In the year 1994, Live A Live took its place among JRPG fans, immediately at the same time that Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy were surfing the crest of the gaming wave.. At that time, the current company Square Enix It legally called itself Squaresoft and was specifically dedicated to developing video games with similar characteristics among all its works. For example, we are talking about titles with several parallel stories, many endearing characters and maps that, despite the technological and graphic limitations, made the user feel that they were in huge worlds.
Today, in the middle of the year 2022, we have a modernized version of this award-winning HD-2D exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Live A Live is a striking mix of ideas that converge in a unique product. His game design was a revolution at the end of the 20th century, with such an impact that many other projects decided to take inspiration, such as the superb and current Octopath Traveler.
The proposed structure of dividing the game into chapters gave those responsible for the development the possibility of exploring various plot alternatives. The player will be able to travel to prehistory with ancestral stories, to the near future, to the distant future, to the old west or medieval China and others. Although these small narrative spheres were well cared for, in the ’90s they inevitably brought some negative criticism due to the lack of depth in some points that were already widely worked on in other contemporary competitors. However, they found it indisputable that its RPG formula is well thought out, be it with level and stat progression, item rewards through exploration or secondary quests, and more.
This year’s remake retells the same seven tales from the original leads with a technical update that feels very comfortable. When it comes to immersion, much of the credit goes to the renowned voice actors and actresses who have brought each of the lovable characters to life, including the futuristic robot whose story is set in a gigantic spaceship.
Combat is a strong point within this playable experience. It has a 7×7 real-time tactical system that differs from others —such as Triangle Strategy— as the enemies won’t wait for you to make a decision, even more so if the difficulty chosen is the highest option.
Live A Live is a love letter for fans of pixel art and good soundtracks. Aesthetically, it joins the repertoire of 2D games that also take advantage of certain moments to give the visual field a little more depth. The music is in charge of the same team that produced some Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.
The seven stories are not very long and beyond the space-time differences between them, each of these adventures will give you a unique and very pleasant feeling. It should be noted that there is a definitive ending that will only be unlockable by finishing the individual stories. We highly recommend reaching this point, since the surprise will be very rewarding.
For Western gamers, Live A Live is officially making its debut in Nintendo stores. In the Switch eShop you can download a free demo if you are still in doubt about purchasing it, although if you like casual and relaxed games, we can assure you that among its seven stories you will have a product that you will not regret.
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Analysis of Live A Live, a Japanese classic that returns 30 years after its release