The Adventures of Elliot Lands Solid Reviews for Combat While Faltering on Narrative Depth
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Critical consensus for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales praises its stellar combat and HD-2D visuals, though reviewers note that its time travel mechanics and story feel safe and underdeveloped.
The reviews are finally in for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, and critics generally agree that Square Enix has delivered a respectable, if safe, addition to the modern JRPG landscape. Sitting at a comfortable 79 on Metacritic and an 82 on OpenCritic, the game is drawing praise for its striking HD-2D art style, smooth action, and well-crafted dungeons. Reviewers across the board highlight the moment-to-moment gameplay as an absolute joy, proving that Team Asano still knows how to build engaging combat and satisfying traversal mechanics that feel right at home on modern consoles and handheld platforms alike.
At the same time, a clear consensus has formed around the game's shortcomings, specifically its narrative ambition and central hook. Multiple outlets pointed out that the much-touted time travel mechanic feels underdeveloped, failing to shift the environments or enemy variety in meaningful ways over the course of the journey. Critics also noted that the storytelling and side quests lean heavily into predictable territory, lacking the narrative punch or memorable world-building found in titles like Octopath Traveler or classic Zelda entries.
Despite these narrative stumbles, the prevailing sentiment among reviewers is that a focused, twenty-hour adventure is a welcome change of pace in an industry currently dominated by hundred-hour live-service sinks and bloated open worlds. It may not sweep the year-end awards, but for players looking for a streamlined, highly playable RPG experience that respects their time, this might be a reliable weekend pickup. You can read the full review roundup over at Polygon.
Original reporting by Ford James at Polygon
Tags: Square Enix, JRPG, Reviews, PC, Console
Original article: Polygon