I Am Setsuna tells a pretty cliche storyline that is particularly overdone in JRPGs -- a maiden is being sacrificed to save the world occasionally. That's fine. As long as they do something good with it, cliches are not always a bad thing.
I Am Setsuna manages to tell a decently interesting story, with decently interesting characters. This is pretty high praise to be honest, as there are not many modern JRPGs that you can say that about. Even though I'm not giving this game a high rating, it's all relative. This is probably one of my higher ratings for a modern JRPG.
The only major failing of this game is every other element other than the story. While the combat is fine in and of itself, the progression system is the dumbest system I've ever seen in a JRPG to date. It's so convoluted, you have to use the built-in prima guide to understand how the hell it works. Being now that it's been some months since I finished this game, I probably won't be able to give a complete explanation of how it works.
Basically, progression is built around random dice rolls. When you use skills, there's a random chance that skill will receive a permanent buff from Spritenite you're wearing. These buffs stack to a maximum amount, meaning you can buff skills to pretty high degrees.
None of that shit matters though, because all you need is Endir and Nidr's combo move "Blowbeat" to beat the entire game. It's one of the first combo skills you get, and you legit can and should use this combo to 1 shot entire encounters for the rest of the game. It also inflicts every good status ailment, which works on many bosses. If you find yourself struggling to beat a boss, you're probably not using Blowbeat enough.
In conclusion, I Am Setsuna is a decent way to waste a few hours listening to a decent story about a rugged mysterious boy trying to save a girl.
Oh, and the atmosphere is very well done. The music and art style lend a very somber tone to the game.
I Am Setsuna manages to tell a decently interesting story, with decently interesting characters. This is pretty high praise to be honest, as there are not many modern JRPGs that you can say that about. Even though I'm not giving this game a high rating, it's all relative. This is probably one of my higher ratings for a modern JRPG.
The only major failing of this game is every other element other than the story. While the combat is fine in and of itself, the progression system is the dumbest system I've ever seen in a JRPG to date. It's so convoluted, you have to use the built-in prima guide to understand how the hell it works. Being now that it's been some months since I finished this game, I probably won't be able to give a complete explanation of how it works.
Basically, progression is built around random dice rolls. When you use skills, there's a random chance that skill will receive a permanent buff from Spritenite you're wearing. These buffs stack to a maximum amount, meaning you can buff skills to pretty high degrees.
None of that shit matters though, because all you need is Endir and Nidr's combo move "Blowbeat" to beat the entire game. It's one of the first combo skills you get, and you legit can and should use this combo to 1 shot entire encounters for the rest of the game. It also inflicts every good status ailment, which works on many bosses. If you find yourself struggling to beat a boss, you're probably not using Blowbeat enough.
In conclusion, I Am Setsuna is a decent way to waste a few hours listening to a decent story about a rugged mysterious boy trying to save a girl.
Oh, and the atmosphere is very well done. The music and art style lend a very somber tone to the game.