Live A Live delivers unique, though inconsistent, RPG storytelling

digitaltrends.com:

Live A Live was originally a Super Famicom game released in 1994 that never made its way out of Japan until now. Remade in a new visual style similar to that of Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, Live a Live is a beautiful game, but it’s not without some inconsistencies.

In our preview, I was allowed to play as four of the seven characters. Each character has its own chapter story and even some unique gameplay mechanics. However, Live A Live’s first impressions will strongly depend on which character you decide to play first. If you’re not enjoying a particular character’s story, then that might set the wrong expectations going forward for other characters. My first four adventures in Live A Live were filled with both highs and lows. Here’s a recap.

At the character select screen, you’re presented with seven different characters across vastly different time periods ranging from the dawn of history to the far reaches of the spacefaring future. By just simply picking one of them, you experience their own personal story with unique gameplay mechanics. I chose Shinobi’s story first and it was definitely the strongest one in terms of gameplay. Here, you play as a shinobi on a rescue mission.

He must traverse through a big castle area filled with traps and enemies. The castle is much bigger than I initially thought, with multiple hidden paths to uncover. It was a lot of fun trying to find certain keys scattered throughout the castle in order to get to the top. The Shinobi also has the option to avoid regular enemy encounters, and if he gets into a situation, he can pull up an invisible cloak to hide from enemies.

There’s even a counter for the number of lives taken, which the Shinobi updates every time he finishes a