Gametrailers used to be my "go to" for reviews and was devastated when I heard they shut down. Thank God, the crew started up Easy Allies and their reviews are always top notch.
they used to be gametrailers but the whole getting sponsored by some very annoying company's got in the way of actually doing what they were passionate about. So i guess they stripped everything back and started from scratch even with a new name. Honestly the way they are doing now is way better than what they were doing before.
they used to be gametrailers but the whole getting sponsored by some very annoying company's got in the way of actually doing what they were passionate about. So i guess they stripped everything back and started from scratch even with a new name. Honestly the way they are doing now is way better than what they were doing before.
ign is crap.. i still can't believe they gave beyond two souls a 6 out of 10.. that game was phenomenal.. ever since then i haven't been able to take them seriously at all
Cloud Air well, you gotta be specific on what makes a 6/10 a bad score in your eyes... like, I don't watch IGN, but at least explain your side on why a game deserves better or not, hell, rebuttal the IGN score... but like any game or piece of entertainment, you can't assume something as a masterpiece... hence why I can't stand IGN at times, since a lot of their reviews with positive scores don't make sense to me, because they don't exemplify things like, what did the game used to go in as much depth with their score unlike a a game they gave a more, lukewarm, score to... like, too much water is one thing, but thinking about an island where most of the Pokemon you battle are water types and that you'll find a lot of water Pokemon is pretty valid a negative :/ just food for thought
Finished this game about 2 days ago. Put in well over 30 hours which included the side quests and optional bosses. I have to agree, that this is no classic, but my God, did I need a jrpg like this. It truly stole my heart.
I`m confused why everyone plays so carefully around with selling items. I mean the game never really explains it but for those wondering: Simply sell everything that`s white and keep the green stuff (green text should mean it`s used for food so if you meet a person that knows a recipe and you have the ingredients they will give it to you, so keep 'em). Hope this helps some people speeding that process up :)
That's what I did, too. Just use the "Sell" option at the magic consortium guy and you earn your money within seconds. Other than that: Overall a good review, only the inlcusion of character trait examples at 1:14 - 1:27 felt forced and ended as abruptly as it started. But that's more of a nitpick. Keep up the great word, EZA and especially Brad in this case! :)
After the reviews of GT getting such praise over the years you gotta give it to Brad for stepping in and delivering so well without having reviewed games before. 10/10 can't wait for more reviews, really impressed!
I can see where it would become a problem since it's probably hard if not impossible to get separate edit tracks for SFX, music, and voice when recording. At least if you are only going to play it once like a lot of time-intensive jrpgs...
Wonderful job Brad! Given the quality of the script you would never guess this is only your second review. I haven't beaten I Am Setsuna yet, but I'm enjoying it. Its nothing special, but its....cozy. I feel like the characters themselves are fairly one dimensional with writing that inadequately conveys their personalities, but maybe that'll change by the end. The soundtrack here deserves some serious props though - the piano is not used nearly enough in video games. I respect the developers for trying something different and going all-piano here.
I LOVE this game. I started playing it a little skeptical of the music choice and the snow choice, but as I kept playing it I fell more and more in love. It's EASILY the most mature JRPG I've ever played. And it's the least convoluted. I hear tons of people saying it's too short, but my Playstation is telling me that only, like, 10% of the people who bought the game actually got end-game achievements, so a lot of people are complaining without ever actually beating it. In fact, the statistics of people who seemingly are only playing 1/3 or half of it are alarming. The idea behind this game is that it starts out cold and then warms up. This means that you won't really "get" the game until the last 1/4 of it.
Also, I wish that the review had commented more on the fact that the enemy position on-screen matters, unlike Chrono Trigger. yes many AOE attacks can hit everyone on screen, but it plays a HUGE part in battles and makes Satsuna have the best JRPG combat system I've ever played. For instance, one enemy type explodes when you zero-out their hit points. Thusly, you want to use an attack that will knock them away from your party as a final attack, so that you are out of range for the explosion. Similarly, some attacks will attack grouped together foes. Thusly, if you have the option, you might want to use a group attack to hit them bunched up before you use an attack that spreads them apart. I found myself constantly having to say, "okay, what type of bad guy am I fighting? Okay, then I need to do this attack first because they will respond like THIS, then I use that attack because they will respond like THAT." Any amount of thinking that I have to put into random battles is a HUGE step up from button mashing "attack" until I get the victory screen, like in most JRPGs.
