I Am Setsuna Reviews

With I am Setsuna, I found the same kind of memories flooding back even though the game is recent; which is exactly what Tokyo RPG Factory has set out to do. With a mix of sombre and emotional storytelling, and a simplistic battle and gameplay style, I am Setsuna is a wonderful tribute to the games of yesteryear. Only let down by minor aspects (like seriously, Chrono Trigger was a long time ago, you CAN improve on things) such as battle balance and extremely repetitive locations, I am Setsuna is a great RPG that will make you reminisce about the past.

I am Setsuna lends itself perfectly to on the go gaming, making the Switch the ideal console to experience this unique RPG.

Coming off the E3 show floor, amid all the flashy bits and games vying for presence, a little RPG from Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory commanded a lot of attention. Now, on the other side of the twenty-or-so-hour game, it seems as though those cursory comparisons were a bit misleading over the long haul.

There was a real risk that I Am Setsuna would be crushed under the weight of expectation. As a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger, with various nods to Final Fantasy and then finally published under the Square Enix label, Setsuna had a lot to live up to. Despite a few teething issues, Setsuna manages to bring together classic JRPG elements and twist them into something that feels unique, with heart befitting the small studio in which it was developed, Tokyo RPG Factory.

Indeed, the entire game feels as though it could have—and perhaps should have—been longer. Its story and world are full of possibilities for a bigger game, and the ending feels slightly unfinished. The journey through I Am Setsuna is enjoyable, but it leaves behind so much unused potential. It will be interesting to see if the developer does more with this universe in the future.

Micro-rants aside, I Am Setsuna has it where it counts. Despite the cracks that give a small peak at the shortcomings of an old formula, its well-told story, fun characters, and addictive combat win the day. Much credit also goes to the absolutely gorgeous soundtrack  by Tomoki Miyoshi (I’m listening to it right now on Spotify). Done entirely in piano, it perfectly captures the tone of the story and world and truly draws you in that much further. As a huge fan of gaming soundtracks, I would say Mr. Miyoshi’s work here rivals that of Uematsu. As a huge fan of RPGs, I cannot express the joy I felt when I had to wander the first town and speak to NPCs to find out what was going on rather than follow a giant arrow. I cannot convey how happy I was that I was playing a game where characters rub monster droppings on themselves to stay safe in the wilderness. In an industry now home to motion capture and Hollywood voice acting, I found great solace in reading a conversation.

Nostalgia is very likely one of the most overused sales tactics in the world. It’s employed to sell everything from movie tickets to toys and almost anything else you can think of. Not surprisingly, it’s also used to sell games and if we’re being honest we all know it doesn’t always work out. The tactic of grabbing a nostalgic license and making a garbage game is alive and well (we’re looking at you TMNT and Ghostbusters). Also alive and kicking is the ‘inspired by’ tactic to which I Am Setsuna was prescribed. Touted as ‘inspired by Chrono Trigger‘, that is a lofty goal to meet. One of gaming’s best RPGs that has stood the test of time is not only a lofty comparison to meet but an even harder one to beat. I Am Setsuna is a great game, I can’t argue that, but whether or not it stacks up to its inspiration is up for debate.

A lack of balance robs the combat of much of its fun and renders many of the more interesting gameplay systems moot, but it didn’t dampen the emotional impact of I Am Setsuna’s heartfelt message for me. Few story-driven RPGs are so thematically focused or so gleefully disinterested with being “entertaining” or “fun.” To say it attempts to stand on the backs of giants is disingenuous really. I Am Setsuna isn’t a “Chrono Trigger-like;” it’s just a game that might easily have existed in the same time, if a creator with different storytelling sensibilities had been around. Its strength comes not from the ways in which it emulates the conventions of the classics, but in the ways in which it defies them.

A well-crafted homage to Chrono Trigger, which isn’t scared to add its own ideas – ensuring this is far more than just a nostalgic novelty.

Fall in love with a game that bestows upon the player a strong sense of warmth and contentment.

New Square Enix studio Tokyo RPG Factory releases its first effort I AM SETSUNA in the west this week. Read on for Rob’s review of this throwback RPG.

Setsuna is a good game and that’s really the problem, it’s just good. The games intention of being a love letter the to JRPG’s of yesteryear have kept the game void of any originality and spark. The game is stuck in the shadow of those games, playing it far too safe to rear a head of its own.

Those golden-era JRPGs are beloved because they were packed with memorable locations, characters, and combat. I Am Setsuna unfortunately falls short on all three counts, and instead delivers an average and forgettable adventure, albeit one with wonderful music.

I am Setsuna is a beautiful, snow-filled love letter to former JRPGs. While the lack of variety may strike some players as boring, it sticks to its aesthetic and presents us with bits and pieces of what we loved from older JRPGs years ago. The all-piano soundtrack and snowy setting of the game are beautiful, though some may find it to feel repetitive the more they play.

This is almost certainly the fanboy in me talking but I Am Setsuna deserves more. In 1995 Square brought together five top artists in the industry and gave them whatever they needed to produce the greatest game ever made. Two decades later their legacy is being used to timidly test fan nostalgia when, perhaps, another dream team left to its own devices, unfettered by the weight of a cultural and artistic behemoth is what’s really needed. God, I want another Chrono Trigger so much and I Am Setsuna comes as close as any attempt possibly could, but, of course, it’s only an echo. An imperfect reality existing only to remind me of the most beautiful dream I ever had.

A beautiful JRPG that captures the spirit of the genre's early hits while playing things a tad too safely.

Still, these drawbacks feel like nit-picking in a game that set out to revitalize the traditional JRPG and wholeheartedly succeeded. I Am Setsuna might not be the most innovative or technologically demanding game released this year - or even in the past five - but it is one of the most complete, and it offers an experience that near-perfectly blends incredible visuals, a music score that rivals some of Nobuo Uematsu's best, and superb, polished gameplay into one of the best JRPGs released in years. I Am Setsuna is a must-have for already enfranchised fans of the genre, and a wonderful introduction to JRPGs for the uninitiated.

For those of us who love 16-bit RPGs, few titles are held in higher regard than Chrono Trigger. Its inventive battle system, time-hopping story, and excellent presentation make it a beloved classic of a bygone era. Chrono Trigger has inspired countless RPG developers over the years, but never has that inspiration been so apparent as it is in I Am Setsuna. While that might sound like an answered prayer to many fans of the genre, you should keep your hopes modest. I Am Setsuna’s best gameplay and story beats are so rooted in its predecessors (and often directly copied from them) that it feels familiar and predictable. With a fine line dividing homage and imitation, I Am Setsuna doesn’t do enough to carve out its own identity.

I actually quite like the adherence to nostalgia, as Square is only giving fans with they want after years of complaints that projects like Final Fantasy XIII strayed too far. But by the same token of goodwill, it plays it a little too safe in regards to its at times predictable story, and doesn’t really do anything new that moves the genre forward in any way. Still, if old school is what you want, you’ll get it.