One Evening with: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

I'm a big fan of HD-2D Games and Team Asano especially. Octopath Traveler 2 I consider one of the best JRPGs of all time, so I was very curious about The Adventures of Elliot. This time instead of a JRPG, Team Asano tries to make an Action RPG that reminds me a lot of 2D Zelda or Secret of Mana.

The definition of charming

If I could use only one word to describe The Adventures of Elliot it would be charming. Visually the game is very pleasing. The HD-2D style just never gets old! This time Team Asano also added beautiful big portraits of every character when they speak. This honestly adds a lot to the game and makes everything feel even more alive.

The English voice acting is again on point and delivers a lot of emotion. This goes hand in hand with the characters. In my 5 hours of playtime so far no character had a lot of depth, but they all felt charming and it was simply joyful to watch their interactions. Elliot is a simple hero. He always wants to do the right thing, no matter the cost, and everyone simply loves him.

The main story fits right into this. It's a story about lost magic and time travel. So far there isn't really much more to it though. It's a simple and predictable plot. I don't expect many surprises from this, but for me personally this still works. The game just feels cozy in every single aspect.

Gameplay with enough depth

The gameplay is rather simple at its core. You can equip two different weapons or tools at the same time. This can be a sword, boomerang, spear, bomb and many more options. All of this gets a bit spiced up by a gem system.

Each weapon or tool can be upgraded with gems that can alter their effect in many ways. Some gems simply add more damage or faster attacks, but others introduce different elements like ice that can freeze enemies. Even this early on it's already fun to play around with this system and create your own mini builds. You can freely swap those gems in and out so there is no punishment for experimenting.

You also usually have access to one spell that your fairy companion can cast. So far my fairy only has one spell to create fire, which you can use to attack enemies and solve puzzles. However it's already clear that there will be many more options during the game.

The combat encounters themselves are fairly simple so far. There seems to be enough variety when it comes to enemies but none of them have any complex strategies. A true highlight however are the bosses. They each come with their own encounter design, are well made, and remind me a lot of 2D Zelda bosses.

Exploring the world and the dungeons develops a nice flow. There are enough secrets to find for the game to stay interesting. I could also already experience the time travel mechanic a bit. It's kind of how you would imagine it — you can explore the same map and sometimes the same dungeons during different time periods. It's rather simple but effective so far.

When it comes to puzzles however I want to make clear that this isn't Zelda. The Adventures of Elliot has some simple puzzles, but so far there has been nothing remotely challenging in that regard.

The Adventures of Elliot, the coziest Action RPG of the Year

All in all, The Adventures of Elliot simply works. Nothing about this game is outstanding, but at the same time there is nothing bad. It's cozy and fun to play. However, Elliot's biggest issue might be that it comes out only weeks after Mina the Hollower — a game that has many similar elements but pushes them all to a much higher level.

In the end, that is the main reason why I decided to go with this impression instead of a full review. The Adventures of Elliot is fun and I'm sure I will play it more. However, since nothing is outstanding here, I doubt I would ever really finish this game. There is simply too much competition in 2026 for it. Still, if you're looking for a cozy Action RPG after a long day of work, The Adventures of Elliot is a great choice and a good time.