Live A Live

Live A Live not only brings a decades-old Japan exclusive to the west, but it also vastly improves it in the audio and visual sense. Flaws of the original are still present, but as a refreshed gem from the past, Live A Live is something every fan of the genre should give a chance to.

Despite its 90s origins, Live a Live feels novel, revitalising a genre that often feels too conservative. It’s a constantly shifting, time-travelling bonanza that foreshadows what Takita would perfect in 1995’s Chrono Trigger; 90s role-playing fans are now praying that it receives the same lavish remake treatment, alongside other classics of the time such as Final Fantasy VI. Live a Live is not without its faults, but in an age of fast-food entertainment that satiates without leaving a taste, this compendium is a curio that’s certainly worth your time.

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.

Live A Live is well deserving of the remake treatment. Its concise and effective stories, combined with a battle system that is surprisingly complex, result in a game that works as a gold standard for the genre.

We're not wrong when we say that Live A Live is the whole package. Its gameplay mechanics are unique and entertaining, the characters are memorable, and the presentation is incredible. Sure, it also has all the elements from 30 years ago that make the gaming experience slow or tedious, but at the same time makes the experience adorable and enjoyable.

Live A Live is an interesting game that will most likely excite some players while losing others. The unique stories are great for short bursts but the lack of investment may turn off some. Still I love that we live in an era when lost games can once again make a return. Live A Live is certainly not for everyone, but for those that it does hit it is sure to please. Maybe it would have been wise though to release this game a little further away from Nintendo’s biggest RPG franchise to give it some room to breathe.

Live A Live takes the systems it has and finds new and innovative ways to tell various adventures through a simple framework. Its unique highlighting of different genres, time periods, or homages is masterfully executed. The combat is deeper than it looks and finds ways to keep things varied and interesting, while melding excellently with its sublime storytelling. Each scenario is a treat to the senses in a different way, making any of them capable of being a favourite. This game is an experience that needs to be played to be believed. Square Enix has done the world a great service by updating this hidden gem and making it available to a wider and modern audience.

While an interesting counter to what RPGs were like back in 1994, it’s hard to deny that today Live A Live feels like a dated experience. That being said, as a remake this is a very well crafted game.

If you’re a fan of JRPGs then you will really enjoy Live a Live. Full of comedy, action, and adventure across multiple time periods Live a Live is overall a solid game. Sure, some cutscenes drag out. Some of that RPG grind is tedious but it’s still a must-play entry into the genre.

Live A Live has been successfully adapted to today's consoles, both visually and in terms of gameplay, and has not lost any of its original spirit.

An excellent HD-2D remake of a cult Square title that will appeal to fans of Chrono Trigger and older Final Fantasy games.

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.

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.

While there may be plenty of JRPGs with greater mechanical depth, few are capable of such affectionate and playful subversion. [Issue#375, p.114]

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.

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.

Live a Live feels like a natural fit within Square Enix’s focus on bringing older titles to newer audiences. As the blueprint for other potential titles to come, it’s clear why the 1994 SNES title was chosen as the first remaster to receive the “HD-2D” treatment...Even with a shallow learning curve, there’s plenty to enjoy in this unique omnibus. Fans of classic JRPGs won’t want to miss this reimagining with plenty to enjoy for newcomers to role-playing games.

Though it is a title from 28 years ago, a masterpiece is still a masterpiece. Sophisticated stories and omnibus scenarios shone even more with its HD-2D graphics. Compact gameplay without meaningless repetitive play still works even in today's standard. However, it is sad they brought some obsolete system as well without improvement.

Live A Live is a delightful little RPG that’s thankfully gotten the second chance it deserves. Its new visuals look great and the rearranged soundtrack brings each time frame to life. However, its multi-scenario story is what makes it truly stand out. Though the quality varies between chapters, they're all interesting in their own ways and it’s worth seeing through to the very end.

The scenarios vary in quality from one to the next, and your individual tastes are probably going to influence how well you like each one. But Live A Live as a whole really cannot be denied. It’s an amazing game that was clearly ahead of its time, because all it needed was a bit of a face lift to make it feel like something that came out in the present year. With how big Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s shadow looms over us at this time, it might be easy to overlook Live A Live. That would be a mistake, friends. If you love RPGs, don’t miss this one.

With a well-executed remake, Live A Live finally appears outside of Japan. The obscure JRPG deserves a spot in the spotlight, as the influence of this unique game can still be felt today. With new insights and angles, Live A Live manages to shake up the genre, even though the game is already 28 years old.

28 years has been necessary for Live a Live to finally be released in Europe. Fortunately, our patience is rewarded by the quality of this successful remake. If you were looking for a good little old-school RPG to keep you busy for twenty hours this summer, you've found it.

