I Am Setsuna

 Switch
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 149 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 149
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 149
  3. Negative: 21 out of 149
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  1. ByYuxiSs
    Mar 9, 2017
    8
    I'm happy that Square Enix works with nintendo just like 25 years ago bringing this game of Ps4 for the new Nintendo console turned out to be a very good game and personally with what little I've tried I feel it's a great game.

    8/10
  2. aquarichy
    Oct 7, 2017
    6
    This game was boring. Each region follows the same formula, battles are formulaic, dungeons are formulaic. The story is very linear. The music is very repetitive. The story is bland relying on shallow tropes. The dialogue is shallow, crass, and repetitive. At 13, I'd still be insulted. I'm glad it was short.

    Visually, it was alright. It reminds me of Final Fantasy VII a bit.    This game was boring. Each region follows the same formula, battles are formulaic, dungeons are formulaic. The story is very linear. The music is very repetitive. The story is bland relying on shallow tropes. The dialogue is shallow, crass, and repetitive. At 13, I'd still be insulted. I'm glad it was short.

    Visually, it was alright. It reminds me of Final Fantasy VII a bit.

    The battle system is more complex than the game warrants. I didn't have to pay much attention to which talismans or spritnite I was equipping, except in a couple cases. I didn't worry about flux or economics at all (e.g. what items I should buy, what equipment.)

    Overall, the game just shuttles you along and you tap A and Y a lot. I think it seems like a good foundation for a better game. It's like they did a prototype, and instead of doing the added work of making it interesting, they just polished and shipped it.

    A very polished prototype of a standard RPG.    … Expand
  3. artificeprime
    May 14, 2018
    6
    I am Setsuna isn't a bad game, it tells a pretty good story and it does most things satisfactory but it is far inferior to the masterpiece games that it tries to live up to. It is probably most obvious that it is attempting to emulate Chrono Trigger, FFVII and FFX and there is nothing wrong with that since I consider those to be some of the best RPGs of all time. However, the problem isI am Setsuna isn't a bad game, it tells a pretty good story and it does most things satisfactory but it is far inferior to the masterpiece games that it tries to live up to. It is probably most obvious that it is attempting to emulate Chrono Trigger, FFVII and FFX and there is nothing wrong with that since I consider those to be some of the best RPGs of all time. However, the problem is that it takes only the surface level of what made those games great and misses out on the detail and richness that they offered in terms of storytelling, world building, character development, and gameplay variety. It seems like it was made to show that quality old school RPGs can now be made quicker with small teams, that is a mission I believe in but I think it fails to deliver an experience equal to old school greats. It is a very basic RPG that offers a good story but not a great one.

    Gameplay 5/10 - Most of your time is spent moving through a barren snowy landscape and battling monsters. The combat is decent but the monsters you encounter are almost all the same. There is a decent amount of magic abilities but most of them are unnecessary against anything besides bosses. You can very easily win almost every battle in two or three moves by using the same combo attack. You are also locked to just 3 team members in combat with no way to switch out members. That might have made sense back in the 90s but I really don't see why they couldn't have given the option to cycle team members in combat. FFX did it over 15 years ago and it worked great. There is also very little need to use most of your party. Half of the team members felt unnecessary in combat and provided very little in terms of unique benefits. Boss battles were the one area where combat was actually quite good but there weren't that many boss battles compared to similar games. There are a few puzzle sections in the game but they are very basic and repetitive.

    Story/Progression 7/10 - The story starts out quite interesting with a lot of mystery and intriguing questions being asked about both the world and the characters. It progresses at a good pace and offers meaningful answers to many questions. The problem is that the big questions never really get the deep and complex answers that other Square RPGs were known for. Most of the reveals, while acceptable, just weren't very complex or deep. The story of what happened to the Lost Lands wasn't nearly as layered as the ending of Chrono Trigger or FFX. Those games did a much better job of giving weight to their conclusions and having evidence of what was going on planted in unique ways throughout the whole journey. I am Setsuna attempts to do the same but just never gets very deep. The ending is also a bit too ambiguous. Overall though it is still a good story and I wasn't bored by it.

