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I am Setsuna: My Journey to the Last Lands


Right from the start, I am Setsuna had me on the edge of my seat. During your initial meeting with Setsuna it is explained that she, like many before her, has been chosen to be sacrificed in an effort to keep monsters from wreaking chaos across the world. It is the duty of her 5 escorts (Endir, Ndir, Aeterna, Kir, and Julienne) to help her traverse the snowy terrain to the Last Lands where she will meet her demise. I'm not the type of person that likes to be sad or emotional, but this game plunged me into its storyline and made me feel as if I were a part of its world. 

I'll start out by giving you a quick debrief on how this game is played. I am Setsuna utilizes classic JRPG
controls similar to the likes of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy. It is remarkably well done and the combat system flows very well. Throughout the game the player can equip various "spiritnites" to learns new abilities and depending on who you have in your party, these abilities can turn into more powerful combos. It is also possible to purchase or find new weapons for your characters to increase their power.

Like most JPRGs, the combat system is set up to where you can choose to use an attack or a more powerful technical ability. Each technical ability will cost the character MP, so it is not possible to simply spam special abilities without giving it some thought. Enemies also have a powerful slew of attacks that they use to try and defeat you, a few of which are very powerful.

Technical abilities can be combined with other characters to perform special combo moves.

Which actually brings me to my first negative point about this game, very few of the enemies are extremely difficult. Overall there were only 3 boss fights that I needed to use strategy to defeat. I also managed to complete over 50% of the game without upgrading my weapons or equipping new spiritnites.

However, that is the only negative aspect to I am Setsuna. The rest of this game is magical. It may be a little too easy at times, but that also comes with its perks. At no point in time did I have to stop and grind up my level in order to defeat a boss. The game does a wonderful job at pacing you through the story so that you are an even match for your opponent.

While most bosses are easy, other aspects of the game are a little tricky. During most JRPGs
there are inns or some sort of free healing mechanism to bring your characters back to full health. In I am Setsuna, this is not the case. Items are extremely important and you must constantly make sure you have a steady supply of materials such as ethers and tents to get your party back into shape. You also do not have the ability to flee from an enemy without using a miltstone, so getting caught off guard without enough items can lead to game over quickly.

Something else that I really liked about this game is that the storyline managed to completely pull me in and keep me engrossed during the entire 15 hours it took me to finish. Not once was I bored and I felt really involved in what was happening. It is a moving tale, which often provokes deep thought regarding matters such as the value of certain lives over others. There were countless times during the game that my jaw dropped, and tears welled up in my eyes more than I would like to admit. It is well written and you feel that your quest to the Last Lands has true meaning which causes you to keep going even when things get tough.

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Ready for the final verdict? Even though I am Setsuna is disappointing during its boss battles, it delivers extraordinarily in other areas. The story keeps you going and makes you feel like you are really part of the world.

Overall, I'd give the game an 8. It's truly wonderful, but I don't suspect that there is much replay value so the adventure is a bit short lived. This combined with the ease of the game keeps it from being a nine. I would strongly encourage you to give it a try if you are a fan of JRPGs. You will not be disappointed with your purchase!

 




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