To me, expecting something like chrono trigger, the first few hours of I am Setsuna were just mind numbingly boring so i stopped playing. I probably have at least 20 other rpgs lying around here I'd rather spent my time on, do you think I should spent hours doing stuff I dont enjoy instead? I though Id love this game concidering it got inspired by chrono trigger and made out of love by a small team but I havent been so bored/put off by an rpg in a long long while. Instead of making a crazy risky, original and fun rpg like chrono trigger was in its time they opted to make the most safe, rote and classical rpg immaginable, thats EXACTLY the opposite of what made chrono trigger good. What Im trying to say is:Im guessing plenty of people got baited by the thought of getting something like chrono trigger only to come to the realization that its about as basic an rpg as possible in every way possible.That obviously does not necessarily mean its bad and its great that you got an enjoyable experience out of it but plenty people apparently didnt, thats fine isn't it? Conversation about dissagreements tend to be way more interesting /in depth anyways :)
ApenBaard *Spoilers*, I think the first few hours of I Am Setstuna ARE really boring. I love the game and think it's as good as Crono Trigger. Yet, my first few playthroughs were about 20 minutes long and I had to force myself to keep doing it. It starts out that boring. But the game really starts to pick up when you run into people who start dealing with the philosophical aspects of evil and "the enemy". Specifically, people have grown so afraid of the evil, and have given up, that they start contemplating appeasement just to survive. It's a really fascinating part of the game. Then you *heavy spoiler* meet a child monster who your party wants to murder but whose Setsuna has empathy and compassion for. The game starts asking really interesting, deep questions about how you treat your enemies. And then as the game starts to change from Sestina's original purpose, you get to see how her heroism transcends just doing her duty. Plus, if you're really that hard of a Crono Trigger fan, at the end of the game they really start dropping heavy hints that the game takes place in the same universe.
This game has been sitting in my Steam wishlist for over a year now as I was in doubt whether I wanted to buy it for 40 euros given the mixed reviews I've seen over time. Some claimed it was good, some claimed it was bad and others claimed it was somewhere inbetween. So I decided to wait for a decent sale on it, which took forever. It sat in my wishlist for a year before it finally got a decent sale and I decided to just go for it. Honestly, although I had to wait over a year for that sale, I don't really regret waiting that long. It's an okay game, but it wasn't worth its full price tag. At half price, it was worth it, though. It's an okay game, but it has a way too high base price.
One slight correction (and I don't think it affects the validity of this review at all), but it's actually very fast to sell materials and obtain the resulting Spritenite. Choosing "Sell" and simply liquidating all non-green items (green items are to be given to NPC's for recipes for food items) is a matter of just pressing "select" very quickly, while avoiding green items. You can then just reap all of the Spritenite by going down the menu and tapping "select" -> "right" -> "select" on each one that's white.
My biggest complaint with this game is that it is beat for beat the same story as Final Fantasy X. Replace Setsuna with Yuna, Fridging Heights as Mount Gagazet (minus Ronso) and Last Lands as Zanarkand. Even the characters are similar. Nidr is basically Auron, Aeterna is basically Rikku. Its almost plagiarism honestly.
Generally most JRPGs (especially the ones from this particular developer) are about going on a journey with characters who fit into certain tropes and this whole studio is designed to pay homage to the classics of that genre so it kinda does what it says on the tin in that regard.
+Daniel Ramsey, Actually that's not accurate, the team who made the game is Tokyo RPG factory, the writers for the game, Hirotaka Inaba and Makoto Goya are not related to the Final Fantasy team (the team is mostly composed from veterans from other franchises). Square Enix just owns the studio and publishes them, but they are not the devs.
While I haven't gotten to play this game yet, this game has me set to try the next game by this studio. I have a lot of faith in their creative ability and their influence of nostalgia.
I'm totally down for a "basic" JRPG and I am Setsuna looks pretty cool. But not $40 cool. If a Steam sale or PS4 sale comes along and sets the price at $20 I'll jump in.
yeah it's good to be cautious. The game's strength is in its battles, but nothing else about It is compelling. I kinda want my money back, but kinda don't, cuz they really did nail the combat
This review reflects my own experiences. Also gets the balance of the overall commentary right in my eyes, unlike some counterparts like gamespot which seemed to have been reviewed by a disinterested demographic with a narrow interest begrudgingly handing out positives to engineer a sense of fairness in their review.
Great review!!! Im absolutely loving this game. Being an old fart I grew up with the games that inspired this one and I couldn't be happier. I normally don't give a whole lot of thought to a games music. Truthfully I could take it or leave it. However the music in this game is phenomenal and adds so much it simply must be heard to be believed. Again Allies thanks for all your hard work and keep it up.
Great review! It's funny, because the balance thing even dates back to the game this one takes the most influence from. Chrono Trigger's Dual Techs can completely shut down the game if they're used right, Falcon Hit especially is a screen clearer.
This game feels like something that was grander and more ambitious on paper, but once executed turned out be far, far less. The best word to describe it is “Bland”. It’s not a bad or broken game, but it just brings nothing special to the table. Too bad too, because the concept was really cool.
I hate to be that guy but... Your stats definitely increase when you level up, not just your hit points and mana. It's subtle, but it makes a big difference when facing some optional challenges near the endgame. Great review and great game though ! I had a blast playing it myself :)
Great review Brad. If I were to critique one sentence in the review though, it would be when you compare the tech system to the materia system in FF7. I haven't played either game, so I wouldn't know if the comparison is apt or not (I assume it is), but instead of saying "it's like that old game you probably know", I would rather have you describe it entirely in your own words. Again, it's nitpicking, but I thought I'd give you some feedback :)
this feels more like a 3 star game to me. the whole time I was playing, rather than getting a feeling of nostalgia from playing a new game inspired by the golden age of JRPG's I was just thinking how much I would rather be playing one of those old JRPG's instead. and making you grind the same enemies over and over in the hopes of finding the materials you need for new sprinites is needlessly tedious. I missed out on several techs by the end game simply cuz I never came across the necessary materials.
