We’re excited to show you more of the early portion of Elliot and Faie’s adventure in The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, coming to PS5 June 18. At this point in the game, our dynamic duo has teamed up and ventured through a Doorway of Time, granting them access to the Age of Reconstruction, which is 250 years in the past.

You’ll see how the people of this era cling together in a village called Littlehope, eking out an existence with meager resources and defenses. From here, Elliot and Faie will embark into a dangerous world that resembles their home in the Era of Safekeeping, but subtle differences will keep the spark of exploration alive.

One of the main attractions in this demo is the Doorway Ruins, located in the eastern section of Philabieldia. This dungeon has it all: platforming, puzzles, plenty of beastmen to do battle with, and treasure to discover. You can even get a powerful new sword for Elliot, which will come in handy when you go to face the dungeon’s formidable boss, the Tag Guardians.

In this fight, you’ll have to defeat a Greatsword Guardian and a Great Bow Guardian. The guardians move quickly and aggressively, with the Greatsword Guardian wielding a huge blade with surprising range and the Great Bow Guardian launching shots at you from afar.

Elliot has all seven weapon types available to him in this demo, so you can find the strategy that works best for you. With the hammer, for example, Elliot can unleash a devastating charge attack, and with the boomerang, he can deal damage from afar. By changing up Elliot’s magicite setup, you can also find new ways to customize the combat experience to your liking. Faie’s magic will also come in handy as she can help Elliot speedily escape a tricky situation.

Speaking of Faie’s abilities, it’s also possible to unlock a new power for her in this demo. By seeking out the Shrine of the Mystic, Faie can learn the Warp ability, which enables Elliot to teleport to her location. This is super useful for solving puzzles and for evading enemy attacks.

There’s plenty more for Elliot and Faie to do beyond the Doorway Ruins and Shrine of the Mystic. The pair can freely fast travel to any discovered adventuring guideposts in the two eras unlocked in this demo, so you can check out what secrets the world has to offer.

One fun piece of side content we’ve implemented is cat collecting, which is exactly what it sounds like. Throughout the world, you’ll find cats that you can collect on behalf of a cat-fancying traveler. You’ll get various rewards for your efforts, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for any stray felines.

When you want to take a break from adventuring, you can also check out Faie’s Magic Lessons, which are fun minigames accessed through the menu. The sprint minigame in particular is a favorite of ours, and it will have you racing down an icy mountain, pursued by an avalanche. Through these minigames, you can unlock records that allow you to listen to the in-game soundtrack.

I hope this preview has grabbed your interest. This is just a small look at what the full game has to offer, and we can’t wait for you to embark on your journey with Elliot and Faie when The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales launches on PlayStation 5 on June 18, 2026.

To give you a better glimpse of what to expect, we’re excited to share a Q&A with the development team. (Note: All answers are translated from Japanese.)

Why did you choose to make this an action RPG rather than a turn-based game? 

Tomoya Asano: Through the HD-2D visual style, we first explored the RPG genre with 

Octopath Traveler, followed by the strategy genre with Triangle Strategy. Building on that progression, we wanted to reach an even broader, newer audience with this latest entry, which led us to adopt the action RPG genre for this title. 

As the development team, what lessons did you learn from other HD-2D games that you applied to this project? Could you tell us about the challenges you faced in incorporating HD-2D into the action gameplay, and how you overcame them?

Naofumi Matsushita: The appeal of HD-2D lies in the fact that, by using 3D backgrounds, we can create a sense of depth in the maps and scenery, even though the characters are 2D. The challenge was how to fuse that strength with 2D action gameplay.

In pixel-art 2D action games, the entire screen tends to be dominated by the ground of the map. However, that prevents players from feeling the depth of a 3D environment, and the visuals can end up feeling rather dull to users.

In this title, particularly in the field areas, we’ve implemented a drum roll technique where the map curves in the background to reveal distant terrain. By applying unique innovations to further maximize the visible range, we’ve created an experience that conveys a sense of depth despite being a 2D action game.

We achieved this through careful coordination with the development team, and is a key creative aspect that differs from our previous HD-2D titles.

Furthermore, we’ve introduced a unique element—controlling your fairy partner Faie—and added elements to the core battle system that allow players to use their own strategies.

Our intention was to let players enjoy traditional fun within a beautiful visual style while also providing a new experience through these unique elements. We achieved this balance by playing the game extensively and refining it day by day.

Could you tell us about the development team’s vision for this time-travel action RPG? 

Tomoya Asano: Having worked on many RPGs over the years, I’ve come to realize that the past plays a crucial role in storytelling. The idea that if players could actually experience that past led to the creation of a storyline where you travel back through time using the Doorway of Time to explore different eras. So, rather than traveling to every corner of the world, this story focuses on untangling the history of a single nation within a specific region.

Naofumi Matsushita: The tagline is derived from, “Hope is always there,” a phrase that appears in the story itself and holds deep significance for us. I’d like players to discover and experience the theme and message for themselves by actually playing the game. And I would love for players to enjoy this thousand year journey as they experience the history of the town and the lives of its people unfold across the four eras.

We hope you enjoyed this extended look at The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, and prepare to explore more dungeons and take on giant bosses when the game arrives on June 18 for PS5.