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I am Setsuna

I am Setsuna

There's more than just nostalgia that glimmers in the wintery RPG that is I am Setsuna.

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Dripping with heaps of charm, Square Enix's latest IP, I am Setsuna, is an old school JRPG throwback capable of drifting enduring fans into a nostalgia-induced coma. The influence of Chrono Trigger and classic Final Fantasy may be ever apparent but it's still able to breathe a breath of innovation into the beloved time-tested genre. The title is the first to be released by Tokyo RPG Factory, Square Enix's newly established studio, which is set solely on creating experiences reminiscent of golden age of JRPGs.

Presented through bubbles of cycling text, I am Setsuna's captivating narrative is deeply moving and touches upon themes of love, loss and deception. The story follows the travels of the young and amiable Setsuna who has been selected as her village's annual sacrifice in a ploy to banish the demons of the land. Accompanied by a band of valiant protectors you must venture towards the sacrificial destination of the Last Lands and slaughter any monstrous creatures who may threaten to compromise your journey's success.

I am Setsuna
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Whilst unashamedly dark, its narrative remains gripping throughout as you're constantly trying to piece together just how Setsuna's noble journey will end.

Feeling like the inside of an oversized snow globe, I am Setsuna takes placed in an unnamed world that is gripped by an everlasting winter. Its perpetual setting of snow and ice helps to cement it as more than just a simple trip of nostalgia, and differentiates it from JRPGs filled with more varied environments. It's frost covered plains also work to parallel its sombre narrative tone, and there is a constant air of bitter sadness. Locations featured within its enduring setting include caves paved with ice, mountains struck by blizzards, and mysterious creaky cabins. Visually the game is undeniably charming with a dynamic colour palette and an aesthetic, particularly for character models, that is joyfully reminiscent of the PlayStation 1 era.

Also of note is its enchanting soundtrack, which is based almost entirely around the piano, minus the occasional accompaniment of light percussion and bass. It's unconventional minimalist approach beautifully compliments the experience as it's able to give a sense of delicacy to characters. It also captures a whole spectrum of emotions from the intensity of battles to the bittersweet undertones of its unfolding narrative. While these tracks do lend themselves well to the experience, certain sections (particularly the victory battle music) could have benefited from a little more variation as they start to lose their impact after multiple listens.

Combat is reminiscent of classic Chrono Trigger and sees three of your heroes fight in tactical turn-based style against droves of vicious monsters. You can choose to use either an item, an attack, or a special ability when your ATB gauge has filled to its optimum point. Additionally, there is also a second meter labelled SP that can be triggered to activate momentum mode, which can grant you additional damage and magical powers if used effectively. In order to use momentum mode you must press the square button precisely when your SP gauge begins to rapidly flash.

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Spiritnite (which you can craft at magical traders) are special attacks and abilities that can be used in battle for the cost of mana points. These abilities can be used in conjunction with allied attacks to form powerful game altering combinations. You can also equip support spiritnite, which works passively to benefit your character in ways such as boosting their non-elemental attacks. Similarly, there are also talismans that you can equip to characters to aid them in battle. These can have several different effects ranging from being able to see your foe's HP to increasing your overall critical hit rate.

I am Setsuna

In the heat of battle enemies will manoeuvre across the battlefield allowing you to land punishing attacks that'll strike multiple foes at once. It's important to be conscious of a hero's location throughout, as enemies can use similar attacks and some can even self-destruct inflicting serious damage to those caught within their radius. On the whole enemy designs are particularly inventive, but that being said, some foes are simply just re-skinned version of others you will have encountered before. While these enemies do have their own unique attacks, it still feels like a lazy design choice on the behalf of the developers.

The battle system also encourages you to vary your approach as enemies will drop different craftable items upon being defeated in alternative ways. This ultimately prevents you from depending on one main style of attack as you won't be able to receive the resources necessary to craft your desired spiritnite. You'll also encounter monsters that have mutated due to exposure to spiritnite, and these are much more powerful than their unaffected counterparts. These enemies harness a breadth of destructive attacks and can be quite the challenge to defeat, but if you're successful you'll be rewarded with a wealth of items.

A handy tool tucked inside of the main menu is the Snow Chronicles, which acts an interactive journal of everything that you've encountered on your journey. Inside you can view illustrations and detailed texts on everything you'll find within the game's world, including weapons, enemies and locations. There is also a brief recap of the story and details of which items you still need to receive from particular enemies. While this is only a minor touch, it still helped enhance the experience to receive some extra depth and information without having to refer to an external wiki.

Unlike typical RPGs, I am Setsuna has no additional side-quests and instead the focus is completely on its story. While it may have added extra variety to the experience we felt it was a bold choice as these objectives would have most likely detracted from the urgency of Setsuna's journey. Also, upon completing the game you are simply just left the option of returning to your previous save point and there is no end game content or new game+. While this may be disappointing for many, we felt that the game resolved perfectly and for its price point, its roughly 12-15 hours of gameplay proved to be a satisfyingly ample experience.

With I am Setsuna, Toyko RPG Studio has managed to craft an experience that feels like a lost JRPG classic rather than a modern day re-imagining. Although it doesn't stray too far away from what made games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy special to begin with, it is still able to stand out on its own through its unique snow drenched setting and the minimalist soundtrack. While we have a few trivial criticisms, I am Setsuna is still a poignant adventure that is much recommended to even those who may have missed out on the genre's heyday.

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09 Gamereactor UK
9 / 10
+
It's minimalist soundtrack and snow covered setting are unique, combat is simple but deep, and its story is intriguing and well constructed.
-
Enemy designs occasionally lack variation, the soundtrack can become repetitive, and the lack of end-game content may be an issue for some.
overall score
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REVIEW. Written by Kieran Harris

"Toyko RPG Studio has managed to craft an experience that feels like a lost JRPG classic rather than a modern day re-imagining."



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