It was really short, but I enjoyed my time with it quite a lot. I really wish it would've had more budget and make this a bigger game. Other than that..superb OST and atmosphere. I recommend it, but wait for a pricedrop to 25-30$ before getting it...40$ for 15-20~ hours is a bit much. PS: If you wanna farm easily just get the combo BlowBeat with mana regen on kill Spritenite and you'll own pretty much all common mob encounters.
Did you do the sidequests at the end? You unlock one for each character before the final fight - I recommend doing them, that`s a good chunk of content you will be missing out on otherwise :)
one critique I have on this review is that the score seems *a little* too favorable. from the way it was spoken about in the review, I was expecting a 3.5 ( which I consider to still be a good score). maybe because Brad is still trying to find his reviewer voice or something. I don't know. not trying to say it was given a wrong score or anything, i just felt the language didn't quite add up. looking forward to more reviews from Brad and all the other allies
I can usually guess the score of a GT or EZA review correctly before the score is revealed, and from the language of this review I was able to deduce this was getting a 4 out of 5. They say the game has a great story, good characters, a fantastic soundtrack, and varied environments, but some elements of combat are poorly explained and the economy could have been handled better. So in short an excellent game with some small hindering factors, a-la a 4 out of 5.
Duel Verse U'd argue the opposite, as the score usually distracts people from the actual contents of the review. The score isnt needed to understand what the reviewer thought of the subject being reviewed as they spend the entire review explaining what they think.
Roly Paulie one year later... It's on sale now for 19.99 USD on the US eShop if you're interested in the switch version, dunno about Aussie but probably on sale there too. Just looking at reviews trying to decide whether or not it's worth it because the retail price at release as too much for me as well.
I'm nearing the end of the game, and honestly I think this game surpasses FFVI and Chrono Trigger in a few areas. Better battle system for sure, better graphics for sure, better cast for sure. The OST is probably tied with those two, and it's great. And the story is very good, with lots of neat side stories as well. About the only thing holding it back from finally dethroning Chrono Trigger / FFVI for good is that it's just a shorter game. I personally can't recommend the game enough, 5/5 stars. From now on this is the JRPG I recommend to people who haven't tried one.
I've not played a JRPG game in quite some time. I was on the fence about this one but this review has finally convinced me to buy and play I am Setsuna. I've been in the mood for an old school JRPG game recently and there have been no JRPGs released in the the past few years that have really interested me. This story seems quite intriguing and it's good that the characters have likable personalities which is a big factor in my enjoyment of an RPG. I'm gonna buy the game this week, get it downloaded, and set aside several hours over the weekend to get into it.
+Cody Clark I am aware of those games and that they are generally highly regarded by JRPG fans. Unfortunately I don't own a 3ds. Maybe it's time that I consider buying one.
One of the negatives you have for this review is a little wrong - selling items is not as cumbersome as you show in the video. You can simply select "sell" on the spritnite NPCs and sell everything rapidly with a regular menu, still having them count towards unlocking new spritnite. It's actually a very easy and fast method. Selling the items in the Obtain Spritnite screen is also possible, as you are showing, but not the only way and definitely not the easiest way.
Ugh, another game to add to the list of must-buy. It seems like the JRPG I've been waiting to have for awhile, since I've fallen out of love with the genre for a bit.
This is the first review of theirs I don't agree with, but nothing they said is wrong to be clear. I judge this game harsher than I would have though because it claims to borrow from Chrono Trigger, when all they did is rip off the ATB system. I was looking for varied, energetic characters, a greater plot, and a variety of humable music. Also, I didn't personally buy into the characters relationships with each other. They all were just too blasé about the whole thing. And the only time they got emotional due to something baring the path, all I could think of was, "we already know how to fix this. Will everyone calm down please".
This game sadly didnt do too well critically or selling wise so im afraid this studio wont get the chance they deserve at another game let along one with a higher budget, shame cause despite some issues i have with it this was a real return to form for the genre for me with its somber melancholy tone and world.
It's actually kind of a legitimate problem. A huge chunk of the game's story centers around the fact that monsters are becoming more prevalent and dangerous. You will come across scenes where people are terrified and hiding in their homes because they are scared to death of murderous unstoppable monsters... and they are literally penguins with fluffy collars. There's no irony about it either. The plot is deathly serious.
Just finished this game recently. I liked the combat, especially that momentum mechanic which added some nice strategy, but the story and characters are some of the blandest I've ever seen from a modern game. Final Fantasy X and even Tales of Symphonia did this story much better.
I have a hard time with people saying it's so inextricably linked to old JRPGS. I found Satsuna to be incredibly experimental. It reminds me not of the SNES days, but of the Playstion days when Square was making stuff like Legend of Mana and Saga Frontier. It's very out-there in it's mechanics and isn't trying to hit the mainstream like Final Fantasy did.
I would probably give this a try having never played a JRPG. The world and characters look interesting, but god damn that combat always manages to put me off.
You should honestly play one of the games that inspired this one, such as the mentioned Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 6. Both are much better games, and this is coming from someone who just finished Setsuna yesterday.
