The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC, and the reviews have begun rolling in. As it currently stands, the game is currently sitting on a pretty healthy aggregated score of a solid 82 on Metacritic.
While the game hasn’t had a ton of buzz since its debut trailer appeared in a Nintendo Direct less than a year ago, fans of Square Enix’ popular HD-2D RPGs held out hope that this one would successfully take that visual style and apply it to a more Zelda-like action RPG format. And by all accounts, The Adventures of Elliot seems to have proved its chops with critics.
A free demo containing the game’s prologue, with save carry over to the full game, is available now for anyone that wants to get a taste before making the commitment.
Let’s take a look at some of the high-profile reviews that have come through so far for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Light Reviews
Orpheus Joshua at Noisy Pixel scored the game a massive 10/10, calling it “one of Square Enix’s strongest modern releases and a standout adventure for JRPG fans,” saying it’s “a remarkable action-adventure RPG that blends heartfelt storytelling, rewarding time-travel mechanics, and engaging combat into an unforgettable journey.”
Meanwhile at Vice, author Brent Koepp praised the game’s time-travel mechanic and boss fights while admitting the excess of dialogue and muddled exploration got in the way, still awarding it a 9/10 and saying, “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is one of Square Enix’s best original IPs in years. It’s a perfect blend of classic Zelda and Final Fantasy Adventure, mixed with a unique time-traveling mechanic. While the game initially starts out deceptively simple, it quickly turns into a mind-bending adventure story with complex mechanics and exploration.”
The game scored an equal 4.5/5 from Vooks, with Brad Long writing, “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales is not just an attempt to recreate the classic feel of Super Nintendo’s best action-adventure titles, it is a confident attempt to modernise and reinterpret it. A memorable world, flexible combat system, rewarding exploration and an endearing cast, it stands as one of the best, most engaging HD-2D classic by Square Enix to date. Some minor issues with depth perception and an overstuffed combat system stop it from being an all-time classic, but they do little to diminish what is otherwise an incredibly enjoyable adventure.”
Checkpoint Gaming’s Tom Quirk slid in just a little lower with an 8/10, and said, “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is perhaps not as good as it could have been, but that doesn’t stop it from being a very satisfying time. Elliot and Faie make for fun protagonists, and the game’s combat, magic and upgrade systems are deep and enjoyable. Although I would have enjoyed more puzzles and varied world maps, I had a great time with what the game gave me. If you like gorgeous action RPGs, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales has a lot to offer, and you’ll be sure to have a fantastic escapade.”
IGN also pulled up with an 8/10, writer Scott White concluding that, “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales isn’t without blemishes, but it’s still a great action-adventure game that continues to prove why the HD-2D art style is among the best around.”
Andrew Agress at The Outerhaven agreed, his 4/5 star review finishing up with, “Like its namesake hero, The Adventures of Elliot isn’t too complex or noteworthy but is content to do what it does really well. It’s a great game for players looking to get into action RPGs as well as genre veterans nostalgic for SNES-style games. It works for both of these types of people as it employs what I’d call “gameplay scaffolding.” You can easily navigate through the main campaign with little resistance. Or you can build up the difficulty as you see fit by engaging with the game’s various optional mechanics and challenges. There’s a lot to explore, and The Adventures of Elliot is happy to let you explore as much as you like.
And then coming in toward the lower end with a 7/10 verdict, Hayes Madsen at RPG Site writes, “On its own, The Adventures of Elliot is just fine; a solid action RPG to fill your time. There’s a strong foundation to build on for the future, if another HD-2D action-RPG can actually find that untapped potential that Elliot doesn’t manage to reach.”
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC.