The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Nintendo Switch 2 Preview
A recent trip to Bandai Namco presented an opportunity to check out the latest game by Team Asano, the developers behind the Octopath Traveler series. The latest addition to their gorgeous HD-2D stable is The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales. The big difference is that The Adventures of Elliot is very much an action RPG, and after a couple of hours with the game it seems like the cross between The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana that 90s kids dreamed of.
The preview build gave access to a vast chunk of the game that focussed mostly on gameplay and exploration. After starting at a shrine I was given the chance to freely explore the world, along with a couple of suggestions of waypoints to go to.
Right off the bat it’s clear that visually Team Asano has knocked it out of the park once more. Environments are varied, from snowy peaks to marshland and bombed out towns to grandiose cities, every spot on the map looks stunning. It is also chock full of detail that will make you want to just wander around exploring every corner of the map.
This is helped by a staggering amount of things to do and find on the map. There are dungeons, little trials that focus on puzzles, secret rooms, and treasures all over the world. In the portion I played there was no area off limits, although in some parts of the map you are warned if you are underlevelled. But there is a huge amount that you can see and do right away.
Unlike the Octopath Traveler series, combat takes place in real time. Armed with his trusty default sword, Elliot has a simple attack and a charged attack, which does more damage. Attacks can be dodged, or guarded with your shield. In addition to your sword there are several nifty secondary weapons. A bow takes down foes from range, bombs can be used to destroy large groups, and my personal favourite was a scythe that mowed enemies down in a large circular motion.
For most enemies out in the field, combat is fairly simplistic. A few bonks with the sword and some dodging should suffice. Bosses in dungeons allow the nuances of the combat system to be shown off a little more. Timing attacks, utilising your best weapons and guarding at the right time become more crucial. Nothing in the chunk of game I played was overly difficult, but there is a sense that as the game progresses combat will become much trickier.
Like a Zelda game, there are also dungeons and shrines with puzzling sections in them. Some are pretty well worn territory, like sliding statues around a grid until they land in specific places. Others make use of your fairy companion Faie who has her own unique abilities. One such ability involves Faie scouting ahead and then warping Elliot to her spot. This ability can be used for platforming puzzles and opening up routes that were otherwise inaccessible. The puzzle sections are short yet effective. They are just the right level of demanding mentally, as they feel rewarding to figure out and you won’t be tearing your hair out trying every item in your inventory to troubleshoot.
The preview did not contain any of the main story, but dialogue in the towns did a good job of world building and the quest system contained some mini vignettes that worked their emotional beats well. The first involved a blind man who wanted to become a picture book author, and with Elliots help found an apprentice to bring his thoughts to life on the page. The second involved finding a widow a locket from her husband as a reminder that he truly cared about her. Neither quest really shaded in Elliot’s story but both were well told.
The quests themselves again were standard RPG fare. Go to a place on the map and either collect things or fight some enemies until locating a treasure. Time will tell if there is more variety in the quest designs but they played to the strengths of the game well.
The two hours I spent with Adventures of Elliot definitely left me wanting to explore a lot more of the game. Simple yet addictive and enjoyable combat, a good balance of combat and puzzling and strong quest writing make it look like Square Enix has another HD-2D hit on their hands. Where Elliot really excels is in its sense of adventure and exploration, and I can’t wait to dive into the full map and see what secrets await. With a release date of 18 June 2026, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out what else it has in store for us. 
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