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. 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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