I Am Setsuna is a really good game and I had fun playing it, but nothing stuck with me after I beat it. I just finished and moved on. I agree on the score though.
this game feel ssooooo "indie" it is just laughable. "you are a warrior who's mission is to kill certain girl" - "city is supposed full of people who's only purpose is to be extreeeemly nice so you are supposed to feel bad for what you are going to do" This feels so forced and there are many other instances like this, i dropped the game pretty early because it was so cringe-worthy. i like jrpg's like any other, but this just is not what i expected out of the game. And yes, i played oldschool rpg's like final fantasy 6, pokemon, or even legend of dragoon.
I can kinda understand, but any new handheld release is $40.00, and this being on consoles and PC, it sounds more favorable in a way. I guess it's really just opinion.
Finally finished this and I gotta say I'm incredibly underwhelmed by the writing... the characters are so awful. I dislike so much that they let you pick dialogue choices (that affect nothing) where you're constantly being told "haha that's a funny joke Endir, you tend to say the opposite of what you're thinking", why even let you pick anything at that point?
It's a completely average JRPG. Doesn't deserve more than a 2.5/5.0 as it offers absolutely nothing on its own merits. Anything of worth was stolen from other RPGs.
This was the most boring Platinum Trophy I got in recent memory. I expected more out of a game inspired by Chrono Trigger. I hope RPG Factory makes a better RPG next time.
ehh they only lost like 2.4 mil, considering this is their first game thats not bad (esp cause of setup costs being included) also apparently that figure doesn't include the NA/EU sales (but im not sure if thats true or not)
The game didn't light up the charts, but my understanding is that the game didn't lose that money per-se, the studio projected that amount of loss for the fiscal year. It isn't GOOD, but it's also not as bad as it might look if Square is playing a long game with the Tokyo RPG factory. A lot of that costs comes from starting a new studio and costs associate with that.
After watching the review i don't need to play the game anymore... I mean, back then you just picked the game on a shelf and played it at home without knowing shit about it or the story. Now we get the full story on a review. Not saying it's spoilers but it does spoil the game for me. Nothing is exciting in games anymore, we know the whole story before we play it.
I personally understand it, and I like it how it's not the usual "_/10", as EasyAllies is already different than most everyone else, so why score it just like them if they don't want to. Also, they do put what each star means in description, and the video/audio always is what's important, not the final grade.
+MABlacksmith Honestly I don't see which part you mean. It's just my bad English I guess. Please understand. Thing that I curious about it is that, I really don't know why number system is much more make sense than star system. What is so different? In my experience that…how'd I said…obscure number? Score like 7.8 is less make sense.
"Fantastic Music?"False. You're better off plugging in a USB full of classic RPG OSTs and put it on repeat while playing this game. Chrono Cross' OST, esp the somber tunes fit perfectly in this game
Played it for 1 hour , and the dialogues were so shallow it was below a 10 year old writing , without any logic whatsoever. Avoid this game. Waste of time. ( played lots of Jrpg - this one is bad.)
Gametrailers used to be my "go to" for reviews and was devastated when I heard they shut down. Thank God, the crew started up Easy Allies and their reviews are always top notch.
You guys are so much more trustworthy than IGN and Gamespot in my eyes.
they used to be gametrailers but the whole getting sponsored by some very annoying company's got in the way of actually doing what they were passionate about. So i guess they stripped everything back and started from scratch even with a new name. Honestly the way they are doing now is way better than what they were doing before.
they used to be gametrailers but the whole getting sponsored by some very annoying company's got in the way of actually doing what they were passionate about. So i guess they stripped everything back and started from scratch even with a new name. Honestly the way they are doing now is way better than what they were doing before.
+David Deans no they got fired or "layoff " from their parent company
ign is crap.. i still can't believe they gave beyond two souls a 6 out of 10.. that game was phenomenal.. ever since then i haven't been able to take them seriously at all
Cloud Air well, you gotta be specific on what makes a 6/10 a bad score in your eyes...
like, I don't watch IGN, but at least explain your side on why a game deserves better or not, hell, rebuttal the IGN score...
but like any game or piece of entertainment, you can't assume something as a masterpiece...
hence why I can't stand IGN at times, since a lot of their reviews with positive scores don't make sense to me, because they don't exemplify things like, what did the game used to go in as much depth with their score unlike a a game they gave a more, lukewarm, score to...
like, too much water is one thing, but thinking about an island where most of the Pokemon you battle are water types and that you'll find a lot of water Pokemon is pretty valid a negative :/
just food for thought
Finished this game about 2 days ago. Put in well over 30 hours which included the side quests and optional bosses. I have to agree, that this is no classic, but my God, did I need a jrpg like this. It truly stole my heart.
Which is the name of this game? I've never seen it!
I`m confused why everyone plays so carefully around with selling items. I mean the game never really explains it but for those wondering: Simply sell everything that`s white and keep the green stuff (green text should mean it`s used for food so if you meet a person that knows a recipe and you have the ingredients they will give it to you, so keep 'em).
Hope this helps some people speeding that process up :)
That's what I did, too. Just use the "Sell" option at the magic consortium guy and you earn your money within seconds.
Other than that:
Overall a good review, only the inlcusion of character trait examples at 1:14 - 1:27 felt forced and ended as abruptly as it started. But that's more of a nitpick. Keep up the great word, EZA and especially Brad in this case! :)
I just sold everything. I didn't mess with recipes. And I beat the game with little problem.
