Live A Live was initially released in 1994 for the Super Famicom and has finally made its way to the West after nearly three decades, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience a JRPG cult classic. This modern port retains the essence of the original while implementing some quality-of-life improvements and a massive visual overhaul, making it a fun journey for both fans of the classic and newcomers alike.

Live A Live features a unique story structure that differentiates it from traditional JRPGs. Consisting of seven distinct chapters, each set in a different period and featuring a unique protagonist. These chapters can be played in any order, allowing players to explore different narratives and gradually unravel the overarching plot. You can start as a caveman (caveboy?) with an enhanced sense of smell to sniff out NPCs and objectives, or you can play as a ninja, a cowboy, a martial artist, and more. Each chapter has a unique setting, as well as the story, mechanics, and more. While all of them are not necessarily equal in quality, they are all entertaining in their own right and offer a variety of scenarios to explore and jump between, which helps keep things fresh, especially when compared to Live A Live’s JRPG contemporaries.

The visuals have received a total glow-up from the original Famicom release. Following Octopath Traveler’s style of mixing 2D Pixel Sprites with 3D backgrounds coupled with modern post-processing and lighting, Live A Live is gorgeous. While the pixel art remains true to its Super Famicom roots, it really impresses overall from a technical and artistic standpoint, with vibrant sprites, incredible backgrounds, and unique designs. The gameplay mechanics of Live A Live are simple, but each chapter offers a unique battle system, ranging from turn-based combat to placing traps and strategizing with tactics. The basic combat can wear thin, especially in the second half of the game where things get much more grindy, but what is there is fun and satisfying, if stretched a little thin.

One of the standout aspects of Live A Live is its exceptional soundtrack composed by Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts fame. The music is as catchy as many of the game’s contemporaries, and each chapter has its distinctive musical style that compliments the period. However, there are a few places where Live A Live feels dated. The storytelling in particular falls on old tropes, especially the opening prehistoric chapter. While sometimes cute, the romance elements feel particularly trope-filled and shallow, but these moments are few and far between, and generally Live A Live is an earnest and heartfelt JRPG.

Live A Live delivers where a remaster should. The visuals feel like a modern but faithful reinterpretation of classic pixel art, the music is as essential as ever, and the combat still holds weight. Elements of the storytelling and presentation are dated, and I would have liked to have seen some new content or bonus behind-the-scenes features, but despite all that, Live A Live remains a fun JRPG that is essential for fans of the old classics and their retro trappings.

Pros:

• Beautiful Art

• Unique game story structure

• Catchy, vibrant music

• Fun characters

• Lots of scenario variety

  
  

Cons:

• Combat becomes grindy

• Story can be dated

Score:

8/10

Review copy provided by Square Enix. Reviewer Played on PS5

Live A Live is available now on PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch