Cassie: I am Setsuna Demo

I am Setsuna

I was lucky enough to snag tickets to go to Pax East 2016 in Boston, MA from April 22nd-24th. If you are unfamiliar, Pax East is a convention similar to Comic Con but with a primary focus on video games and tabletop games. Being that I’m a big Kingdom Hearts, Life is Strange, and Final Fantasy fan, making it to the Square Enix booth was a huge priority for me.

I had a lot of free time one day while my boyfriend and friends were waiting for games I wasn’t interested in, so I headed over to the Square Enix booth. Right away I noticed a HUGE line to try out Ocean Star. However, luck was on my side as the I am Setsuna line was empty and I was able to jump right on without any prior knowledge of the game.

I Am Setsuna is a new game releasing this summer that promises to return to yesteryears with an authentic JRPG style. The game will be available on both PlayStation 4 and PC through Steam. The game provides a somber story of tragedy and sacrifice while showcasing a nostalgic experience full of great story-telling and familiar battling systems. I am Setsuna is consistently compared to the likes of Chrono Trigger, but I cannot speak on that as I’ve never played Chrono Trigger before.

At the very beginning of the demo, you talk to multiple townspeople that allude to a recent tragedy that has shaken their world.  The overall atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful with snow-covered landscapes and slow, soothing music. I absolutely loved the world crafted in I am Setsuna. It’s something that I haven’t quite experienced before in the gaming world and I can’t wait to play more of it once the game releases.

The graphics are also wonderful with cutesy characters and bright dungeons and monsters. After exploring the small towns included in the demo, I headed over to the dungeon at the top of the map. The dungeon was filled with beautiful, blue ice that provided a much needed contrast to all of the white snow outside. I found the battle system effortless to pick up and that comes from someone who can get easily overwhelmed in new games. You control three different characters that have varying strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully for me, the demo came with unlimited money, potions, and elixirs. I had to revive my teammates more than a couple of times at the demo boss fight.

As I made my way through the small dungeon, I felt nothing but at peace. I am Setsuna captures the lighter days of winter so much so that I found myself wishing for those long days once more (who even am I?!). The monsters were adorable and I almost didn’t even want to kill them. Note: I said almost. I played around twenty minutes of the demo when my luck finally ran out and I got kicked off so the next person could begin their journey.

I came to the Square Enix booth with the notion of just wasting time and left with a new game to add to my must-buy list. If you are someone who enjoys beautiful graphics, serene music, and authentic JRPG games, I cannot recommend I am Setsuna enough.