Live a Live is a game of yesteryearfrom the golden age of squaresoft (now Square Enix), which was one of those titles that didn’t come out of Japan because… I don’t know, because the genre was maybe not as popular in the Americas as it is in Japan, and that’s completely understandable.
When it was announced, many people were thinking about the game for two reasons: first, because it shares what Square Enix has been doing for a few months, the treat the RPG genre to the core, with excellent HD-2.5D graphics and high-quality compositions and, of course, that it is a remake of a title that hardly anyone places and that launched 28 years ago.
That old art can be seen. Image: Archive
Little by little, the Switch has become the home of RPGs of this style, and we have Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy as two important pillars to make this statement.
Live a Live: Seven stories, seven ways to experience an RPG in different ways
Starting with the fact that I was completely ignorant of the existence of this title, I would like to start with the fact that there is something that the game does and that, at least for now, I do not remember what other RPG-type games did: explore the genre differently in terms of core mechanics that have already been imposed throughout the years.
For example, with certain characters it is impossible to fight. Even if you want to, you shouldn’t because history demands it. you’re supposed to be a ninja Y you must avoid being seen at all costsso the fights are important to avoid… so, more or less there goes how those types of situations change depending on the story you address.
I could say that the one from prehistory is my favorite because of the limitations of the language. Image: Square Enix
That’s right: you’ll have seven different stories you can play, all based on a historical period with characters that are played differently and that have very specific motivations, but that “in the end”, they all connect in some way.
Yes, my jean is called Calvin Klein. Image: Square Enix
If the above sounds familiar to you, it is because the same goes for Octopath Traveler, where the stories connect very discreetly so you can have a “whole” at the same time, and that’s fine. I can say that the way this all flows is amazing and perfect for people who want to try an RPG but don’t have that much time. Perhaps the only drawback with this recommendation for a first-timer lies in its combat system.because as we told you, it is a game from more than 20 years ago.
A journey through the ages
If there is something that we must recognize yes or yes, it is the excellent work that has been done for the scenarios. As we mentioned in previous paragraphs, the game has different stories, with characters that are played in a unique way and, of course, set in a specific period of time:
Prehistory: We will accompany a caveman to a story before the existence of language… of course
Imperial Chinese: How is the legacy of a martial art transferred? find out this time
Edo era: You will know what the real Shinobi of Japan were
The old wild west: THE BEST STORY IN THE GAME. Basically a full-fledged western story
Present time: A fighter who pursues his dreams of being the best in the world
Next future: A troubled guy who finds out there’s something dark going on in the world…
Distant future: The future of the Earth depends on a robot… cleaning and maintenance
As you can see, Live a Live poses different seemingly unrelated situations nor are they connected to anything, but in the end, you will see that everything is connected in one way or another.
He will fight! Image: Square Enix
Years go by in the game, and unfortunately, also in real life
maybe the only critical section of Live a Live is its combat system. As a fan of the genre and as a person addicted to it, I can’t complain so much because my tastes are focused on other things (such as art or musical arrangements), however, one of the biggest sins of Live a Live Maybe it’s his combat system.
It’s not bad, in fact, in part it reminds us a bit of what Fire Emblem has done with it. grid or grid system, and here it feels pretty good… If we go back 28 years, in the era of the Super Nintendo, when it was originally released. For many, the turn system and the fact that you can “lose” the opportunity to act by taking so long can become a disadvantage, but if you still decide to face it, you will be in for a very pleasant surprise.
It is not a bad system, it is very well explained, it even indicates the weaknesses of the enemies, but surely some will not like the dynamics of the action bar. Image: Square Enix
Live a Live is a sample that many games that didn’t make it out of Japan have a new chance to shine in modern times. It’s a quality game, well, and it doesn’t necessarily require you 80 hours to enjoy it, in fact, I dare to say that if you do 25 or 30 hours of gameplay in total exploring in depth the different scenarios, it’s a respectable duration.
Give one of Squaresoft’s gems a try, now that they’re available to wear.
Qualification: 8.5/10
live to live
Year: 2022
developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Nintendo
Revised version: switch
Launch: July 22, 2022