A Great Adventure With One Major Problem
Square Enix’s Team Asano has built a reputation for reviving classic RPG ideas through modern design.
The studio’s HD-2D catalog has already produced memorable experiences through the Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler franchises. With The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, the team moves into real-time action RPG territory inspired by classic Zelda and Mana adventures.
In many ways, the experiment succeeds.
Combat feels responsive.
Exploration is rewarding.
The HD-2D presentation remains among the most beautiful visual styles in modern gaming.
Yet the game’s biggest talking point isn’t its combat system or time-travel mechanics.
It’s the dialogue.
And there’s a lot of it.
The Silent Protagonist Debate Returns
Gaming regularly revisits the same question:
Should protagonists speak?
There isn’t a universal answer.
Some of gaming’s greatest heroes are fully voiced characters with strong personalities.
Others barely say a word.
What The Adventures of Elliot demonstrates is that silence can sometimes be a design advantage rather than a limitation. Critics repeatedly pointed to the game’s excessive dialogue and constant exposition as one of its weakest elements.
When characters constantly explain their motivations, emotions, and observations, players lose opportunities to interpret those moments themselves.
Classic heroes like Link and Crono worked because players projected their own thoughts onto them.
Elliot rarely allows that space.
The Gameplay Is Easily the Strongest Part
Ironically, the game shines brightest when nobody is talking.
Combat combines multiple weapon types with fairy abilities, creating encounters that encourage experimentation and creative problem-solving. Dungeons are carefully designed and consistently reward exploration. Critics praised the action systems, customization options, and overall pacing during gameplay segments.
Players gain access to:
- Swords
- Spears
- Bows
- Magical abilities
- Fairy powers
- Upgrade systems
The result feels like a modern interpretation of classic top-down action adventures.
When you’re exploring ruins or fighting monsters, Elliot is genuinely excellent.
HD-2D Continues To Evolve
One area where the game unquestionably succeeds is presentation.
The HD-2D visual style has traditionally been associated with turn-based RPGs.
The Adventures of Elliot proves the format works equally well for action-focused gameplay. The game combines detailed pixel art with dynamic lighting, 3D environments, and modern visual effects to create a world that feels both nostalgic and contemporary.
Every environment feels handcrafted.
Every dungeon feels distinct.
It’s one of the strongest showcases of HD-2D technology to date.
Time Travel Is a Brilliant Idea That Doesn’t Fully Deliver
The game’s central mechanic revolves around traveling across multiple eras of history.
On paper, this sounds incredibly ambitious.
Players revisit familiar locations across different time periods, witnessing how choices ripple through history and influence future events. Some side quests cleverly demonstrate these consequences, creating memorable moments that echo classic games like Chrono Trigger.
Unfortunately, several reviewers noted that the different eras often feel too similar to one another.
The core concept remains strong.
The execution doesn’t always reach its full potential.
The Real Problem Is Pacing
Dialogue isn’t inherently bad.
Great RPGs thrive on strong writing.
The issue is pacing.
The Adventures of Elliot frequently interrupts gameplay momentum with lengthy conversations, explanations, and character commentary. Reviewers consistently cited this tendency as one of the game’s biggest flaws.
You’ll be:
- Exploring a dungeon
- Solving puzzles
- Fighting enemies
- Discovering secrets
And then suddenly spend several minutes listening to conversations that add little meaningful development.
The interruptions become more noticeable because the gameplay itself is so enjoyable.
Faie May Divide Players
No discussion of Elliot is complete without mentioning Faie.
The fairy companion plays an important role mechanically, granting magical abilities and helping with exploration.
Narratively, however, reactions have been far more mixed.
Several reviews specifically highlighted Faie’s constant commentary as a source of frustration, while others appreciated the character’s functionality despite the excessive dialogue.
Interestingly, post-demo feedback was strong enough that developers reportedly introduced options to reduce dialogue frequency before launch.
That alone tells you how common the complaint became.
Why Silent Heroes Still Work
The game’s shortcomings accidentally create an interesting lesson.
Silent protagonists are often criticized for lacking personality.
But they also provide benefits:
- Faster pacing
- Greater player immersion
- More player interpretation
- Less exposition
- Stronger environmental storytelling
The Adventures of Elliot repeatedly demonstrates what happens when developers lean too far in the opposite direction.
Instead of allowing players to discover meaning naturally, the game frequently explains everything.
Sometimes less really is more.
Despite Its Flaws, It’s Still Worth Playing
The criticism surrounding the dialogue shouldn’t overshadow what the game accomplishes.
Most reviewers still praised:
- Excellent dungeon design
- Rewarding exploration
- Strong combat systems
- Beautiful visuals
- Accessible progression
- Memorable side content
The game currently maintains strong critical reception across multiple outlets, with many reviewers recommending it despite its narrative shortcomings.
That says a lot about the strength of its underlying design.
Final Verdict
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a very good action RPG that occasionally gets in its own way.
Its combat is excellent.
Its exploration is rewarding.
Its visual design is stunning.
Its time-travel premise creates genuinely memorable moments.
Yet the game’s relentless need to explain itself prevents it from reaching the heights of the classics it clearly admires.
Ironically, the game succeeds in proving something many developers have forgotten:
Not every hero needs to speak constantly.
Sometimes the most memorable protagonists are the ones who simply let the adventure do the talking.
Score: 8.5/10
Pros
- Excellent Zelda-inspired exploration
- Beautiful HD-2D visuals
- Strong combat and customization
- Clever time-travel concepts
- Rewarding dungeon design
Cons
- Excessive dialogue
- Uneven pacing
- Some characters over-explain everything
- Time-travel concept isn’t fully realized
FAQs
It’s an HD-2D action RPG from Square Enix that combines Zelda-style exploration, real-time combat, and time-travel mechanics.
The game features top-down exploration, dungeon puzzles, item-based progression, and action combat similar to classic Zelda adventures.
Yes. Despite criticisms aimed at its dialogue and pacing, most reviewers praised its combat, exploration, and visual presentation.
The most common complaint involves excessive dialogue and characters who frequently interrupt gameplay momentum with exposition-heavy conversations.
Absolutely. Many critics consider it one of the strongest examples of HD-2D technology outside traditional turn-based RPGs.
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