A-peel-ing.
Console launches can be a tough thing. If your machine doesn’t launch with back compatibility out of the box the general public will almost always argue that there aren’t enough games to satisfy their feverish, joystick twiddling needs on day 1 (ah, who am I kidding – even if your console is back compatible people will argue there are no games to play on it!) so many publishers these days see quick wins in bringing games across from other platforms – the ever faithful port!
While Nintendo’s big launch game for Switch has been The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the console has also played home to a slew of ports from systems as diverse as the Neo Geo to more recent games from PS4 and XBox One. One of the more standout titles from this selection is RPG Factory’s I’m A Satsuma I Am Setsuna, a mid price (£30) release that brings 2016’s classic RPG throwback onto Nintendo’s system. It also represents the first title in a return in force by publisher Square Enix to a Nintendo home console, soon to be followed by a handful of Dragon Quest titles.
Aaron dropped a review of the PS4 version of Setsuna last year (http://nextgengamingblog.com/blog/i-am-setsuna-review/) and it’s good to see this Switch release squares up favourably to that version. Content wise there’s nothing missing and visually the game renders at the same 1080p resolution on TV with all assets and effects intact. In fact, the only area where the PS4 version shows any kind of superiority is in its frame rate which is a locked 60FPS as opposed to a 30FPS rate on Switch; however in a slower paced game like this it’s easy to forgive.
Setsuna feels like it belongs on the Switch, though. Its top down action is reminiscent of classic SNES era RPG’s such as Chrono Trigger or Breath of Fire, yet the action has been modernised with a semi-real time mechanic that feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Couple that with Switch’s pick up and play stylings and it makes a sizeable RPG like this far more accessible to those who would normally be restricted by time and commitments. Grab a couple of minutes on the bus, suspend your game, pick it back up later with no worrying about wasting precious time loading.
All in all, it’s hard to fault I Am Setsuna. As a reasonably priced launch title it shows a good parity with the Switch’s more powerful console brethren and provides a solid on-the-go traditional RPG experience. If you’re looking for something else to sit alongside Breath of the Wild on your new Switch, you won’t go wrong here.
