I Am Setsuna Reviews

I Am Setsuna is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Mar 1, 2017

I Am Setsuna aims to invoke the spirit of classic 16-Bit JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, but its obtuse combat and monotonous pacing keep it from reaching those lofty heights.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2017

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.

Read full review

David Lovato
Top Critic
6 / 10
Sep 14, 2016

I Am Setsuna is a solid title. The story and gameplay both have their moments, even if they feel a little too reliant on nostalgia, and the wooden battles don't stop this from being something JRPG fans will still enjoy. A gorgeous soundtrack accompanies a beautiful, if not repetitive, snowy landscape, and the game holds its own and should feel right at home to people who like mobile RPGs.

Read full review

Sep 4, 2016

I love a beautiful piano piece in games, don't you? Well upon launching the game, configuring the pre launch settings, going through the usual splash screens, you arive at the title screen and I honestly just sat there for a few minutes.

Read full review

games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Aug 30, 2016

An emotional, if lopsided, tale.

Read full review

Evan Norris
Top Critic
Unscored
Aug 21, 2016

It suffers a bit from recycled ideas and mechanics, but in terms of music, art direction, and combat it carves out a corner all its own.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2016

I Am Setsuna lacks confidence in itself but still tries to stand with the greats. Chrono Trigger was a tremendously ambitious and far-reaching game because iIt ventured across space time and took huge risks with its characters. I Am Setsuna wants to remind you of classic games such as Chrono Trigger but doesn't have the courage to do anything more than that. If I Am Setsuna had been released as a $20 indie title, it would be more understandable, but as a $40 game published by Square Enix, it is found lacking. RPG fans will probably have a fun, if forgettable, time with the game, but there's no need to rush out and buy this one unless you've exhausted your other options first.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Aug 16, 2016

I Am Setsuna is a very good JRPG. Its combat system is very good and despite its long story, the combo mechanism doesn’t allow the game to get repetitive. I Am Setsuna’s Locations are very beautiful and exquisite and it also has a very immersive story. It is not flawless but every JRPG player will enjoy this.

Review in Persian | Read full review

Niche Gamer
D S Wadeson
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Aug 14, 2016

Yet, if you love JRPGs but think they need to leave the rose-tinted glasses behind, I Am Setsuna might not scratch the itch. It’s a shame it’s not more forward thinking but perhaps, should it do well, it could be exactly the thing to start bridging the gap towards a modern JRPG renaissance.

Read full review

5 / 10.0
Aug 11, 2016

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.

Read full review

55 / 100
Aug 10, 2016

At its core, I Am Setsuna plays precisely like a classic JRPG of the Active Time Battle variety, and requires smart, spur-of-the-moment strategy as those games once did.

Read full review

ZTGD
Top Critic
5.5 / 10.0
Aug 10, 2016

I Am Setsuna desperately tries to pull us back in time, but just feels old and worn out, no matter how good the fresh new lick of paint looks.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2016

I am Setsuna is a wonderful tribute to the SNES era. Even with all the familiarity from the older titles that it pays homage to it doesn’t come across as a copy paste and instead is capable of standing on its own even with the heavy nostalgic feel. Graphically and audibly beautiful sounding this RPG is more than worth the time in the snow covered reaches that are traversed.

Read full review

Aug 8, 2016
I am Setsuna - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Aug 7, 2016

With a story that delicately balances sadness and beauty, yet never tries to be anything other than a callback to classic games, I am Setsuna lands among the stars of the JRPG genre.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 6, 2016

I Am Setsuna is a great game, but that's all. It falls short of it's full potential in a few different ways, but fortunately the excellent soundtrack and brilliant art direction make it a joy to experience.

Read full review

Aug 6, 2016

Overall, I Am Setsuna is a compelling experience that all RPG fans should try, just be aware that it’s a more personal and linear experience, as opposed to an epic adventure around the world.

Read full review

Aug 5, 2016

Egal ob alt oder neu: I Am Setsuna verfolgt zwar einen spannenden Ansatz, konnte mich allerdings nicht über die komplette Spielzeit fesseln. Die inhaltsarme Welt sowie die über Strecken unnötig gezogene Story haben es mir schwergemacht, am Ball zu bleiben. Weiterhin hat mich das Balancing der Kämpfe gestört. Während die Zwischengegner fast immer mit nur einem Schlag erledigt gewesen sind, fahren die Bossgegner eine unausgewogene Stärke auf, welcher man nur mit Grinden entgegnen kann. Der Piano-Soundtrack ist stimmig und die Grafik nett anzuschauen. Dennoch hätte ich mir mehr Abwechslung im tristen Alltag der Welt gewünscht, welche mich immer und immer wieder an die gleichen Orte geführt hat. Hier wäre sicher mehr drin gewesen. Gleichwohl ist I Am Setsuna für alle Fans von RPG-Spielen der 90er Jahre mit Einschränkungen zu empfehlen. Das Spiel ist teilweise schwere Kost und die schwermütigen Piano-Sounds sowie das gewollt altbackene Gameplay könnte euch schnell vor den Bildschirmen einschlafen lassen. Wenn das nicht stört, gibt es immerhin solide Unterhaltung, welche selbst auf schwachbrüstigen PC-Systemen erstaunlich gut läuft.

Review in German | Read full review

RPG Fan
Top Critic
79%
Aug 4, 2016

I am Setsuna is not what it promised to be, but still worth your time and a promising debut for Tokyo RPG Factory.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 3, 2016

Each nod to a title of JRPG yore is an acknowledgment of sampling from something fantastic. I am Setsuna is the sampler platter at your favorite restaurant. Not the one that gives you three tiny mozzarella sticks and a soggy onion ring – no, the place that puts a heaping of one of your favorite dishes in the center and surrounds them with generous quantities of the best of the menu. You know, the $20 appetizer tray that everyone can eat from. It’s not the full meal, but you can experience a taste of everything fantastic the chef has to offer.

Read full review