The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, developed by Team Asano and Claytechworks, has arrived on PlayStation 5. The title brings the studio's signature HD-2D visual style to an action-adventure framework, aiming to blend the aesthetic of modern RPGs with the gameplay loop of classic titles like The Legend of Zelda.
Critical Consensus
VGChartz awarded the game a 6.5 out of 10, categorizing it as a "decent" but flawed experience. The consensus highlights a significant divide between the game's high-quality technical presentation and its execution of narrative and direction.
Visuals and Combat Strengths
Critics agree that the game's visual design is its strongest asset. The HD-2D art style is described as "arresting" and "phenomenal," covering everything from terrain and water to character and boss models. The combat framework also receives praise for its depth, specifically regarding weapon variety—which includes seven distinct types—and the ability to customize builds using Magicite fragments to augment weapons with elemental effects.
Narrative and Directional Flaws
The game faces criticism for its storytelling and intrusive companion dialogue. Reviewers noted that the plot feels disjointed, particularly because the primary antagonist is discarded halfway through the experience. Additionally, the voice direction is described as "overwrought" and "theatrical."
A major point of contention is the constant chatter from companion characters. Heuria and, later, the fairy companion Faie provide frequent, unsolicited commentary on basic gameplay actions, such as opening maps or spotting save points. While developers have implemented a frequency setting, reports indicate that a promised 1.1.0 update to fully silence these interruptions was not active on the PS5 version at the time of review.
Gameplay and Structure
The game's structure offers a mix of traditional dungeon-crawling and exploration. While the overworld is dense with secrets and optional content, critics noted a missed opportunity regarding the time-travel mechanic. Despite spanning four different eras, the world layouts and architecture remain largely unchanged across time periods. The final hours of the game also shift toward a visual-novel style, which reviewers found to be narratively dense but gameplay-light, often involving tedious fetch quests.
Verdict for Players
The current consensus suggests that The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is best suited for fans of Team Asano's previous projects who are looking for a familiar Zelda-inspired adventure. Given the current issues with voice direction and the "drawn-out" end game, critics suggest that potential players may want to wait for a price drop or confirmation that the 1.1.0 update has successfully addressed the companion dialogue issues.