After the reviews of GT getting such praise over the years you gotta give it to Brad for stepping in and delivering so well without having reviewed games before. 10/10 can't wait for more reviews, really impressed!
It sounds like you guys turned off the audio when recording footage to mix audio that fits the review video better.
I like it.
Keep doing it :D
Definitely, I am sure it depends on the situation :)
+Easy Allies You're the best Bloodworth, taking the time to go indepth like that. Stuff like that is why I love the Allies.
I can see where it would become a problem since it's probably hard if not impossible to get separate edit tracks for SFX, music, and voice when recording. At least if you are only going to play it once like a lot of time-intensive jrpgs...
+carlsiouxfalls yeah, I would say do it for some B roll, but the initial playthrough should have mudic turned on
I'll definitely play this eventually, and I'm still holding onto hope there will be a physical version of this some day.
Wonderful job Brad! Given the quality of the script you would never guess this is only your second review. I haven't beaten I Am Setsuna yet, but I'm enjoying it. Its nothing special, but its....cozy. I feel like the characters themselves are fairly one dimensional with writing that inadequately conveys their personalities, but maybe that'll change by the end. The soundtrack here deserves some serious props though - the piano is not used nearly enough in video games. I respect the developers for trying something different and going all-piano here.
Nice review Brad with some great VO by the master himself.
I LOVE this game. I started playing it a little skeptical of the music choice and the snow choice, but as I kept playing it I fell more and more in love. It's EASILY the most mature JRPG I've ever played. And it's the least convoluted. I hear tons of people saying it's too short, but my Playstation is telling me that only, like, 10% of the people who bought the game actually got end-game achievements, so a lot of people are complaining without ever actually beating it. In fact, the statistics of people who seemingly are only playing 1/3 or half of it are alarming. The idea behind this game is that it starts out cold and then warms up. This means that you won't really "get" the game until the last 1/4 of it.
Also, I wish that the review had commented more on the fact that the enemy position on-screen matters, unlike Chrono Trigger. yes many AOE attacks can hit everyone on screen, but it plays a HUGE part in battles and makes Satsuna have the best JRPG combat system I've ever played.
For instance, one enemy type explodes when you zero-out their hit points. Thusly, you want to use an attack that will knock them away from your party as a final attack, so that you are out of range for the explosion. Similarly, some attacks will attack grouped together foes. Thusly, if you have the option, you might want to use a group attack to hit them bunched up before you use an attack that spreads them apart.
I found myself constantly having to say, "okay, what type of bad guy am I fighting? Okay, then I need to do this attack first because they will respond like THIS, then I use that attack because they will respond like THAT." Any amount of thinking that I have to put into random battles is a HUGE step up from button mashing "attack" until I get the victory screen, like in most JRPGs.
To me, expecting something like chrono trigger, the first few hours of I am Setsuna were just mind numbingly boring so i stopped playing. I probably have at least 20 other rpgs lying around here I'd rather spent my time on, do you think I should spent hours doing stuff I dont enjoy instead?
I though Id love this game concidering it got inspired by chrono trigger and made out of love by a small team but I havent been so bored/put off by an rpg in a long long while. Instead of making a crazy risky, original and fun rpg like chrono trigger was in its time they opted to make the most safe, rote and classical rpg immaginable, thats EXACTLY the opposite of what made chrono trigger good.
What Im trying to say is:Im guessing plenty of people got baited by the thought of getting something like chrono trigger only to come to the realization that its about as basic an rpg as possible in every way possible.That obviously does not necessarily mean its bad and its great that you got an enjoyable experience out of it but plenty people apparently didnt, thats fine isn't it? Conversation about dissagreements tend to be way more interesting /in depth anyways :)
I do agree on this! The battles still felt a bit simple to me, but chrono trigger is definitely worse in that regard.
ApenBaard *Spoilers*, I think the first few hours of I Am Setstuna ARE really boring. I love the game and think it's as good as Crono Trigger. Yet, my first few playthroughs were about 20 minutes long and I had to force myself to keep doing it. It starts out that boring. But the game really starts to pick up when you run into people who start dealing with the philosophical aspects of evil and "the enemy". Specifically, people have grown so afraid of the evil, and have given up, that they start contemplating appeasement just to survive. It's a really fascinating part of the game. Then you *heavy spoiler* meet a child monster who your party wants to murder but whose Setsuna has empathy and compassion for. The game starts asking really interesting, deep questions about how you treat your enemies. And then as the game starts to change from Sestina's original purpose, you get to see how her heroism transcends just doing her duty.
Plus, if you're really that hard of a Crono Trigger fan, at the end of the game they really start dropping heavy hints that the game takes place in the same universe.
Pleaseee.... which is the title of this game??
Fantastic review as always Easy Allies..
This game has been sitting in my Steam wishlist for over a year now as I was in doubt whether I wanted to buy it for 40 euros given the mixed reviews I've seen over time. Some claimed it was good, some claimed it was bad and others claimed it was somewhere inbetween. So I decided to wait for a decent sale on it, which took forever. It sat in my wishlist for a year before it finally got a decent sale and I decided to just go for it.
Honestly, although I had to wait over a year for that sale, I don't really regret waiting that long. It's an okay game, but it wasn't worth its full price tag. At half price, it was worth it, though. It's an okay game, but it has a way too high base price.
