'Yes, I'm the real Setsuna. All you other Setsunas are just imitating.'

Last year, we saw the release of I Am Setsuna for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Much like one of Square Enix's other recent role-playing games, Bravely Default, it was an attempt by the publisher to ??provide an experience somewhat reminiscent of an old-school JRPG from a previous e??ra in gaming.

Considering its recent re-release on the Ninten??do Switch, this seemed like as good of an oppo??rtunity as ever to revisit this modern take on a classic genre. After all, unless we suddenly enter a hypothetical perfect timeline where not only does the Switch have Virtual Console support, but where Square Enix has also released its back catalogue of role-playing games on the platform, this is the closest thing we've got to such titles on Nintendo's new console.

I Am Setsuna (PC, PS4, Vita (Japan only), Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Tokyo RPG Factory
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: February 18, 2016 (Japan), July 19, 2016 (PC, PS4 WW), March 3, 2017 (Switch)
MSRP: $39.99

I Am Setsuna's story starts off in an int??eresting way. Endir, a mercenary who serves as the game's main protagonist, is tasked with the assassination of a young girl by the name of Setsuna. This titular character is about to be sent off on a sacrificial pilgrimage to a location known as the Last Lands with the express purpose of somehow keeping the monsters that litter the world at bay. There is an irony to the idea of being tasked with the murder of someone who is, for all intents and purposes, destined to die anyway, and some moments of dialogue even show that this isn't at all lost on the game's protagonist.

Within half an hour of the game's introduction, Endir is roped into accompanying Setsuna on her perilous journey. On their way??, they meet and ?eventually team up with various other individuals, each with their own backgrounds and motivations.

Wh?ile these characters are, for the most part??, fairly archetypical, they all still manage to be enjoyable nonetheless. I just wish that they could forge their own unique identities, rather than simply being reminiscent of individuals who I've already grown to know and love in other games.

Setsuna, herself, is likeable enough as an example of a kind-hearted and selfless healer. Endir a textbook example of the mostly-silent protagonist, although there are a few dialogue options that occasionally pop up, even if most of them wind up being meaningless. And ??Kir? He certainly exists!

The only main party members whom I felt got an appropriate amount of screen time and development were Aeterna, Nidr, and Julienne. Even then, there are some character revelations and side-plots pertaining to these individuals that either don't go anywhere, or that c??ould have been explored in much greater detail.

Ultimately, however, the story does wind up being a wholly predictable affair. Many of the game's light plot twists are heavily telegraphed, or are simply reminiscent of revelations that have been seen in other properties. The result is that I never once felt surprised or shocked by any of the story details in I Am Setsuna.

While I completely understand that the game was developed with the intention of providing a decidedly old-school experience, it would have been nice to see an attempt to create something that wasn't entirely comprised of elements we've already seen before. To this end, I feel as if I Am Setsuna is nostalgic to a fault. I never got the impression that this game was trying to forge its own unique identity, choosing? to settle for the simple mimicry of its predecessors instead.

In terms of visuals, I Am Setsuna is simply gorgeous. While it may not be particularly impressive from a technical perspective -- it was designed with the limitations of the PlayStation Vita in mind, after all -- the game's cold and wintery art direction manages to be aesthetically pleasing, w??hile also doing a great job of complementing its more somber and melancholic tone.

For a game that was clearly made on a budget, there's also a surprising amou?nt of attention to detail, with characters leaving trails in the snow whenever they walk, as well as warm air visibly emanating from their mouths when they breathe. These effects may be relatively minor, but they do an effective job of providing the game with some sort of a basis in reality.

The soundtrack, too, is particularly noteworthy. Eschewing the orchestral compositions that pervade many other titles in its genre, I Am Setsuna instead opts to deliver a far moodier piano-based score. Although it may not deliver much in the wa??y of high-energy tracks, this more low-key approach to composition manages to consistently sound rather pretty, while also being well-suited to the game's overall atmosphere.

