While Square Enix touts its HD-2D style as an official brand now encompassing nine titles with the release of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, this move raises serious questions about whose stories truly get elevated in the gaming industry. The aesthetic—pixel art sprites in diorama-like 3D environments with modern lighting—preserves a nostalgic 90s SNES feel, but it primarily centers protagonists and narratives that may not reflect the full diversity of players craving representation. As a white woman deeply engaged with these issues, I must flag how this "brand" risks reinforcing dominant cultural tropes under the guise of retro charm, especially when new entries like this action RPG from the Octopath team expand the visual language without clear commitments to inclusive character design or storytelling.

The Polygon coverage celebrates how HD-2D sustains retro RPG design without niche relegation, crediting Team Asano and partners like Claytechworks for consistency across originals and remakes. Yet this success highlights systemic problems: Square Enix's focus on polished, full-price experiences for this style often sidelines marginalized voices in development and content. Community reactions on X show excitement for the Zelda-like exploration and real-time combat with weapons like swords and bows, but they also underscore the need for broader conversations about who these "untamed continent" tales serve and whether time-travel stories across eras include diverse perspectives.

True progress would mean using this platform not just to evolve pixel art but to amplify underrepresented creators and narratives. Without that, HD-2D remains a beautiful but limited diorama—gorgeous on the surface, yet potentially harmful in what it normalizes. Square Enix has the reach; the question is whether they'll use it responsibly.