The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Review – A Tale Worth Telling

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales feels like a great start for an exciting new series from Square Enix. The story and side quests are endearing and filled with pleasant moments, and though the gameplay does get a bit repetitive towards the end, the amount of exploration and customization available is incredibly impressive. I hope Elliot gets to take part in more adventures, as I see a lot of potential in this new franchise.

I’ve always loved the 2D entries of The Legend of Zelda more than the 3D ones, and wished there were more games that really nailed that feeling of exploration and puzzle-solving. This wish appeared to be granted with the announcement of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales last year, and I’ve been having a fantastic time verifying this, as I’ve been surprised at just how much I’m digging Elliot.

On the surface, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a straightforward action-adventure game comparable to contemporaries like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. You wander a substantial world map with a sword and a secondary tool (like a boomerang or bow) handy. Combat is simple but smooth, and finding gradual upgrades to your toolset throughout the caves and dungeons scattered about provides a consistent and proper sense of progression that also rewards exploration.

The biggest thing that sets this title apart from similar peers, though, is its use of the fairy Faie. Using the right analog stick (or another controller for some local co-op), you can control your fairy companion in addition to Elliot, as well as use her exclusive powers. Faie’s skills add a huge amount of fun and strategy to The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, as using her to teleport about or set enemies ablaze while also fighting as Elliot creates a frantic but never overwhelming combat system. Having to keep up a combo counter without getting hit to obtain better drops is an inspired addition, fusing a bit of the “character action game” flow into this fairly simple system.

Jumping between the different eras in The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is one of the best parts, as the world map features a surprising number of differences in each. I’ve been quite invested in exploring caves and finding secrets in each era, as the treasures are pretty much always worth the time you put into finding them. Exploring different sections of dungeons depending on when you visit is another neat mechanic, as the ravages of time make certain levels open up or close, allowing for further exploration.

I do, however, wish that The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales spread out its tool-finding a bit more. It didn’t take long for me to find all the main puzzle tools throughout the story, so the latter portions of the game came off as more of the same due to a lack of new items and puzzle variety. There’s an optional weapon you can find later on, but it’s not really used outside of combat, so it doesn’t remedy the issue.

The narrative of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales isn’t especially complicated, but it works well. There’s a “fairy tale” quality to the main story, which sees Elliot go between eras to partake in smaller vignette-like stories as part of his larger quest to help undo a curse that’s been put upon the Princess of his time. Each era’s cast is memorable and helps make the overlapping stories stand out without becoming confusing, and though the themes the game explores aren’t anything new or crazy, they’re delved into just enough to justify their presence.

The side quests play a major role in rounding out the game’s world and story, often providing you with new perspectives on the supporting characters and their situations. I love it when side quests actually contribute to the narrative like this, as it marks the stakes feel higher and the setting more fleshed out. They also show you a bit more of Elliot’s personality and beliefs, making them more than worth playing as they become available.

I’m a big fan of the HD-2D style in general, and The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales continues to prove why it’s such a fantastic look. The combo of nostalgic and well-made character sprites with larger, 3D worlds alongside sharp lighting creates a “diorama” effect that especially works in this game, as it adds to the aforementioned storybook feel. The more action-heavy cutscenes are simple enough to work in the style, and exploring the world is easy thanks to how distinct each area looks from the others.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales has exceptional voice acting.

The voice acting is well-done, too, with most of the game’s lines being exceptionally delivered. Elliot has a likable kindness to him that radiates through his voice, portraying him as a sort of “gentleman adventurer.” I’ve heard people complain about how much Faie chimes in during gameplay, but I’ve honestly never been especially bothered by her. She certainly repeats a couple of lines a fair amount, but even without ever going to the Settings to lower her dialogue frequency, I haven’t been all that annoyed by her.