Where I Am Setsuna's presentation falters, however, is with its heavy reuse of environments and enemy encounters. It's hard to shake the feeling of sheer repetition when you're treading through environments that recycle similar (or even exactly the same??) backdrops at other settings entirely, especially when many of the enemy encounters contained within these areas are simple reskins of foes that were already fought in previously-visited locations. Even the game's final dungeon consists of recoloured tiles that were previously utilised in multiple other near-identical locales, which is something that I found to be shockingly egregious.

If there's one major defining feature of I Am Setsuna, it's the excellent combat system. Taking liberal cues from Chrono Trigger, I Am Setsuna utilises an Active Turn-Based battle system that forces the player to consider both party member and e?nemy positioning, as well as the areas of effect for each Tech (or ability), in order?? to attain victory.

To add to this, I Am Setsuna utilises a Momentum s??ystem, which essentially serves as a secondary gauge that fills up when a party member's ATB meter is full. When this gauge is filled, the party member gains one Momentum point, which caps at a maximum of three in total. These points can be spent by pressing the Y button when performing a Tech, which then adds a secondary effect to these abilities, such as ?additional damage or some form of group heal.

In order to teach individual party members new Techs, players need to equip them with a corresponding Spiritnite. Think of this as being somewhat akin to the Materia system from Final Fantasy VII. One thing that I absolutely loved about I Am Setsuna's Spiritnite system is just how diverse each party member's moveset can be. For instance, it's entirely possible to teach Nidr -- who is a predominantly tanky character -- abilities that allow him to heal other p??arty members. 

I only have one major grievance with I Am Setsuna's battle system??: standard enemy encounters are all just a little bit too easy. So long as you sneak up on opponents from behind -- which? allows you to start each battle off with every party member having a full ATB gauge and one omentum point -- it's usually possible to defeat your foes with only a single attack.

This changes for the better once you get to the boss fights. I Am Setsuna's boss encounters present? the game with a level of challenge that I was greatly desiring. It's here that the battle system really comes into its own, with encounters becoming extremely punishing to players who haven't formulated a viable strategy, or have simply not formed a party that's effective at countering them.

Oftentimes, when encountering these bosses, I found myself having to carefully micromanage my various buffs and debuffs, while also waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Rarely was a brute-force approach even remotely viable against these opponents. Suffice it to say, it was extremely satisfying to see a strategy I'd devised to defeat I Am Setsuna bosses be successful.

As far as performance is concerned, on the Nintendo Switch, I Am Setsuna manages to hold a stable 30 frames-per-second at almost all times when playing the game with the console both docked and in its handheld mode. I could only find one location in the entire game where there is a noticeable drop in performance, and even then, th??is only occurred when playing with the Switch undocked and when I was outside of combat??.

While some may lament the fact that the Switch port of I Am Setsuna doesn't aim for the same 60FPS gameplay that the PlayStation 4 or PC versions provide, I never really found ??this lowered framerate to be much of an issue. The game simply doesn't require the level of precision that would necessitate the increase in responsiveness provided by a heightened framerate. 

It also needs to be mentioned that, since the PlayStation Vita version of I Am Setsuna is unavailable outside of Japan, the Nintendo Switch port is the only portable version of the game that is playable with an English localisation. If you care about eking the best possib?le?? performance out of this game, you may want to look elsewhere, but there is still some merit to its existence on the Switch.

I Am Setsuna is not without its faults on the technical side of things, however. For starters, I've noticed a couple of odd issues with character models momentarily disappearing, party members falling through the floors of some dungeons, and even item descriptions that are displayed in French, rather than in English. Oddly enough, the latter of these bizarre issues managed to rear its head for a second time throughout my playthrough of the game. Thankfully, none of these problems impeded on my progress through I Am Setsuna, meaning that they were relativel?y benign and somewhat amusing technical issue?s rather than anything to be particularly concerned about.

From a presentational and mechanical standpoint, I Am Setsuna manages to lay the foundations for an incredibly solid role-playing game. Unfortunately, this experience is often marred by a wholly predictable story, forgettable characters, and dungeons that feel completely uninspired. Still, if you just so happen to be in the mood for a traditional JRPG, and you're looking for something to play on your newly-acquired Nintendo Switch,&??nbsp;you should consider checking this one out.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

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They could have led with this, haha

So uh, Squ??are Enix? You probably could have led with this when you were trying to get people to buy a port during the launch of the Switch.

