![]() ![]() You aren’t a bright-eyed young man looking for adventure, or even saving the world you’re a heartless mercenary who’s escorting a young woman to her death, just so what’s left of humanity can continue to huddle semi-safely in in their little shacks for a few more years.This pervasive sense of inevitable loss, as well as the feeling that humanity’s best days are already in the distant past, casts the actions and motivations of everyone involved in a unique light that keeps the story from feeling like the JRPGs it clearly borrows from. “In this world humankind scrapes by despite monsters of all kinds constantly hunting and killing them, and the only way to keep that threat somewhat at bay is to send an 18-year-old off to die. ![]() But I Am Setsuna betrays this well-worn trope in a number of interesting ways, not the least of which is the fact (revealed in the very beginning) that you are escorting Setsuna to her sacrificial death. Doomed From The StartWhat I was looking forward to, though, was finding out more about my traveling companions, whose tales are at a glance familiar: You are part of a group of adventurers whose main purpose is to help one special individual, the titular Setsuna, complete her journey to a far-off place. It works for what I Am Setsuna is - this certainly isn’t meant to be high fantasy - but I never felt a sense of anticipation of what might be waiting through the next cave entrance because I usually already knew. And while the piano is no doubt a versatile instrument, that it is literally the only one employed does limit the music’s range of expression a bit. ![]() The overworld is just an endless expanse of snowy fields dotted with rickety old towns made up of a mere handful of homes, all of which look like they were furnished out of the same catalogue. Play The other edge of that sword is a sort of monotony that detracts ever so slightly from the overall sense of adventure. The gorgeous, achingly sad all-piano soundtrack, the muted colors, and the relentless emptiness of the overworld all work in harmonious service to the themes of sacrifice, regret, and hope in the face of cyclical and unending conflict. This is a tragic tale of a fractured world filled with people who vainly struggle against a rising tide of danger, and nearly every creative choice properly reflects this. Yes, there are brief moments of levity, but nothing that qualifies as an attempt at comic relief, and the journey is all the better for it. Some balance issues come dangerously close to trivializing its otherwise enjoyable combat, but it ultimately pulls through on the strength of its well-established tone and a well-told story.I Am Setsuna’s greatest strength, by far, is its steadfast commitment to the somber tone it establishes right from the outset. But instead of shamelessly aping those games, I Am Setsuna felt more like its own game the further I got into its deep magic and skills system, and the more I got to know its cast of intriguing characters. Even if I am Setsuna hadn't been sold to the public as a salve for Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6 fans pining for the golden age of the JRPG, its many similarities to those two classics would invite comparison. ![]()
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