Final Fantasy meets Zelda? Yes, please

Let’s be real: There is no need Zelda– games to play right now. It’s true even if you’re tired of everything you can see Tears of the Kingdom or Messages of Wisdom. Indie developers find new ways to debunk the formula, either mixing with the Spirit, make it sweetor just less and less it down to something that can be achieved. Now we have Square Enix and The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium TalesA classic RPG that mixes classics Zelda production is the same thing Final Fantasy. And it’s a combination I can’t seem to fit.

Elliot’s adventures and latest in Square Enix’s “HD-2D” game line.a loosely assembled series defined mainly by their images, which also consider pixel art for a modern audience. Other characteristics are Every game has a name that makes it amazingthat Elliot it’s enough. Most are traditional JRPGs, like Octopath Traveler list, others Dragon Quest they also produceand a reality Final Fantasy game. But Square Enix has also expanded the HD-2D format to include more formats, such as The Triangle Method‘s, well, strategy, and now action games.

As you can imagine, Elliot A star runner named Elliot in a world of magic and giants. In Elliot’s time, most of the world is a dangerous place, with only one city free of monster tribes, as it is under the magical protection of a princess. This makes athletes like Elliot an important part of society: They are the ones who go out into the world and complete tasks that are dangerous for ordinary citizens. He is soon drawn into a larger adventure with the future of the kingdom at stake, beginning with one of the king’s power-hungry advisers and eventually spanning several thousand years.

There’s a lot of common sense Zelda. You cut the grass, and precious stones appear; you collect heart pieces to increase your health; you gradually unlock weapons that include grenades and boomerangs; you heal yourself with magic spells collected in empty bottles. In the end you get a magical friend who is very annoying. The design also feels great Zelda. There are small dungeons where you unlock new powers and skills, and then bigger ones where you have to use those powers and skills to solve puzzles, find the big red boss keys, and then take on the bosses themselves.

I’m making it Elliot’s adventures sound like a Zelda a cartoon with an HD-2D sheen, but it’s much more than that, thanks in large part to the gameplay and world-building. While you don’t get as much skill and leveling as an RPG, there are a few things that remind you of a game like. Final Fantasy. The most notable is an included item called magicite, which allows you to customize Elliot’s equipment to suit your gameplay. Similarly, there are several types of magical spells that your fairy can learn, which allow you to do things like light enemies on fire or escape from danger. And just like in a traditional JRPG, you destroy more time to hang out with people in town and watch shows, watching the dialogue as the story unfolds. Elliot it’s a very interactive game, and its main character will give you a good idea of ​​what Link would be like if he spoke. (Good but kind of boring.)

What drew me to this world, however, was the detail and scope of it. You’re looking at the same map through four different time periods, and as you go back you learn more about what the world was like, and how it was during Elliot’s time. There is an advanced age where magic has spread and given rise to new technology, and which resides in the remains of humanity, as people struggle to survive in the midst of a growing threat. You may see a beautiful building in another era that is nothing but the next wreck, or empty fields that will eventually become a growing empire. The game allows you to freely jump between times, as many races involve going back or forward in time to learn more or collect an important item.

It’s pretty much everything Chrono Triggerand it forms the world of Elliot feeling like a real, lived-in place with a history to uncover. The shape of the world remains unchanged from one time to another, but there are important differences: cities that are large and expanding at the same time, or bridges that have not yet been built, forcing you to find another way. The same goes for caves and dungeons, which are kind of a mixed bag when you’re always exploring. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the importance of cats in this game; they are everywhere in the world, and finding and befriending them opens up important possibilities.

Elliot it is also organized in such a way that it is accessible without being too simple. The game is very generous with saving points and fast travel. For example, I usually finish the dungeon to the final boss, then quickly travel to town to refresh my supplies before jumping into the main battle. Your legendary companion can revive you during a boss battle at a cost that increases with each revival, so if you’re fighting another enemy, you can always grind money to make things easier. The game still rewards skill: You can combo any enemy you defeat without taking damage, and the higher the combo, the better the item drops.

Like all other HD-2D games, Elliot’s adventures it takes something that looks good and familiar, but adds a touch of modernity and sophistication to make it stand on its own. There may be more Zelda-style games – and more to come – but few as polished, creative, and big Elliot. Don’t let the nickname scare you.

_{The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales launches on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, and Steam on June 18th.}