Hands On: The Adventures of Elliot Fixes My Biggest Problem with Square Enix’s Modern RPGs

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Okay, I know this might be a controversial opinion, but as a big RPG fan, I’ve noticed something with a lot of the smaller RPGs Square Enix has put out recently. They just don’t flow very well. The pacing feels off, and it really hurts the experience for me. It’s like they rush some parts and drag out others, and it’s a problem I’ve seen pop up again and again.

It’s not just Square Enix that struggles with storytelling. Many modern games have trouble with pacing because they focus too much on repetitive tasks in open worlds and present dialogue like a visual novel, rather than letting the story flow naturally.

I think that recent change has really hurt Japanese RPGs. Now, players are often stuck watching incredibly long cutscenes where characters endlessly repeat the same information.

Oh, and every party member has to have a line, too, no matter how superfluous.

I’m getting off track, so let me be direct: both Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy suffer from incredibly boring dialogue that consistently slows down the story and the games themselves.

I actually enjoy those games, but I wish they didn’t talk so much.

Knowing this, I was excited to hear about The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales when it was announced last year. It’s an action RPG created by the team that made those other games.

Honestly, I was worried they’d fill this game with tons of pointless text, especially since it’s meant to be a faster experience. But it actually looks like exactly what I needed – a game that doesn’t waste my time with endless dialogue!

Fortunately, it appears to have worked as intended, judging by the time frame shown in the new ‘Prologue Demo’.

I really flew through this and had a great time playing it. While there’s still some unnecessary chatter occasionally, it’s a far cry from the long, drawn-out conversations that have plagued many recent Square Enix games.

I actually thought the game’s pace was excellent. Everything flowed really well – the conversations, the world exploration, the fighting, and even the puzzles all felt perfectly done.

It’s probably been mentioned a lot already, but The Adventures of Elliot really feels like Square Enix’s version of The Legend of Zelda, and that’s a good thing!

The game features a main world, challenging dungeons, and areas blocked off until you gain specific weapons or powers. You’ll find keys, special keys to fight bosses, and tough boss battles. You can also collect small amounts of money by searching through tall grass.

What really stood out in the demo was how good it felt to play. It’s a really smooth action game – attacks have a satisfying impact, and everything reacts instantly, making it very responsive.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised, since it’s basically old-school sprites running around in these blocky, kinda-3D worlds. But it’s still super fun to just play and move through it all!

I was actually looking for a shorter experience, and that’s what this demo delivered. I expect the complete game will have some lengthy explanations at times, but I’m okay with that as long as the core gameplay remains as smooth and enjoyable as it is in the demo.

I’m hopeful about The Adventures of Elliot, and it might actually become surprisingly popular. However, I’m a little concerned about the £54.99 price – it’s quite expensive, and the game will need to be exceptionally good to justify that cost for most players.

Okay, I just finished ‘The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales’ and… wow, it’s a game! Honestly, though, the title is a bit of a mouthful. I’m seriously hoping Square Enix sees the comments and maybe brings someone on board to help with naming conventions in the future. Just a thought!

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2026-05-19 20:07