Test The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales - A grand, near-timeless temporal A-RPG according to TheGamer

With The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Square Enix and Team Asano give us an action-RPG in HD-2D that shamelessly draws on the legacy of Secret of Mana and A Link to the Past, while displaying an identity singularly marked by its concept of millennial tales. According to the journalist at TheGamer, on PC, the title immediately proves striking with a structure made up of four distinct eras to traverse via the Gates of Time, with the idea of saving the kingdom of Huther, besieged by Beastmen and afflicted by a curse.

The gameplay relies on a nervous real-time action system: Elliot wields two weapons out of seven (sword, spear, hammer, bow, boomerang, bombs, coarrigama) and switches between them on the fly to exploit enemy weaknesses. Each weapon gains added depth thanks to magelites, crystals that alter various aspects such as speed, power, range, or side effects, sometimes with notable costs. Combat customization thus turns into a genuine laboratory for experimentation, even if on-screen clarity can suffer from the sheer number of effects present, especially during the most intense boss fights, the journalist tells us.

As for the level design, the game seems to effectively blend exploration, rich dungeons, and puzzles inspired by 2D Zelda titles. The brain teasers frequently play on the concept of time travel, where an action performed in one era influences the landscape or access points in another era, giving rise to intense moments when plot, puzzles, and combat align perfectly. While some areas prove less inspired, offering unremarkable variations on mechanics already encountered, the overall pacing remains solid according to TheGamer.

The HD-2D graphical option, co-developed with Claytechworks, is clearly a major asset: detailed sprites, subtle lighting effects, and a unique color palette for each era give Philabieldia a genuine identity. The soundtrack, a blend of orchestral and chiptune, admirably accompanies the adventure, with a few particularly memorable boss themes. That said, Elliot's companion, Faie, can quickly become irritating: her constant presence and penchant for didactic dialogue disrupt the pacing by frequently hand-holding the player.

Expect around thirty hours to reach the end credits, TheGamer tells us, and much more to explore the side quests across the different eras, optimize your weapons, and uncover all the treasures of time. Despite some lulls, occasionally uneven difficulty, and writing that leans a bit too heavily on familiar JRPG clichés, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales proves to be a rich, technically accomplished action-RPG, carried by a time-travel concept well-executed enough to leave a lasting impression.