In actual fact, the Nintendo Switch's handheld mode feels like the perfect way to play I Am Setsuna. Combine this with the soothing piano tunes that make up the entirety of the soundtrack, and you've got the perfect game to curl up in bed with. It definitely sets a different sort of vibe compared to an RPG that may only have one snowy area, and it's one that feels welcoming and comforting. One of the most striking elements, however, is its setting, a collection of islands that are covered from head to toe in snow. Outside of the plot twists, the game very rarely does something you didn't expect. It is indeed a throwback to the RPGs of old, but at some point that becomes a bit of a detriment. Much like its story, it's here where I Am Setsuna plays it safe. You'll travel from town to town, recruit new party members, level up your characters and trade with townsfolk for better weapons and equipment. Outside of combat the game follows the typical tropes of the RPG genre. It's a great feeling when one of these triggers because the battle becomes a pretty much guaranteed win, but relying on them in cases of a boss battle will severely hinder you as their mobilisation comes down to pure luck. You can have a degree of influence on how often they occur, and when they do you could get bonuses such as a rapidly replenishing ATB gauge, a boost to the rate that you make a critical hit, or an attack that damages all elemental types. These are random events that can change the tide of battle if one activates, but they are impossible to plan around. This creates an intricate balance between waiting and letting your characters' power up and not taking too long so that your combatant doesn't get a second hit.Īs a further layer of depth, triggering the use of a momentum point also has the chance of activating a singularity. But there's also a benefit to waiting, as each time a separate, smaller meter fills up you gain a momentum point which can be cashed in to make your next attack much more powerful. Time management plays a big part in this process as your enemies are operating on the exact same time gauge, so take too long in a menu selecting a specific attack and they could sneak in a second strike before you do. From here you're presented with a few different options: a simple attack, the tech option which includes more powerful moves that use MP, or you can use an item for healing or different buffs. The game uses the active time battle system, which means you must wait for a gauge to fill up and then that particular character can take their turn. Every enemy is viewable on the map which completely eliminates random encounters, and you won't come across any foes in the over-world either. In contradiction to this, the majority of I Am Setsuna's meat and bones can be found in its combat system, which takes clear inspiration from Chrono Trigger. Don't get us wrong, the expedition is enjoyable enough from beginning to end, but it all feels a little paper thin in some aspects. Couple this with a few hidden side missions towards the end of the game and I Am Setsuna has all the groundwork of a great role-playing game in terms of its plot, characters and world building yet it doesn't build upon this to his its full potential. Some limited dialogue options let you shape Endir's personality and relationships with other characters to make the trip a little more meaningful, but they never have a direct effect on the actual story. It's a rather simple premise that may borrow a bit too much from Final Fantasy X, but add in a couple of twists and turns of its own and you've got a journey that's worth taking, for the most part. Deals are struck and you begin a pilgrimage to the Last Lands, though we'll let you experience more story specifics in the game. However, this tale is told from the point of Endir, a mercenary who at the beginning of the game is handed the task of killing Setsuna himself. The young girl Setsuna is chosen as the next forfeit. Tokyo RPG Factory's debut title takes us to a world overrun by snow and demons, which are hungry for their next human sacrifice to appease an ancient custom. But does this nostalgic trip down a somewhat familiar lane provide us with a compelling enough reason to divert our attention away from other launch titles? The title originally released for the PlayStation 4 and PC in July of last year, but this release marks its first appearance on a Nintendo platform. That's certainly debatable, and one game that may have slipped under some people's radars is I Am Setsuna, a JRPG that hearkens back to the days of Chrono Trigger on the SNES in terms of both its gameplay mechanics and battle system. Much has been made of the launch line-up for the Nintendo Switch, with some describing it as underwhelming and lacking in exciting software besides The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.
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