I Am Setsuna

I am Setsuna is a turn-based JRPG designed as a deliberate homage to 1990s classics, especially Chrono Trigger. It uses an Active Time Battle system, a small party, and a focused narrative to create a streamlined experience. Its intent is clear: evoke nostalgia through structure rather than imitation.
The story follows a young mercenary tasked with escorting Setsuna, a maiden chosen for a sacrificial journey to keep monsters at bay. The narrative is built around themes of duty, loss, and inevitability. It is straightforward but sincere, and its quiet tone distinguishes it from more melodramatic JRPGs.
Combat uses an ATB system with tech-style combo abilities. Momentum points build during combat and let you power up skills for extra effects. Encounters are tactical, readable, and rarely waste time. The system rewards planning but avoids needless complexity, which keeps the pace tight.
Progression is menu-driven. New skills come from Spiritnite, which you slot into characters to define their roles. The system provides flexibility without creating overlong optimization layers. Gear upgrades are simple and tied to materials gained from battle actions.
The art direction is defined by snow. Every location is quiet, pale, and isolated. This limited palette creates a consistent mood. Character models and animations are modest but clean. The camera framing reinforces the game’s subdued tone.
The soundtrack by Tomoki Miyoshi is one of the game’s strongest elements. Solo piano tracks guide most scenes. The minimalist score aligns with the somber narrative and supports emotional beats without ornamentation.
I am Setsuna succeeds as a compact JRPG that prioritizes mood and clarity. It does not pursue spectacle or mechanical diversity, and some players may find its structure too narrow. For those who want a focused, melancholy RPG built around classic systems, it delivers its intentions with discipline.

Melancholic is a word I would use to describe this game, the setting, the music, the story, it is a melancholic journey you will enjoy.

I am Setsuna is a deliberately restrained and emotionally focused role-playing game that seeks to rekindle the spirit of classic Japanese RPGs through atmosphere, music, and traditional systems rather than spectacle or scale. Developed by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by Square Enix, the game positions itself as a homage to the genre’s formative years, drawing inspiration from beloved titles of the 1990s while telling a quiet, melancholic story of sacrifice and duty. From its opening moments, it makes clear that its ambitions are emotional rather than grandiose, inviting players into a world defined by snow, silence, and sorrow.
The narrative centers on Endir, a mercenary whose life becomes intertwined with Setsuna, a young woman chosen to undertake a pilgrimage that will culminate in her own death for the sake of the world. Monsters threaten humanity, and the ritual sacrifice of a chosen girl is believed to calm their fury. This premise immediately sets a somber tone, and the journey that follows is less about heroic triumph and more about acceptance, companionship, and the quiet weight of inevitability. The story unfolds in a largely linear fashion, focusing on the emotional burden carried by Setsuna and those who choose to accompany her. While the plot does not frequently surprise, it maintains a consistent thematic focus that reinforces its central ideas of loss, resolve, and fleeting warmth in a cold world.
One of the game’s most defining features is its presentation, particularly its commitment to a winterbound aesthetic. Nearly every location is cloaked in snow, from remote villages to ancient ruins, creating a sense of isolation that permeates the entire adventure. This visual consistency reinforces the narrative’s melancholy, though it can also feel visually monotonous over long stretches. Complementing the visuals is an exceptional piano-driven soundtrack that serves as the emotional backbone of the experience. The music is sparse, reflective, and deeply evocative, often carrying more emotional weight than dialogue itself. Simple piano melodies follow the player through towns, dungeons, and story moments, imbuing even routine exploration with a quiet sadness that lingers long after the notes fade.
Combat in I am Setsuna adheres closely to classic turn-based design, employing an Active Time Battle system that will feel instantly familiar to fans of older JRPGs. Characters act as their gauges fill, encouraging players to think tactically about timing, positioning, and ability usage. The Spritnite system allows skills and magic to be customized through equippable crystals, offering flexibility in how each character functions within the party. A notable addition is the Momentum mechanic, which rewards precise timing by enhancing abilities when actions are executed at the right moment. This adds a subtle layer of engagement that prevents battles from feeling entirely passive, while still maintaining the measured pace associated with traditional RPG combat.
As the journey progresses, characters join Endir and Setsuna, each bringing their own perspectives on the pilgrimage and its grim purpose. These companions reflect different ways of coping with loss and obligation, and while their arcs are understated, they contribute to the game’s reflective tone. Dialogue tends to be concise and introspective, sometimes to a fault, as the game often favors mood over deep character development. This approach will resonate strongly with players who appreciate subtle storytelling, but may leave others wishing for more dynamic interactions or dramatic escalation.
From a mechanical standpoint, the game is intentionally streamlined. Exploration is straightforward, side content is limited, and progression systems are easy to grasp without extensive tutorials or complexity. This simplicity helps maintain focus on the narrative and atmosphere, but it also means that players seeking dense systems, branching storylines, or extensive endgame content may find the experience lacking in depth. Difficulty remains generally manageable throughout, with challenge coming more from resource management and preparation than from sudden spikes or punishing encounters.
Ultimately, I am Setsuna stands as a reflective tribute to a bygone era of RPG design, one that prioritizes tone, music, and emotional cohesion over innovation or scale. Its snowbound world and haunting piano score create a memorable atmosphere that carries the experience even when its mechanics and story remain familiar. While it may not satisfy players looking for bold experimentation or narrative complexity, it offers a sincere and carefully crafted journey for those willing to embrace its quiet melancholy. As a meditation on sacrifice and companionship rather than a tale of conquest, it remains a distinctive and heartfelt entry in the modern JRPG landscape.
Rating: 7/10

