Live A Live Review - A Classic JRPG That Belongs In The Modern Era

thegamer.com:

Live A Live is simultaneously ahead of its time and rigidly stuck in the past. It abides by so many familiar JRPG conventions while subverting them at every turn, allowing us to indulge in the narratives of each individual character in so many distinct ways. Each one controls, attacks, and speaks differently, with unique mechanics available in each timeline to ensure the otherwise familiar experience never once grows derivative. What a weird game this is.

Its archaic outlook on story progression and navigation frustrates, which haven't really been updated much despite the gorgeous pixel presentation. You’ll backtrack loads, spam through repetitive dialogue, and wander aimlessly in search of your next objective much of the time, but Live A Live’s more triumphant moments are so unexpectedly delightful that these niggles are easy to forgive. After almost three decades locked away in Japan, this forgotten classic has finally found a way to greet the rest of the world, and I’m so glad it’s been given the chance to shine. No longer are we confined by fan translations, this is the real deal.

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Live A Live’s premise is a doozy to explain. It’s a game that has you choosing between eight distinct characters from across history that each tell their own individual story, however these will eventually intercept in fascinating ways while still standing proudly on their own.

Here’s a list of the full cast, ranging from handsome cowboys to chaotic cave children to professional wrestlers. I christened them all John Cena, because the Doctor of Thuganomics isn’t being confined by the lowly concepts of time or gender:

Live A Live is a cumbersome game to review because