Overview
- Critics publishing reviews ahead of the June 18 launch praise The Adventures of Elliot for its HD-2D visuals, hand-drawn portraits and soundtrack and call the weapon-focused real-time combat satisfying and responsive.
- Reviewers note the game’s central time-travel design gives one overworld four distinct eras but say era-to-era changes and some level design feel restrictive and the time-travel mechanics are less deep than expected.
- Several outlets singled out Faie, the fairy companion, as both mechanically useful and sometimes intrusive, and Square Enix added accessibility options after the prologue demo to reduce Faie’s chatter and improve movement and UI.
- The Magicite weapon-customization system and varied arsenal earn praise for offering build variety, yet multiple reviews warn that unlocking the ‘true’ ending requires extensive grinding that can push playtime from single-digit hours to 16–20+ hours.
- Aggregate scores at launch are generally favorable and show critics recommending the game, and observers say Elliot represents Square Enix’s first major push of the HD-2D style into real-time action which could shape the studio’s future projects.