    World 5/10 - The world had a lot of potential but the problem is every part of it is pretty much the same. It is just a snowy wasteland and they never even use that to an interesting affect. The towns look fine but they all start to look very similar after the first few. I really don't see why they couldn't have had more variety, especially with modern technology at their disposal. The idea of the Last Lands was really interesting but the locations themselves are uninspired.

    Characters 7/10 - The cast is quite diverse and each character has a meaningful story. Unfortunately the weakest link is probably the lead that you play as. I don't mind the silent protagonist, I think it has been very well used in many games in the past but here it just seemed to fall flat except for the beginning and somewhat the end. The other problem with the characters is that most of them don't develop beyond the surface level. Setsuna herself is very similar to Yuna from FFX or Colette from Tales of Symphonia but those characters got way more development and had way more emotional complexity. Setsuna basically stays the same through the whole journey.

    Visual Design 4/10 - Visually the game looks decent except there is almost no variety. Most locations looks very similar and there are very few unique monsters. The designs of the characters are appealing but the variety is so limited that it becomes boring very fast. One of the things that made Chrono Trigger so great was the huge variety of locations and monsters. There are only a few visually unique moments in I am Setsuna. It is below average.

    Sound Design 4/10 - The music is appropriate and decent enough but it is just bland and repetitive there is almost no variety. The songs are fine but none are special. Square is known for amazing soundtracks surely they could have gotten more than this.

    Length/Amount of Content 7/10 - The story is roughly 25-30 hrs. It has a good amount of plot points and a reasonable number of bosses and locations. Compared to similar RPGs it is on the short side and it has a fair amount of repetitive battles but it offers a fair amount of content for its price.    … Expand
  4. MediaFreak
    Jul 8, 2018
    3
    I've tried to press on with this game since I got it. I really wanted to play a JRPG on switch, bur after iver a year I'm done with it. It's got to be the most boring lazy JRPG I've ever played.

    Everything about it is just generic and dull. The story and the characters are just nit intersting, the dialogue is uninspired, the art style is awful. Everywhere is jusy boring white snow. The    I've tried to press on with this game since I got it. I really wanted to play a JRPG on switch, bur after iver a year I'm done with it. It's got to be the most boring lazy JRPG I've ever played.

    Everything about it is just generic and dull. The story and the characters are just nit intersting, the dialogue is uninspired, the art style is awful. Everywhere is jusy boring white snow. The battles go on far too long for when all you can do is use your one attack or heal. The monsters look like generic monsters from other games.

    If anyone enjoyed this its because it was the only JRPG on switch and one of the only games. It no longer is, dont throw your money away.    … Expand
  5. Zastrow
    Mar 18, 2018
    7
    I want to like this game more. I appreciate that they're trying to pay homage to old classics like Chrono Trigger, but the writing just isn't here. The characters are forgettable and while the story has a fine premise, there is little meat on the bone. It's too bad because with just some better editing and reworking of the writing it could have been a memorable game,
  6. sarkwalvein
    Aug 21, 2017
    4
    Regarding the Switch port: It is good.

    That aside, the game itself is not good. I don't get why it has so much positive reviews. Visually it is completely generic, most character designs are flat, and the whole snow theme feels overused. Regarding its music, it is boring, one can stand monotone out of tempo piano for so long. I think Yasunori Mitsuda must feel hurt if this game    Regarding the Switch port: It is good.

    That aside, the game itself is not good. I don't get why it has so much positive reviews.

    Visually it is completely generic, most character designs are flat, and the whole snow theme feels overused.

    Regarding its music, it is boring, one can stand monotone out of tempo piano for so long.
    I think Yasunori Mitsuda must feel hurt if this game was trying to homage his tunes.

    The story telling is bad, it doesn't catch you because of uninteresting characters and just bad pacing.
    The writing is terrible. It is boring to read and it seems filler text was just poured into the NPC dialogs to fill them up and make the game last longer.