Live A Live shows the possibilities that the HD-2D art style has. The concept of this game still holds up after 28 years and is still very unique. Every story has its own mechanics that make each story stand out from the other. The only downside of this game, is that it's sometimes necessary to fight the same enemy over and over again. Live A Live as a whole is an incredible Nintendo Switch game.

Live A Live is still full of charm, and the graphics and gameplay have been tweaked just enough to give it some modern touches. Hopefully, it’ll get the recognition it deserves alongside Square’s other classics.

The writing style and dialogue is unique in each chapter, correlating to how the characters would speak in that time period. The poetic choice of words in the Middle Ages chapter, and the old western Lingo in the Wild West chapter were the most impressive in that respect.

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.

Live A Live takes too long to settle into its RPG groove, making it a missed opportunity on too many fronts.

As a package, this title stands up impressively well, to this day. Every scenario presents a unique and compelling message with relevant lessons, and its short runtime means barely a second is wasted. Numerous cinematic touches throughout make it feel like a collection of experimental short films. And it all comes together beautifully in the end for a truly rewarding experience that any JRPG fan will not want to miss. It was also nice of Nintendo to confirm that both sides of the title are pronounced “live” as in “alive.”

The rather short total play time might be a downer for certain players, and the grinding being almost required might get annoying, but in essence, this remake of Live A Live felt like a qualitative title that had so much love and time put into it, to make this JRPG masterpiece from the Super Famicom now available to a broader audience, and this time, outside its home country. It’s not perfect, of course, but it does so much, so right.

Thanks to gorgeously updated visuals, noteworthy quality of life changes, and an official global release for the first time ever, Live A Live stands confidently as the quintessential RPG anthology. Even 25 years later, these powerfully human stories poignantly represent the inadequacies we all endure.

If you’re a fan of quirky JRPGs, consider Live A Live a must-have. Each and every one of the stories offered up here is distinctive and interesting, keeping your attention held like a vice. Along with a fantastic combat system, and numerous improvements to the presentation of the overall package, we’re overjoyed that this title is finally available in the west. Only the occasional frustration brings it down a little, but they’re very much worth pushing through.

While the game has problems typical of many JRPGs, it also has iconic qualities - a subversive, resonant plot that overturns expectations of how a typical heroic journey progresses, and presents us with fallible protagonists who encounter and experience human loss in different ways. This is a refreshing take on a genre usually populated with idealistic heroes and ultimately happy endings, featuring a memorable battle system and killer soundtrack.

A thoroughly enjoyable game. Live A Live is simple and old fashioned in all the right ways, where each little story leaves you wanting more.

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.

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.

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!

Live A Live is an absolute masterpiece, so much so that even the one chapter that frustrated me was still enjoyable once everything came together.

If you enjoy JRPGs, you owe it to yourself to play Live A Live. Despite being a remake of a decades old game, Live A Live feels fresh and will surprise you with its interesting combat, gorgeous visuals, unique structure, and superlative soundtrack. It is a strong contender for the best JRPG in years.

Live A Live is the ideal way to experience a cult classic game. It maintains or improves on everything that made the original game distinct while polishing it enough that some of the more dated design elements don't detract from the whole. It's a weird, quirky, and distinct JRPG that to this day is unlike anything else on the market. It won't be for everyone, but if you're a fan of JRPGs, then you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. What other game can you have a cowboy team up with a caveman and the pilot of a giant robot?

Live A Live is a hidden gem from the 16-bit era, a truly unique experience that holds up well today. Expectations should be tempered to account for some gameplay elements that will seem dated, but this is a title that should be mandatory for any fan of classic JRPGs.

As a love letter to JRPGs, Live a Live is a game that no fan of this genre should miss. The remake makes masterful use of HD-2D, bringing new life to a game from almost 30 years ago.

Live a Live is a rare and unique title that was already terrific but made even better with an extreme amount of love and hard work put in to drastically improve the experience. To live a life in which you haven’t played Live a Live is a life less lived.

In Live A Live we have 8 different stories, each one with its peculiarities, which makes it an experimental but successful RPG. RPG lovers should give it a try so they don't miss out on that part of video game history.

Live-a-Live is well polished old title with new production values. But after all these years, it is refreshing experience with different time eras, chapter and heroes leading to solid finale. If you are ready for RPG all-in-one, it will show you how good games last.

Square Enix takes us back to the distant past but also to many other periods with a very detailed remaster of the JRPG cult hit that was not available outside of Japan until now. For hardcore fans only.

Even though Live a Live is an old game, it feels fresh and exciting. Moreover, it looks gorgeous. This is a good choice if other JRPGs are too lengthy for your liking.

A thirty years old JRPG that manages to appear younger and have fresher ideas of many contemporary games. A true gem that would be a shame not to play.

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.

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.

