Review Round-Up: I Am Setsuna is content with staying within the boundaries of its genre for better and worse

It's a good game built for a very specific audience

I Am Setsuna is a game built for a very specific target audience in mind: JRPG fans who grew up in the 90's and early 2000's. And for those most loyal (or biased if you want to call it that), I Am Setsuna is going to be an instant success. Other fans of the genre who became jaded from the tropes probably won't find anything here that will make them change their mind.

Simply put, you will likely fall into one of two categories: "love it" or "seen it all before." Currently, I Am Setsuna is sitting at a total Metascore of 77 and the reviews are largely positive (20 positives to 5 mixed). The numerical scores predominantly sit in the low 80's and mid to high 70's, with the highest score being a 100 and the lowest being a 50. We released our review for the game today as well, and our score is pretty close to the industry standard.

Here are what some of the others are saying:

Digitally Downloaded

"What really impressed me about I Am Setsuna is the way that the various systems layered on top of one another to reinforce and complement the intense, powerful themes that sit at the core of the game. This game, which is about sorrow, provides us with a mournful look at humanity and yet also gives us hope that there is good in people, even in the darkest of times."

Gaming Trend

"While the presentation is beautifully unique, the gameplay is very familiar and yet unique at the same time. The game is separated into areas that you enter via the overworld, which strangely lacked random encounters. I often thought that this made the game a little empty during these parts, but the hook of the story made me thankful that the monsters weren’t infesting the overworld."

Game Informer

"Though it borrows liberally from venerable titles, the team at Tokyo RPG Factory took a smart approach to adapting combat. I Am Setsuna’s traditional turn-based battle system is the major draw, blending old ideas and new twists. With three characters to command and encounters taking place right in the environments, Chrono Trigger’s influence is clear – especially since you also initiate powerful combo attacks using two (and later all three) characters. The basic mechanics are comfortable and fun, but the addition of momentum mode creates an extra layer of strategy."

Hardcore Gamer

"Let me know if you’ve heard this before: an unsuspecting hero crosses paths with a young woman who has been chosen to sacrifice herself in order to give the world ten or so years of peace. You’ll also meet a scruffy yet heavily experienced teammate who wears a loose haori, has a scar going down one of his eyes, and wields a colossal sword with one hand while idly resting it on his shoulder. He also happened to be one of the travelling companion of a previous sacrifice during their pilgrimage. That paint a good picture? Originality is not I Am Setsuna’s strong suit…"

So there you have it. I Am Setsuna is a success in the sense that it does what it was built to do, but if you are expecting an advancement of the genre, you're looking in the wrong place. So long as your expectations are in the right place, I Am Setsuna is worth your time.