    And talking about making the game last longer, the walking speed on the over world is slow for no reason, well no reason other than making it last longer artificially.
    I find it quite cheap that the creators didn't make the globe rotate and span, when you ride your airship you are limited by bounds in the world map instead of just going around the globe... Or perhaps the creators were flat-earthers?
    Also this game really needs a in-game world map.

    Regarding the battle system, it has too many unnecessary mechanics and too little challenge.
    It is quite unbalanced and just boring.
    It is just a look-alike of Chrono Trigger's system, when you actually use it and look at the details you see it wasn't polished and it is broken instead.
    I think mmadnessgames' review explained very well the battle system faults, even if it is one of the first turn-based RPGs he played.

    Conclusion: If you wanted to play something like Chrono Trigger, better go play Chrono Trigger again instead.    … Expand
  7. WereSuricat
    Mar 15, 2017
    9
    Great port :) perfect for play on the run with the switch !! Now I can play it everywhere :) !!! Very good JRPG :) old school but with pretty cool graphic :)
  8. DanielMH
    Mar 5, 2017
    9
    It's only the same game in a new console, BUT this game is amazing and a great contribution to the catalog of the new nintendo switch, that's enough to buy this game.
  9. MrTusks
    Sep 5, 2017
    3
    I Am Setsuna had the pedigree and the potential to be something good. Unfortunately, the creators of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger failed to learn the lessons they wrote themselves, and instead came up with a boring, cluttered slog.

    And clutter is the name of the game here. There is so much stuff to manage, but none of it really matters. This is most apparent in the combat, which is    I Am Setsuna had the pedigree and the potential to be something good. Unfortunately, the creators of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger failed to learn the lessons they wrote themselves, and instead came up with a boring, cluttered slog.

    And clutter is the name of the game here. There is so much stuff to manage, but none of it really matters. This is most apparent in the combat, which is strongly reminiscent of Chrono Trigger but lacks all of the breezy efficiency. Each character has their own Techs, which can combo with the Techs of other characters for new, powerful moves. The first problem is that the game tells you which combos each Tech is a part of, but doesn't work backwards and tell you which Techs are needed for each combo. So, if you see a combo name you're interested in, you need to dig through the Tech menus of each character to see if you even have the component techs to pull it off. With nine playable characters, this is quite a chore. And, at the end, your reward is a combo that is total overkill anyway, because one or two heavy hitters in your party can handle all the combat just fine by themselves.

    Adding to the needless clutter is how you obtain the Techs in the first place. You loot materials from slain monsters and trade them in for Techs. This is not crafting, just bulk looting and selling. It's a wonder why they even bothered to invent names and values for each material, because it' doesn't matter what they are; every time you come to the Tech vendor, you'll have whatever you need to get whatever Tech is next on your list.

    Not that you really need to get new Techs anyway. Adding to the needless complexity is the fact that every character has multiple Techs that basically do the same thing. Every time you want to cast a spell, you choices are, essentially, "damage some of the things" or "damage everything." Each character has an element assigned to them, a la Chrono Trigger, but since the enemies seem to not have any real elemental weaknesses, they don't matter. The two non-elemental characters you get in the middle of the game can handily kill everything anyway, with some overpowered defensive capabilities to boot.

    You can customize your Techs as well, but to negligible effect. Each character can equip a talisman that will randomly level up a Tech with a certain ability, which will then randomly trigger when you use that Tech in the future. Since you're already overkilling everything, the bonuses end up being needless in addition to being unpredictable, so you're perfectly safe ignoring this mechanic entirely. Killing enemies also sometimes registers as a "Elemental Kill", "Timed Kill," "Exact Kill," or "Overkill," but these messages appear to mean nothing. Do you get more XP or treasure? You wouldn't notice anyway, since you're constantly rolling in both no matter what.

    Ironically, all of this overlays a relatively simple story. The primary character is Endir, a mercenary tasked with escorting Setsuna to the Last Lands, where she will serve as the traditional sacrifice that will abate the monster attacks that constantly plague the world. Along the way you will pick up a number of playable characters that all have distinct designs and personalities. It's all pretty straightforward, which is not bad. It's just a shame actually getting from chapter to chapter is a slog. The piano solo soundtrack is interesting in concept, but monotonous in execution, as is the totally snowbound world. It took nearly ten hours to reach the first new interesting environment, which is entirely too long.

    The game has been pressed upon fans of Chrono Trigger and old school Final Fantasy, but that's actually the worst audience for it. Those people know better, and will quickly see there is very little here. If you find it really, really cheap some day in the future, go for it. Until then, there are much better things to play on your Switch.    … Expand
  10. geebs
    Oct 18, 2017
    4
    This game is essentially the story from final fantasy 10, but not told as well. The characters are limited, the art style is pretty unimpressive and the combat is boring for the most part. The music is good as it often is with these games but overall this experience leaves a lot to be desired.
  11. PimN
    Feb 28, 2018
    6
    I Am Setsuna is an homage to classic JRPGs, and that's both positive and negative. Positive for people that want a nostalgic trip back to those days, but negative for anyone else. The game does little to bring new things to the table to attract anyone other than die-hard JRPG fans.

    The story is not very interesting, and while that might not be the focus of this game, it would have    I Am Setsuna is an homage to classic JRPGs, and that's both positive and negative. Positive for people that want a nostalgic trip back to those days, but negative for anyone else. The game does little to bring new things to the table to attract anyone other than die-hard JRPG fans.

    The story is not very interesting, and while that might not be the focus of this game, it would have helped me get through the game if it were a better one. Despite these issues, I Am Setsuna on Switch is a good port and a great fit for the system. Combat is solid and satisfying and the art-style/character design is very good.

    However, I'd only recommend this to people who really like classic JRPGs. Otherwise, you might be in for a disappointment.    … Expand
  12. StevenGreen
    May 1, 2017
    8
    I am Setsuna sticks to the JRPG mold pretty tightly, and doesn't add much to the existing genre. However, the story goes above and beyond almost every other JRPG I have ever played and, arguably, has the greatest story currently available on the Nintendo Switch as of writing this review. I would definitely recommend this game to any and every JRPG fan, as well as any hardcore/indie gamersI am Setsuna sticks to the JRPG mold pretty tightly, and doesn't add much to the existing genre. However, the story goes above and beyond almost every other JRPG I have ever played and, arguably, has the greatest story currently available on the Nintendo Switch as of writing this review. I would definitely recommend this game to any and every JRPG fan, as well as any hardcore/indie gamers who haven't yet made the leap into JRPG's. However, for the $40 price tag I would strongly urge people to look into the game more, and be sure this is something you will like before making the jump. Not really a game that you can "just give a shot" to.… Expand
  13. mrswitch2687
    Apr 29, 2017
    8
    This is a game that I think is perfect for the switch- I played it on the go most of the time and enjoyed the graphics, the game play and the story. Quite an easy game but plenty to do and decent amount of post game content as well. Graphics are very nice but would like more than just snow. I get it but it would have been nice for a little variation here and there. Flux system is slightlyThis is a game that I think is perfect for the switch- I played it on the go most of the time and enjoyed the graphics, the game play and the story. Quite an easy game but plenty to do and decent amount of post game content as well. Graphics are very nice but would like more than just snow. I get it but it would have been nice for a little variation here and there. Flux system is slightly annoying but minimal gripe. Would play through again someday with great pleasure.… Expand
  14. NATURALgamer
    May 11, 2018
    9
    As an Rpg lover, i would recommend this to everyone because the overall story is great the reason why i gave it a 9/10 is because i felt the game was short. This game is a combination of a 1990's & modern rpg game
  15. MrKiwaVGC
    Nov 23, 2017
    6
    I like this game, but I have to tell the truth with my score, to simplify, this games is boring. Is like story of FF 10, feels like that and no new battle mechanics either, the same turn battle game like ever. The music, the better aspect of the game, is just OK, and the characters are all meh.

