I Am Setsuna - Reviews

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The reviews for the JRPG I Am Setsuna are a mixed bag:

The Washington Post:

'I Am Setsuna' review: A JRPG with heart
[...]

"I Am Setsuna" is the polar opposite of a subversive work it. It's earnest and conventional but also alert to the vast scope of human fallibility and treachery. When the game starts posing you ethical questions about leadership or when you stumble upon an artfully glitchy-looking area where the developers left their calling cards (i.e., you can hear tale of how the composer cried while writing the score), it's hard to resist the endearing tug of the human pulse humming beneath the surface of the pixels.​

Shacknews:

I Am Setsuna Review: The Pain of Remembering
[...]

The Well-Beaten Path

With I Am Setsuna, on one hand you have a staunchly traditional tale that offers a cursory narrative that's familiar on the surface as well as character tropes and archetypes that feel as though they were torn straight from the pages of "Classic RPGs 101." On the other, you have a convoluted battle system and irritants from games of the present that bring you down from any nostalgia high you might have been riding. It's all wrapped up in familiar dressing to get you hooked, but once you get to the substance it's clear I Am Setsuna needed a bit more time in the oven, or perhaps a master class of what made the games that inspired it memorable in the first place. If you're aching for a familiar and exciting JRPG, there's better to be found out there. While this is a serviceable option, there are plenty other more memorable ones out there.

Score: 7/10​

Reno-Gazette-Journal:

FINAL THOUGHTS

I Am Setsuna is an unabashed love letter to fans of classic JRPGs, featuring solid, turn-based combat and a beautiful snowy world that looks like a moving painting. It's a tad on the short side for an RPG and the journey can feel rushed, especially with the lack of extra content. Overall, it feels like it's at the cusp of JRPG greatness but just needs that little extra something to reach its full potential. Still, if you're looking for an old school-style JRPG fix, I Am Setsuna will hit the spot.

Score: 3.75 out of 5​

RPGFan:

[...]
From a stylistic standpoint, I am Setsuna is unflinchingly committed to its "snow and sacrifice" motif. Its visuals are simplistic yet graceful, and nearly every area has a chilly ambiance. Characters leave trails in the snow, trees rustle in the wind, and frigid waters reflect Setsuna's determined countenance. The soundtrack is led entirely by piano, creating a solemn atmosphere that is unquestionably beautiful but has a tendency to blend together. I am torn between wishing there was more variety in the game's audiovisual presentation and acknowledging the cohesiveness of its design.

I am Setsuna takes enough risks to be worth experiencing, in spite of its narrative foibles. It is imperfect, and yet saying it "falls flat" would be overly reductionist. I admit I'm disappointed that I wasn't more touched by its themes, but there remains a gentle beauty within I am Setsuna that I wouldn't mind revisiting. Perhaps I'll make the pilgrimage once more a few winters hence.

Score: 80/100​

iDigitalTimes:

'I Am Setsuna' Review: A Return To Form For Square Enix
[...]

I am Setsuna isn't a perfect distillation of the 90's RPG gameplay so many gamers mastered in their youth. But the game is a carefully considered, if at times flawed, collection of mechanics rarely seen on the modern gaming landscape. Sometimes, Setsuna trips over itself, particularly when it comes to the many intertwining systems built upon the ATB system. And we would have loved to see Tokyo RPG Factory do more with the game's overworld, which doesn't give players much incentive to step off the beaten path. But I am Setsuna is perfect for those hoping to get their JRPG fix without sacrificing all their available free time for the next six months or anyone interested in completing a role-playing game that prioritizes enjoyability over hours played.​