Never felt so relaxed while watching a review
One slight correction (and I don't think it affects the validity of this review at all), but it's actually very fast to sell materials and obtain the resulting Spritenite. Choosing "Sell" and simply liquidating all non-green items (green items are to be given to NPC's for recipes for food items) is a matter of just pressing "select" very quickly, while avoiding green items. You can then just reap all of the Spritenite by going down the menu and tapping "select" -> "right" -> "select" on each one that's white.
My biggest complaint with this game is that it is beat for beat the same story as Final Fantasy X. Replace Setsuna with Yuna, Fridging Heights as Mount Gagazet (minus Ronso) and Last Lands as Zanarkand. Even the characters are similar. Nidr is basically Auron, Aeterna is basically Rikku. Its almost plagiarism honestly.
Even though it was made by the same Devs.
+Daniel Ramsey that doesn't excuse laziness
Generally most JRPGs (especially the ones from this particular developer) are about going on a journey with characters who fit into certain tropes and this whole studio is designed to pay homage to the classics of that genre so it kinda does what it says on the tin in that regard.
+Daniel Ramsey, Actually that's not accurate, the team who made the game is Tokyo RPG factory, the writers for the game, Hirotaka Inaba and Makoto Goya are not related to the Final Fantasy team (the team is mostly composed from veterans from other franchises). Square Enix just owns the studio and publishes them, but they are not the devs.
Another review from Brad? Yes please!
While I haven't gotten to play this game yet, this game has me set to try the next game by this studio. I have a lot of faith in their creative ability and their influence of nostalgia.
I'm totally down for a "basic" JRPG and I am Setsuna looks pretty cool. But not $40 cool. If a Steam sale or PS4 sale comes along and sets the price at $20 I'll jump in.
yeah it's good to be cautious. The game's strength is in its battles, but nothing else about It is compelling. I kinda want my money back, but kinda don't, cuz they really did nail the combat
some corrections:
1. Attack and Magic stats DO increase with leveling up. This is the umpteenth review to state this, but it's not true.
2. nothing
your reviews are always amazing! you guys are great
I want a physical release of this sooooo bad...
I like your review style and I'll be picking this game up in the near future. I love RPGs like these!
Awesome review Brad, nailed it! Congrats and looking forward to more reviews from you :)
This review reflects my own experiences. Also gets the balance of the overall commentary right in my eyes, unlike some counterparts like gamespot which seemed to have been reviewed by a disinterested demographic with a narrow interest begrudgingly handing out positives to engineer a sense of fairness in their review.
Great review, Brad!
that water dragon is a lunar reference.
another excellent review you guys need more views u deserve it
Great review!!! Im absolutely loving this game. Being an old fart I grew up with the games that inspired this one and I couldn't be happier. I normally don't give a whole lot of thought to a games music. Truthfully I could take it or leave it. However the music in this game is phenomenal and adds so much it simply must be heard to be believed. Again Allies thanks for all your hard work and keep it up.
Great review!
It's funny, because the balance thing even dates back to the game this one takes the most influence from. Chrono Trigger's Dual Techs can completely shut down the game if they're used right, Falcon Hit especially is a screen clearer.
This game feels like something that was grander and more ambitious on paper, but once executed turned out be far, far less. The best word to describe it is “Bland”. It’s not a bad or broken game, but it just brings nothing special to the table. Too bad too, because the concept was really cool.
I hate to be that guy but... Your stats definitely increase when you level up, not just your hit points and mana. It's subtle, but it makes a big difference when facing some optional challenges near the endgame.
Great review and great game though ! I had a blast playing it myself :)
So basically, Final Fantasy X's plot, Chrono Trigger's gameplay, and Bravely Default's visuals. I am so the fuck in.
also, most of this soundtrack reminds me of "to zanarkand"
The soundtrack alone is worth the purchase.
Great review Brad. If I were to critique one sentence in the review though, it would be when you compare the tech system to the materia system in FF7. I haven't played either game, so I wouldn't know if the comparison is apt or not (I assume it is), but instead of saying "it's like that old game you probably know", I would rather have you describe it entirely in your own words.
Again, it's nitpicking, but I thought I'd give you some feedback :)
Really want to check this game out. Little upset there wasn't a physical release for the price it is at but still worth the grab I'm sure
i want this more than any other game at the moment
Which is the name of this game?? I've never seen it!
@@paolaugotti8426 i am setsuna
@@cloudair4154 thank you so much!!
this feels more like a 3 star game to me. the whole time I was playing, rather than getting a feeling of nostalgia from playing a new game inspired by the golden age of JRPG's I was just thinking how much I would rather be playing one of those old JRPG's instead. and making you grind the same enemies over and over in the hopes of finding the materials you need for new sprinites is needlessly tedious. I missed out on several techs by the end game simply cuz I never came across the necessary materials.
DUDE you didn't explain WHAT buttons to push for momentum.
Do you think you would like to do a review of the game Strayspells?
It was really short, but I enjoyed my time with it quite a lot. I really wish it would've had more budget and make this a bigger game.
Other than that..superb OST and atmosphere.
I recommend it, but wait for a pricedrop to 25-30$ before getting it...40$ for 15-20~ hours is a bit much.
