Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: JRPG with multiple protagonists that eventually converge

The Japanese role-playing game genre has always prided itself with getting a ragtag bunch of heroes from different walks of life banding with each other to combat a common foe or escalating situation that threatens them and the world. But what if those heroes are instead from different eras and act on their own accord, with their goals somehow lining up within said lifetimes and somehow converging in the end?

Well, that’s what Live A Live is: a JRPG that pits you in control of not one but eight protagonists who have different-yet-similar destinies that line up with each other. This 2022 version is a remake of the 1994 title on the Super Nintendo/Famicom that was exclusive to Japan, until now.

Live Telecast

As the player, you guide each hero through their story from start to finish. These range from a jaded cowboy who learns the meaning of protecting others to even a caveman who tries to unite both his own tribe and a rival one, with the entire storyline using nothing but grunts and human sounds mimicking some semblance of speech. There’s even a storyline involving a maintenance robot who’s trying to find out what’s causing unrest in the spaceship it’s on: think 2001 – A Space Odyssey but JRPG anime. Without spoiling anything, all these storylines are connected by a mysterious malevolent force that shapes the course of the entire narrative, tying it up in one amazing conclusion.

Despite how radical each scenario is, each plotline is fully realized and incredibly distinct with its world and even gameplay gimmicks (which we’ll get to). You’ll laugh and cry as each scenario has its good feels and tragedy encapsulated within its well-told narrative and stellar English voice acting. You’ll definitely root for the caveman Pogo in his prehistoric storyline as he attempts to get the girl -a story with no text, mind you- while also cheering on the punk kid in the near future storyline involving psychics and mechas. Each of these outings look and sound great thanks to Square Enix’s HD-2D engine that’s prevalent in Octopath Traveler (an RPG clearly inspired by Live A Live) and Triangle Strategy. The remixed music is done justice since it’s fully re-recorded and heavily involves original composer Yoko Shimomura. Simply put, the game’s aesthetics and high production justifies the remake moniker it’s saddled with.

Live Action

How’s the gameplay? Much like the original, combat is turn-based and uses a 7×7 square grid where players and enemies take turns positioning themselves and using attacks. Both players and enemies have attacks that have specified ranges and charge times before activation, with no action or mana points system restricting either side. The combat throws in a ton of elements like damage tiles that deal damage-over-time to anyone standing on a specified area, leader enemies that end the battle when defeated, and accessory gear with support abilities; all of these mix and match well to make the turn-based fighting engaging.

That said, the game’s combat can get lengthy and tough. The former is due to no option to speed up the the animations for some of the attacks. There’s also a few difficulty spikes, but at least you can spend a short amount of time just grinding a few levels. Also, some quests in the game feel like they’re lifted straight from the SNES version without much quality-of-life changes and modern game design improvements added to them. These include farming random enemies for a key needed for progression to an arbitrary question that leads to an immediate game over without rhyme or reason.

Still, not all these issues can stave the fact that the remake of the SNES title Live A Live is long overdue. Live A Live is a treasure of a game that still stands the test of time and gets the remake treatment it truly deserves, being playable for a new generation of gamers who need to play a game that was way ahead of its time. The remake is 30 hours well-spent, especially if you’re a fan of the JRPG genre who is itching for something new(ish) with lovely HD-2D aesthetics and an engaging slew of plots that tie in satisfyingly. You could say that it’s a game that’s worth a few lifetimes over.

Pros

• The best multi-story RPG narrative made this year.
• Stellar music and amazing HD-2D aesthetics.
• Engaging protagonists and characters.
• Much-needed improvements as a remake.

Cons

• Combat can get simplistic and repetitive despite improvements over original.

Final Score: 80/100