I Am Setsuna

CGMagazineCody Orme

9/10

I am Setsuna lends itself perfectly to on the go gaming, making the Switch the ideal console to experience this unique RPG.

Press StartMatthew Zimmari

8/10

With I am Setsuna, I found the same kind of memories flooding back even though the game is recent; which is exactly what Tokyo RPG Factory has set out to do. With a mix of sombre and emotional storytelling, and a simplistic battle and gameplay style, I am Setsuna is a wonderful tribute to the games of yesteryear. Only let down by minor aspects (like seriously, Chrono Trigger was a long time ago, you CAN improve on things) such as battle balance and extremely repetitive locations, I am Setsuna is a great RPG that will make you reminisce about the past.

Pure NintendoJemma Casson

8/10

I Am Setsuna could be seen as a welcome relief for anyone waiting for more Switch content until the big guns of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2 arrive. It’

MonsterVineSamantha Lienhard

Indeed, the entire game feels as though it could have—and perhaps should have—been longer. Its story and world are full of possibilities for a bigger game, and the ending feels slightly unfinished. The journey through I Am Setsuna is enjoyable, but it leaves behind so much unused potential. It will be interesting to see if the developer does more with this universe in the future.

The OuterHavenJason Kwasnicki

When playing I Am Setsuna, Tokyo RPG Factory asks players to take their hand and go on a journey back through time. They seek to evoke memories of treasured games of old and tug on heart strings. At times, this journey can come dangerously close to pulling back that curtain…

Impulse GamerSean Warhurst

A launch title for the Nintendo Switch, I am Setsuna calls back to the those classic 16-bit RPGs of yesterday like Chrono Trigger and the early Final Fantasy

COGConnectedShawn Petraschuk

75/100

Nostalgia is very likely one of the most overused sales tactics in the world. It’s employed to sell everything from movie tickets to toys and almost anything else you can think of. Not surprisingly, it’s also used to sell games and if we’re being honest we all know it doesn’t always work out. The tactic of grabbing a nostalgic license and making a garbage game is alive and well (we’re looking at you TMNT and Ghostbusters). Also alive and kicking is the ‘inspired by’ tactic to which I Am Setsuna was prescribed. Touted as ‘inspired by Chrono Trigger‘, that is a lofty goal to meet. One of gaming’...

IGNVince Ingenito

7.5/10

A lack of balance robs the combat of much of its fun and renders many of the more interesting gameplay systems moot, but it didn’t dampen the emotional impact of I Am Setsuna’s heartfelt message for me. Few story-driven RPGs are so thematically focused or so gleefully disinterested with being “entertaining” or “fun.” To say it attempts to stand on the backs of giants is disingenuous really. I Am Setsuna isn’t a “Chrono Trigger-like;” it’s just a game that might easily have existed in the same time, if a creator with different storytelling sensibilities had been around. Its strength comes not f...

Worth PlayingChris "Atom" DeAngelus

7/10

With a battle system inspired by the classic hit Chrono Trigger, I Am Setsuna brings back authentic RPG gameplay, beautiful art design and a sorrowful story to the new generation.

Nintendo World ReportDonald Theriault

6.5/10

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.

RPGamerRyan Radcliff

Coming off the E3 show floor, amid all the flashy bits and games vying for presence, a little RPG from Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory commanded a lot of attention. Now, on the other side of the twenty-or-so-hour game, it seems as though those cursory comparisons were a bit misleading over the long haul.

Checkpoint GamingFinlay Gustus

Unscored

There was a real risk that I Am Setsuna would be crushed under the weight of expectation. As a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger, with various nods to Final Fantasy and then finally published under the Square Enix label, Setsuna had a lot to live up to. Despite a few teething issues, Setsuna manages to bring together classic JRPG elements and twist them into something that feels unique, with heart befitting the small studio in which it was developed, Tokyo RPG Factory.