Elliot’s Journey Pays Homage to a Classic Square Enix RPG

Fresh off the recent launch of the Prologue Demo for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, new insights into the game’s narrative have emerged. The focus is on the earliest timeline of Elliot and Faie’s journey, which may resonate with fans of the classic ’90s RPG, Chrono Trigger. While any RPG featuring time travel tends to draw comparisons, the connections here run deeper. The team behind The Adventures of Elliot describes this era as follows:

“The Age of Budding is the earliest period in Elliot and Faie’s adventure. At the dawn of civilization, humans wield their own crafted weapons to fend off the beast tribes. Within this delicate balance exists the Myū tribe, capable of human speech and wielding potent magic. Do they symbolize a beacon of hope or a looming threat? Humanity stands at a pivotal moment in the history of Philabieldia.”

This description offers much more detail than what was previously shared. Earlier this month, the producer of Adventures of Elliot, Naofumi Matsushita, provided a brief overview of the Age of Budding: “A time before humanity had harnessed magical powers. During this era, primordial races lived in small communities, working together to survive while constantly facing dangers from beast tribes. Life was tough and simple.”

From both descriptions, the Age of Budding shares similarities with two time periods from Chrono Trigger: the prehistoric era (65 million B.C.) and the Dark Ages (12,000 B.C.). In the prehistoric era, the humans of Ioka village battle against a tribe of lizard-folk for survival, ultimately emerging victorious with some help from time travelers. In the Dark Ages, the civilization of Zeal is dominated by a select few who exploit magic for their gain, while the rest of humanity struggles in freezing caves below. While not a direct homage, there are notable parallels between the two games.

But there’s more! A significant new element in The Adventures of Elliot’s lore is the Myū, a hybrid species with cat-like features. The character featured prominently is Lyudmila, described as “A Myū woman residing in the snowy fields away from Hitoyori. Through a series of events, she begins teaching magic to humans. Her unwavering strength of will keeps her hopeful, even in the harshest circumstances.” If you’ve played Chrono Trigger, you might catch some Princess Schala vibes here—this character has a long life and a bright future ahead.

Additionally, more details have surfaced about two human characters that Elliot and Faie will meet during the Age of Budding.

After experiencing an hour-long demo of The Adventures of Elliot, I was impressed by its blend of Zelda-like exploration and Mana-inspired combat. And now, with a dash of Chrono Trigger-style storytelling? It’s a recipe for something truly special. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is set to launch on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on June 18.

The Adventures of Elliot certainly lives up to its inspirations.