Live A Live

 Switch
Live A Live Image
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81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 97 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

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  • Summary: Seven different stories featuring different protagonists, time periods, and gameplay styles await. In The Wild West, a wanderer with a bounty on his head fights for his life. In the Twilight of Edo Japan, a shinobi undertakes a secret mission. Experience these tales in any order youSeven different stories featuring different protagonists, time periods, and gameplay styles await. In The Wild West, a wanderer with a bounty on his head fights for his life. In the Twilight of Edo Japan, a shinobi undertakes a secret mission. Experience these tales in any order you choose—the adventure is yours to control. What other stories will you uncover on the horizon...?… Expand
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LIVE A LIVE - Imperial China Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 97
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 97
  3. Negative: 0 out of 97
  1. Cubed3
    Jul 27, 2022
    100
    The intriguing and unique premise of Live A Live is a genuine hook for players from all walks of life. This game not only has a fantasy story worthy of a SNES era Square game but it also treads an extremely upto date line with it's cool turn based combat and choice/morality systems. Players will be blown away by the content on show in this awesome RPG and it cannot be recommended enough. A great game turned masterpiece with this fantastic remake!
  2. Nintendo Insider
    Jul 21, 2022
    90
    I’ll admit, this was an incredibly subversive game for its era, one that might not hit as well as it did for some compared to me. I’m able to appreciate it as both a game from the ’90s and just a game. But I’m sure a lot of creatives in Japan were inspired by this, and those inspirations had to have bled into their work. You will have likely seen parts of its unique twists on the genres it plays with elsewhere, but I found that to be an endearing trait. It feels fitting that a compilation of clear passion and inspiration has trickled down to other games. The impact of Live A Live has seemingly never gone away, and that’s beautiful.
  3. Oyungezer
    Jul 28, 2022
    90
    Live A Live is a gem that has been sleeping in Square Enix's archive for years and is finally open to everyone. Whether you are just a newbie or a seasoned veteran to JRPG genre, Live A Live is a masterpiece that you should definitely not miss.
  4. Shacknews
    Jul 21, 2022
    80
    What makes Live A Live stand out is that if I hadn't been told that this game first released almost 30 years ago, I never would have guessed it. The clever concept, all tied together by a single antagonistic force, and the timeless stories work just as brilliantly in 2022.
  5. Hey Poor Player
    Jul 31, 2022
    80
    It’s hard for me to fault Live A Live too harshly for its ending, though. I’d have been perfectly satisfied if it had simply been seven separate stories, and each of these is well worth playing through even after all these years. There’s so much creativity and joy present that anyone interested in class RPGs owes it to themselves to give it a try.
  6. Jeuxvideo.com
    Jul 21, 2022
    80
    A great adventure that you really need to (re)discover!
  7. GameSkinny
    Jul 30, 2022
    50
    Live A Live takes too long to settle into its RPG groove, making it a missed opportunity on too many fronts.

See all 103 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 38
  3. Negative: 6 out of 38
  1. Ragnar_san
    Nov 22, 2022
    10
    Juegazo con mayusculas y uno de los maximos exponentes de los JRPG en la Nintendo Switch.
  2. Charsquatch
    Jul 31, 2022
    10
    Live a live may be my new favorite JRPG of all time. The game consists of 6 different stories from different time periods. Ranging from theLive a live may be my new favorite JRPG of all time. The game consists of 6 different stories from different time periods. Ranging from the earliest days of man, to the far far future. While you may think that the short story structure wouldn't lead to an interesting narrative, the truth is the writing on the game truly separates it from most other games on the genre. You may not enjoy every section, but I'm sure almost everyone will enjoy at least a few.… Expand
  4. MonadoBoii
    Jul 24, 2022
    10
    One of the best JRPGs to ever do it but in HD-2D. The "censorship" is 2 of Shifu's lines being changed, and as someone who played the fanOne of the best JRPGs to ever do it but in HD-2D. The "censorship" is 2 of Shifu's lines being changed, and as someone who played the fan translation those lines change next to nothing. This is by far the best way to play this game.… Expand
  5. Jaygo6390
    Nov 2, 2022
    9
    First of all, this game is so unique in the extremely broad JRPG genre, and you really feel that from each chapter and that novelty neverFirst of all, this game is so unique in the extremely broad JRPG genre, and you really feel that from each chapter and that novelty never disappears. You are presented with 7 different characters all relating to a different time period. You can select from any of the 7 there is no set path in how you play this game, each story is self-contained, and you can save and exit out of them whenever you want! Each character represents a different genre, for example in the Present Day you take control of a fighter Masaru Takahara in a street fighter style RPG tournament and The Distant Future is kind of like a visual novel where you experience a story through the eyes of a little robot. There's almost something for everyone here.

    The graphics in this game are stellar, it’s easily the best-looking HD-2D game yet and Octopath Traveler & Triangle Strategy are already phenomenal looking games. Each story has been translated from the beautiful pixel art on the Super Famicom original perfectly to the home of HD-2D the Nintendo Switch. Every single environment is unbelievably gorgeous and stunningly detailed, characters look sharp, the colourful environments that blend so seamlessly with the 3D aspects. Rocks on cliffs, bamboo forests, the market stalls in a market and so many more. This game is just pure eye candy and, on an OLED, display it’s even better than words can describe.

    Yoko Shimomura returned to do the music for this game, and you can tell because these rearrangements do the originals justice and then some. From the beautiful and immersive sound of traditional Chinese instruments as you walk along a Chinese mountain to the modern instruments used in the near future helps emphasise each time period’s feel and mood just perfectly. Each chapter is then topped off by a superb rearrangement of Megalomania that just completely hypes you up to take on the boss in front of you. This soundtrack is truly nothing short of a miracle!

    Live A Live was honestly well worth the 28 year wait. This remake has the privilege to introduce a new audience to an influential and unique JRPG to the wider world and does so with flying colours! Playing and loving Live A Live as much as I have makes me that much more excited to get stuck into Chrono Trigger in future since both games were directed by the incredible Takashi Tokita and it makes me even more excited for the possibility of more classic NES and SNES Squaresoft and Enix JRPGs to be brought back into the spotlight in through the glory of HD-2D. If I was to give this game a numerical rating, it would be a 9/10. Dragon Quest III is looking to be the next remake and I can’t wait for more information on that one!    … Expand
  6. DaileyBeating
    Sep 28, 2022
    8
    Live A Live is a game I feel like I can recommend to just about anyone, even those who may not like rpgs. This game doesn’t always even feelLive A Live is a game I feel like I can recommend to just about anyone, even those who may not like rpgs. This game doesn’t always even feel like an rpg, it is much more nuanced than that. It doesn’t have the long grindy sessions other rpgs have and is almost designed for you to just enjoy yourself with someone new and different for a couple hours each night and I think that is really cool.

    The game isn’t the longest, but that is also a breath of fresh air to me. Some games feel long for the sake of being long but live a live doesn’t overstay its welcome which helped me more consistently have fun and be surprised by the gameplay, story, and music. Live A Live is great, please play it. If you aren’t sure about it you can even download the demo and see if it jives with you.

    The Nintendo switch has no shortage of games. No shortage of RPGs. And no shortage of team asano games, but even still Live A Live feels like required playing.    … Expand
  7. amstans
    Oct 20, 2022
    8
    Never played this game before so I'm glad they remade it. I like the SE 2.5HD games I hope they do more of them.
  8. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    0
    this game is so boring. you have nothing very good to do here. very empty game

See all 38 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best Switch Game of 2022
25
#25 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

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