Live A Live

 Switch
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 97 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 97
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 97
  3. Negative: 0 out of 97
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  1. Impulsegamer
    Aug 9, 2022
    72
    Live A Live is a truly unique product of its time that still stands out in the competitive field of role-playing games today. After playing, it makes sense that it would be lauded to this day for its subversive takes on JRPG gameplay elements and its multiple narratives. What’s most charming about how experimental the game is, is that it is not a subversion due to cynicism over the genre, but a love for its potential.
  2. COGconnected
    Jul 21, 2022
    72
    Although these are fairly bite-sized adventures, each one packs a remarkable punch. Every chapter works to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack, and it shows. While I can’t recommend each story with equal vigor, I am impressed with the total package. Sure, I would prefer fewer chances to soft-lock yourself. I’d also love to leave behind some of the level grinding. But the core gameplay loop is still fun. Between the wild stories, the engaging combat, and the incredible voice acting, Live A Live feels like much more than the sum of its parts. If you’re any kind of fan of classic JRPGs, you owe it to yourself to check out this game.
  3. GAMES.CH
    Jul 21, 2022
    71
    The basic idea of Live A Live with umpteen different characters and settings, and partially various mechanics is great. But despite its charming retro-kind graphics and music a great idea alone does not make a great game. Overall Live A Live is a solid JRPG, nothing more, nothing less.
  5. DarkZero
    Aug 31, 2022
    70
    I think fans of the genre will really appreciate what Live A Live is trying to accomplish with its storytelling variety, even if the battles can become grindy towards the end of the game.
  6. Gamezebo
    Aug 12, 2022
    70
    Bringing back such an old game is never easy and making one with so many ideas feel relevant in 2022 is a tough feat. But Live A Live does a good job of modernising this lost game and making sure a whole new audience can experience it. If you love JRPGS or HD-2D Live A Live will have something for you, or if you are looking for something different with a unique story you’ll be happy here. At times it can be frustrating in its older game design and often a little easy but at the end of the day it never stops being interesting.
  7. CD-Action
    Aug 12, 2022
    70
    Live A Live is fresh and surprising – there are moments when it’s really hard to believe that it’s a remake of a 30-year-old game. Despite its shallow story and the fact that the combat system’s potential went unrealized, this experimental jRPG is definitely worth your time thanks to its creativity. And if you’re a true fan of the genre, you’ll have lots of fun spotting elements borrowed years later by jRPG masterpieces.
  8. Metro GameCentral
    Jul 22, 2022
    70
    The 1994 original has some unfortunate flaws, that this remake doesn’t try to fix, but in terms of graphics, soundtrack, and sheer invention this is one of the best Japanese role-players of any era.
  9. PCMag
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Live A Live delivers a gem of a JRPG from a lost generation. It's a nostalgic blast from the past with enough modern innovations to keep the experience fresh and engaging.
  10. Screen Rant
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Live A Live aims to tell nine different stories, with very different protagonists and settings, all within a short period of time. The jack of all trades approach means that some chapters are fantastic and others can drag. It tries to do a lot of things at once, some of which work and some that don't. Luckily, the good parts outweigh the bad, and Live A Live is a great pick for fans of classic JRPGs, so long as they expect an occasionally bumpy ride.
  11. WellPlayed
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Repetitive combat and exploration pad out this wonderfully remastered cult JRPG experience that falls just short of a recommendation.
  12. ComicBook
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Even though I had a couple of issues with Live A Live, I largely have to say that I really enjoyed my time with the game. Despite being so old, this is one of the more inventive and creative RPGs that I have ever played, and it really shows where some of Square's ideas for later projects came from. Those who have been waiting patiently for decades to experience Live A Live will no doubt be happy with this remake, and anyone else who is merely looking to scratch their itch for a new RPG to play should find a lot to like here, too.
  13. NintendoWorldReport
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    If it was Live A Live that allowed Takashi Tokita and his work on Chrono Trigger to soar, then of course it was worth it. In this present day chapter, for my money, I'm looking ahead to the next Square remake.
  14. God is a Geek
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Live A Live is a neat little curio that warrants a look, but there's a huge variety in not just story, but the quality of the action as well.
  15. Digital Trends
    Jul 21, 2022
    70
    Live A Live is a high-effort remake from the presentation side, though the base game remains an uneven RPG experience.
  16. T3
    Aug 11, 2022
    60
    Live A Live is a gorgeous JRPG that isn't afraid to take risks, providing plenty of interesting themes and, for the most part, engaging combat. Fans new and old will find something to enjoy here, even if the endpoint is nothing to write home about.
  17. NME
    Jul 28, 2022
    60
    Though its anthology structure allows Live A Live to experiment with a wide variety of design ideas and settings across its different chapters, that same format keeps it from providing a sense of real depth. The creativity evident in its experiments with traditional RPG conventions means there’s enough novelty to propel the story toward its conclusion, but simplistic and stereotypical character writing adds up to very little of note in the end.
  18. 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.
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  1. 3DJuegos
    Aug 10, 2022
    It's definitely a unique RPG game, specially recommended for players looking for a different experience. [Recommended]
  2. CNET
    Jul 21, 2022
    And it's an adventure that RPG fans willing to put up with some dated mechanics should definitely take -- a sizable free demo lets you transfer your progress to the full game if you're uncertain. The love that went into remaking Live A Live while preserving the core experience is evident in every minute, right down the occasional tedium of '90s gaming. It'd be incredible to see more classics -- like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6 or Suikoden -- remastered in this manner.
  3. Eurogamer
    Jul 21, 2022
    While component tales and battles can be hit-and-miss, this elderly Squaresoft anthology is a wonderful testament to its genre's flexibility and range. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  5. Kotaku
    Jul 28, 2022
    And without giving anything away, Live A Live culminates towards a powerful conclusion that will have its time-spanning heroes living on in your memory long after its credits roll…for the ninth time.
  6. Polygon
    Jul 21, 2022
    But most importantly, Live A Live feels biblical in its attempt to tie all of human history into one narrative. But as much as Live A Live admirably tries to tell a story as vast as any game has ever told, time and time again, its characters are too flimsy to hold the weight.
  7. The Verge
    Jul 21, 2022
    Games don’t always age well, and so sometimes exploring the classics can feel like a chore, even if they happen to be influential. But that’s not the case with Live A Live. It’s a rare game that doubles as a great RPG and a great history lesson.

