Square Enix Just Released the Zelda Rival Nintendo Hoped You’d Never Discover

By Lionel Gen Bernard Allkeyshop Gaming News
18 June 2026 no comments

Square Enix just put a Zelda-shaped HD-2D challenger in front of players, and Nintendo’s safest formula suddenly has company.

Square Enix has pushed The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales into preorder visibility at 59,99€ on Steam, while the official Steam page and Nintendo listing confirm the game’s new public footprint. The timing matters because this is a launch-window PC watch, not a settled long-term verdict, with Steam and Nintendo pages confirming the game’s public retail footprint.

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A brand-new action RPG from the creators of OCTOPATH TRAVELER and BRAVELY DEFAULT, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales combines stunning HD-2D visuals and exciting action-adventure gameplay for the first time! Compare The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales deals

Released

Jun 18, 2026

Developer

Square Enix, Claytechworks

Publisher

Square Enix

Available on

PC · Switch 2 · PS5 · Xbox Series

Tags

ActionAdventureRPG

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The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is not hiding what it wants you to feel. It has Square Enix’s HD-2D polish, a bright fantasy world, real-time action, and the kind of dungeon-and-field rhythm that instantly makes PC players think of Zelda, Mana, and every lost 16-bit adventure that deserved a bigger second life.

That makes the 59,99€ Steam preorder a serious question rather than a casual impulse. If Square Enix has built more than a pretty nostalgia piece, this could become one of the most watched action RPG launches for players who want classic adventure structure on PC without waiting for Nintendo hardware.

Why Square Enix’s Zelda Angle Works So Quickly

The comparison lands because The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales sells an immediate fantasy promise: one hero, a hostile world, readable combat, environmental discovery, and a sense that every screen might hide a shortcut, chest, or monster pattern. That is the adventure language Nintendo made famous, but Square Enix is translating it through its own RPG eye.

The official Square Enix page frames it as a new HD-2D action RPG, which is the key detail. This is not just a retro filter over turn-based nostalgia. The sell is movement, timing, exploration, and spectacle, which makes the PC version worth watching before the first discount even appears.

What PC Players Should Watch Before Buying

Freedom between story beats is the first stress test. A Zelda-style comparison only works if the world rewards curiosity, not just if the camera angle and art direction look familiar. For PC players, the strongest version of Elliot would be a game where combat, routes, secrets, and equipment choices keep pulling you off the obvious path.

Input feel will decide whether the comparison survives beyond the first trailer. HD-2D can look gentle, but action RPGs live or die on response, enemy readability, and camera clarity. At 59,99€, the official Steam price asks for confidence, so the smartest move is to follow the trailer, Steam updates, and live offer movement before committing.

Why Preorder Pricing Is Already Moving

Because the game is still in its launch window, early pricing can move unevenly. Steam shows 59,99€, but CD-key listings and Steam Account routes can appear or change closer to release windows, especially when publishers open wishlists before every reseller channel has clean inventory.

That is why price tracking matters even before launch hype peaks. The live AKS widgets below show CD-key and Steam Account routes moving under the 59,99€ official Steam price, so the real question is not only whether Square Enix can challenge Zelda — it is whether players should buy day one or wait for the market to move.

The Real Test Is More Than Looking Like Zelda

A Zelda rival cannot survive on resemblance alone. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales needs its own rhythm, its own progression hooks, and a world that feels authored instead of assembled from genre memories. Square Enix has the art language to make players stop scrolling, but the game still has to prove that each fight and region has purpose.

For now, the safest verdict is to watch closely rather than assume greatness. The premise is strong, the official reveal is credible, and the PC preorder is real, but 59,99€ is still a full-price bet. If the final game delivers exploration with real bite, this may be the Square Enix adventure Nintendo fans were never meant to ignore. The price page is where the real decision happens, and it is already worth checking.

Lionel Gen Bernard

Competitive gaming veteran and Infographics Creator at AllKeyShop, Lionel 'Gen' Bernard made his name in the early days of esports as a professional Unreal Tournament player, competing at the highest level when competitive FPS was still in its infancy. Founder of AllKeyShop, he now brings his competitive DNA to data-driven visual storytelling, producing original infographics and editorial content. His work maps the global gaming landscape through the lens of someone who's lived it from both sides: the arena and the industry.