11/11/2023 0 Comments Live a live review![]() ![]() Typical for video games of 90’s era, Live A Live has distinct secrets hidden throughout its gameplay. I won’t go into detail for every chapter, but the unique mechanics behind every narrative means the gameplay always feels fresh. By entering a turn-based battle with each enemy, you have the opportunity to learn their skills to strategically obtain an advantage against the next champion and so forth. As a skilled fighter, you want to beat the best from all around the world. Present Day features what could essentially be considered a Boss-Rush mode. Though more difficult, the pacifist run will reward you with a better ending. At the start of the chapter, you are shown how to act stealthily and hide from enemies by becoming invisible, or told that you can “paint the walls red” and fight your way through the castle to reach your goal, introducing the option for both a pacifist run or a route dripping in violence. Take “Twilight of Edo Japan” as an example. Not only are the narratives especially unique, they each contain their own distinct mechanics. Having said that, Square Enix injects so much personality into each and every chapter it’s hard to complain. The game can sometimes lack challenge and, in consequence, I often found it just a tad too easy. While Live A Live features elements of this, they often feel shallow in such short bursts. For an RPG, I would expect to invest time in my characters, build up their stats and focus on my movesets, making sure I can take down common enemies and build up to the inevitable boss fights. While each chapter does feel complete, they can feel somewhat undercooked. This could be considered Live A Live’s greatest strength, but in balance could also play to its detriment. This may sound short, but Square Enix have done a fine job of ensuring each story is told to its potential and, thanks to this, none of the chapters overstay their welcome. Most chapters feature an estimated three-hour runtime, with the shortest around the forty minute mark. From the Caveman era in “Pre-History” all the way to the “Distant Future”, Live A Live explores human nature and the narrative surrounding these characters in unique ways. The game offers a selection of seven chapters featuring characters from different time periods. Now remade gracefully for the Nintendo Switch and finally localised for the west, does Live A Live stand the test of time?ĭespite its age, it’s hard to classify Live A Live as a typical RPG. With the likes of Octopath Traveller and Triangle Strategy gracing our screens, Square Enix are now delving into their archives and shining a torch on Live A Live, a niche game which previously only saw a release in Japan. Most recently, Square Enix have been experimenting with their 2D-HD engine, which contains a blend of 2D sprites with beautiful 3D backgrounds. With that, comes a huge catalogue of both quality and diverse games. 5.It certainly feels as though Square Enix have been around since the Stone Age. For example, the feudal Japan scenario is largely stealth-based, while the near-future scenario gives you the ability to read people’s minds to learn the info you need to progress. The whole game uses a turn-based combat system, but each character has their own unique twist put on gameplay. Where Live A Live differs from something like Octopath Traveler, is the variation put into each scenario. Live A Live was very much the first RPG to try this kind of storytelling and works as a precursor to titles that have interweaving storylines, like Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Just like with Octopath Traveler, you can play through the storylines in any order, but everything comes together in the final scenario. ![]() From a caveman named Pogo to a maintenance robot named Cube, these scenarios are set in the same world but span centuries. Live A Live had a profound effect on the RPG genre, especially in terms of its experimental story that weaved together the story of eight different protagonists across time. Octopath Traveler draws heavy inspiration from Live A Live and even has the same number of main characters.
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