The remake of “Live A Live” has already been released on the Nintendo Switch last year and this game has been one to look out for. For many reasons: it’s a classic Japanese RPG and it stands for an important chapter in the gaming industry as it was one of the first Japanese games that saw a release outside of Japan. If you haven’t played this 1994 classic, now’s the best time to do it.
The game opens up to the player and lets you choose between seven important characters in different timelines. These timelines go from the Prehistoric period to the period of the unforeseen period. Each character plays an important part in their own timeline. Each timeline visualizes a short story that takes up between 3 to 4 hours to complete and each timeline is just a matter of preference as there is no specific order to play them but each ending gives a tip why these characters are bonded. Each storyline can be played beside one another. You’ll be able to pause a chapter and choose another one to continue. This makes the game more accessible and you will be able to prevent a bore-out. Eventually, everything will make sense, once you’ve reached the 8th and final chapter. These chapters and your choice in what order you want to play these chapters, make up for a unique RPG game.
“Yes, each story is presented as a tactical RPG but it will play out entirely differently.”
As all chapters play differently, you’ll quickly find out what chapter you’ll like the most. Each chapter plays differently, some of them are straightforward while others play around with a unique style of story-telling that makes the chapter a bit more complicated. Whatever you play, I’m sure one chapter will stand out.
Preference will eventually make the choice and will give you access to a character with its own characteristics and unique fighting style and/ or ability that will influence the way you play the story. Yes, each story is presented as a tactical RPG but it will play out entirely differently. For example, Pogo from the Prehistoric period hasn’t got the verbal skills to communicate but instead, he tries to make himself known among others by communicating with his mimic and growling sounds. This changes up the storytelling as well, as you would figure out that the Prehistoric beings didn’t use the same verbal skills as we know today. Pogo also uses his strong sense of smell which can be used to track enemies. This will open up the way you would grind for levels. In the near future, your character might communicate telepathically or uses other skills to distract enemies.
“So “Live A Live” is a remake and comes with a graphical uplifting.”
How do you play the game you might ask? Well, it’s a tactical RPG that gives you the opportunity to move around the battle area freely. However, moving around the battle grid fills up the enemy’s action bar. Once the bar is filled, they’ll jump in and perform their combat actions. During this build-up, as you’re moving around the grid, you’ll be able to interrupt their plans. All of your actions also have different areas of effect, so you’ll have to move around and try to figure out the best strategic position to launch a successful attack. Enemies also have different weak spots and of course resistance buffs, so you’ll have to take these elements into account. Flanking also helps to get a damage buff. Even though the free movement is a plus, the game doesn’t do anything special when it comes to the tactical battle systems. You move, choose an action, target an enemy, and perform the action. It’s an old-school battle system.
So “Live A Live” is a remake and comes with a graphical uplifting. The 2D graphics are uplifted to HD standards which gives us vibrant colors and detailed pixels. The soundtrack for the different chapters has also been remade. It’s a joyful experience and the soundtrack fits the game’s chapters perfectly.
Conclusion:
Live A Live is a unique experience when it comes to storytelling. Choosing your own path in any order you want, makes up for an engaging main story. It’s also great that the characters have a shared bond and more is being revealed as you work towards the end chapter. The battle system is fairly classic but it feels groundbreaking during its original release in 1994. It’s also an amazing fact to know that this was one of the few game titles that launched abroad. All these individual characters have their own tweaks and special actions, which allows the player to choose a character that fits him/ her best, especially to choose your first story path. The HD remake also offers a more vibrant world and crisp textures, it feels like an old-school game in a whole new jacket and I pretty much enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a classical RPG with a twist, Live A Live is your new cure for that itch.
8/10
Tested on PS5
.
