I am Setsuna

Lore & Background

I am Setsuna began development in 2014 with a short production schedule. In keeping with the studio's goal, the team took mechanical inspiration from Chrono Trigger (1995). Using the visual theme of snow, the narrative was written to explore the theme of sadness. The music, composed by Tomoki Miyoshi, was performed on piano by Randy Kerber. The game was developed using the Unity game engine. The concept originated from plans to re-create a game similar to classic RPGs from the genre's 'golden age', and the staff was made up of developers who agreed with this vision. The battle system was adopted from role-playing games like early Final Fantasy titles and other games like Chrono Trigger, which was used as inspiration due to its popularity, it being a favorite of the assembled development team, and the fact that there were few spiritual successors to it on the market. The team also drew influence from Dragon Quest, The Legend of Zelda, the SaGa and Mother series, and Xenogears. The playtime was designed to be similar to RPGs of the 90s, going against the prevalent trend of added content. The lack of established RPG elements, such as inns for resting and a world map, were influenced by the harsh setting and a wish to have players think about where to go.

Reader's Guide

I am Setsuna released to strong sales and was positively received by critics. Praise went to its atmosphere, soundtrack, and combat, though several faulted the lack of aesthetic variety and low difficulty. The game was designed as a new intellectual property, with its future developments to be decided after Square Enix reviewed its post-launch reception and success. Due to its weak market presence, the Vita version was not localized. Tokyo RPG Factory went on to produce two more titles before closing in 2024: Lost Sphear (2017) and Oninaki (2019). The game's significance lies in its role as the debut project of a studio created specifically to produce role-playing video games, and in its deliberate emulation of classic RPG mechanics and themes. Its narrative explores the theme of sadness through a story involving sacrifice, time loops, and a silent protagonist, while its combat system directly adapts the Active Time Battle system from Chrono Trigger. The game's legacy is tied to the short-lived Tokyo RPG Factory, which produced three titles before its closure.

Did You Know?

• The game's music was performed on piano by Randy Kerber.
• The Vita version was not localized due to its weak market presence.
• The story explores the theme of sadness, with a visual theme of snow.
• The battle system is based on the Active Time Battle system used in Chrono Trigger.