LOST SPHEAR
LOST SPHEAR
Game
Game2016
I am Setsuna
Developer Tokyo RPG Factory
I am Setsuna is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 as a console launch title. The storyline, set in a snow-bound world plagued by monsters, follows silent protagonist Endir as he becomes the guardian of Setsuna, a young woman destined to be a… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
244 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
63
Fresh
114 positive · 67 negative
95% range 56–70%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 114 | 67 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 24 | 4 | 26 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
905 of 1,292 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
64% recommend · 118 yes, 67 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 185 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (1,236 of 1,721 positive).
Players praise the game's nostalgic homage to classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger. [1][2][3] Some find the story and characters lacking depth or development. [4][5][6] The combat system is appreciated but criticized for balance and repetitiveness. [7][5][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
🟢 Turn-based JRPG with ATB battle system 🟢 Deep skill customization, although the process is very convoluted 🟢 Combos makes farming super easy 🟢 Good visuals 🟢 Melancholy soundtracks 🔴 Story is kinda weak, only gets a little better near end of game 🔴 Difficulty is very unbalanced. Boss fight/Special enemies are very tough but mob fights are extremely trivial as you can easily one shot them using combo moves …
- [8]
Me and my wife used this game as an example of one of the first games we never finished, which became a running theme for us, so I recently came back to play it from the beginning to actually finish it. I am Setsuna fails to deliver on nearly everything it presents to us with just enough going for it so you can gaslight yourself into playing just a bit longer since maybe it will get good, but it never does. Starting …
- [1]
I am Setsuna is a turn-based JRPG designed as a deliberate homage to 1990s classics, especially Chrono Trigger. It uses an Active Time Battle system, a small party, and a focused narrative to create a streamlined experience. Its intent is clear: evoke nostalgia through structure rather than imitation. The story follows a young mercenary tasked with escorting Setsuna, a maiden chosen for a sacrificial journey to keep …
- [4]
I am Setsuna is a classic JRPG that brings back the genre’s traditional mechanics and look. It has a familiar Active Time Battle (ATB) combat system, a cozy isometric art style with some modern flair, and a story that follows well-known JRPG tropes. The story is decent although lacking in substance and could probably be told in about 30 minutes. Much of the game is spent doing inconsequential chores and errands for …
- [7]
This is a shorter game that is pretty good & priced appropriately. The combat is fun and fairly intricate, the story is compelling and there are some great characters. In my opinion it's shortcomings are the repetitive enemies & combat tactics, as well as it's overall world. I completed 1 play-through of the main story and found that certain enemy archetypes popped up 3-4 times. If you're looking for a fun RPG that …
Summarised from 34 of the 241 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked I am Setsuna talk about beautiful art style and melancholic atmosphere; those who didn't talk about story is weak and lacks substance. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
According to Media Create, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of I am Setsuna debuted at #6 and #7 respectively. The PlayStation 4 version sold 33,629, while the PlayStation Vita version sold 27,994, bringing total sales to roughly 66,000 units. By the following week, the Vita version had dropped out of the top 20, while the PlayStation 4 version had sold a further 6,619 units. During its first year, Tokyo RPG Factory recorded a heavy loss for its parent company, though this was not seen as unusual given its status as a new studio. By the following year, the studio had earned a substantial profit from continued sales of I am Setsuna. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu praised the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 244 · most liked firstA wonderful JRPG game everyone should play ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #IAmSetsuna
positive · AI labelView post →This track is called "Memory to be spun"! Lost Sphear was a cool game! The game was made by Tokyo RPG Factory, who also made I Am Setsuna! The game had some beautiful areas to explore throughout the game, and the combat system was unique and super fun! It also had an awesome OST, it was a good time!