According to the game's developer, Tokyo RPG Factory, I Am Setsuna is getting free DLC that's exclusive to the Switch version of the game. It?'s called "Temporal Battle Arena," and it's coming this April.

The gist is that it's an asynchronous PVP arena where players can upload their party's battle data to fight against other p??layers in? AI form. You can earn Spritnite from it, and upload up to three different configurations to keep things interesting. It has the potential to be something you only waste your time with for an hour, but it's a nice little bit of free DLC, from Square Enix no less.

It's sort of enticing me to double dip -- especially since the Vita version of the game was canceled in the west. I'd lo?ve to take this with me and play it in handheld form.

I Am Setuna [Square Enix via Siliconera]

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I'd play something like it

In a new video series from Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory where they answer fan questions, the developed focused on a very special one -- where's the sequel?!

Well, they?? went a?head and confirmed it -- it's not happening. Tokyo RPG Factory notes that this was kind of a one-off project, and "it's own complete game." Yet, they explained that they would like to make other games based on the "'90s RPG" aesthetic, so there's hope.

Amidst other factoids th?at come to light in the video, ?my favorite part is when the devs thank the handles of each user who asks each question by looking into the camera. This seems like a great team and I'd love to see more from them.

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Square files trademark for 'Kimi to Kiri no Labyrinth'

Square Enix has filed a trademark in Japan for what appears to be a follow-up to last month's I am Setsuna. According to a post on Gematsu, the game's title will be "Kimi to Kiri no Labyrinth," which roughly translates to "You and the Foggy Labyrinth." This title is more or less in line with I am Setsuna's original Japanese title, Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna. 

This appears to be the title for the sophomore effort from Tokyo RPG Factory. Square Enix set up I am Setsuna's development team after the first Bravely Default game on the 3DS was a surprise hit. The group's stated purpose is to create games that hearken back to the "good old days" of Japanese role-playing games, specifically those that were released in the late Super Nintendo and early PlayStation eras. To that end, I am Setsuna was intended to play a lot like Chrono Trigger.

It's unclear whether this game will be related to I am Setsuna, or will take place in a distinct world with different rules. There's also no word on a localized version, which would probably have a dif??ferent title. Once we hear more about this game, we'll let you know.

Square Enix trademarks Kimi to Kiri no Labyrinth in Jap?an [Gematsu]

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Yes, you are

Square Enix has put itself in a rather inter??esting predicament. Given that the company is over 40 years old at this point (if you count Enix), it has a rather sizable fan base that's comprised of people of all age groups.

On one hand you have the hardcore fans who want nothing more than JRPGs. On the other, there's folks who wouldn't be caught dead playing one, and want the publisher to branch into newer, fresher projects like shooters. The company is constantly at odds with itself, trying to bend over backwards creating projects that will please both groups, like the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XV that may or may not make back its absurd development co??st.

But there's one recent exception that goes completely the other way. I Am Setsuna is a cle??ar callback to the SNES era, and makes no attempt to be anything else.

I Am Setsuna (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Vita (Japan only))
Developer: Tokyo RPG Factory
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: February 18, 2016 (Japan), July 19, 2016 (WW)
MSRP: $39.99

Setsuna begins with a captivating premise. Our "hero," Endir, is tasked with murdering the titular heroine, who is being sent as a human sacrifice to save the realm from the unending invasion of monsters for some unknown reason. It snowballs from there into a globetrotting epic, complete with light (predictable) twists, touches of sadn?ess (I had to laugh at this one NPC kid who told me "I can't wait? for Setsuna to get back from her trip!" -- yea, about that), and a semi-likable cast. What I really like is that there's a very short intro (in JRPG terms, at least) and lead up, and you're in the cut in around 20 minutes. Not bad at all.

The cast is a bunch of caricatures (the peppy untrusting friend, the stalwart warrior with a spotty past), but they're fun to watch. Setsuna plays the part of the likable healer to perfection (much like Luna's straight-faced portrayal in Lunar), and Endir is basically Chrono re-incarnated. He's mostly silent outside of some dialogue choices, he sports a blue and red motif, and has an every-man thing going on. But the Chrono comparisons don't stop there, as the entire game is basically built on that foundati??on as well as drawing upon other Square staples.

Battles have an optional Active or Wait system to choose from, players have to save on the world map or at specified save points, you can rename characters, and there's even a massive Auron homage in the warrior character Nidr. It's endearing, but at times, dull. I love seeing all these callbacks but when the cast doesn't transcend or even meet the expectations set forth so many years ago, it can be grating. It's not like Setsuna particularly fails in any regard,? it just feels like it's going through the motions on occasion.

It's all lovely, though. The snowy atmosphere, the beautiful and functional artwork, the amazing 8-bit icons that dot the menus, optional battle voices (neat), and a wonderful piano-based score are particularly of note. And so is the battle system, which again draws heavily on Chrono with its tech system (including team te??chs), knockbacks, area-of-effect powers that take positioning into account, multiple Talismans and weapons to equip, and Spritnite -- the materia-like slotted items that can double as tech providers or passive bonuses. All of these are presented with a rather unwieldy (in the sense that there are far too many options) but serviceable UI.

Combat is de??liciously retro with gauges, no movement or dodging, and battles that instantly transition in the field. Given the depth of the Spritnite system, you can customize your (three-person) party as you see fit, with any number of roles at your disposal including tank, damage, and magic?? user archetypes, and the option to swap in characters outside of battle. Again it's all functional, but the lack of a cursor over the head of your party (leaving you at the mercy of knowing all their names) can be taxing to acclimate to, especially when you're learning the difference between Endir and Ndir. It's such a minor thing, though.

When you're out and about you'll have the chance to pick up ingredients and chests hidden around the field, fiddle with equipment menus, and do some light micromanaging. It's never too complicated, always fitting within the confines of the lower "budget" price of the game. Setsuna clocks in at roughly 25 hours or so, which is brief enough to not overstay its welcome and drag. Naturally it doesn't really have enough room to stretch its legs and challenge hardcore players, because once you've really gotten a handle on the game's systems and equipment, it's basically over. In some ways it's meant as an entry point into JRPGs and is at odds with it??s 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 w?hat you want, you'll get it.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the gam?e provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: I Am Setsuna appeared first on Destructoid.

As long as there's an airship

I Am Setsuna is arriving later this summer and with its English trailer revealed just yesterday, the r??elease date is now fin?alized across the board: July 19, 2016 for PC and PS4. The game is now available for pre-order on Steam and Green Man Gaming.

At the latter store, you can use coupon code DEALZON20 to immediately slash 20 percent off the Steam copy of I Am Setsuna. This brings the total price to $31.99 -- a fair pri??ce for Square Enix die-hards that will be playing this game on day one.

The no-frills pre-order bonus is the track "The Warmth of Hope" by composer Tomoki Miyoshi. You can get a taste of the full album here.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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Amazing music

Square Enix just released the first English trailer for I Am Setsuna, and it's hitting all the right notes. Ominous JRPG cliffside? Check. Gorgeous atmos?phere? Yep. Beautiful soundtrack and an airship? Girl you know it.

I don't often watch trailers multiple times but there's a lot going on here. They give us a small but cryptic overview of the story, a glimpse at some artwork and plenty of gameplay, and lots of examples of present in-game mechanics, in?cluding the combat system.

I Am Setsuna is set to launch worldwide on July 19 for both PC and PS4. Japan got it in February, and the Vita port seems to have been scrapped outside?? of that territory.

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Chrono Trigger-style combat is quite refreshing

As a big fan of Chrono Trigger, and JRPGs in general, I was excited to try out Square Enix's upcoming I am Setsuna. Though the story an??d themes are completely different, comparisons between the two are immediately obvious whe??n looking at the mechanics.

Upon starting the demo, I was dropped into a snowy landscape, already wandering around and fighting enemies with a full ??party of four well-equipped, competent fighters. Though there weren't any directions as to where to go, I eventually found my way? to a village after trekking the wrong way through a monster-infested forest.