Short review after 100% the game and getting every achievement: a fun throwback to oldschool JRPG taking inspiration from Chrono Trigger battle system with some of its own additions to spice things up.
Pros:
- Beatiful world and enviroments, you really feel the snow and winter themed inspiration
- Somber and relaxing piano music, great for a chill playthrough
- A cast of 7 characters, relatively unique
- Decent main story and playthrough around 20 to 30 hours
- Awesome combat system inspired by Chrono trigger, no random encounters, massive amount of dual and triple combos between characters with the additonal systems like momentum if you wait with your skill when you power up it adds different effects or dmg to it when you cast it, also your skills depending on your gear lv up different stats making team/meta builds very diverse and fun to explore
- Great bestiary/item/weapon system where each thing or monster you encounter can be read and watched in 3d in your menu
- Cool looking monsters and bosses
Cons:
- The winter themed world and piano themed music is awesome, but thats it, sadly no variation in enviroments and music do take away from the potential of the game a bit
- Cheap elite mobs which can be encountered early in game and cannot be beaten, the only difference from regular mobs is different colour which means you will have some gameover screens (they are meant to be tackled at near endgame however they appear very early ingame and have to be avoided)
- No sorting system for massive amount of Spritnites (this games skills) makes it a chore to equip your characters
- No real sidequest, the only ones are for ultimate characters skills for each of the 7 protagonists
If you are either a fan of oldschool JRPGS or are looking for an entry point in the genre this game is a solid choice and i do recommend it.

This was the first JRPG I played from start to finish. I was recently talking to a friend that is really into JRPGs, and it came to my mind that I heard this game's soundtrack when I was on a Spotify Radio station for another song.
I bought it on sale, and I enjoyed it. Reading other reviews, they speak of issues that I do somewhat agree with, but I would still recommend playing this game nonetheless.
The story is somewhat interesting, but it does take half the game to get going in my opinion. Each character, although following stereotypes (mostly silent main character with inexplicable past, a girl that's too kind for her own good, the character with absolutely no backstory until the end of the game, rugged old man with a sad backstory and trauma, the eager kid that wants to go out and see the world, and the sheltered princess that is now learning the truth about the world), is likeable.
The highlight are the visuals and atmosphere: The game looks gorgeous within its art style, and uses a mix of 2D and 3D assets very well. The lighting looks pretty and the characters pop out of the environments. But more than anything, the eternally falling snow paired to a soundtrack scored almost exclusively with *a single piano* is a genuinely emotional experience.
It's an active time battle system (ATB) with the addition of a QTE system usable by charging a separate bar. As my first time seeing one of these, it took a tiny bit to get used to, but (by default, can be changed in settings) time freezes once you've selected an initial action, so you can use that time to think.
Some of the reviews mention that the game feels unbalanced and that the enemies deal too much damage. I partly disagree with this, because I only died around 5 times total and those happened because I got careless with my turn management and didn't heal or manage aggro properly (but I do think the enemies deal a lot of damage, I don't think getting two-shot by every boss should be normal.)
The gear system is a bit much, as there are too many items to collect by killing enemies a certain way so you can use their drops to get skills. Or at least, I think there are too many skills and collectibles considering the game's runtime of around 10 hours if you don't do any level grinding. I got overzealous and went into the endgame area around 7 or so levels above what I had when unlocking it.
I think this game is beautiful. I want to know why the game studio got shut down, so I am planning on playing its two other titles. Get this one if it's on sale. I had fun.
9/10.

I enjoyed how the game tries to evoke the feel of a classic JRPG which is simple but meaningful, nostalgic yet emotional. The combat reminds me of retro turn-based game with an Active Time Battle (ATB) system, but layered with a “Momentum / Spiritnite” mechanic that adds an extra strategic aspect to every encounter. If used well, you get bonus hits, HP recovery or enhanced attacks which gives combat a bit more depth than basic 'attack, heal, repeat'. The game looks absolutely beautiful with characters that have their own burdens and secrets, which gives the story a sense of weight and sadness rather than a lighthearted fantasy.
If I were grading it for myself, I'd say its worth playing if you like old school JRPGs and don’t mind a bit of repetition. It’s definitely not perfect, yet it leaves a quietly lasting impression.
Difficulty to 100% -
(3/5)
Perfecting this means collecting all spiritnites, getting all upgrades, achievements related to flux, optional and secret bosses along with different recipes will demand a lot of patience. On top of it there is no fast travel option, auto battle system and a lot of things depend on RNG.... so that is quite painful as well. Bottom-line, not that difficult in terms of combat but really grindy in other areas of the achievement hunt.

A beautiful game with a beautiful story, very under rated! It made me cry and long for a time before all the triple A games. If on sale again, I highly recommend you play it. "I am Setsuna" I am but a fleeting moment..