Should Your Kid Play The Adventures of Elliot? Full Parents' & A Humble Review
- 9 hours ago
- 8 min read
It's rare that a visual style wins me over instantly like HD-2D does – pixel art immersed in three-dimensional spaces, bathed in lighting that turns every frame into a small illuminated diorama. Square Enix popularized it with Octopath Traveler and has returned to it almost as a signature ever since. Behind this style stands Team Asano, the team also responsible for Bravely Default and Triangle Strategy, people who have spent years building a reputation on turn-based RPG titles.
And this is exactly where the catch lies that makes Elliot interesting. This is their first attempt at something different – a real-time action adventure, closer to a classic Zelda than anything they've done so far. If, like many, you've shied away from their games precisely because of that turn-based combat, The Adventures of Elliot could be the ideal entry point into their world. And it's also compact enough in length that it never crosses into that, for many, intimidatingly long JRPG territory.
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The Adventures of Elliot's Story
The story places us here in a fantastical world plagued by all sorts of beasts, where what few people remain have taken shelter behind the walls of the kingdom of Huther. Elliot is an orphan and a relatively well-known adventurer, one of the rare few who even dares to venture outside those walls. On one such expedition, he stumbles upon an ancient portal leading to other time periods. When the king's evil advisor uses this discovery to rewrite history in his favor, Elliot sets out on an adventure to stop him and save the entire kingdom.
The premise is relatively simple, and the characters seem just as much so at first glance – one-dimensional. The villains are comically predictable, and Elliot is an absolute goody-two-shoes ready to help everyone. It sounds like a recipe for a forgettable, clichéd story, yet the game manages to draw out surprisingly much from these modest ingredients.
Despite his simplemindedness, Elliot remains an interesting character. And since the entire story relies on time travel, there are quite a few interesting side characters and interwoven events that can only arise from such a theme. Relatively good voice acting helps too, a novelty for Team Asano, which truly brings these characters to life despite the fact that they're otherwise portrayed through static portraits and pixel art. Altogether, it carries a certain Disney/anime vibe that blends with the visual style into a grand-adventure feeling that warms your heart while mercilessly tugging at the nostalgic heartstrings of retro classic fans.
Action Happens Right Away
On top of all that, the game is also merciful with your time. Relevant things start happening right away, without that empty stretch and ten-hour introduction before the adventure truly begins. Within the first half hour, you're already in the thick of the main plot, which is a real breath of fresh air for a genre known for spending half the game on a prologue.
This continues with overall length as well. If you only follow the main missions, the whole thing can be completed in about twenty hours. But don't worry, there are enough side missions, secrets, exploration, and even alternate endings that can raise that number up to 50 hours for those who want to wring the experience dry to the very last drop.
That said, I feel almost compelled to note here that these alternate endings are locked behind several conditions which, honestly, I don't know how anyone would discover without some kind of guide in hand. It's worth keeping in mind, because it's precisely in them that the best part of the entire story is hidden, so I'm afraid a large number of players unfortunately will never see it.
The Adventures of Young Elliot
As you can see from the images, The Adventures of Elliot unfolds in a hybrid of isometric and bird's-eye perspectives, very similar to other games from the studio, such as Octopath Traveler. Here too you explore an open world that gradually unlocks to you like in some kind of metroidvania – by finding key skills or tools. As an additional spice, there's the mechanic of traveling through four different time periods, which then transforms key parts of the map or opens up paths that weren't accessible in other periods. This is cleverly executed because the level design itself sometimes becomes one big puzzle that you solve by switching from one time period to another.
However, I have to be honest: there aren't enough such examples to shake off the impression that we're essentially being served the same map four times over. A large part of these maps is visually identical, with considerable repetition and repeated paths. It's made worse by the fact that the enemies you encounter in these four time periods, separated by thousands of years, are almost the same, with only the occasional minor variation.
Combat of The Adventures of Elliot
As I mentioned in the intro, combat takes place in real time and is more fun than you'd expect. I don't mean some kind of dizzying dynamic action here – after all, this is an isometric RPG – but rather how simply satisfying it is. It fits perfectly with the game's vibe while also removing the disruption to flow that turn-based combat titles cause.
Throughout the game you get access to all sorts of different weapons: a sword, a spear, a chain, a boomerang, a bow and arrow, bombs, and similar. Each has one simple combo attack and an alternative special attack, and alongside them there's also a shield that, in addition to blocking damage, allows parrying when used with good timing. Altogether it's surprisingly varied and mechanically deeper than it seems at first glance. The enemy roster itself somewhat forces you to vary your approach: the chain to mow down several at once, the spear for more damage to a single enemy, and so on.