PS: If you wanna farm easily just get the combo BlowBeat with mana regen on kill Spritenite and you'll own pretty much all common mob encounters.
Did you do the sidequests at the end? You unlock one for each character before the final fight - I recommend doing them, that`s a good chunk of content you will be missing out on otherwise :)
MrYuntu
Yeah I did.
one critique I have on this review is that the score seems *a little* too favorable. from the way it was spoken about in the review, I was expecting a 3.5 ( which I consider to still be a good score). maybe because Brad is still trying to find his reviewer voice or something. I don't know. not trying to say it was given a wrong score or anything, i just felt the language didn't quite add up. looking forward to more reviews from Brad and all the other allies
Scores are arbitrary and useless anyway.
Reviews would be better for not including them anymore.
+AtticusSP I think that would defeat the purposeof a review if it didn't have some kind of score
No, the score fit the review perfectily.
I can usually guess the score of a GT or EZA review correctly before the score is revealed, and from the language of this review I was able to deduce this was getting a 4 out of 5.
They say the game has a great story, good characters, a fantastic soundtrack, and varied environments, but some elements of combat are poorly explained and the economy could have been handled better. So in short an excellent game with some small hindering factors, a-la a 4 out of 5.
Duel Verse U'd argue the opposite, as the score usually distracts people from the actual contents of the review. The score isnt needed to understand what the reviewer thought of the subject being reviewed as they spend the entire review explaining what they think.
I'm still waiting for a sale. Don't really want to pay 60 AU.
Roly Paulie one year later... It's on sale now for 19.99 USD on the US eShop if you're interested in the switch version, dunno about Aussie but probably on sale there too. Just looking at reviews trying to decide whether or not it's worth it because the retail price at release as too much for me as well.
I'm nearing the end of the game, and honestly I think this game surpasses FFVI and Chrono Trigger in a few areas. Better battle system for sure, better graphics for sure, better cast for sure. The OST is probably tied with those two, and it's great. And the story is very good, with lots of neat side stories as well. About the only thing holding it back from finally dethroning Chrono Trigger / FFVI for good is that it's just a shorter game. I personally can't recommend the game enough, 5/5 stars. From now on this is the JRPG I recommend to people who haven't tried one.
Awesome review mr ellis
oh man i thought u'll never review games again. welcome back!
Great content, bravo!
I've not played a JRPG game in quite some time. I was on the fence about this one but this review has finally convinced me to buy and play I am Setsuna. I've been in the mood for an old school JRPG game recently and there have been no JRPGs released in the the past few years that have really interested me. This story seems quite intriguing and it's good that the characters have likable personalities which is a big factor in my enjoyment of an RPG. I'm gonna buy the game this week, get it downloaded, and set aside several hours over the weekend to get into it.
Have you read any info on Bravely Default and Bravely Second yet? Those are some really good classic jrpg games imo.
+Cody Clark I am aware of those games and that they are generally highly regarded by JRPG fans. Unfortunately I don't own a 3ds. Maybe it's time that I consider buying one.
Amazing review.
Keep up the good work Allies! I love your content!
One of the negatives you have for this review is a little wrong - selling items is not as cumbersome as you show in the video. You can simply select "sell" on the spritnite NPCs and sell everything rapidly with a regular menu, still having them count towards unlocking new spritnite. It's actually a very easy and fast method. Selling the items in the Obtain Spritnite screen is also possible, as you are showing, but not the only way and definitely not the easiest way.
I'm going to get this on the switch
Ugh, another game to add to the list of must-buy. It seems like the JRPG I've been waiting to have for awhile, since I've fallen out of love with the genre for a bit.
Which is the title of this game??? Pleeease?
This is the first review of theirs I don't agree with, but nothing they said is wrong to be clear. I judge this game harsher than I would have though because it claims to borrow from Chrono Trigger, when all they did is rip off the ATB system. I was looking for varied, energetic characters, a greater plot, and a variety of humable music.
Also, I didn't personally buy into the characters relationships with each other. They all were just too blasé about the whole thing. And the only time they got emotional due to something baring the path, all I could think of was, "we already know how to fix this. Will everyone calm down please".
This game sadly didnt do too well critically or selling wise so im afraid this studio wont get the chance they deserve at another game let along one with a higher budget, shame cause despite some issues i have with it this was a real return to form for the genre for me with its somber melancholy tone and world.
I love this game.
Which is the title of this game? E it' s available also for Nintendo ds?
I expected more from this game, to be honest.
I don't feel comfortable that the penguins are enemies in this game.
It's actually kind of a legitimate problem. A huge chunk of the game's story centers around the fact that monsters are becoming more prevalent and dangerous. You will come across scenes where people are terrified and hiding in their homes because they are scared to death of murderous unstoppable monsters... and they are literally penguins with fluffy collars. There's no irony about it either. The plot is deathly serious.
JazGalaxy Oh. Good point.
Iam Yuna?
Nice Review
escorting sacrifice girl? FFX much?
7.8 too much snow
Just finished this game recently. I liked the combat, especially that momentum mechanic which added some nice strategy, but the story and characters are some of the blandest I've ever seen from a modern game. Final Fantasy X and even Tales of Symphonia did this story much better.
Okoa is the story sad or what?
