I Am Setsuna

Cover art

I Am Setsuna is a Japanese role-playing game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita. It was developed by the studio Tokyo RPG Factory of Square Enix and released on February 18, 2016 in Japan and July 19 of the same year internationally for Sony platforms, and the Nintendo Switch March 3, 2017 internationally. The original Japanese title is Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna (いけにえと雪のセツナ), which means Setsuna of Sacrifice and Snow.

Setting

The inhabitants of an island are regularly harassed by a fiend, but they appease the fiend by providing a sacrifice every decade. However, as the story of I Am Setsuna starts, the fiend is impatient and cannot wait for the next ceremony. To calm it down, Setsuna is chosen as a new sacrifice.

As Setsuna accepts her fate and leaves for the Last Lands, she is joined by the mercenary protagonist Endir, and other characters Nidr, Aeterna, Julienne and Kir.

Development

The concept of I Am Setsuna was written in September of 2014 under the working title Project SETSUNA. Tokyo RPG Factory started developing it in the next month, until they completed the Japanese alpha build in August 2015.

Crew

I Am Setsuna has a rather small crew, consisting of the following members:

• Director: Atsushi Hashimoto
• Producer: Kengo Uchibori
• Writers: Hirotaka Inaba, Makoto Goya
• Program directors: Yuichiro Kitao, Masao Watanabe
• Sound director / music producer: Hiroaki Yura
• Music: Tomoki Miyoshi
• Character design: toi8
• Production executive (Square Enix): Yosuke Matsuda

Plot

Opening

The player starts out with Endir in Hymncott Forest, where he meets the old masked man Hapsper. Together, they have to complete a mission to find a girl and rescue her from monsters. Hapsper and Endir complete the mission and part ways. Then, a Mysterious Man shows up and gives Endir a new mission: to kill Setsuna.

Setsuna

Endir sails to Nive Island on his new quest to find Setsuna. Upon enquiring in the village, he finds out that she can often be found at the Falling Snow Monument, so he goes there to complete his mission. He talks shortly with Setsuna, but cannot kill her as Aeterna and Raishin show up and defeat him.

Endir wakes up in the house of a villager, tied down with magic. The villager leaves Endir behind when Nive Village is attacked by monsters, but Setsuna comes to release him. Endir and Aeterna go to clear the village of monsters, after which they invite Endir to be in Setsuna's guard for the sacrificial pilgrimage.