The Gameplay
All of this can be somewhat imprecise at times since the game takes place on a grid, where you can attack (or be attacked) in eight directions, but once you get the hang of it, it's really not a problem. The feel of the hits is satisfying, and the game has one neat mechanic: by dodging hits, you build up a kind of combo meter, and the higher it gets, the more currency you get from enemies. It's such an addictive little addition that I found myself just walking around the map looking for enemies to see how high I could keep it going.
Since the game relies less on turn-based combat and stats, progression is handled a bit differently. First of all, it's great that you can find gear and stronger weapon variants around the map. Besides making you stronger this way, exploring and straying from the set path becomes a genuinely worthwhile activity. There's also a currency called Magicite, which are gems you insert into weapons to boost their power or even change how the weapon behaves. It's a fairly robust system, since every weapon has a commendable number of these gem slots with different effects. But the way you obtain them is literally like playing some kind of gacha game: you pay in-game currency and randomly receive a gem.
Aside from all that, the progression itself actually isn't effective enough, primarily because success in combat depends more on your skill and less on stats. Even if that weren't the case, the enemies are so lacking in variety and relatively weak that more advanced gems are almost unnecessary. The only difference is that, say, an upgraded sword kills an enemy in one hit instead of two, which isn't exactly a fantasy of power.
What About the Boss Fights
Even the boss fights are relatively imaginative, but fairly easy even when you're not upgraded. Worse still, if you put in the effort, you can find or buy items that will further trivialize that challenge. However you look at it, don't expect a demanding game. That's not necessarily a flaw if you came for a relaxed, feel-good experience, but it's worth knowing what you're getting into, especially if you're considering it for a child.
Visually, little today can stand alongside Elliot. HD-2D here does everything we love it for – pixel art in three-dimensional spaces, dynamic lighting, and a variety of biomes, from deserts and snow to volcanoes. I'd dare say this is currently perhaps the most beautiful game of this style on the market, where every location feels like a visual reward in itself.
The music contributes to that whole feel-good atmosphere, and you really get the feeling that you've set off on a proper little adventure, enhanced further by wearing our XP Panther Sky headset. No single track particularly stands out, but the soundtrack as a whole carries the game's vibe very well. As for the technical side, I played on a base PS5, and the game runs flawlessly – no bugs, crashes, or stuttering, with fast loading times.
The Adventures of Elliot In Conclusion
The Adventures of Elliot drew me into its world despite not doing anything revolutionary. It has completely legitimate flaws, but despite them, the combination of exploration, fun combat, visual style, and a pleasant story is capable of keeping you in that laid-back rhythm that's hard to tear yourself away from. As a parent, I'd say it's an easy recommendation if you're looking for a relaxed, feel-good adventure.
Many will raise an eyebrow at the 60-euro price tag, but once everything is factored in, I'd hardly call it overly questionable. For the same money, I've played bigger and more expensive titles that didn't entertain me even half as much as this one. And that's why I recommend it without much hesitation. Don't let the pixel art and compact length fool you into thinking this is some small indie trinket, because Elliot is a full-blooded adventure that knows what it's doing, and it can suit children looking for a relaxed adventure. As a parent, I see this as a worthwhile pick if that kind of adventure is what your family wants.
Rating
8.3/10 – Elliot earns a strong score for its gorgeous HD-2D visuals, satisfying real-time combat, and a surprisingly heartfelt story that respects the player's time, though it loses points for repetitive map design across time periods and overly trivial progression systems.
Age Recommendation
Recommended for ages 10+. The combat, while real-time, is simple, non-gory, and cartoonish in presentation, the story deals with light themes (time travel, saving a kingdom) without graphic violence or mature content, and the manageable difficulty combined with a heartwarming Disney/anime-like tone make it accessible and appealing to older kids, while the deeper systems and 20–50 hour length will keep older kids and teens engaged too.
Gemini-Style AI Summary
The Adventures of Elliot is a real-time action RPG from Team Asano (the creators of Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default) that uses the signature HD-2D visual style. Unlike the studio's previous turn-based titles, Elliot features Zelda-like real-time combat across a time-traveling adventure spanning four historical periods. The game offers roughly 20 hours for the main story and up to 50 hours with side content and alternate endings. While praised for its stunning visuals, heartfelt story, and satisfying combat, it's held back by repetitive map design across time periods and overly simple progression systems. On PlayStation 5, the game runs without technical issues. Overall rating: 8.3/10. Recommended for ages 10 and up due to its light, non-graphic content and approachable difficulty.