neutral · AI labelView post →Our photos from our I am Setsuna shoot with Mystes Photography have arrived and I love them!! I can't believe this is me. Character: Setsuna Game: I am Setsuna #iamsetsuna #retrogaming
neutral · AI labelView post →I am so lucky to have a life partner who not only takes part in the things I love, but truly enjoys them. Photo by Mystes Photography Characters: Setsuna and Fides Game: I am Setsuna #いけにえと雪のセツナ #iamsetsuna ##retrogaming
neutral · AI labelView post →I am Setsuna is a turn-based JRPG designed as a deliberate homage to 1990s classics, especially Chrono Trigger. It uses an Active Time Battle system, a small party, and a focused narrative to create a streamlined experience. Its intent is clear: evoke nostalgia through structure rather than imitation. The story follows a young mercenary tasked with escorting Setsuna, a maiden chosen for a sacrificial journey to keep monsters at bay. The narrative is built around themes of duty, loss, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →started playing this years ago and couldn't work out why i stopped playing. i remembered why after a particularly annoying death and remembering how far back the save point was (overworld saving is a must before EVERY new area). After i worked out a certain combo skill i proceeded to steamroll my way through the rest of the game, spending most of my money on eithers. i kept expecting a sudden twist or the world to suddenly expand beyond the frozen wastes but then boom 'The End' I desperately…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🟢 Turn-based JRPG with ATB battle system 🟢 Deep skill customization, although the process is very convoluted 🟢 Combos makes farming super easy 🟢 Good visuals 🟢 Melancholy soundtracks 🔴 Story is kinda weak, only gets a little better near end of game 🔴 Difficulty is very unbalanced. Boss fight/Special enemies are very tough but mob fights are extremely trivial as you can easily one shot them using combo moves 🔴 Story is quite short 🔴 Too expensive for the price you get. There is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The way these two reset my brain chemistry should be studied. I freaking love I am Setsuna so much. I know it's an unpopular game but it means the world to me and getting to cosplay Setsuna and Fides is a dream come true. #iamsetsuna #retrogaming
positive · AI labelView post →Hello friends, Today I will review the game I AM SESUNA. Many people consider this game like Chrono Trigger. It is not like Chrono Trigger. It is like any other JRPG released on the SNES. Comparing it to one game from that system is not correct. It is more like a amalgamation of many games from the super Nintendo era, or for those friends from over seas, the super famicon. There are easter eggs in the game that are references to Chrono Trigger, but that is where the game ends. The game is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If this is your first JRPG ever, you might enjoy it. But if you're like me and have been playing them since you were a kid, I am Setsuna brings nothing new to the table. It definitely reminds you of the classics (*ahem* Yuna's pilgrimage in FFX), and it looks pretty, but there's not much more to it :( - The game has an insane amount of spritstones for how short it is. - I ended up using the same 2 skills on every character. - Music is pretty but it's basically the same piano stuff from the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"𝕴 𝖙𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖍𝖎𝖒..." ✨️✨️💫💖 Characters: Setsuna and Fides Game: I am Setsuna Photo by Mystes Photography I'll be this game's entire fandom by myself if I have to. #iamsetsuna #retrogaming #いけにえと雪のセツナ
neutral · AI labelView post →I didnt think I'd end up disliking this but it wasn't good. Combat kind of boils down to ATB and if you can get your combos off within first three turns. Talismans themselves aren't really beneficial at all. A lot of them do the same but the really expensive ones dont add command slots for your tech (magic) and skills. Speaking of skills, the game really has no rhyme or reason as to why some skills can only go on some characters and vice versa. Plot itself was inspired by Chrono Trigger and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My personal opinion of I Am Setsuna I Am Setsuna is a beautifully made RPG that captures the nostalgia of classic JRPGs while introducing a heartfelt story (The story kinda gives off a Final Fantasy X vibe). The game's art style, inspired by the SNES era, is stunning, with snow covered landscapes and a melancholic atmosphere that adds depth to the narrative. The music is beautiful, composed by Tomoki Miyoshi, and complements the emotional journey of the characters and what they go…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had a genuinely pleasant experience with I Am Setsuna, despite initially putting it off due to its pale, melancholic aesthetic. What initially deterred me eventually became one of its most compelling features once I gave it a proper chance. While it may not rank among the best JRPGs I've played, the game resonated with me enough to pursue 100% completion. The game clearly draws inspiration from classics like Chrono Trigger, though it never quite reaches those heights. The story, while…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The longer you play, the more boring it gets.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"One of us...will be destroyed. That is...our destiny." Characters: Setsuna and Fides(Reaper) Game: I am Setsuna Photo by Mystes Photography #iamsetsuna #ikenietoyukinosetsuna #retrogaming #いけにえと雪のセツナ
neutral · AI labelView post →I am Setsuna is a classic JRPG that brings back the genre’s traditional mechanics and look. It has a familiar Active Time Battle (ATB) combat system, a cozy isometric art style with some modern flair, and a story that follows well-known JRPG tropes. The story is decent although lacking in substance and could probably be told in about 30 minutes. Much of the game is spent doing inconsequential chores and errands for others in-order to progress the journey slightly. The main character, Endir,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →> A character you like + 2 (or 3!) moots to do the same!!! Julienne from a neat (and underappreciated IMHO) little game called I Am Setsuna. (more details in a comment because of text limits!) Tagging: @thedarling.bsky.social, @smolpigeon.bsky.social, and @edgerunnershq.bsky.social 🫶
neutral · AI labelView post →The top game on this list is I Am Setsuna, which is a game about a woman who is to become a human sacrifice to protect the world from monsters. And yeah, I get why some ppl may find this "cozy" personally but this is NOT a "cozy game." Don't promote it like it is.
