The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales took me back to a simpler time. A time when I would sit cross-legged in front of my Super Nintendo, controller in hand, ready to lose myself in a world filled with secrets, dungeons, and wonder. It captures that same childhood sense of curiosity, where every path begs to be explored and every new discovery feels exciting.
It’s all brought to life through stunning HD-2D visuals and a sweeping soundtrack; The Adventures of Elliot feels like a love letter to the classic top-down adventures many of us grew up with. It often felt like playing a brand-new Legend of Zelda adventure, combining rewarding exploration, clever puzzles, satisfying combat, and a captivating tale. The result is one of the most memorable experiences I have had this year.
A Thousand Years in the Making
The Adventures of Elliot introduces us to young orphan Elliot, who makes a living helping the people of the Kingdom of Huther. While dangerous beasts roam the lands beyond its borders, Princess Heuria uses her magic to keep the kingdom safe.
When a mysterious curse encases Heuria in a giant icicle, Elliot is tasked by the King with finding a way to save his daughter. At first, it feels like a familiar fantasy setup, but what follows is far more interesting. Through a magical doorway, Elliot meets his chatty companion Faie and together they journey across a thousand years of history, uncovering the events that shaped Philabieldia.
Travelling across four distinct eras, from the Age of Budding to the Age of Magic, watching familiar locations evolve across centuries fills the world with a genuine sense of wonder. Each era introduces new characters, conflicts, and mysteries that weave together into a heartfelt narrative.
The game also features multiple endings. In my first playthrough I rolled credits in under ten hours, only to realise I had reached the bad ending. Determined to uncover the full story, I continued for another seven hours or so until I reached the true ending. Without spoiling anything, I highly recommend seeing it through to the end, as the payoff is well worth the effort.
Secrets Around Every Corner
The Adventures of Elliot wears its inspirations proudly. Exploring Philabieldia brought back memories of classic adventure games where curiosity was constantly rewarded. Hidden chests, optional challenges, secret paths, and stray cats made it difficult to stick to the main objective for long. Returning these feline friends to town rewarded me with useful upgrades, and yes, you can pat them too.
I loved how frequently the game introduced new tools and abilities. Just when I felt comfortable, a new puzzle element would arrive and open up fresh possibilities. The radiance challenges reminded me of the shrines from Breath of the Wild. These bite-sized puzzles offered worthwhile rewards while encouraging exploration.
The time-travelling structure keeps things fresh. Revisiting familiar locations across different ages and seeing how they evolved over centuries gave exploration extra purpose, even if I wished the changing eras had a greater impact on the enemy variety. Fast travel, quest tracking, and NPC markers keep the adventure moving at a brisk pace.
Dungeons were filled with environmental puzzles, locked doors, and larger-than-life bosses — it was a nostalgia trip. Each area required clever use of your tools and Faie’s abilities before reaching its final showdown.
My only criticism is that the puzzle design is a little straightforward. While I enjoyed their approachable nature, there were very few moments where I found myself genuinely stumped. Players hoping for more intricate puzzle design may be left disappointed.
The Tools of a Hero
While Team Asano is best known for turn-based RPGs, The Adventures of Elliot takes a very different approach with its fast-paced real-time combat. Battling the various Beast Tribe enemies was consistently enjoyable thanks to responsive controls and a wide range of weapons.
Elliot begins with a trusty sword and shield, but quickly gains access to bows, bombs, spears, and boomerangs, which can be upgraded throughout the adventure. Each weapon serves a different purpose, encouraging experimentation. The shortcut wheel allows you to quickly swap weapons and abilities, making it easy to adapt to different encounters.
Progression is equally rewarding thanks to the magicite system, which enhances weapons with stat boosts and passive abilities. Experimenting with magicite combinations became surprisingly addictive, while accessories such as the Flutter Cape improved both exploration and combat.
The combat strikes a nice balance between accessibility and depth. Basic attacks are easy to understand, but shield parries, charged attacks, weapon upgrades, and chain bonuses reward players willing to engage with its mechanics. I quickly found myself chasing bigger combos, determined to see just how long I could keep the chain going.
One feature I found myself missing was a dedicated dodge move. While movement is responsive enough to avoid most attacks, a dodge roll would have added another layer of depth, particularly during some of the larger boss battles.
Faie also plays an important role in combat. Her magic can damage enemies, manipulate the battlefield, and create new tactical opportunities. I particularly enjoyed her warp ability, which allowed me to zip around arenas and reach new platforms within the dungeons.
Bringing Philabieldia to Life
The Adventures of Elliot is a stunning showcase of HD-2D style. From lush forests and bustling towns to ancient ruins and sprawling dungeons, every area feels rich with detail and personality. Expressive pixel art and dynamic lighting create a world that is alive and inviting to explore.
While the depth of field effect helps create a sense of scale, I found disabling it resulted in a cleaner image and allowed the backgrounds to shine. Performance was smooth throughout my playthrough, with no issues that pulled me out of the experience.
The soundtrack perfectly complements the journey, delivering memorable melodies that feel right at home alongside the classic games that inspired Elliot. Environmental audio and impactful combat effects further enhance the experience.
Voice acting was another pleasant surprise. Elliot is far from a silent protagonist, and his interactions with the cast felt natural and believable. While some dialogue was repeated a little too often, the overall quality of the performances remained excellent.
The Magic of Growing Up Gaming
The Adventures of Elliot was an absolute joy from beginning to end. Reaching the true ending and experiencing everything Philabieldia had to offer only deepened my appreciation for the journey. Few games leave me thinking about them long after the credits roll, but Elliot was one of them.
Philabieldia constantly rewards curiosity, making it almost impossible to resist one more detour, one more dungeon, or one more hidden secret. If you love top-down adventures, rewarding exploration, and puzzle-filled dungeons, this is an easy recommendation.
More than anything, Elliot reminded me what it felt like to get completely lost in a new world for hours on end. So grab yourself a giant bowl of Cheetos, pour a glass of Coke, and settle in on the floor for one of the most charming and nostalgic adventures of the year.
Quest Daily scores The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales:
9/10
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales launches on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 for $99.95 AUD on 18 June 2026.
A copy of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
