I am Setsuna

The relaxed, largely goal-free nature of the game has the potential to wear thin, but personally I found the controls fun enough, the environments and music beautiful enough, the various animals smile-inducing enough that even after the three hours it took to reach the end I was happy to dive back in, ready to search for more clues and uncover what it was all about.

Tokyo RPG Factory has done a fine job of capturing the spirit of classic JRPGs with I am Setsuna. It feels like returning home after a long journey. Its superb soundtrack and solid gameplay bring nostalgic feelings of joy and comfort. Even though a lack of balance holds back the creativity of its combat, it never extinguishes the emotional tone and engaging story of the game. It may not be the next classic, but it does an excellent job of honoring its heritage.

If Tokyo RPG Factory’s goal was to create a sad, stirring adventure that evokes memories of the past without feeling too antiquated, they nailed it, with big assists from Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy X, and even a little Xenogears at the very end. If this is the type of story we’ll continue to get from the Tokyo RPG Factory, then hey, maybe RPG assembly lines aren’t so bad.