Developer Team Asano has been working for years, honing their skills in designing turn-based RPG’s like the Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler series. Now they’re striking out for new territory with The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, an action RPG that marks a first for the team: real-time combat.
No longer will players be able to patiently strategize before attacking, as they explore a fantasy land across multiple eras in time. Thankfully, the Square Enix-published title maintains the studio’s gorgeous HD-2D art style, and after some time with the game, it seems the gameplay quality is also consistent with their other work.
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The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales promises to send players to four different eras.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales promises to send players to four different eras spread across the titular millennium, though in my hands-on session, I was only allowed to explore two of these ages: The Age of Safekeeping and The Age of Reconstruction.
The former sees the world and its settlements as prosperous and thriving, with a town full of happy people, with the occasional quest for Elliot. The Age of Reconstruction, however, reveals a presumably later time when the world was in dire straits. The once-thriving town is in ruins, and other landmarks are overrun by monsters.
The world map proved especially useful for navigating not just space but also time, since players can view different eras on their map with the touch of a button. With the eventual addition of fast travel, this allows players to directly survey how the world changes over time and jump to the era where Elliot is needed.
This allowed me to jump to the same Landmark in both Ages to see how much things had changed over time. Even outside of the dungeon, I was free to explore the world, with very few obstacles stopping me from picking a point on the map and adventuring in that direction.
Elliot doesn’t face adventures alone, with his fairy companion Faie by his side.
Despite my freedom to explore the world, I opted to jump straight into the dungeon where I started my session. This dank labyrinth was host to monsters, puzzles, and a deadly boss encounter at the end. Thankfully, Elliot doesn’t have to face it alone, since his fairy companion Faie can use her abilities to attack enemies or simply keep Elliot out of harm’s way. Initially, Faie could be used to set enemies ablaze or give Elliot a massive boost to his movement speed, allowing him to evade enemy attacks or jump in when a monster leaves itself open.
Eventually, I learned another ability that allowed Elliot and Faie to swap positions, creating new opportunities for exploration. Using the PlayStation DualSense controller, I controlled Elliot’s movements with the Left Stick and Faie’s with the right stick. This might feel overwhelming during the heat of combat, but Faie will follow Elliot closely without input, making direct control an occasional rather than a constant chore.
After solving a multi-floor laser puzzle and defeating roomfuls of enemies, Elliot found himself face to face with a pair of large robot bosses. By the time we’d reach this fight, though, I’d learned which weapons were most effective for this final battle. Elliot comes across as a swordsman in promotional art, but in reality, he uses a plethora of weapons and tools.
Elliot uses a plethora of weapons and tools throughout the game, not just a sword and shield.
Besides the sword and shield, Elliot can wield a hammer, a lance, a bow, a hook and chain weapon, bombs, and a boomerang, each with their strengths and weaknesses. These can be swapped out at any time without entering a pause menu, allowing players to stay in the action. With the ability to equip two at a time, players can adapt to any situation, and with Magicite, they can further tailor their weapons to their playstyle.
After returning to town, I found a dispenser that required currency in exchange for random Magicite. Each Magicite corresponds to one of Elliot’s weapon types, adding an effect to his attacks. You can add a lunge to your lance attacks, making it useful for closing the distance on enemies.
Alternatively, you can add the ability for your arrows to split off of their original target, hitting other nearby enemies, or imbue your arrows with flames for extra damage. These enhancements take up points, but they can be swapped at any time, and each weapon possesses its own points, allowing players to power up each weapon as they see fit, whether it’s to enhance its strengths or to eliminate its weaknesses.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales’ HD-2D style is as beautiful as ever.
Another discovery in town was a side quest to find 50 cats scattered across the world and eras, with rewards available at various milestones, including the ability to double all of the money you earn. Naturally, I did not complete this quest in my time with the game. After exploring the town a little longer, I realized that each of the many NPCs I met received a mark once I had exhausted their dialogue for the time being.
While some may see this as unnecessary handholding, it’s useful when you consider having to keep track of NPCs across four eras of history. The other constant source of assistance, your fairy companion Faie, can also be toned down in frequency if you want to figure out puzzles for yourself.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales touts the HD-2D style popularized in the last decade, and it’s as beautiful as ever. Sharp stylized sprites highlight the action with easy-to-read animations, attacks, and spells illuminate the dim lighting, and it’s all set within a dungeon expertly designed to look and feel as ancient as it should. Even the outdoor environments, like a forest and a poison swamp, felt like an explosion of color, inviting exploration.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales marks the studio’s first foray into action combat, but from my time with the game, they know what they’re doing. With the freedom to explore, the ability to change how your weapons work, and some handy quality of life features, this is looking to be a great adventure across the ages.
