Live A Live

 Switch
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
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  1. 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 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, multipleI 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.    … Expand
  2. nirvana11
    Aug 7, 2022
    6
    quite nice turn-based rpg but with a tactical side (case), but I consider that it is a rpg for children (no need to regen between fights, no need to farm xp, no need to manage mana...), but the big problem is that the stories are too short and really cliché (good guys against bad guys for each story)
    there were much more useful rpgs to remaster than this one
  3. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    7
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!!

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Nov 9, 2022
    85
    If you're a fan of RPGs from the 16-bit era, or if you're looking for something that doesn't require a huge time investment, LIVE A LIVE is one RPG you won't want to miss, and not just because it was a stepping stone to some of the classics of that era. It's a unique storytelling experience! [Issue #61 – September/October 2022, p. 73]
  2. PLAY! Zine
    Oct 14, 2022
    84
    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.
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  3. Guardian
    Sep 8, 2022
    80
    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.
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