Awards & Rankings

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

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 106
  3. Negative: 20 out of 106
  1. 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.… Full Review »
  2. jacksondawg25
    Jul 23, 2022
    1
    The translation for this game is some of the worst deviation from source material I've ever seen. Multiple parts are written so differentlyThe translation for this game is some of the worst deviation from source material I've ever seen. Multiple parts are written so differently from the Japanese script that causes some characters' personalities to seem completely different. Not to mention the censorship of suggestive content. Localization is meant to translate the same message to a different language, not make it more palatable to the culture it's being translated to. Stop censoring foreign media.… Full Review »
  3. Zski
    Aug 2, 2022
    5
    I tried really hard to love this game because there it has a very high level of polish. But unfortunately this game feels like a remake of aI tried really hard to love this game because there it has a very high level of polish. But unfortunately this game feels like a remake of a game that was entirely a product of its time. I never heard of this game prior to this release, although I am a huge fan of RPGs from the SNES era. When this game was released, this was probably an insane concept - multiple different stories, multiple different characters, multiple different mechanics, multiple different settings with completely different styles and music. This almost sounds like a tech demo from the SNES era. So I’ll start with the good. The HD 2D is absolutely beautiful. I mean stunning, it really speaks to the era of SNES and fully captures the spirit while greatly improving the presentation. They did a wonderful job with the graphics and remake, especially with consideration to the different settings. The sound design is wonderful but poorly fleshed out. The music is fantastic, but when each story has only 1-3 songs that just loop the entire time, it really loses its magic. The voice acting is generally pretty solid. The combat is excellent, and I like how they implemented various gameplay tweaks to the different settings to suit the times. Really solid turn based combat, but as with everything else in this game, it doesn’t stay around long enough to make any impact.

    So that brings me to the major point about the game. All of these stories are so short, and the characters are part of the game so briefly that it loses all importance. It almost all feels as if each story is watching an episode of a TV show completely out of context, somewhere in the middle of the season. The moment you start to get any context, the story ends and you’re starting over elsewhere. It’s like getting an appetizer sampler at a restaurant - the portions are so small that you have to consciously think about what you enjoyed about each thing so you have any memory of it. Any sense of story progression, character progression, skill/stat development, etc feels entirely pointless in this game. So you’re essentially playing just to make it to the plot twist. I made it to the major plot twist and I was just fed up with the game by that point. I couldn’t care after the slog that the game put me through. The game felt more like a chore that I had to complete to get a drip feeding of the illusion of progression, even after the big twist.

    It’s just a weird game to remake and invest so much time and energy making it look this good. They did such a good job on game that feels like an outdated tech demo. It’s rare when I can play through an entire game and in the end, it just feels like a waste of time. Of all the fantastic games out there that never made it to the US, it’s strange that they picked this one.    … Full Review »
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