After a relatively quiet start to 2026, the RPG landscape is set to shift dramatically with the arrival of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. Launching on June 18 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, the title marks the first action-focused RPG from Square Enix’s renowned Team Asano—the creative powerhouse behind the Octopath Traveler series, Triangle Strategy, and the 2022 Live A Live remake.
The Adventures of Elliot weaves together the spirit of Chrono Trigger, the Mana series, and classic Zelda-style exploration. Everything is rendered in Team Asano’s signature HD-2D aesthetic, a style that masterfully bridges the gap between the nostalgic charm of 16- and 32-bit pixel art and modern, high-fidelity environmental depth.
We sat down (via email) with producer Naofumi Matsushita and director Tomoya Asano to discuss the game’s unique world-building, its clever nods to Final Fantasy history, and the inspirations that shaped its design. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Could you walk us through the four distinct eras Elliot explores? How do they differ in terms of tone and gameplay?
Matsushita: The game unfolds across a single, evolving landscape. As the inhabitants adapt and change through the centuries, the world shifts with them. Through the “Doorway of Time,” Elliot ventures backward from the Age of Safekeeping, allowing players to witness how history shapes the environment.
- Age of Safekeeping: Our narrative starting point—the present day. A era defined by relative tranquility, sustained by the magical blessings of Heuria’s spell.
- Age of Reconstruction: A bleak, post-collapse world where humanity faces potential extinction. With magic vanished, survivors struggle against ruthless beast tribes in a desperate daily fight for existence.
- Age of Magic: The pinnacle of civilization. Powered by advanced magic, this era is affluent and refined, featuring awe-inspiring technology like magical elevators and strange, mystical creatures.
- Age of Budding: The dawn of time. A harsh, humble period preceding the discovery of magic, where primordial civilizations lived in small, tight-knit villages while fending off constant territorial threats.
Shifting from turn-based and strategy games to an action RPG—how did this change your creative approach?
Matsushita: The core appeal of the HD-2D aesthetic is the interplay between 3D depth and 2D character sprites. Our biggest hurdle was ensuring that this visual strength didn’t clash with fast-paced action. Too often, 2D action games feel flat, with the ground plane dominating the screen. To fix this, we implemented a “drumroll” technique for the overworld, curving the map into the background to provide a better sense of scale and distant terrain. We collaborated closely with our developers to refine these techniques, ensuring the game felt expansive without losing its 2D roots.
What were the challenges of centering the story around a single protagonist compared to your previous ensemble-driven titles?
Asano: Since our previous work, like Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, was so focused on large casts, shifting to a singular hero was a significant departure. However, it was a deliberate choice. We wanted the title, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, to immediately inform the player exactly who they are playing as and what kind of journey they are embarking on. We also streamlined the early game to be more intuitive, ensuring the experience is welcoming to a broader audience. It wasn’t so much a struggle as it was a focused creative goal.
Tell us about the magicite system. How does it impact customization and replayability?
Matsushita: We wanted the game to remain fresh for multiple playthroughs, which is why we included seven distinct weapon types. We designed the magicite system to have a bit of a “gacha” element; because you obtain different magicite throughout your journey, your build will naturally evolve differently each time. It encourages players to experiment with weapons they might otherwise ignore. You could build a high-damage, aggressive sword-wielder, or pivot to a shield-heavy, defensive powerhouse. The goal is for players to find the synergy between their weapon choices and their custom magicite loadouts.
The demo feels reminiscent of early Legend of Zelda titles. How do you balance that sense of classic familiarity with fresh innovation?
Matsushita: We are honored by that comparison! While those titles are an inspiration, our primary north star was Square Enix’s own heritage, specifically the early Mana games and Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy. They perfected the blend of real-time action and deep, narrative-driven RPG growth. We’ve built upon that foundation by adding our signature HD-2D visuals, a time-traveling narrative, and a controllable fairy companion. We hope this results in an action RPG that feels both timeless and entirely new.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales arrives on June 18 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Polygon
