Live A Live is a title that Square Enix had hidden away for years and years since it was never released in the West up until last year when it got a gorgeous 2.5D Nintendo Switch release similar to the likes of Octopath Traveller and Triangle Strategy.
Live A Live was originally released in Japan in the early 90s and was a hidden gem because of its revolutionary JRPG game design. It was released on the Super Famicom in Japan but never saw the light of day in the West. Last year’s Nintendo Switch release was great for the game though because it got a lot of recognition and scooped up a lot of high review scores. Now, in 2023, this spectacular JRPG has finally made its way onto both Steam and PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles.
Live A Live
So what exactly is Live A Live? To describe it in plain terms, it’s a collection of short stories or vignettes. There are eight in total and each character in the game has their own tale to get through.
Players are advised to play through an entire chapter or story in one go, however, you can always quit out and select another one if you get tired of a particular theme. Personally, I wouldn’t advise doing this though because each story is so well done you’ll want to play them to completion in one go.
The story of Live A Live varies greatly between each character on offer. For example, There’s a kung-fu master, a prehistoric-era human and much more available here. One character is a teenager who can read minds and another is a wild west outlaw with a shady past.
Having opted to play through the wild west outlaw’s story first, Live A Live immediately gripped me.
The story telling in this game is plain and straight out, some of the best storytelling that Square Enix has ever done. It’s written in such a great way that you will want to play through each tale straight to completion because it’s just so good. The tales are all so incredibly well done that it would be a shame to spoil anything from them.
The only downside to Live A Live’s stories lies with the fact that gamers who lack patience might find them a tad too long at times. Reading through all the character’s conversations and dialogue does get a bit much at times and it keeps you from the actual combat gameplay. On Nintendo Switch, players could easily just pick up and play through a chapter on a work break or during their commute, but on the PlayStation 5, this becomes a slightly more laborious task because you’ll have to commit yourself to get through a chapter.
Gamers should think of Live A Live as reading a book of short stories, each with their own unique flavour that will appeal to you. You’re the connoisseur and Live A Live presents to you its platter of tasty options.
Classic JRPG Enjoyment
Enough about the story though, the gameplay is where Live A Live also excels in numerous ways. It follows the traditional tried and trusted JRPG formula of selecting actions to take but incorporates grid-based movement into the fray. Characters will level up and gain new abilities and skills over time and using the right skills for the task at hand is key to victory.
Live A Live, being from 1994 is from a time when video game developers were experimenting with new ideas and we can only imagine how innovative this title must have felt back then. By modern standards, Live A Live legitimately holds up quite well and this indicates that the developers who worked on this title back then truly did know what they were doing.
Graphically, this title features gorgeous 2.5D visuals and stunning animations. On PlayStation 5, the game really pops and looks extremely beautiful. The artwork is a visual feast for the eyes and the sprites look perfect throughout the entire game. The attacks in the game look fantastic too and you really do feel as if they are doing something to enemies because of the gorgeous artwork and sprite work. Square Enix has done a great job of sprucing up the visuals and making Live A Live look modern.
The soundtrack of Live A Live is excellent with Yoko Shimamura having contributed to the game. There are numerous music tracks in the game that will get stuck in your head because of how great they are and the main theme itself is perfectly suited to the game.
When it comes to voice acting, Live A Live truly excels. While not all character dialogue is voiced, a lot of it is and this really elevates the story aspects even further because of how well done the voice work is. There are lines that really make you feel as if you are in that particular era where a story takes place. The wild west voice acting is a perfect example of this.
Final Verdict
Overall, Live A Live, is a JRPG gem from a time long gone by. It’s a collection of great stories with varied gameplay elements that range from pure action turn-based combat to stealth and even futuristic mech battles. The game runs perfectly fine on PlayStation 5 and looks visually appealing with its beautiful pixel graphics and artwork. If you’re a fan of JRPGs that dared to be different back in the day and tried something new, this is a game that you definitely should not ignore. Live A Live is well worth playing through and gets a solid recommendation from me.
Live A Live Trailer
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