I Am Setsuna Reviews

I Am Setsuna is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
50 / 100
Nov 9, 2020

If you lived in the era of SNES JRPGs and truly understand the definition of how classic games were meant to be played, the detailed stories and music will at least shield you through most of the ‘stuff you had to endure’ back then.

Review in Korean | Read full review

2.5 / 5.0
Jul 18, 2016

I Am Setsuna seems like the perfect game for those missing the Golden Age of Japanese RPGs, but unfortunately it has been painted with a shallow brush.

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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.

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Jul 28, 2016

In spite of its myriad frustrations, I Am Setsuna is far from a characterless husk, but its mechanical regurgitation of shallow tropes and the over-complication of a ready-made battle system manages to cast a dim light on its reserved tone and glacial atmosphere. Designed to be a reverential ode to cherished RPG classics, I Am Setsuna is a functional footnote rather than a sweeping fresh stanza.

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Jul 19, 2016

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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.

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Aug 3, 2016

A charming and competent RPG which is let down by a lack of variety, depth and originality.  Retro JRPG fans will like it though.

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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.

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6 / 10
Apr 14, 2017

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

GameMAG
ACE
Top Critic
6 / 10
Apr 24, 2017

I Am Setsuna for Nintendo Switch is disappointing with its uninspired story, a useless choice system and a primitive gameplay. Beautiful snow effects and lovingly drawn landscapes with atmospheric music, despite the duplication, feels great. But even that, most likely, will not be enough to get you through the game until the final credits.

Review in Russian | Read full review

6.3 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

If I am Setsuna stands as an example of what developers would accomplish if they more frequently looked back toward the golden age of RPGs, I enthusiastically urge the industry to continue pressing forward in further modernizing the genre.

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6.5 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2017

A strong base game is at the core of I Am Setsuna, but it’s surrounded by some very depressing environments that make getting the best of the battle system difficult. Bundle up and get ready for a short story with a lot of snow.

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6.5 / 10.0
Aug 3, 2016

I Am Setsuna is a mixture of beautiful, heartfelt, and depressing moments, one whose depth is unfortunately overshadowed by its over-abundant moments of shallowness. The worth in Setsuna may end up being not in what it did on its own, but the groundwork it provides for future projects.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jul 26, 2016

It could have – and should have – been far better than it is. Held back by a lack of ambition and never daring to crawl from the shadow of better games, I Am Setsuna stops itself being something special.

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3.4 / 5.0
Mar 9, 2017

I am Setsuna is an enjoyable and more than competent JRPG, which while weak in story more than makes up for this with a strong combat system and fantastic presentation.

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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.

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