Through character descriptions and a few conversations, I learned that Setsuna is on a quest to reach a ritual site on the edge of the world in order to offer herself as a sacrifice to appease the angry demons wreaking havoc on the snow-covered island. She is accompanied by a few guards to make sure she arrives there safely, each adding their own unique personalities? to the ragtag group.

The turn-based combat offers the clearest comparison to Chrono Trigger. Enemy encounters are not random, and monsters can be seen moving about in the field. If the player approaches them, a battle wi??ll ensue as everyone moves into place. It's also possible to try and skirt around the enemy in an attempt to avoid battles entirely, so as to ??keep things from becoming too grindy.

Player characters and enemy forces move around the battlefield to attack once their Active Time Battle gauges are full, with enemies staying in place once their turns are over. Depending on how turns pan out, the player might find all the enemies grouped together, just waiting for an area-of-effect attack to wipe them all out. Or they might find a few too many foes getting all up in their grill, which could b??e a good time to defend, especially if one of those monsters is prone to exploding and damaging anything nearby (which was a painfully common occurrence in the demo).

Each character has a set of special techniques to utilize during combat, as well as a set of combos to use in conjunction with each other. My go-to tech?nique was a whirlwind at??tack that pulled all nearby enemies into a clump for heavy damage, leaving them vulnerable to a future AOE attack if they somehow happened to survive.

The demo encompassed many different winter-themed areas, including an icy cavern, a frost-covered beach, an abandoned wharf, a pleasant village, and a strange cabin fashioned into a sauna that was home to a weird old man relaxing in a towel by himself (I'm still not sure what was up with that cabin). Everything I saw was covered in snow?, which makes me a little worried that the visuals might start to become a bit monotonous after a while, even though the gently falling snow sure wa??s beautiful.

As with most JRPGs, you can expect lots of quests, a mix of somewhat useful and mostly useless NPC interactions, treasures and items scattered about the world, and grand boss battles. It's essentially your vanilla old-school JRPG experience, dressed up with endearing graphics reminiscent of games like Bravely Default.

If you're a fan of the genre, keep an eye out when I am Setsuna releases on PS4 and PC this July. While the Vita version ?currently seems unlikely to release outside of Japan, Square Enix stated that it might be a possibility if there is sufficient demand.

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Square is making a JRPG that isn't for smart phones

Square Enix is launching a Chrono Trigger-inspired role-playing game in the west this year, and it isn't even a cell phone game. I am Setsuna, which is out in Japan and playable over in Bo??ston at PAX East this weekend, will be coming to North America and Europe on July 19. Above is a new, English trailer.

It will be launching for PC and PS4 (via PlayStation Store download). In Japan it released on Vita, where it suffered from poor load times and low sales. The Vita ain't any stronger in the west, so I guess it makes sense to ditch it, even though it should be the ideal console for this sort of thing.

"I Am Setsuna tells the sorrowful story of Setsuna, a young woman of incredible inner strength, and the sacrifice she must undertake to the?? save the people of her land," Square explains. "Players will be immersed in an emotional and unforgettable story of true bravery as Setsuna leaves her hometown with her bodyguards on a journey to the farthest land."

I wonder if "BRINGING BACK THE RPGS OF YESTERYE?AR" is a desperate move by Square, a shrewd one, or an earnest one, but if we get one (very pretty-looking!) good ?JRPG out of it I suppose it's hard to complain.

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Ha

Yesterday, Square Enix revealed that I am Setsuna (previously known as Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna) was coming west, on PC and PS4 -- but not on Vita, like Japan. USGamer caught up with the project's director Atsushi Hashimoto at GDC, a?nd asked if we'd possibly see a Vita version of the game. Basically, the answer was "i?f there's demand."

I know the director was kind of (rightfully) put on the spot here, bu?t I wish more developers were just honest about it. You don't need to throw the Vita under the bus and say Sony ruined everything with its poor marketing strategy, greed, and proprietary memory cards -- just say the install base for the Vita in the west is low, and we likely wouldn't recoup our costs, so we're going for PC ?instead.

Wishful thinking?

I Am S?etsuna Di?rector: "We'd Consider the Vita Version for the U.S." [US Gamer]

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