Will 'I Am Setsuna' Revive the Classic JRPG Scene?
Jazz RosinSquare Enix has announced a few promising JRPG titles this year. One of these is Tokyo RPG Factory's "I Am Setsuna." The game is already being hailed as "the next Chrono Trigger," but will it wow solid JRPG fans?
"I Am Setsuna" is the first project of indie game studio Tokyo RPG Factory, which was recently acquired by Square Enix. The official game website promises an authentic JRPG and a "powerfully nostalgic experience, blending a classic style of story-telling, battle system and gameplay."
"I Am Setsuna," known as "Ikenie To Yuki No Setsuna" in Japan, is a homage to the JRPG's of the 90's, and Tokyo RPG Factory aims to continue making these types of games in hopes of reviving the declining JRPG genre.
Atsushi Hashimoto, "I Am Setsuna" director, is a self-confessed "Chrono Trigger" fan, and the influence shows heavily on the game, with tons of references taken from the popular JRPG. In an interview with Metro, Hashimoto said that "Chrono Trigger" was released at the time when development costs are not as high and game graphics was valued over anything else.
The director said that soon after the PlayStation was released and games switched to 3D in order to make a game where all the monsters appear flawlessly on the battlefield, graphics quality must be sacrificed. During that time, he said that graphics are highly regarded as a way to boost game sales. "For this reason I think that people did not look to Chrono Trigger for inspiration," the director concluded.
Hashimoto also addressed the issue about JRPG's falling out of fashion. He said that while JRPGs are not considered mainstream abroad, the genre is still popular among the Japanese people. There is sill a niche for old-school graphics in the market, and the director said that people are still looking for games like these.
"I Am Setsuna" will be released on Playstation 4 and PC this July 19.
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