Live A Live tries to do many things, but not all of them live up to the same standard. The overall narrative is satisfying, but the stylistic discrepancy between its various adventures, combined with a certain underlying simplicity, makes the game a short adventure lacking depth, but admittedly exciting when it gets into the right gear.

Live a Live puts together many of the things that put people off from playing JRPGs but makes it surprisingly accessible. It gives you several lives worth living and rewards you for really exploring every one of them.

Live A Live feels like it shouldn’t exist, or was destined to remain hidden away with only a few fortunate fans stumbling upon it in the midst of online forums hosting fan translations of forgotten classics. I’m not sure what inspired Nintendo and Square Enix to bring this game back from the dead for a whole generation, but the fact they went through with it is a miracle. Whether you’re a JRPG fan or simply keen to play something completely different, Live A Live manages to surprise and delight in equal measure while refusing to show its full hand until the last possible moment. I’d argue it was almost worth the decades we spent waiting.

Live a Live is one of the most influential RPGs in history, but perhaps it has gone more unnoticed than it deserves for what it proposes and brings. Now, thanks to this Nintendo Switch remake we have a golden opportunity to get closer to what it offers. Although it is ideal to keep in perspective that it was written in 1994, as it has certain narrative concepts that can squeak us quite a bit. With its small flaws, it is one of those works that is worth playing, and that serve as an answer to justify video games as an artistic medium.

Live a Live was very special on SNES and feels unique nowadays.

With more than 20 years behind of it, LIVE A LIVE still feels like a fresh and innovative game in terms of its story. It's a pity that its gameplay has not followed the path of its artistic evolution, being quite outdated for today standards.

We loved Live A Live. Even taking into account the aspects in which it falls a little short, such as a somewhat simple gameplay, we are facing the rebirth of a timeless jewel that is extremely worthwhile, especially if you are a loyal fan of classic role-playing games.

LIVE A LIVE is your bonafide classic RPG that we could not have a taste of in Europe back in the day. The game boasts tons of different stories with a powerul narrative. LIVE A LIVE offers many hours of adventuring, entertainment, a compelling tale and an artistic design that you will fall in love with.

Live a Live feels incredibly modern now, decades after its original launch, and this glow-up makes it more accessible than ever before.

Live a Live does not fit into any canon. Although it's an RPG, it's not like others you've tried. Its short stories, in different eras, make each of its 9 chapters like a separate game. Too bad they're short and don't go very deep. But if you expect something with the classic nineties flavour, you'll find it here. And it's very beautiful.

Live A Live is a remake made in an almost flawless way and, above all, with great taste, between the magic touch of HD-2D and the original soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura appropriately rearranged for the occasion.

Live A Live is an excellent HD-2D remake on its own but it often feels out of time.

Live A Live is short and sweet, a surprisingly modern twist on JRPGs that Square and Nintendo luckily decided to bring back from the dead. it won't probably win any award for its narrative and surely there are far more vast and deep JRPGs out there, but this is nonetheless a very good choice for Japanese role playing games lovers.

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.

Live A Live is hands down one of the most interesting games I've experienced in a while. A neat little package made up of completely disparate elements, it shouldn’t work but it does. Add in some truly clever gameplay mechanics, the gorgeous HD-2D visuals and phenomenal soundtrack, and you have a game I would urge any JRPG fan to play.

This is a quirky and fundamentally experimental JRPG that in many ways remains out there on its own. The chapter-based approach to simple (but enjoyable) narratives that take place across time and space allows for an experience that is both varied and flexible. Throw in the most excellent application of HD-2D art for the remake, and the fact that this is the first time this game has had a formal release in the west, and Live A Live is an essential experimental title for the curious and those that enjoy playing things that are genuinely different.

A great adventure that you really need to (re)discover!

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.

It’s been 28 years, but Live A Live finally gets its proper dues outside of Japan with an excellent remake.

Repetitive combat and exploration pad out this wonderfully remastered cult JRPG experience that falls just short of a recommendation.

Live A Live is an incredibly unique and endearing adventure, with multiple engaging storylines and strong combat throughout. Some of its ideas are so forward-thinking and intriguing that it’s almost shocking that this was originally released almost 30 years ago. While it maintains some weird quirks reminiscent of the SNES era that it came from and the pacing can be a bit strange from chapter to chapter, the beautiful visuals and catchy soundtrack propel Live A Live into the modern era and gives everybody the opportunity to experience a classic RPG that has a whole lot of heart. I’m incredibly grateful I’ve had the opportunity to play it, and am left dreaming about what other hidden gems just like it might be waiting to be unlocked and shared with the world.

Live A Live is an epic story made up of multiple narratives and protagonists, taking place over different eras and genres. While from the outside it may appear to be another remastered retro title for Nintendo Switch, it is without a doubt one of the best games I’ve played this year.

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.