    But just because the story feels like FF10, the boring characters and "just OK" music with a    I like this game, but I have to tell the truth with my score, to simplify, this games is boring. Is like story of FF 10, feels like that and no new battle mechanics either, the same turn battle game like ever. The music, the better aspect of the game, is just OK, and the characters are all meh.

    But just because the story feels like FF10, the boring characters and "just OK" music with a well carried story makes a game that you may like.

    6/10

    If The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Bravely Deafault, Xenoblade Chronicles, Final Fantasy 4 o Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater are all 9 or 10 of 10. This game with 6/10... I thinks is right.    … Expand
  16. naon
    Jan 17, 2019
    0
    Should be on 1# worst game ever
    I'ts an insult to our intelligence sell a highly priced game where there's lot of companies putting their blood on games like The Witcher, God of War, Horizon New Dawn, and then SE defecate in our face this game that looks like indie (but there's lot of amazing indie games at low cost) don't have a decent history, no plot twists, no character development,    Should be on 1# worst game ever
    I'ts an insult to our intelligence sell a highly priced game where there's lot of companies putting their blood on games like The Witcher, God of War, Horizon New Dawn, and then SE defecate in our face this game that looks like indie (but there's lot of amazing indie games at low cost) don't have a decent history, no plot twists, no character development, boring battle and rpg system, you think you can relate yourself to the characters like Final Fantasy VI but they are so vague and emotionless like every cliche warrior mage, mercenary, I thought it would have at least one cutscene... But no, there's not a single animation at the beginning or ending... For a DS game could be a masterpiece... But PS4, PC, Switch, the SAME platform where we can play Zelda BotW?! Really if they wanted to make something looks like Chrono Trigger WHY THE HELL they didn't continue or remaster Chrono Trigger!?????    … Expand
  17. hypernewbie
    Jul 29, 2017
    0
    When a boss is fine for an entire fight, then 1HKO combos your entire team from complete full HP, that's when you know your RPG has done **** it up. Give up, go home, lose job, go homeless, get on the dole, you're done. It's over. Life is over.

    Please go out of business, RPG Factory. Oh wait, you are.
    Cool, everything is fine all is normal.
  18. bnicolino
    Mar 10, 2018
    8
    This is an amazing game that should be receiving much more credit. It’s a great throwback to old school JPRG with turn-based / ATB combat. Keep in mind that this is a budget game that may be considered short for the genre (20-30h for a casual run). Also, it has a lot of reused elements and enemies, which may get a bit boring by the ending. If the game was much longer it might not have beenThis is an amazing game that should be receiving much more credit. It’s a great throwback to old school JPRG with turn-based / ATB combat. Keep in mind that this is a budget game that may be considered short for the genre (20-30h for a casual run). Also, it has a lot of reused elements and enemies, which may get a bit boring by the ending. If the game was much longer it might not have been so good. That being said, It is my opinion that the game is well worth your time, but the current asking price, specially on the Switch, is a little steep.

    Story is very good (not excellent) and the narrative does drive you to keep playing all the way to the end and find outmoded about the characters. The silent protagonist, however, is a bit too silence and dialogue options pretty much only let you be a total jerk or a kind hearted warrior, even though all other characters see you as a souless mercenary that was supposed to become good toward the end... To me, Setsuna is the true protagonist and I did feel like my role in the game was to protect this kind and naive girl, to the point that the ending was felt very emotional. I truly felt that the story was over and would have liked more of it.

    Battle system is where this games shines, being very fun for me and neither too complex nor too simple. The weapons available could have been more diverse, since you pretty much just have to get the next best one. Anyway, I would love to play more of this game, with harder bosses, or even just another game that replicates it (Lost Sphear being somewhat close).