negative · AI labelView post →Pros:- 1. Nice storyline 2. Basic fighting and weapons/sprit nite level ups. 3. Beautiful character Cons:- 1. Character hard to level up. Need to grind a bit. 2. Story will be flat when approaching last boss. Seems a bit rush also. 3. Every decision making we make in the game does not affect the storyline. So it is quite useless.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Three times I have tried to play this and wait for it to get good, frankly it is so boring. a beautiful game with great music, it just lacks depth and the talisman/flux system is confusing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Me and my wife used this game as an example of one of the first games we never finished, which became a running theme for us, so I recently came back to play it from the beginning to actually finish it. I am Setsuna fails to deliver on nearly everything it presents to us with just enough going for it so you can gaslight yourself into playing just a bit longer since maybe it will get good, but it never does. Starting with the gameplay. The momentum system (once you finish googling how to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This track is called "A Sign of Fortune"! ngl I have never played I Am Setsuna, which was the game Tokyo RPG Factory made before this, but Lost Sphear was pretty decent! I feel like they could've made an awesome turned based JRPG after this, but Square Enix ended up closing em down 😔
neutral · AI labelView post →Lately I’ve been playing I Am Setsuna to entertain my husband while he paints minis. It’s not the ideal game for this purpose - it’s not voiced so he misses a lot of the story that he can’t read - but I’m enjoying playing it. We’d started playing when it came out but I remember almost nothing of it.
neutral · AI labelView post →I am decidedly not Setsuna.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game close to release, I am a sucker for retro gaming and in 2016 there wasn't such a wealth of games to take that focus yet. So IAS was like bait for me. For my disappointment, it didn't deliver. It is a very bare bones of a formula that the developers clearly liked and understood but didn't know exactly how to execute for today's audience. I have already travelled to Zanarkand and lived a hearthful story about a gentle girl that wants to help despite having to die in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Melancholic is a word I would use to describe this game, the setting, the music, the story, it is a melancholic journey you will enjoy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like the game's art style, but the combat made me dislike playing the game. I finished the story because i heared that that was the game's strong point, but it did not feel worth it to push trougth just to see the whole plot and ending.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Maybe I didn't give this game enough chance, but after 4 hours I found the game play and story to be generic and not very interesting.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone who didn't grow up playing Chrono Trigger or FF10 I really wanted to like this. I don't play many jrpgs because they end up grindy and the story doesn't always capture me. This looked shorter and a bit more "beginner-friendly", so I thought I'd give it a shot. The art is beautiful and the soundtrack is very nice. However quite quickly the one-only-battlemusic gets tiring. Not only that but I felt like I oculdn't quite relate to the group of characters. There was a lot of potential…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the music and art are top notch, and the story was intriguing too, so it's too bad the game does such a terrible job of explaining mechanics to you and has such drastic difficulty spikes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it's like chrono trigger if it was made by people who have no idea why that game is so loved to begin with.