Square Enix have announced that the game previously know as Project Setsuna is releasing in the West. Sadly there will be no Vita version

 

 

Today Square Enix revealed I Am Setsuna, a debut game the Japanese publisher is planning to release this summer from a new internal studio.

 

Formerly called Project Setsuna, the game and its new studio, called Tokyo RPG Factory, were announced at E3 2015. A press release from SE says Setsuna will use a battle system similar to the lauded ‘90s classic RPG, Chrono Trigger. The development team is being led by director Atsushi Hashimoto. Hashimoto previously worked as director on Final Fantasy Explorers. Hashimoto also was a planner on Kid Icarus Uprising for Nintendo 3DS.

 

According to SE, Tokyo RPG Factory is a new studio that aims to use the inspiring character development and storytelling from the golden era of Japanese RPGs and bring them to modern hardware and technology. I Am Setsuan is scheduled for release in the west this Summer on PlayStation 4 and Steam.

 

In Japan, I Am Setsuna was also announced for PS Vita. IGN reached out to Square Enix and the company confirmed the game is only announced for Steam and PS4 in the West at this time.

 

An interview with the director has also surfaced where he explains some of the motivations behind the game

 

 

"We started by thinking, 'Let's make a product that resurrects the passion and excitement of so-called Golden JRPGs.' We recruited creators who agreed with this proposal. These people would then make such a product. It was an odd project," explained Hashimoto in an interview with Dengeki Online. (Translated via a blog that is no longer active.)  

 

"Setsuna is a game that can be enjoyed lightly, and it's different from a large-scale production. What that means is, I want the people who felt the excitement of old RPGs–they're a little bit older now––to have a rich experience without spending a lot of hours on the game. Of course, we're not actually making an old RPG, so I think it'd be great if we can use today's technology to create something new." 

 

http://au.ign.com/articles/2016/03/14/square-enix-officially-titles-new-rpg-project-i-am-setsuna

 

Edited March 14, 20169 yr by atheist123

What's a Vita? 

 

 

Oh, those. I thought that went extinct years ago.

This is interesting. "I Am Setsuna" sounds like the name of a documentary, though.

Edited March 14, 20169 yr by Rocketboy227

A battle system similar to Chrono Trigger?  Interesting.

no vita release

Pretty excited for this! Bring it on Square!

At GDC 2016 more information regarding the plot of I Am Setsuna has been revealed.
 

 

I Am Setsuna revolves around the titular character, a girl preparing to make a terrible sacrifice in order to save her people from a monster invasion. Along the way she meets a young man who helps guide her on her journey. This unnamed male character has not yet been revealed in detail, but he will be the main playable character in the story.

 

If that sounds familiar, it probably is: the plot is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy X, where a youth named Tidus accompanies a girl named Yuna on her pilgrimage to save the world from a malevolent being named Sin. Hashimoto insists that while the plot of I Am Setsuna sounds the same, the story has its own style and emotional feel. "Setsuna means a type of poignant sorrow in Japanese," Hashimoto explained, hinting at the project's overall tone. Indeed, the music and muted colors of the snowy village and fields we were shown had a beautiful but slightly melancholic feel to them, promising that this RPG will not be all sunshine and rainbows.

 

New screenshots/concept art have also been revealed some of which are below:

 

 

 

Read more at IGN.com : http://au.ign.com/articles/2016/03/15/gdc-2016-chrono-trigger-meets-final-fantasy-in-i-am-setsuna