Pleaseee... Which is the title of this game???
yes thanks easy allies
Hey now..it's not a tribute to classic JRPGs if it didn't have "some confusing and unbalanced gameplay elements"
I have a hard time with people saying it's so inextricably linked to old JRPGS. I found Satsuna to be incredibly experimental. It reminds me not of the SNES days, but of the Playstion days when Square was making stuff like Legend of Mana and Saga Frontier. It's very out-there in it's mechanics and isn't trying to hit the mainstream like Final Fantasy did.
I would probably give this a try having never played a JRPG. The world and characters look interesting, but god damn that combat always manages to put me off.
You should honestly play one of the games that inspired this one, such as the mentioned Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 6. Both are much better games, and this is coming from someone who just finished Setsuna yesterday.
agreed, play chrono trigger or something
This review might be the sole reason I buy a PS4
Which is the title of this game?? I've never seen it! 😢😢😢
I Am Setsuna is a really good game and I had fun playing it, but nothing stuck with me after I beat it. I just finished and moved on. I agree on the score though.
this game feel ssooooo "indie" it is just laughable.
"you are a warrior who's mission is to kill certain girl" - "city is supposed full of people who's only purpose is to be extreeeemly nice so you are supposed to feel bad for what you are going to do"
This feels so forced and there are many other instances like this, i dropped the game pretty early because it was so cringe-worthy. i like jrpg's like any other, but this just is not what i expected out of the game. And yes, i played oldschool rpg's like final fantasy 6, pokemon, or even legend of dragoon.
The game is cool but 40 bucks is a bit much to ask for it imo
Why? It's a quality product and already cheaper than the regular price for new games.
I can kinda understand, but any new handheld release is $40.00, and this being on consoles and PC, it sounds more favorable in a way. I guess it's really just opinion.
Gotta give a thumbs up before watching to fight the thumb downers before watching.
Finally! An I am Satsuma review.
Finally finished this and I gotta say I'm incredibly underwhelmed by the writing... the characters are so awful. I dislike so much that they let you pick dialogue choices (that affect nothing) where you're constantly being told "haha that's a funny joke Endir, you tend to say the opposite of what you're thinking", why even let you pick anything at that point?
I"m the first view!
That's never happened before!
It's a completely average JRPG. Doesn't deserve more than a 2.5/5.0 as it offers absolutely nothing on its own merits. Anything of worth was stolen from other RPGs.
This was the most boring Platinum Trophy I got in recent memory. I expected more out of a game inspired by Chrono Trigger. I hope RPG Factory makes a better RPG next time.
such a shame this game flopped in japan, studio lost millions
ehh they only lost like 2.4 mil, considering this is their first game thats not bad (esp cause of setup costs being included) also apparently that figure doesn't include the NA/EU sales (but im not sure if thats true or not)
+TheKidThatWas ya know I think I misread a report and saw 24 million and was super sad. thinking on it now 2.4 makes way way more sense
+Edwin Leskin yeah the report said 244 million yen, which confused so many people at first
The game didn't light up the charts, but my understanding is that the game didn't lose that money per-se, the studio projected that amount of loss for the fiscal year. It isn't GOOD, but it's also not as bad as it might look if Square is playing a long game with the Tokyo RPG factory. A lot of that costs comes from starting a new studio and costs associate with that.
it is not a shame, it IS a bad game. People who say it is good, just have nostalgia glasses on.
I hate when game reviews sound like an audiobook of the game manual.
After watching the review i don't need to play the game anymore... I mean, back then you just picked the game on a shelf and played it at home without knowing shit about it or the story.
Now we get the full story on a review.
Not saying it's spoilers but it does spoil the game for me.
Nothing is exciting in games anymore, we know the whole story before we play it.
This game looks crazy boring.
Then keep playing COD with your BROS!
atomixfang Your mom is a bro.
Compared to Chrono Trigger it sure does.
EmoryM Your mom is Chrono Trigger.
pointlessfailure Your bro is your mom.
5 star system
Just make it double and you got your 10 point system.
4x2= 8. It's an 8/10
I personally understand it, and I like it how it's not the usual "_/10", as EasyAllies is already different than most everyone else, so why score it just like them if they don't want to. Also, they do put what each star means in description, and the video/audio always is what's important, not the final grade.
How number system make sense when star is not? I don't understand that part more actually. Can you explain that to me?
+Dot Park I think part of your comment got cut off, so I don't quite know what you're saying.
+MABlacksmith Honestly I don't see which part you mean. It's just my bad English I guess. Please understand.
Thing that I curious about it is that, I really don't know why number system is much more make sense than star system. What is so different? In my experience that…how'd I said…obscure number? Score like 7.8 is less make sense.
2/5 stars imo.
"Fantastic Music?"False. You're better off plugging in a USB full of classic RPG OSTs and put it on repeat while playing this game. Chrono Cross' OST, esp the somber tunes fit perfectly in this game
I've played better Kemco jrpgs on my phone for free. This is overpriced IMO. Cool soundtrack though.
Why are you doing reviews of all these marginal titles when AAA games are coming out left and right?
Played it for 1 hour , and the dialogues were so shallow it was below a 10 year old writing , without any logic whatsoever. Avoid this game. Waste of time. ( played lots of Jrpg - this one is bad.)