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am Setsuna is a deliberately restrained and emotionally focused role-playing game that seeks to rekindle the spirit of classic Japanese RPGs through atmosphere, music, and traditional systems rather than spectacle or scale. Developed by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by Square Enix, the game positions itself as a homage to the genre’s formative years, drawing inspiration from beloved titles of the 1990s while telling a quiet, melancholic story of sacrifice and duty. From its opening moments,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short review after 100% the game and getting every achievement: a fun throwback to oldschool JRPG taking inspiration from Chrono Trigger battle system with some of its own additions to spice things up. Pros: - Beatiful world and enviroments, you really feel the snow and winter themed inspiration - Somber and relaxing piano music, great for a chill playthrough - A cast of 7 characters, relatively unique - Decent main story and playthrough around 20 to 30 hours - Awesome combat system inspired…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfulfilled potential is probably how I'd describe Setsuna, or a beginners JRPG. It's got all the components to make a good rpg. Decent story, potentially interesting battle mechanics. It just didn't quite reach the end there. I'm left wondering is that all there is to this game? Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Setsuna is a good beginner friendly JRPG
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →5/10 after finally completing the game. i felt the need to share my review. i was very excited to purchase and play this after the overwhelming amount of positive reviews. firstly i was not a fan of the art style. next the snowy setting was nice at first until you realize this is all you get for the whole game. not one change in scenery at all. snow and ice 100% of the time. second the dialogue was very bland, at times boring. i really wanted to like this game seeing a selling point was an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While it's intended to be an homage to older games (mostly Final Fantasy X and Chrono Trigger) it fails to live up to these games. A decent combat system is bogged down by an annoying system of learning and using skills. As well, after a certain point bosses started one shotting weaker characters from full health even though I went out of my way to fight every enemy, this ends up requiring luck to beat or just grinding. One boss could double-cast and one shot even my tankiest party member…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had IaS in my backlog for years, waiting to be purchased and played. I had high hopes thanks to the mentions of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy X, two of my favorite JRPGs of all time, only to be let down by IaS. Perhaps these same expectations killed the game for me, but I expect I would have disliked it regardless. The Chrono Trigger similarities are superficial, with combined techniques and auto-movement during combat, but lacks what makes Chrono Trigger an RPG GOAT: the characters and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is mediocre and I personally do not like the way they wrote the ending. Even at the attempt of trying to view the game objectively, I still do not feel convinced with the writing. Not that I am a professional in this in any way but I do not recommend playing this game due to the conclusion of its story. Unless you are looking for a very casual experience for a JRPG or a newbie to the genre looking to get into it, then you may want to try it but still feels like other games can do…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →since i am still not a switch 2 haver i was looking for something else to do and ive been thinking about I Am Setsuna a lot recently so i’m replaying it for the first time in years what a beautiful game, the first couple hours make me so emotional 💜
positive · AI labelView post →I was looking for something light to play on a handheld. I am Setsuna grants superb battery life due to low system requirements. At least that is what the game has going for it, in addition to a beautiful piano-only soundtrack. As someone who plays and enjoys classic JRPGs from the SNES era, I started regretting this game after a few hours. Long story short: while the premise and world are something with potential, it lacks real depth. Dialogue options are just for show without any…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't even played the game yet but "I Am Setsuna" is such a raw fucking name for an rpg
neutral · AI labelView post →3.) if you know me, you know I never shut up about I Am Setsuna. This game is beautiful, and it sucks that it didn’t get the recognition it deserved because Tokyo RPG factory was absorbed into square enix and they don’t make games like it anymore. Fully piano soundtrack, great story and characters.