    As for the aesthetics, it’s a beautiful game even with the simple designed. Only drawback is there’s just too much snow, since the beginning. Some green wouldn’t hurt you know...

    All in all, this was a very good experience that was worth the ~30h I played it. Much more so than many AAA titles with amazing graphics and a 10h campaign. Definitely did not regret buying this.    … Expand
  19. TheGeekLantern
    Jun 27, 2017
    8
    Soy un fiero amante de los JRPG y considero que I Am Setsuna es una gran adición al catálogo de Switch. Si eres un fan de los JRPG de la época de 16 bits, vas a sentirte en casa pasando horas en este juego y si no estás familiarizado con el género, considero un buen inicio. El 8 se lo doy porque se me hace un tanto lineal y el setup invernal llega a aburrir a veces. Aún así, un buen juego.Soy un fiero amante de los JRPG y considero que I Am Setsuna es una gran adición al catálogo de Switch. Si eres un fan de los JRPG de la época de 16 bits, vas a sentirte en casa pasando horas en este juego y si no estás familiarizado con el género, considero un buen inicio. El 8 se lo doy porque se me hace un tanto lineal y el setup invernal llega a aburrir a veces. Aún así, un buen juego. :D… Expand
  20. keibyakko
    Aug 19, 2017
    8
    Un gran juego, buenos gráficos, muy entretenido, música de piano excelente y bonita historia aunque demasiadas conversaciones, además esta semana estará con un 33% de descuento, lo que lo hace una oportunidad que no pude dejar pasar. Me ha gustado mucho aunque 40 euros me parecía demasiado, ahora está perfecto. Un 8/10.
  21. Raptor_RcX
    Apr 27, 2017
    8
    I am Setsuna AKA Eskimo RPG is a wonderful little RPG and piqued my curiosity based on the fact it was published by Square Enix. The game is lovely and has an emotional level comparable to Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 as well as in depth character development and a unique story merged with plot twists. The main issues I have with this game start with the serious over use of snow andI am Setsuna AKA Eskimo RPG is a wonderful little RPG and piqued my curiosity based on the fact it was published by Square Enix. The game is lovely and has an emotional level comparable to Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 as well as in depth character development and a unique story merged with plot twists. The main issues I have with this game start with the serious over use of snow and ice scenery and end with the symbols used with the Spritenite/Talisment conjunction. The game does not explain the symbolism of the Spritenite commands combined with the flux durations in combat and other such complex mechanics of the game and instead leaves it for you to figure it out. Now don't get me wrong I enjoy figuring out a games mechanics and quirks as much as the next rpg fanatic, but a little guide on the subject would have been a welcome feature. The environment looks pretty in certain areas (if you don't mind snow, snow, and MORE snow) but lacks a certain amount of interactivity I have come to expect in most games. I do enjoy that items are sold for gold and also at the same time used as currency for the spells/abilities you purchase throughout the game. The developers could have spent a few more weeks or months polishing little aspects of the game and added a few small things that would have made it all the more enjoyable. All in all I am Setsuna is a solid JRPG and definitely worth a play through if you have not had the pleasure of doing so.… Expand
  22. edu_chains
    Oct 16, 2017
    9
    This game is pure Nostalgia for whom enjoyed the old 8-16 bit RPG era, a Great Game I hope I'll see more from Tokyo RPG FActory.
    -Beautiful GRaphics
    -Beautiful soundtrack

    Great story line - Not a long game, but It's not necessary, the message is sent although the game is short.
    Sad and Beautiful!
  23. Neatqt
    Feb 25, 2019
    3
    Cast: 1/10
    Story: 2/10
    Fun: 2/10
    Gameplay: 6/10

