The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales review – a playable love letter to Zelda
You can’t help but wonder if developer Team Asano is in a private competition with itself to come up with the most ridiculous name for a video game. Following Project Triangle Strategy and Bravely Default: Flying Fairy we have this mouthful: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. It’s a playable love letter to the Zelda adventures of yesteryear rendered in the studio’s trademark glorious 2D-HD art style, melding evocative pixel sprites with modern visual effects.
From west Philabieldia, born and raised, our hero is adventurer Elliot. The antagonist making trouble in the neighbourhood is a king’s dastardly aide intent on summoning an ancient evil. The story is pure after-school-TV schlock, fully voice-acted but still unafraid to make you sit through reams and reams of text, and the action comprises treasure-hunting, temple-roaming and dispatching monsters. It’s part Chrono Trigger, part Oracle of Seasons as our almost obnoxiously upbeat hero journeys through the ages in order to solve puzzles, tip his fedora and of course, save a princess.
In each of the world’s four time periods, your surroundings change to suit the age you’re in, helping you uncover new abilities and the realm’s mysteries. While there is potential for a darker tale to be told, this is all stupendously saccharine stuff. It’s a world where everyone is pure of heart except for the mustachioed villain. Side quests have you saving cats and running errands for orphans.
Luckily, it’s a blast to play. What starts off as a straightforward exercise in Zelda worship later possesses a surprisingly deep and customisable combat system. Equippable gems allow you to modify your weapons and mix up your gameplay, boosting a sword’s critical hit ratio or adding flames to your arrows; combining these different fun effects can result in total grin-inducing carnage on screen later in the game. Even the weapons themselves are fairly inspired. Alongside your quintessential classics such as a shield, sword, bow and boomerang, there is a wildly swinging scythe and utterly devastating hammer.
Some friction is introduced by refreshingly challenging late-game bosses, but everything else on this adventure is designed to speed players along to the credits. With Breath of the Wild-esque temples spread out across the map, fast travel and constant hints about your next destination, Team Asano sacrifices retro mystique for satisfying forward momentum. A controllable fairy companion helps you solve puzzles by, for example, bursting into flame to light candles, but she also constantly remarks on each new dungeon and cave, advising you on whether it’s worth exploring. Such constant good-natured assistance may make Hollow Knight players scoff, but Asano has made the decision to keep the good vibes rolling, also ensuring that younger players are never hopelessly lost.
The Adventures of Elliot is not especially ambitious. It is a comforting balm during turbulent times. If you can stomach its occasionally nauseating earnestness, this rich fantasy world is a cosy one to retreat to. And despite my instinctive reaction to the off-puttingly cheesy dialogue, this charming world eventually began to warm even my cold, cynical English heart, thanks to some inspired dungeons and rewarding, customisable combat.
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Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a video game by Team Asano rendered in the studio's 2D-HD art style, blending pixel sprites with modern visual effects. The protagonist Elliot journeys through four different time periods, each with distinct environments and new abilities to unlock. The game features puzzle-solving in temples, monster combat, and a customisable combat system using equippable gems that modify weapons—such as increasing critical hit ratios or adding elemental effects. The narrative involves stopping a villain's attempt to summon ancient evil, with side quests including tasks like saving cats. The game includes temples spread across a map with fast travel options and a fairy companion that provides hints and puzzle assistance. The design prioritises accessibility and keeping players moving toward story completion rather than emphasising exploration or mystery.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
You can’t help but wonder if developer Team Asano is in a private competition with itself to come up with the most ridiculous name for a video game. Following Project Triangle Strategy and Bravely Default: Flying Fairy we have this mouthful: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. It’s a playable love letter to the Zelda adventures of yesteryear rendered in the studio’s trademark glorious 2D-HD art style, melding evocative pixel sprites with modern visual effects.
From west Philabieldia, born and raised, our hero is adventurer Elliot. The antagonist making trouble in the neighbourhood is a king’s dastardly aide intent on summoning an ancient evil. The story is pure after-school-TV schlock, fully voice-acted but still unafraid to make you sit through reams and reams of text, and the action comprises treasure-hunting, temple-roaming and dispatching monsters. It’s part Chrono Trigger, part Oracle of Seasons as our almost obnoxiously upbeat hero journeys through the ages in order to solve puzzles, tip his fedora and of course, save a princess.
In each of the world’s four time periods, your surroundings change to suit the age you’re in, helping you uncover new abilities and the realm’s mysteries. While there is potential for a darker tale to be told, this is all stupendously saccharine stuff. It’s a world where everyone is pure of heart except for the mustachioed villain. Side quests have you saving cats and running errands for orphans.
Luckily, it’s a blast to play. What starts off as a straightforward exercise in Zelda worship later possesses a surprisingly deep and customisable combat system. Equippable gems allow you to modify your weapons and mix up your gameplay, boosting a sword’s critical hit ratio or adding flames to your arrows; combining these different fun effects can result in total grin-inducing carnage on screen later in the game. Even the weapons themselves are fairly inspired. Alongside your quintessential classics such as a shield, sword, bow and boomerang, there is a wildly swinging scythe and utterly devastating hammer.
Some friction is introduced by refreshingly challenging late-game bosses, but everything else on this adventure is designed to speed players along to the credits. With Breath of the Wild-esque temples spread out across the map, fast travel and constant hints about your next destination, Team Asano sacrifices retro mystique for satisfying forward momentum. A controllable fairy companion helps you solve puzzles by, for example, bursting into flame to light candles, but she also constantly remarks on each new dungeon and cave, advising you on whether it’s worth exploring. Such constant good-natured assistance may make Hollow Knight players scoff, but Asano has made the decision to keep the good vibes rolling, also ensuring that younger players are never hopelessly lost.
The Adventures of Elliot is not especially ambitious. It is a comforting balm during turbulent times. If you can stomach its occasionally nauseating earnestness, this rich fantasy world is a cosy one to retreat to. And despite my instinctive reaction to the off-puttingly cheesy dialogue, this charming world eventually began to warm even my cold, cynical English heart, thanks to some inspired dungeons and rewarding, customisable combat.
after newsletter promotion
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Team Asano developed The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales using a 2D-HD art style combining pixel sprites with modern visual effects. The game features four time periods with changing environments that unlock new abilities. The customisable combat system uses equippable gems to modify weapons and effects. The game includes temples, fast travel, and a fairy companion that provides constant guidance and hints. The story is a playable love letter to classic Zelda games. The narrative tone is saccharine and earnest, presenting a world where everyone except the villain is pure-hearted. The game sacrifices retro mystery for satisfying forward momentum. The design is a comforting experience rather than especially ambitious.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
- Team Asano's The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a 2D-HD game inspired by classic Zelda titles, featuring a hero named Elliot who travels through four time periods to stop a villain summoning ancient evil.
- The game combines puzzle-solving and monster-fighting with a customisable combat system using equippable gems that modify weapons and abilities.
- The design prioritises accessibility and forward momentum over exploration mystery, with constant guidance and assistance to keep players progressing toward the end credits.