What Has The Adventures of Elliot Revealed After One Week?

More than a week after its official release, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales has had enough time for both critics and players to complete their first journey and offer more grounded impressions. As a brand-new IP from Square Enix and Team Asano, the game inevitably came with high expectations, especially as it marks the studio’s first attempt at bringing its signature HD-2D visual style into the Action RPG genre. While opinions remain somewhat mixed in certain areas, the overall picture that has emerged over the past week suggests that this is not merely an experimental project, but a meaningful step forward in Team Asano’s ongoing creative evolution.

A new IP carrying familiar DNA, yet unafraid to carve its own path

Players familiar with Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, or Triangle Strategy will immediately recognize familiar traces within The Adventures of Elliot. This includes not only the distinctive HD-2D visual style—rich in lighting, depth, and atmospheric detail—but also a design philosophy that consistently encourages players to experience the journey at their own pace. After years of refining the HD-2D formula through turn-based JRPGs, Team Asano has now taken a bolder step by transplanting that foundation into a real-time action-driven adventure.

This shift is also one of the most praised aspects following the first week of release. Many reviews agree that The Adventures of Elliot presents a meticulously crafted world, where forests, towns, dungeons, and boss encounters all carry the unmistakable artistic signature of Team Asano. At a time when the industry is increasingly dominated by massive open worlds and hyper-realistic visuals, the presence of a high-quality HD-2D title once again highlights how this art style continues to hold a unique appeal. For many players, it represents a kind of “missing flavor” in today’s gaming landscape.

Alongside its visuals, the combat system has also been widely appreciated for its flexibility. Rather than locking players into a fixed playstyle, the game encourages experimentation with various weapons and Magistite combinations, allowing each player to shape their own combat approach. This design philosophy echoes Team Asano’s previous work in Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler, where player freedom and experimentation were always central pillars—offering systems that invite discovery rather than enforcing a single optimal path.

Of course, expanding into a completely new IP also means not every idea reaches its full potential. Some players have expressed a desire for the time-travel mechanic to create more noticeable differences between eras of the world, while the companion character Fay occasionally provides hints too early, slightly diminishing the sense of puzzle-solving discovery. Others have pointed out that the narrative leans toward a more accessible and safe storytelling approach. However, most of these critiques seem to stem more from expectations of deeper exploration rather than from fundamental flaws in the experience itself.

Perhaps the most important takeaway after more than a week is not whether The Adventures of Elliot stands above genre classics, but rather what it represents for Team Asano’s creative direction. The studio has demonstrated that HD-2D is not limited to turn-based JRPGs, but can also serve as a strong foundation for a real-time action adventure with its own identity. For a brand-new IP, establishing such a clear impression right from the start is already a notable achievement, while also opening the door for potential future expansion of Elliot’s world.

For more details, please visit the game’s official website, and don’t forget to check our price comparison platform to purchase The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales with best offers.