The Adventures of Elliot is a game that Legend of Zelda fans should keep an eye on

Square-Enix has enjoyed plenty of success thus far with their HD-2D RPGs and tactical strategies, and now they’re taking that distinct visual style to a slightly different genre. First announced in August’s Nintendo Partner Direct Showcase, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a top-down action RPG coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2026. Shortly after its reveal, Square-Enix released a free demo exclusive to the Switch 2 eShop, and after playing through it, we can say with confidence that this is a game that Legend of Zelda fans should be circling on their calendars come next year.

True to its admittedly campy title, The Adventures of Elliot stars a brave young adventurer of the same name, who sets off on a journey to discover the boundless secrets of a land teeming with magic, monsters, and other mysteries. He’ll brave the wilds mostly on his own, his sole companion being a very bubbly fairy named Faei.

The mere premise is going to remind Nintendo fans of The Legend of Zelda, but the influences are much more than just surface deep. In its hour-long demo, The Adventures of Elliot promises a game that bears many of The Legend of Zelda’s qualities, while showcasing plenty to call its own and create a familiar, yet distinct experience.

After the brief introduction and opening cutscenes, you can make a beeline for the quest marker on the map, or you can take your time and explore the monster-filled overworld. For the purposes of the demo, you’re limited to only a portion of the total map, but it’s still more than enough to demonstrate what players can anticipate seeing in the final product. Enemies roam the wilds, destructible objects hide money or collectible items, and multiple mini-dungeons await a daring adventurer to tackle their dangers. In addition to Legend of Zelda fans, The Adventures of Elliot should interest anyone who has enjoyed the earlier Mana games, like Adventures of Mana (Final Fantasy Adventure, Mystic Quest), Secret of Mana, and Trials of Mana.

The aforementioned mini-dungeons came in two different varieties. The caves are exactly what you would come to expect from such, being, gloomy subterranean labyrinths spanning several floors that are loaded with monsters and all sorts of loot. The other — Shrines of Life — operate similarly to the Ancient Sheikah and Zonai Shrines in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. These stately temples house a unique challenge that is completely disconnected from the rest of the in-game world, ranging from platforming sequences to gauntlets of enemies in contained spaces. They’re not particularly long, offering a punchy, bite-sized bit of action, but we have to imagine there will be numerous dotting the map in the full game. Upon completion of a Shrine of Life, the player earns a Drop of Life, which adds a new piece to their health gauge much like a Heart Piece would for Link.

The larger, more elaborate dungeon that serves as the finale to the demo has a solid mix of puzzle solving, platforming, and combat. The very last challenge is a boss fight against a monstrous creature, one that’s pretty impressive for what is presumably the first proper boss of the game. You’ll need to be a lot more mindful of the environment and quick to dodge or block than you ever were battling the likes of a Gohma or Diababa, suggesting that The Adventures of Elliot will be a reasonably challenging title.

Outside of the intro and the concluding cutscene, the demo doesn’t clue us into too much about the game’s story. We know the basic premise — the continent of Philabieldia is overrun by monsters, and humans live in the magically-barricaded kingdom of Huther. When mysterious ruins are discovered in the wilds beyond Huther, Elliot and his fairy companion Faei head out to investigate. What happens after the events of the demo remains to be seen, however based on the debut trailer, it appears that the narrative will involve time travel across countless ages.

If there’s any one particular Legend of Zelda game that The Adventures of Elliot feels closest to in terms of design, it’s probably Echoes of Wisdom. This is to say that while the story and scenario structure seems to play out in a linear order, you have a lot of options for how to tackle the challenges within those scenarios. Echoes of Wisdom had a dizzying number of Echoes for Zelda to experiment with in combat and exploration, and Elliot has his own bounty of options. You can equip up to two weapons at a time, which in the demo included swords, bows, bombs, and chained sickles, with more to be available in the finished game. Faei can also assist you in battle or help you navigate the environment more easily depending how you choose to use her.

Where the options really start to take off is with Magicite — magical stones that grant you a wide variety of stat boosts and abilities for your weapons. You can equip several of these at once, with each taking up a certain amount of space in your Magicite set. Not surprisingly, the stronger the attribute, the more space it takes up. In some cases, the Magicite will yield specific attributes that will drastically alter the function of your weapons. Wide Blade doubles the reach of your sword swings. Mind’s Eye guarantees critical hits to enemies positioned behind you (ideal for the whirling chained sickles). Linked Arrows is an especially interesting one that will send your arrows caroming into nearby enemies after it strikes the first.

Alongside money, Magicite crystals are frequently dropped by defeated enemies or found within breakable objects. You can eventually use these to forge new Magicite accessories, with the option to focus on a certain weapon. It feels safe to assume that there will be a long list of Magicite to utilize in the final game, promising all sorts of viable playstyles.

If you enjoy the HD-2D art direction, The Adventures of Elliot is yet another beauty courtesy of Square-Enix. There is some gorgeous spritework on display here, and the animations are more lively than ever in the real-time gameplay. Coming from what were primarily turn-based games like Octopath Traveler or Triangle Strategy, it’s quite satisfying to see the HD-2D visuals in constant motion. Cutscenes now include character illustrations during dialogue, adding a little extra visual flair to conversations.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is scheduled to release sometime in 2026, and will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC. The demo is currently exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, and can be downloaded for free from the Nintendo eShop.