    Not-Recommended
    ----------------------
  24. EmCza
    Jul 31, 2020
    0
    Killing animal looking monsters isn’t fun, it’s cruel. This game could be great, but I don’t like kill cute animal looking creatures to get exp (execution points). it is sad that there are games in which animals are (massively) killed
  25. b00lpr0p
    Jan 18, 2019
    7
    I had some fun playing it, and I liked the snowy atmosphere, and the soundtrack, but close to the end it became to be a little boring. I guess that's the reason I never finished it, I stopped just before the final battle...
  26. AllySky
    Apr 8, 2019
    5
    A beautiful role playing game with a fantastic story, this is not a game you'll want to miss out on.
  27. Lesh0
    Nov 12, 2019
    10
    I just cant give less than 10 for a Tokyo Factory game coz i just love what they do the old school jrpg the graphics the piano music i just love. The story was better than the one of Lost Sphear atleast for me. The characater (chibi style) i just love. I think that this and Lost sphear both are game u like or hate there is no between. But definitely rec. for jrpg fans
  28. Zequila
    Dec 22, 2019
    5
    I'm a jrpg fan, but this is one of the worst game i've ever played....boring, tedious and very not interesting
  29. BL4CKH4L0
    Jul 4, 2021
    8
    Let's be clear about one thing; I Am Setsuna is a wonderful game that is unjustly criticized for not being Chrono Trigger...
  30. Sjfpufaojcaojcs
    Oct 25, 2021
    1
    Absolutely waste of time, spend hours playing and can NEVER EVER SAVE NEVER, maybe once every 5 hours!!!!!! Die once might as well restart the entire game! Because you need a flawless 0 death game to win! Such a garbage system! And honestly the game is so so so so so boring! Dull storyline slow slow gameplay, no character development just overall garbage game 0/10 wouldn't suggest to myAbsolutely waste of time, spend hours playing and can NEVER EVER SAVE NEVER, maybe once every 5 hours!!!!!! Die once might as well restart the entire game! Because you need a flawless 0 death game to win! Such a garbage system! And honestly the game is so so so so so boring! Dull storyline slow slow gameplay, no character development just overall garbage game 0/10 wouldn't suggest to my worst enemy! Such a absolute joke… Expand
  31. ZaveG
    Jun 20, 2022
    8
    A surprisingly enjoyable experience. I expected a simple, traditional turn-based jrpg that I could finish and forget about it, but there's more to it that meets the eye. In many aspects it is a simple game - the monsters, dungeons and regions feel repetitive, and the battle system doesn't offer anything new after a while. What really makes it stand out from other rpgs is the story. It's aA surprisingly enjoyable experience. I expected a simple, traditional turn-based jrpg that I could finish and forget about it, but there's more to it that meets the eye. In many aspects it is a simple game - the monsters, dungeons and regions feel repetitive, and the battle system doesn't offer anything new after a while. What really makes it stand out from other rpgs is the story. It's a melancholic journey that made me really care about the characters. It has some interesting plot twists and the world isn't exactly black and white. I heard it being compared to Final Fantasy 10 story-wise and I can see why. It gives you a similar feeling. I really recommend the game for all who enjoy jrpgs who can appreciate a good story.… Expand
  32. Mr_Hadouken
    Jul 28, 2023
    6
    I was hyped for this game. Sadly was disappointed when i played it. Story was decent at most. Gameplay was ok. Not much to discover in the world map.

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best Switch Game of 2017
51
#51 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
38
#38 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Cubed3
    Jun 18, 2018
    80
    There are better JRPGs that could be played portably on the GBA, DS, and Vita, but I Am Setsuna is the best JRPG that can currently be played on Nintendo Switch. The game isn't without its faults, though - namely the repetitive nature of environments, enemies, and bland NPCs. However, it has a powerful narrative that is driven by its backdrop and score; elements that should be greatly appreciated by all fans of the genre.
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  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 24, 2017
    75
    I Am Setsuna is plagued by a lack of ambition when it comes to several aspects of its narrative, but as a whole it's a perfect pick-up-and-play JRPG. [Issue #27 – May/June 2017, p. 22]
  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Apr 19, 2017
    70
    The Switch version of this nice old school JRPG runs at 30fps. Despise that, this is the best version of the game. You can play it at home or wherever you like, along with an interesting FREE DLC.
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