I Am Setsuna Reviews
I Am Setsuna is an unabashed love letter to fans of classic JRPGs, featuring solid, turn-based combat and a beautiful snowy world that looks like a moving painting. It’s a tad on the short side for an RPG and the journey can feel rushed, especially with the lack of extra content. Overall, it feels like it's at the cusp of JRPG greatness but just needs that little extra something to reach its full potential. Still, if you’re looking for an old school-style JRPG fix, I Am Setsuna will hit the spot.
If you are looking for a classic JRPG experience, you will love I Am Setsuna. If you are looking for the second coming of Chrono Trigger, however, you will be disappointed.
While not as challenging as some of the JRPGs of the past (no Emerald Weapon here, sorry), I Am Setsuna makes it clear that someone is listening to all of those grumbly veteran gamers who miss the adventures that made them fans for life. They long for a story to care about, and that's what this game provides.
I Am Setsuna starts out on a strong footing: offering what seems to be the perfect game for every JRPG fan with too little time on their hands. However, something is lost along the way, too much is trimmed and outside of the excellent combat system, the plot and characters simply fail to maintain my attention, some struggle to remain likeable because of their incredibly annoying dialogue.
I Am Setsuna does not reinvent the wheel of JRPGs and sticks to a formula which intends to put a smile on longtime fans of the genre by using several elements of the 16 and 32-bit era. That being said, it falls easily into a repetitiveness cycle, especially on its visual component and its plot and characters could really use more inspiration and magic, despite the quality of its combat system.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Switch version of I am Setsuna looks good and feels great. It might be only 30FPS but that doesnt affect the overall experience. If you enjoyed the JRPGs from the 90s, you should not let it pass.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Though it's narratively, visually and aurally filled with anguish and sorrow, I Am Setsuna's charming personality has the strength and the warmth to melt all but the iciest of hearts, which couldn't make me happier.
Despite some minor hiccups, I Am Setsuna is still an incredibly enjoyable experience. Will I Am Setsuna change the JRPG landscape forever? Certainly not.
I am Setsuna is not what it promised to be, but still worth your time and a promising debut for Tokyo RPG Factory.
I Am Setsuna is a carefully crafted JRPG that will appeal to the nostalgia of fans, but also intrigue JRPG newcomers. A beautifully emotional story underlines a solid battle system that is equal parts familiar as it is unique. Some lenient money and ability hand-outs make the game easier while an empty overworld can make the walks a bit dull. The 15-20 hour average completion time might be shorter than what many JRPG fans would expect, but it is also a good entry point for newcomers without being a daunting 100+ hour experience. It is safe to say that I am Setsuna is a worthwhile journey.
Fall in love with a game that bestows upon the player a strong sense of warmth and contentment.
A brief, somber, and quietly beautiful journey that occasionally stumbles to resonate emotionally.
Overall, I Am Setsuna is the good kind of nostalgic. It utilises the best elements of the past to its benefit, rather than to excuse an otherwise lacklustre game. And yet, while playing to the nostalgia it also makes sure to do something different to set it apart. The more sombre tone of the story means you’re not going to be adding a chivalrous frog knight to your party here, but the package you get it doesn’t suffer as a result. Clocking in a bit shorter than the average Square Enix RPG, I Am Setsuna is a great game to play between the big releases ahead.
Yet I’m met with the same response, from the many church-goers who don’t want that. They want the same thing they’ve heard before, slightly repackaged, but wholly recognizable and safe. It’s that hushed reverence that creates games like I Am Setsuna, and ultimately holds them back from being anything more than last week’s sermon.
I Am Setsuna adds a lot of value to our memories and shows us just how far these games have progressed over the decades. But the lack of momentum and good controls hold it back from greatness.
At times, this journey can come dangerously close to pulling back that curtain on the great and powerful Mr. Oz, revealing shortcomings not readily apparent in the 90s. However, I Am Setsuna succeeds in its goal despite almost falling on its face, and I couldn’t be more happy about that.
It’s been too long, and man… was this nostalgic. The game offers everything that I personally enjoy in traditional JRPGs, however, I did realize that a lot of the content seemed “recycled” from other JRPGs (story, battle system, etc). While it may not be a bad thing for some, I am Setsuna delivers with a well-crafted soundtrack, great visuals, and even revived traditional RPG elements that we enjoy, such as crafting and tech combos.
With a dark yet optimistic story and old school JRPG gameplay, Tokyo RPG Factory’s first title feels like a classic in the modern day.
The first console I ever owned was a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, back in 1996. Occasionally, I’ll get it out and play it on an old CRT television, just to relive the memories of the countless RPGs played on it.
Everything from the length of the game (around 25 hours), the battle system, difficult, art, music, characters — this has proven to be a treat of an experience for me and one I would happily recommend to any Switch owner.