The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

A game that perfectly captures the concept of “adventure,” though there are some minor issues with other aspects. Overall, it's fun and easy to recommend.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a surprisingly strong first attempt at reaching into this genre from a studio not known for it. The combat is snappy and fun, with loads of build customization and ability tailoring to your style. The dungeon designs are well-crafted homages that allow room for creative problem solving, and the HD-2D visual style is lovely for this type of game. I was left wanting for a story I cared more about, with characters that were more three-dimensional, in a world that felt alive and took better advantage of its time-travel concept. Those factors make the game fall short, but it creates a foundation that I hope Square Enix builds upon.

The potential of The Adventures of Elliot is undeniable, but it’s never fully realized. Its highly repetitive world-building and gameplay, weighed down by a limited roster of enemies, end up overshadowing the few good ideas that Square Enix’s Zelda-inspired game brings to the table. Still, it’s a very solid adventure that will keep you entertained for 20 to 30 hours.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales shows Square Enix taking some bold new directions, but they aren’t fleshed out enough. The overall story and side quests are great, and the Magicite system gives us some nice customization on how we use our weapons. However, it doesn’t stop the combat from feeling basic and repetitive, and there are some little holes here and there in the story experience. And while I love the visual style, there wasn’t enough distinction between the eras to make it feel unique the longer we play. There is still a fun game here, but each part of the game feels like there’s something missing.