Remaking the JRPG: I am Setsuna. (Part 1 of 3)

[@DeviSerene]

Thank you for this analysis. I tried so hard to love I Am Setsuna and was left a little disappointed, I did enjoy the music though. I look forward to the next parts!

[@Ludiscere]

hey, much appreciated! looks like we’re pretty much in the same boat there. thanks for watching :)

[@geminigamer8154]

I will never understand how you have so few views and subscribers, your videos are so succinct and well made.

[@seumasirving6155]

Because everyone's on TikTok where they don't have to think

[@rebeccadahlkokkegard]

Really been looking forward to your new videos!!

[@Ludiscere]

thank you, that means a lot!

[@JardsonJean]

Hey man, loved your analysis and commentary. Keep up with the videos.

[@Ludiscere]

appreciate it mate, thank you!

[@JardsonJean]

@@Ludiscere btw, I would like to translate your video about sexualisation in XC2 to portuguese. Can I do that? The subtitles setting there don't seem permit that.

[@Ludiscere]

that would be amazing! I’m away this weekend but when I get back I’ll look into it. :)

[@JardsonJean]

@@Ludiscere Nice. Just send me a reply here and I'll be ready to work on it.

[@Ludiscere]

hey pal, i think you should be able to try it out now - let me know if it still doesn't work. if there's anything i can do to help, don't hesitate to ask!

[@Richardiii2]

Its sad they don't do more with the main character, assassin who decides not to directly kill his target could have been a great place to begin exploring an interesting character.

[@mollym8137]

Summarized my feelings on the game pretty well. Another glaring issue that actually kept me from finishing the game was the link attacks. You couldn't save them to a set, you would have to ready them all over again if you changed your party up. Everytime I wanted to experiment with a new composition, I'd spend like 20 minutes in menus setting the techs up right. Ugh, what a shame this game turned out to be. I love the art so much.

[@nullmoon3058]

I feel similarly towards Setsuna; ultimately I enjoyed the game enough to finish it, but it was just kind of a bland experience. The best way I can describe it is the videogame equivalent of comfort food; if you have exhausted all other options of classic JRPG's to play (something which is not that easy to do given how many good ones there are), and you really want another one, then this will hit the spot. While it also had its fair share of flaws I found Bravely Default to be far more fun to actually play; it had better art direction, better gameplay, and even the characters in it were slightly more memorable, though the game's script was kind of bad overall. I also had a small realization playing Setsuna. The game's larger problem was that it not an especially great throwback rather than the fact that it was one in and of itself, but on the other hand, I'm not really all that hungry for more JRPG throwbacks anyways. I would much rather play a new JRPG that is DIFFERENT from what the rest of the genre is doing than one which just follows all the same beats; NieR Gestalt is the only JRPG plot I've been invested in for almost a decade now because it took risks and did something different.

[@Ludiscere]

hey, thanks for watching. i totally agree with bravely default - i actually really enjoyed that game, thought it was a blast, but the repetition near the end wore me down a bit. and you make a really good point there - i’m yet to play anything Nier yet, it’s something i really need to get started on soon.

[@nullmoon3058]

@@Ludiscere The first NieR is one of my top 5 favorite games of all time. It is deeply flawed in many ways but considering its budget and its limitations it's a remarkably ambitious game and it really has a soulful quality to it that many other more polished games lack. Its soundtrack is also the GOAT. I'd highly recommend playing it sometime if you can stomach some average gameplay and repetition.

[@long060]

16:40 a movie. what you're describing is a movie.

[@johnnyb_badd]

I remember being interested in this game back when it came out, but the mediocre reception it got turned me off of it. Kinda glad I read the reviews back then. It was still interesting listening to your thoughts on the game tho. Your videos are great and I'll look forward to more in the future.

[@Ludiscere]

thanks for the comment, I appreciate it! it’s tough, because the game has an appeal in some ways, but I don’t know how much I could really recommend it to someone and not feel like I was short-changing them. and thanks man, that’s very much appreciated :)

[@Chrisosaurusrex]

I loved the game’s short length, linearity, sound track, aesthetics, and motifs. The cast was too large for the length, I don’t really remember any of them with any depth or complexity. As you said, the battle mechanics just didn’t fit - too much unnecessary complexity. The dungeons were dull and uninspired. I even enjoyed the over world. I wanted to love this game, but after it was all said and done its “just okay”. I haven’t played their later two games yet so I’m holding out hope.

[@bornanime3255]

16:36 So basically a visual novel?

[@ngchloe4877]

I enjoyed the game, but I REALLY hated the ending, as despite how it seemed like there was choice. my choices meant nothing other than the type of character I wanted to be

[@shayoko6]

getting a new party member right before the final battle. yeah.... i got to agree with you how silly that is. hmmm the rpg mechanics here are over complicated for my taste. i like it simple. i like them for the story and characters after all.

[@danieladamczyk4024]

What is orginality?

[@cyncynshop]

I was looking forward to I am Setsuna. But I am familiar with the genre of JRPG nostalgia games. I have played many of these games before and so I didn't buy it. The art style is nice though. And I have lots of hopes for Setsuna as a character. I wish the game gave her more agency, which gave Yuna her charm at the end.

[@atinchaos6289]

love the video

[@Tenchinu]

eye of wa…? and when did this… reaaaaaaaally? sorry, i was just distracted looking at the Square Enix wall… nothing seems to stick to it tho

[@EdwardViaTomato]

No way is this analysis really going to try to pass off "Tokyo RPG Factory game = familiar and reliant on well known archetypes of JRPGs of the past", as insightful. It's the point of the game, it's the point of the studio. Yes, the bigger and longer versions that are the original games, that serve as inspiration, will provide more detailed or developed characters than this story. These games and the studio are basically meant to be one-offs or knock-offs, because the same can't be done in a AAA game, where what's-good is far too dependent on what's new or wholly original in a very saturated market. In JRPGs especially, sometimes people want a familiar, even if not-better-than, story; without having to just replay the game from the past with it's unbeatable reputation and/or legacy. It's like eating comfort food that is just good (and some might say "okay/average"), but that satisfies a craving, quickly; despite not being better than mom's, or the best you've ever had overall. It's not the game you pick up without any interest in, and are made a fan. The whole point of the studio and these games is to give a short but somewhat nostalgic story. It's purpose was never to be profoundly unique or original, or the beginning of a new franchise. Square Enix isn't going to provide it's most complex and top-binned concept to be built in Unity. edit: I think if Square Enix had price this game at $20-$25, it's overall reception would have been very different.

[@Ludiscere]

hey there, thanks for your comment. i might have just been unclear but i wasn’t necessarily trying to pass that off as insightful, it’s blatantly obvious that that’s the idea behind the studio. the idea is just more so to look at how a few different games have approached the concept of recreating an old-school JRPG, and seeing how well they do. that’s all i’m after. i’m really not trying to make it seem more wanky than that, and if it comes across like that i’m sorry. the comfort food point is totally valid and you’re absolutely right about the price point too - i don’t necessarily think that the perceived intentions of a studio should inhibit how a game is looked at critically though. maybe this game wasn’t meant to break new ground or be the new big thing, sure, but i don’t think that it deserves to get off lighter because of it. thank you for watching and engaging with the video, i appreciate it :)

[@Hoodoo65]

gg

[@Ludiscere]

who are you