Live A Live PC review - A well-optimized release of a classic Super Famicom RPG

Live A Live is a classic JRPG that was released in 1994 for the Super Famicom and, until last year, never came to the West. Despite never releasing outside of Japan, the game developed a cult following over the years. Many played it through alternative means - thanks to fan translations. However, the game finally came to the Nintendo Switch after nearly two decades.

A fantastic release, it brought the unique RPG to a brand-new audience. Both Takashi Tokita, one of the original developers, and Yoko Shimomura came back for this remake. The former produced the title while the latter composed it.

Many gamers are no doubt familiar with Yoko Shimomura’s work before, as she composed for both Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts. When it comes to JRPGs, only a handful are as unique and special as Live A Live.

It’s a game that I originally played back in the late 90s and then again on the Switch. Now that the JRPG is coming to both PC and PlayStation, I recently took a look at the PC version. For those that missed out on the game in its previous releases, don’t miss out on it this time.

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Live A Live brings a classic RPG back to a new audience

While it is not the first great game not to come to the West initially, Live A Live is special when it comes to JRPGs, without a doubt. Most titles in this genre at the time focused on either one character or a few party members and mapped their various struggles throughout a particular world or time period.

Then there was Takashi Tokita’s Live A Live. You play across seven chapters of human history, ranging from prehistory to the far-off future. Each of these characters’ stories varied in length and in gameplay style. These narratives focused on different figures and their unique struggles.

While the stories don’t appear to be connected in this roleplaying game, the main protagonist of each chapter has something familiar - a version or variation of the name “Odio.” This is because the final chapter focuses on this particular character, though I won’t spoil how or why this takes place.

I love how different each story was, though. For example, 'Modern Day' in Live A Live is a short narrative that is incredibly told. The gameplay is a combination of Street Fighter 2 and Mega Man but done in a turn-based RPG. Players have to run a gauntlet of powerful fighters. If they know what to do, they can learn powerful fighting techniques from each foe, other than the final boss.

Conversely, you have the 'Twilight of Edo' in Live A Live, which is more of a stealth gameplay experience akin to Metal Gear. In this instance, players are sneaking around a massive castle, where you can avoid basically every fight in the entire situation.

Although the name of the game is supposed to be stealth, you can definitely choose to kill people. Or, you could start with 'Far Future,' where you control an adorable robot, or in 'Imperial China,' where you have to pick a worthy disciple to carry on your martial arts style.

This setting has almost no combat, and while lengthy, it is very much a story-driven, emotional experience. That’s what makes Live A Live unique, as I stated in my original review.

Live A Live’s combat is fun and easy to exploit

One of the most important parts of a turn-based JRPG is how good the combat is. Thankfully, Live A Live’s grid combat system is an incredibly fun one. You have a wide-open grid, and the combatants are spread out across it.

Each time a character moves or takes an action, the turn meter for other characters will fill up. It’s a neat take on a stamina system, but it can be exploited. If the enemies don’t have attacks that can reach you, they will either do nothing or try to get closer. You can use this to your advantage in several battles.

In addition, for random encounters and bosses alike, if you defeat the “leader” enemy, all the minion enemies will die instantly. This makes grinding in certain areas incredibly easy - such as in the 'Near Future.'

I appreciate that the larger characters have multiple tiles you can hit them on, which can make some fights a little easier. If you have ranged attacks and your opponent does not, such as in 'Modern Day,' you can easily move at a distance and defeat a boss without taking any damage at all.

The visuals and music are fantastic in this well-optimized game

I do not hide the fact that I simply adore Yoko Shimomura’s soundtrack. “Go! Go! Steel Titan!” and “Megalomania” are among my all-time favorite tracks in any RPG, period. While the soundtrack is amazing, each chapter’s music is a bit on the limited side. You’ll hear a lot of a particular song in each chapter. It’s not unbearable, but it is worth pointing out.

The visuals look sharp on PC as well. There was no lag or slowdown either in Live A Live. PC gamers have had to deal with some pretty poorly optimized games in the past few months, but take heart - this is not one of them. I didn’t notice any particular issues in either department. The load times were also quite decent.

In Conclusion

Live A Live is honestly a game that doesn’t get nearly enough credit for what it’s done for the JRPG genre. This game offered something new and fresh, and unfortunately, it didn’t come to America at that time. However, it’s here now on PC, and it’s worth a playthrough even after all these years later.

It’s an incredibly emotional experience, and each chapter of the game plays differently from the rest. Combat is easy to get into, the visuals are sharp, and perhaps best of all, it’s well-optimized. From professional wrestling to wild west shootouts, Live a Live has it all.