Live A Live is a fascinating lost piece of gaming history that offers up an impressively-varied cinematic saga well ahead of its time, although a slide into more traditional JRPG tropes in its third act diminishes some of what makes the game special. Live A Live is an unpredictable journey worth experiencing, but like life itself, it may leave you feeling a bit worn down by the end.

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.

Live A Live is a phenomenal RPG that's sure to delight new and old fans alike. Each chapter tells a story with its own cast, time, and location, yet all are done seamlessly and they tie together nice to form the overarching story. Then, to top it all off, the combat is fantastic, well designed, and exactly what you'd expect from a title that utilises turn-based mechanics.

It feels monumentally important, wonderfully clever, and full of a gleeful energy that’ll make the heart of any old-school RPG fan swell. Top marks on this website doesn’t mean it’s a perfect game; it just means we recommend playing it absolutely unreservedly – and such is the case here.

There’s something for everyone in Live A Live, a deliberate blast from the past that draws from Final Fantasy IV as much as it does 2001: A Space Odyssey and Shane. You’ll love some sections more than others, to be sure, but the way it all ties together is nothing short of spectacular.

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.

I truly loved my experience playing Live A Live. The gameplay and narrative variety, incredible visuals, and superb soundtrack kept me enthralled throughout my 30-hour journey. I still feel like the game has a few secrets and little story bits I may have overlooked. It's quite the accomplishment that, almost 30 years later, Live A Live still manages to surprise, subvert, and enthrall. Those timeless qualities make it well worth your attention, now and likely for years to come.

This remake of the eponymous original title does unique things by presenting you with different stories that keep you enthralled. Audiovisually, it's also a great experience to have, but it does make the RPG gameplay feel a bit out of place, since everything is laid out for you from A to Z. This also makes the replayability low, while the overall experience actually leaves you wanting more. Nevertheless, a solid remake of a particularly unique game.

We’ll never know how Live A Live would have fared in the U.S. back in the day. Flash forward nearly three decades, and I can’t recommend this revitalized relic enough. It’s that good. This is another must-play Switch RPG that entertains in ways I didn’t expect and kept me glued to the screen for well over 20 hours.

It's great that a wider audience now has the opportunity to play Live A Live, with the added bonus of getting the HD-2D upgrade in the process. Its novel anthology presentation won't be for everyone, thankfully, an added map/radar reduces some old-school frustrations. SquareEnix made the right move breathing new life into Live A Live.

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.

Live A Live is a fascinating JRPG time machine that’s getting its dues at last thanks to a remake that brings out the best in its seven stories, strong combat, and unusual structure.

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.

Live A Live is a success, both as a self-contained remake of a quirky cult classic and as a prototype for the future of JRPG remakes. Its weaknesses are those of the preserved original’s game design, but it makes these sacrifices intentionally and has a lot to offer those interested in its pace and structure.

Live A Live is an ambitious RPG – wildly ambitious considering the time it was released – with loads of interesting concepts and ideas that shine even brighter thanks to a fresh coat of paint.

Live A Live is a high-effort remake from the presentation side, though the base game remains an uneven RPG experience.

I implore anyone who enjoyed JRPGs of the 90s, especially the ones by Square itself, to give Live A Live a try. It’s filled to the brim with variety, humor, and interesting narratives. It may not be perfect or surpass your childhood favorites, but fans of the genre will find a place in their hearts for it nonetheless.

The game didn’t wear out its welcome with my playthrough, taking me about 23 hours to get all the endings. Live A Live brings with it some of the best qualities a game can have, a sense of discovery and adventure. With the option to play some chapters completely differently, or tackle on extra hard enemies, this is definitely a game I’ll replay, sooner than later.

Live A Live has been well worth the long wait. This remake reintroduces an influential, unique JRPG to the wider world with aplomb, with a cacophony of different gameplay styles, music, and visuals that somehow hang together beautifully. Despite looking like Octopath Traveler and perfecting the HD-2D visual style, you'd do well to remember that this is still a Super Famicom RPG, with many of the frustrations that come with ‘90s RPGs still intact in this remake. Still, we admire that Square Enix decided not to change too much with this remake, instead delivering an authentic and faithful update to the game that the majority of players outside Japan missed nearly three decades ago. This is a piece of gaming history we have loved getting to experience for the first time.

Live A Live leverages a fantastic visual overhaul with an already compelling and inventive narrative structure to offer an RPG experience like no other. It’s aging for sure – the slower nature of the turn-based battles and some strange logic to get the story moving – but it’s such a unique experience that any RPG fan owes it to themselves to try.

As an experiment, even almost three decades later, Live a Live mostly succeeds.

Live A Live is an outstanding remake of the game originally published in 1994. Its art style, music and sound effect perfectly merge with narratives while maintaining the same combat system and structure of the original version.

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.