to a narrative lacking in spark and a map design that relies too heavily on reused elements. The path taken by the team with this HD-2D-style action RPG is a bold one, but probably not yet fully realised. If the aim was to set a new benchmark for the genre, the result has only been partially achieved. We’re looking at a decent adventure, perfect for those seeking a well-crafted action game; it won’t revolutionise the genre, but it can certainly serve as a good starting point for refining and improving this formula in the studio’s future releases. We’d like to remind you that *The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales* is available from 18 June 2026 on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S, and that you can also try it out for yourself thanks to the free demo.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a visually spectacular, diorama-like HD-2D triumph that brilliantly channels Chrono Trigger's time-travel charm and Zelda-style real-time action. While tedious, uninspired dungeon puzzles and an overly chatty fairy companion disrupt the flow, its addictive, Magicite-driven build experimentation and rich multi-era side content make it an essential adventure.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales ultimately ends up resembling the very games that inspired it a little too closely, settling into a proven genre formula while sacrificing the spark that had made it seem so promising.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Adventure of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a wonderful surprise. Whilst many expected nothing more than a simple Zelda game in HD-2D, Team Asano has ultimately delivered an action RPG with a distinct identity of its own.
Review in French | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a solid starting point for the new IP, taking on the combat and exploration of early Zelda games while also pushing hard into the HD-2D visuals. The gameplay is refreshing for this type of presentation and the game moves at an excellent pace across its approximate 20 hours. While the story did not quite vibe with me, all other components definitely did as I felt connection to the likes of early Zelda games in design. I can’t wait to see if further adventures await
I say this as somebody who loves Square Enix, sometimes way more than I should. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a new gold standard in their catalogue. For starters, this is the HD-2D game that breaks from the mold. Not a remake, not a spiritual successor; this is something new and fresh that makes you do a double-take. It evokes everything I love about Square Enix, or more so, both Square and Enix when they were putting out banger after banger, unafraid to take risks.
The Adventures of Elliot: Millennium Tales is perhaps the answer to a potential scenario of "What if Square Enix took charge and created a top-down Zelda experience"? I don't mean that in a negative way - quite the contrary, in fact! This is a game that holds its own unique charm that I feel only Team Asano could do, and it re-kindled a sense of nostalgia that I probably haven't felt in more than a decade. If this means we will see more of HD-2D in other genres, or if this opens the door for new remakes, then I'm all in for it.
Whenever it can get out of its own way and just let the player roam, Adventures of Elliot is an absolute delight that is easy to recommend to veteran gamers and newbie players alike.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is forgettable in the worst way possible. It’s a safe, bland, paint-by-numbers RPG that too often feels like “Baby’s First Action RPG” rather than a fully fleshed-out adventure. There are flashes of something better here, but they’re buried beneath repetitive dungeons, toothless combat, timid time-travel ideas and irritating companion chatter. For a game about travelling across time, The Adventures of Elliot spends far too much of it wasting yours.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales feels like a love letter to classic action-adventure games. The combination of Zelda-style exploration, clever puzzles, extensive customisation options and a stunning HD 2D presentation ensured that I experienced a timeless adventure. The time-travel element provides plenty of variety, the combat remains engaging thanks to the Magicite system, and collectors can indulge themselves to the full with all the secrets hidden throughout the world. Faie could easily have spoken a little less, and the side quests could have been a bit more creative at times, but ultimately these are just minor blemishes on a particularly beautiful canvas. Throughout my adventure, I constantly found myself wanting to explore just one more cave, find just one more cat or solve just one more puzzle. And when a game manages to hold onto that feeling right until the credits roll, you know the developers have got something right.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales captures the charm of classic PS2-era action RPGs with engaging real-time combat, rewarding character progression, and a stunning HD-2D presentation. While its slow-paced opening and repetitive environments can affect the overall pacing, the game shines through its flexible customization systems, memorable soundtrack, and charming cast, delivering a fun and heartfelt adventure from start to finish.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a game with a great adventurous spirit that will delight any fan of the 16-bit era's greatest ARPG gems. It’s a genre that enjoyed immense popularity during the final decade of the 20th century but was somewhat sidelined with the arrival of three-dimensional gaming.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a solid foundation of an action RPG in the HD-2D style that Square-Enix have adopted since the Octopath Traveller games. It features a rich world and an almost fully voiced adventure through the ages, even if it isn't fully utilised.
Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a 2D RPG with elements of The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana. Travel through time and save the world from the dark forces that want to wipe out humanity.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Elliot is a tremendous amount of fun, especially thanks to its rewarding exploration and enjoyable combat system. However, the game falls short of becoming a top-tier title because its different time periods feel too similar to one another. Overall, I’m very much looking forward to a sequel that addresses the game’s obvious weaknesses and builds upon the genuinely strong foundations it has already established.
Review in German | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a charming fantasy adventure that combines beautiful world design, solid combat, and engaging exploration into a package that's easy to recommend.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales turns HD-2D from a mere visual style into a genuine variable of its level design. The peaks of its exploration and combat don't quite line up with its storytelling, but HD-2D, tender illustration work, and an earnest, classic adventure narrative bridge that gap—closing on a story that ends well.
Review in Korean | Read full review
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales only falls short of absolute perfection due to its flawed story pacing and uninspired, overly chatty character writing. The script's refusal to utilize silence or brevity hurts the momentum of what should be a snappy adventure. The vague implementation of the time-travel theme also misses the chance to create truly distinct historical world shifts.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a remarkable action-adventure RPG that blends heartfelt storytelling, rewarding time-travel mechanics, and engaging combat into an unforgettable journey. With a lovable cast, meaningful side content, and expertly crafted world design, it stands as one of Square Enix's strongest modern releases and a standout adventure for JRPG fans.
I would love to see a sequel to The Adventures of Elliot, because so much of the foundation that is here can work if refined. Similar to Octopath Traveler 1 to 2, Team Asano could make something special a second time around, but right now The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales leaves too much on the table. The promise of adventure that never reaches its full potential.