HD-2D style games since the original Octopath Traveler have changed how we view retro-style titles from bigger publishers such as Square Enix. HD-2D not only looks great, but also scratches the old school sprite JRPG itch many of us have had since the end of the SNES and PS1 era. And since its debut, it appears in an assortment of different games and remakes, the most recent being the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D remakes. Although this worked out well with standard turn based RPGs, we have yet to truly see what the HD-2D style can do outside of that genre. So in comes The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales from Team Asano and Claytechworks, a top-down action RPG in the vein of The Legend of Zelda using this amazing art style to its fullest to create something that looks and plays differently then we have seen while still remaining familiar.
I had the good fortune to play a portion of the game thanks to the lovely people over at Square Enix. There was a demo for The Adventures of Elliot released last summer on the Switch 2, but the version we played significantly improved since that demo’s release. Taking in fan feedback from the demo, Team Asano and Claytechworks made some noticeable changes to the game, such as increasing the actual speed of the game (such as Elliot’s movement speed) and adjusting how some weapons and systems within the game work. They definitely heard what everyone was saying and made some great improvements here. But what if you didn’t get to experience the demo because you didn’t have a Switch 2, like myself? What can you expect with The Adventures of Elliot?
The simplest comparison is that it’s very much an HD-2D take on the traditional 2D Legend of Zelda games. There have been a ton of Legend of Zelda clones in the past, and they will continue after The Adventures of Elliot as well. What makes Elliot stand out first and foremost is the graphics. The HD-2D fits so well in a top-down action RPG that it’s almost criminal that it hadn’t been done before. It has some amazing lighting and shadow effects that just are not possible in your traditional 2D and sprite-based games, which easily could be used in interesting puzzles further in the game. It also allows for a sense of depth that isn’t possible with traditional 2D spritework. You can tell something is above or below your current position without it feeling muddled together, allowing you to clearly see the path to continue.
The HD-2D style doesn’t disappoint, but I will say I had a hard time navigating the map. Maybe it’s because I was placed in media res in the game, or maybe it’s how the map visualizes the HD-2D world; it made the map somewhat hard to understand, but I think that should be less of an issue if you play from the start.
The Adventures of Elliot looks the part, but does it play the part of a Zelda game? The answer to that is a vague “kinda?” It certainly feels like a Zelda game, complete with an overworld map to explore across two time periods, towns, and multiple dungeons and caves to delve into. In fact, the dungeon we got to experience had you traverse multiple floors while figuring out a laser puzzle, bouncing it off mirrors to its destination and opening your way forward. You also needed to find a big key to unlock the boss room, locate multiple chests (including a sword upgrade), and fight multiple foes. It had some platforming to boot. A traditional Zelda-like dungeon, through and through. But that’s about where the similarities (even if there are many) seem to end.
Elliot has more than just a sword and shield in this game. He has seven weapons, in fact, including a sword, boomerang, bombs, hammer, spear, bow, and (my personal favorite) the chain scythe. You can have any two equipped to the Square and Triangle button to use, and each can be swapped out for any other with simple radial menu access. Each weapon has advantages against certain foes, and some, like bombs and bows, have limited ammo. All of them can charge up to unleash powerful attacks, and depending on the level of the weapon à la Secret of Mana, they have several levels of charge. The shield works with any weapon and requires active input of your block button to use. This all leads to some fun combat—especially with the bosses—trying to figure out what works best in each situation.
Elliot also has access to his fairy companion Faie with the right analog stick. If you played the demo, you already saw two of Faie’s abilities: the sprint, which allows Elliot to quickly dash around, and the teleport, which allows Elliot to warp to Faie’s location to traverse normally insurmountable gaps. We also got to mess with a new ability: the fire ability. It lets Faie light up her surroundings with fire to burn grass, melt ice, damage foes, or even illuminate dark areas. It’s sure to come in handy along with the other two abilities we haven’t seen yet.
There is also an equipment system that increases defense and offensive abilities alongside other unique properties. I managed to buy a cloak in the town that allowed Elliot to hover a short while after jumping, Princess Peach style from Super Mario Bros. 2. It made platforming in the dungeon way easier, and I am sure there are more accessories like this out there. He also has access to the magicite system that can radically change how each weapon plays. By equipping certain magicite to weapons, they might charge faster, attack faster, increase their radius, hit harder, etc. These several options make The Adventures of Elliot feel more like a RPG than, say, your traditional Zelda or Zelda clone.
For those looking for a challenge or an easier time with the game, there are difficulty levels that you can change on the fly. I messed around on very hard for a while and noticed a significant boost in enemy endurance and damage. Also, it costs more and more currency to resurrect on the spot until you hit a checkpoint, where it resets. On the very hard difficulty, it doesn’t reset at checkpoints, so the cost keeps going up until it becomes impossible to afford, thus forcing you back to the previous checkpoints. Another cool option is that The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is two-player! Someone can control Faie while you control Elliot for some co-op action. I can definitely see some opportunity for some cool speedrun co-op strats being used in this mode. With all of these different systems in place, the game feels more like a Mana game than a Zelda game, which is what the developers were going for in the first place. It has the opportunity to be a really fun action RPG to be enjoyed by just about everybody.
Overall, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is shaping up to be a fantastic adventure, and well worth your time if you’re looking for some creative top-down action RPG goodness. Once again, thank you, Square Enix, for letting us experience a small portion of the game to share. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales releases worldwide on June 18th, 2026 for Switch 2, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
For further reading, don’t miss our Q&A with The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales‘ producer, Naofumi Matsushita!
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