positive · AI labelView post →At its best, it's mediocre. At its worst, it's awful. Bland in almost every way. When it's not boring, it's bad. A terrible lack of balance in enemy encounters. Kill in 2-3 turns or be killed in 1-3 turns. Boss balancing is even worse. There were some bosses that killed my characters in one hit. For the final boss, I killed it in two hits. Combat mechanics and synergies (combos) are similar to Chrono Trigger, but infinitely more complex and poorly explained to the player. It requires…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: A ham fisted attempt at resembling JRPGs of old like Chrono Trigger, and misses the mark on about 90% of it. A poor man's JRPG that you will likely forgot about once you've beaten it. I'm being overly harsh here, because it's by no means a terrible game. But at its price tag it needs a slap in the face. Story: As a silent protagonist named Endir, you are tasked to eliminate a sacrifice named Setsuna before she... sacrifices herself on a ceremony to push back the advances of monsters.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spell your username with video game titles! Sonic Adventure 2 Battle Utawarerumono: MoD I Am Setsuna Dandelion Amnesia Memories I...I-InFamous? Story of Seasons Ys IX: Monstrum Nox ("I" was hard for me and I have 2 of them orz lol)
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is almost really good, but has just enough major flaws to make it painful. Position matters in the combat system but there is no way to rearrange your positions and only a couple of non-reliable ways to rearrange the enemies. This means that fights, such as boss fights, can be much easier or much harder randomly based on where your party meanders to. Once your party has meandered to a bad position, there is nothing to fix it. I admire the old style save system, where you use…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game in concept, but they tried to do too much with it. The base story is very good, but the problem lies with combat - specifically the loot system. Enemies have multiple types of loot that drop, and change their drops depending on how you kill them. Killing them with almost exactly damage gives 1 item, while killing them under the effect of a status condition gives another. Not bad on its own, EXCEPT the system of unlocking new skills is tied to monster drop and if you miss the wrong…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is clearly inspired by games like chrono trigger and FFX , the plot starts good and the gameplay fun. But it all falls apart mid game, time travel shenanigans , too much backtracking , no side quests until the end of game for the ultiamte techs ; which reuse old locations for more backtracking. You miss on most of good techs in the game unless you farm them via monster drops which depending how you kill them , what they will drop, killed with light , dark , fire , ice , overkill,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can only recommend this game if you wanted to scratch an itch playing a jrpg and/or you really enjoy piano music. There are other jrpg's I would more readily recommend such as Bravely Default or Final Fantasy. I purchased this on sale, it takes ~20 hours to beat, I don't regret the purchase, just don't think the game is going to be fun for most people. [Lengthy review part] Music for this game is phenomenal and fits perfectly with the theme. Story and writing is average and works well…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a hidden gem from a deeply underrated game. I Am Setsuna is one of my favorite JRPGs of all time, and it has a ton of beautiful songs. i cannot recommend this game enough to my fellow JRPG enjoyers, i love it so much. the most fascinating premise of any game i’ve ever played. youtu.be/jiOtyJ-JSjs
positive · AI labelView post →Normally I write my reviews at the end, after I've finished the game. This time I decided to note things as I played, but I have completed the game as of posting this review. This appears to be a snow level for the entire game. I've complained about games starting with 15 hour desert levels, but I like snow levels, so I kind of like this. It gives the whole world a connected, yet bleak feeling. Your characters even leave large trails in the snow. There are white sparkles to find that are can be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful game with a beautiful story, very under rated! It made me cry and long for a time before all the triple A games. If on sale again, I highly recommend you play it. "I am Setsuna" I am but a fleeting moment..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →dont wanna talk aobt it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I Am Setsuna, I don't have any pictures of it on me nor gifs I can find, incredible game though. I rarely see anyone even mention it. Tokyo RPG Factory gave it their all with that game It's 70% off on Steam right now store.steampowered.com/app/441830/I... #JRPG #gaming
positive · AI labelView post →I had problems to play with a controller, square enix released the game without supporting it. And for the game, the story does not make sense and it's a shame, "I am Setsuna" is not a bad game, it has a lot of potential, but square enix did no care of the state of this game,
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I Am Setsuna has a soundtrack that is _something else_ in a way that almost no other games achieve. Choosing to rely on a single instrument almost entirely, is bold. It forces an exploration of the range and variety that can be produced with almost nothing but piano, to an extent you otherwise wouldn't experience.
positive · AI labelView post →This is a shorter game that is pretty good & priced appropriately. The combat is fun and fairly intricate, the story is compelling and there are some great characters. In my opinion it's shortcomings are the repetitive enemies & combat tactics, as well as it's overall world. I completed 1 play-through of the main story and found that certain enemy archetypes popped up 3-4 times. If you're looking for a fun RPG that poses a decent challenge, I'd recommend picking up I am Setsuna. I wouldn't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game leaves something lacking. The controls dont feel natural with keyboard or controller. The explanations for game mechanics could be better. The scenery seemed bland and had unnecessary dead ends. I was quite disappointed despite the positive reviews. I am somewhat new to JPRGs, but after having only really played older games like Chrono Trigger and FF6, you would think newer games by the same publisher would have improved.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL; DR a journey through a snow-covered wasteland escorting the Sacrifice you are meant to kill. It is good, somewhere above average, but it is held back due to various issues, such as there being penguins that you cannot pet and who want you dead. Story You, the masked warrior, is tasked with assassinating a Sacrifice, the person meant to stave of the winter and save the world. However, soon after meeting Setsuna you are defeated, and you are quickly convinced not to bother killing her…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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