I Am Setsuna Review

I Am Setsuna is a traditional JRPG that leans heavily into classic design ideas, both in gameplay and storytelling.

The game lasted around 40+ hours for me, although that included grinding for trophies, particularly for the flux system.

It’s a slower, more thoughtful experience compared to modern RPGs, and that works in its favour if you enjoy that style.

The game opens with your character, Endir, being sent on a mission to kill someone. When you reach your target, you discover that the person — Setsuna — is destined to be sacrificed to protect the world.

From that point on, the story revolves around escorting Setsuna on that journey.

The entire game takes place in a snow-covered world, which gives it a very distinct visual identity. That consistent snowy environment adds to the overall tone of the game, reinforcing the feeling of isolation and melancholy.

The journey itself is built around sorrow and inevitability, which makes it stand out compared to more traditional heroic RPG narratives.

The combat system introduces a number of mechanics that can feel overwhelming at first, particularly the momentum system.

When your character has one or more glowing stars above their ATB gauge, you can activate momentum to enhance attacks and abilities.

For example, using Aeterna’s slow ability with momentum not only slows enemies, but also increases your own ATB fill rate.

Timing is important — you activate momentum when selecting your target, pressing the input at the correct moment when the visual indicator appears.

As the game progresses, combat opens up with powerful combos that can deal huge amounts of damage, making battles more dynamic and rewarding.

One interesting aspect of the game is the lack of a traditional quest log. Instead, you need to pay attention to dialogue to understand where to go next.

All dialogue is text-based, which fits the old-school design approach and works well if you enjoy that style of storytelling.

Progression also includes systems like fluxes, which are special combat conditions that appear randomly and are required for certain achievements.

Grinding for these could be frustrating at times, but it didn’t take away from the overall quality of the game.

I Am Setsuna delivers a focused, emotional RPG experience that feels very much inspired by classic JRPGs.

Its strengths come from its atmosphere, its consistent tone, and its willingness to tell a quieter, more reflective story.

It may not have the scale or complexity of larger RPGs, but what it does, it does well.

I Am Setsuna is a great example of a modern game built with classic JRPG design principles.

If you enjoy slower-paced RPGs with strong atmosphere and traditional mechanics, this is absolutely worth playing.

I would also recommend checking out other titles from Tokyo RPG Factory if you enjoy this one.

Final Score: Excellent JRPG Experience