Live A Live Preview: A Classic JRPG Like No Other

thegamer.com:

Live A Live is unlike anything I’ve played before. Despite growing up on a steady diet of JRPGs, the first I ever heard of this forgotten classic was when the remake was announced a few short months ago. Hardcore fans couldn’t believe it, with the game having never been released outside of Japan. For years they’d settled for fan translations, but now they weren’t just getting a long-awaited port, but a comprehensive remake.

Sporting the same HD-pixel aesthetic as Octopath Traveller and Triangle Strategy, this gorgeous revival is far more than a simple conversion onto new hardware. It’s a bold, beautiful, and immersive journey through eight distinct storylines each filled with unexpected twists and turns. Any of these campaigns could justifiably support an entire game of their own, but Live A Live weaves them into a singular narrative that both subverts the genre while daring to push it forward. But is it worth playing today?

Related: Leaving Genshin Impact Behind Was The Best Decision I Ever Made

JRPGs are no stranger to following several characters across different locations as the narrative moves forward. Contemporary greats like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Persona 5 feature huge ensembles coming from disparate backgrounds, with distinct motivations that eventually intertwine with the main character as they work together in pursuit of a common cause. We see new parts of the world from unique perspectives that allow us to empathise with the finished party, and so many games are that much stronger for taking their time and letting us drink in their world building and lore at our own pace.

Live A Live goes against so many of these conventions, and I love to think about what the genre would be like nowadays if this game