Live A Live is a curious expertise. It initially launched again in 1994 solely in Japan and the Super Famicom, but has picked up a cult following within the subsequent years because of its premise and the myriad concepts it dropped at the desk. Now, within the 12 months 2022 Square Enix has introduced its creation to the worldwide plenty within the HD-2D engine no much less. The query is: does it maintain the take a look at of time? 

In essence, Live a Live is a set of mini-stories that span throughout a spread of time durations and areas. You begin the sport with the selection of enterprise a number of chapters, any of which you can begin, put down, and returned to together with your progress saved. It’s a really useful function. These chapters span from pre-history all the way in which to the distant future – our private favorite.

Each interval comes with its personal story and slight modifications to the gameplay construction, thanks to every character’s particular capacity. In the close to future, for instance, your character can learn minds, which impacts each the gameplay and story.

Chapters range when it comes to linearity too. Some focus purely on story, funnelling you down a linear path, whereas others are extra open. These chapters encourage exploration and, as is typical of a JRPG of this technology: grinding. The pacing isn’t all the time good, but it surely does all result in a satisfying conclusion within the later chapters.

One factor that does keep constant, although, is the fight, with every chapter utilizing the identical turn-based grid system. There are a number of variations although – notably within the levelling system. Some chapters you’re blessed with all the talents you’ll ever want, whereas in others you begin from the underside and work up from nothing. In the case of the Imperial China chapter, it’s somewhat of each.

If there’s one half Live A Live completely nails on all counts it’s the presentation and music. The sound design throughout the board is stupendous, and I usually discovered myself buzzing tunes and melodies hours after we’ve got put the sport down. It additionally does a fantastic job of grounding you into every chapter’s theme. The HD-2D visuals are implausible, too with every world filled with character and visible aptitude – it’s a selected deal with for people who personal the OLED. 

However, it’s not all excellent news, and whereas the sport’s innovation nonetheless shines in 2022, there’s a little bit of creakiness inherent with a recreation that’s almost 30 years outdated. You can die and lose a great deal of progress to an inconsistent checkpoint system. In the worst instances, it’s a must to sit by means of the cutscene earlier than a boss battle with no approach of skipping it. Over, and over once more.

Overall although, we really feel Live A Live delivers. Bringing again such an outdated recreation isn’t straightforward and making one with so many concepts really feel related in 2022 is a tricky feat. But Live A Live does a great job of modernising this misplaced recreation and ensuring an entire new viewers can expertise it. If you’re keen on JRPGS or HD-2D Live A Live may have one thing for you, or if you’re on the lookout for one thing totally different with a singular story you’ll be completely satisfied right here. At instances it may be irritating in its older recreation design and infrequently somewhat straightforward however on the finish of the day it by no means stops being fascinating.