A Link Between Elements
HIGH A 2D Zelda-like adventure with awesome exploration, dungeons, and secrets.
LOW Sometimes backtracking and getting from one region to the next can hurt pacing.
WTF Why is it always the Water Temple??
When I first saw the trailer for Elementallis, it looked like something I had played before, and I mean that in the best possible way.
Any ’90s gamer like myself will immediately notice the similarities to the iconic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The graphical design, the whimsical music, and the feeling of “what kind of secrets could be lurking in that cave?” It felt like a throwback to a kind of experience we don’t see as often in 2026.
While Elementallis wears its inspirations on its sleeve and uses a familiar template, it redefines combat and exploration in a meaningful way to make it feel less like a carbon copy, and more like a continuation of a genre I miss dearly.Â
Elementallis takes place in a desolate world that has been ravaged by years of conflict. The character’s goal is to restore and harness eight elemental powers to bring stability back to the region. Much like the titles Elementallis is inspired by, the plot (at least at the beginning) is simple. But with the help of strong world building, it develops into an intriguing high-stakes scenario by the time the adventure hits its stride.Â
Elementallis is a top-down 2D action adventure featuring real-time combat, exploration, and puzzle solving. The general flow is that things start by exploring a new region, meeting the inhabitants of that region’s settlement, traveling to a dungeon to solve puzzles, acquiring a new element for combat and puzzle-solving, and then fighting a boss with the help of said element’s newfound power.Â
What makes Elementallis’ gameplay loop so rewarding are the elemental powers obtained in each temple. Yes, there is traditional sword and shield play, but the eight elements, how they’re used in combat and puzzles, and how they interact with each other in interesting ways, are the stars of the show.
For example, lighting can can be used as projectile to electrocute enemies and stop them in their tracks for a few seconds, but if I used the water element to first set up a puddle on the floor, I could create a much larger electrified trap. Seeing how the elements interact is a great time, and when combined with solid enemy variety, the combat always felt fresh and endlessly experimental.
Elements can also be used for puzzle-solving in one of eight masterfully designed dungeons. These temples are challenging and each feels alive and full of history. Whether lighting torches with the fire element or using the wind element to dash across treacherous gaps, progression always feels unique and varied. There are the usual treasure chests containing gold, keys, and heart pieces, but there are also scrolls of lore that help fill out the temple’s history, such as what it was originally used for, and how it got to the decrepit state it’s currently in. These little tidbits help the world feel alive, lived in, and historic.Â
Bosses lurking at the conclusion of dungeons are, for the most part, enjoyable, though some of their mechanics can be a bit frustrating at times. Some are truly epic — I loved having to grow beanstalks to climb my way onto the head of an angry plant monster while dodging its long legs, or turning off water spouts around an arena to make sure the inflatable baddie of the water temple couldn’t refill its aqua projectiles.
While those were great, others fell short for me. One involved creating earthquakes to knock over pillars to make a boss vulnerable, which ultimately turned into a high speed guessing game of trying to predict which way he would go. Another had me electrocuting pillars connected to a mechanical boss that were sometimes impossible to activate without taking damage. Also, having to go through every single one of the temple bosses again as part of the gauntlet to the final story boss wasn’t my favorite design choice.Â
Elementallis stumbles a bit elsewhere, too. For instance, getting around the overworld can be a bit cumbersome and time consuming. Each of the world’s regions are distinct and a pleasure to explore, but there are times when I would need to move from one end of the map to the other to accomplish a task, like upgrading equipment or buying an item. Elementallis doesn’t make this the easy, as such a trip usually involves trekking long distances on foot.
The developers appear to attempt some concessions, like offering region maps for the character to buy which can explain an environment’s layout in more depth, or highlight teleportation points. Unfortunately, the map vendor is sometimes hidden and quite difficult to find — I didn’t find all of them — and teleportation points aren’t usually in convenient spots, instead being placed quite far from towns and settlements I was trying to get to.
The combination of these factors occasionally led to stumbling around the wilderness while trying to remember how to get back to that one settlement where I could upgrade my sword, while enemies whittled my health away, and sadly, the rewards for engaging in overworld combat are slim to none.
Overall though, these slight issues with world traversal and some of the bosses barely hindered my enjoyment. Elementallis is a gem of an indie title and a must-play for any Zelda fan — I truly appreciated its efforts in honoring the series’ legacy while also offering enough variety to avoid stepping on its toes. Elementallis made me feel like the ’90s gamer kid I am at heart, and I’m thankful I got to relive that sense of joy and wonder.Â
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Iván Ruiz Lozano and AnKae Games, and published by Top Hat Studios Inc, and Iván Ruiz Lozano. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, Switch 1 & 2 and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch 2. Approximately 15 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Blood and Violence. No official description is provided by the ESRB. The game features combat against mostly non-human enemies. While the player character does at times get frozen or burned in combat, there is nothing overly graphic or upsetting.Â
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes are present.Â
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles cannot be resized, but their text speed can be altered. Sound cues without visual cues sometimes make things clearer – i.e. hearing where enemies spawn, or a sound going off when the player has solved a puzzle. As such, this game is not fully accessible.
Remappable Controls:Â Yes, controls are fully remappable.Â
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