►► Thanks for watching! I haven't done a 'new' game review in a while. How do you feel about me doing these? Would you like to see more new, no nonsense game reviews like this? ► I'll be LIVE ON TWITCH right as you see this! Come join the stream as I keep working on the games for the next new videos! 👀👀🚨🚨👀👀 twitch.tv/projared ►► In case you missed it, the review video for FINAL FANTASY XII is also live! -- ruclips.net/video/-9bgw5T26hk/видео.html ► Also be sure to check out my WEEKLY series, Now in the 90s! New episodes every single Friday right here on the channel! -- ruclips.net/video/Eyq6N8RBn4c/видео.html ►► Did you play Live a Live? Which chapter ended up being your favorite? ► Don't forget, I have *DAILY* gameplay videos over on the second channel! -- ruclips.net/user/projaredplays ►► Thanks for watching and for all of your support!
@@Barkit Yes it's the same game with of course updated graphics, voice acting and a few changes here and there so its deffinetly not required to have played the original to appreciate it.
Glad to see you uploading a lot more between your normal reviews and Now in the 90s. Always a pleasure watching you talk about RPGs after all these years
Thanks for shouting out the voice acting. Everyone on the English cast genuinely did an incredible job. I never played the original, but the whole game, especially the soundtrack and stories, absolutely blew me away.
There are so many games that if you don't know the story, you won't know what your going to expect. I agree with you. Those who work more than play games want to know the game more before they move on to whatever is next.
This was such a good game back on the super famicom, and even now with this version is so good. I am glad it finally is in the hands of people outside of japan now
Okay. I kinda wanted this game due to the "finally being released" part, but now I must pick it up. Any game that has the "deserves not to be spoiled" tag is generally well worth it.
I never thought this game would ever get an international release let alone a remake. Not only that, but Front Mission is also getting a remake, and Trials of Mana got a great remake. This not only makes me happy, but hopeful for other japan only RPGs to get similiar treatment. It would amazing to get a remake of Bahamut Lagoon, Treasure of the Rudras, or Treasure Hunter J as they're wonderful RPGs that sadly never came out of Japan.
Jared can sell any game to me. His reviews are so honest and detailed. I was on the fence about this one because I actually played the translation of it many many moons ago. But this was just enough to nudge me off the fence. I'm going to dive deep into this game eventually. Thanks Jared!
I played this game after playing Chrono Trigger and FFVI and searching for any other gems on the SNES. The first part with the robot was very atmospheric, this video has convinced me to finally finish it.
I keep being surprised when people call Triangle Strategy's voice acting or direction bad or bland. To me it felt like a Period Piece, with everyone having a certain composure to them, and when things got intense the characters got this deeper, more gruff tension to their voices. I personally liked the composure and controlled, somewhat archaic, speech that everyone had.
I recall watching the region locked episode and having such a desire to play it, now that I bought it and finally played it through, I am very happy. I just finished Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne and went for the complete ending and that ended up being a 90+ hour play through and I needed this game after that chore. This was so refreshing and fun, and the final chapters have no right to go as hard as they did, but they got my feels up a bit. Good review, Jared!
I'm so so so so SOOOO happy this game got a remaster! I've been fascinated by the original for years, even though I admit I never got far in it... so to see it get this beautiful remaster, and be what I think is the best-looking HD-2D game so far, I was overjoyed. And then I played it... and it became one of my FAVOURITE games ever! Sure, it's simplistic, more so than it appears, and yet it can also be a little obtuse once or twice, but for the most part, it's awesome start-to-finish. I genuinely can't think of a chapter I didn't at least like, and it's so cool to see how they basically took a standard SNES RPG gameplay loop, and recontextualised it 7 different times. And that ending, without spoiling, was so much more impactful than I ever anticipated... I really really want people to give this game a chance. It finally got the worldwide release it always deserved! (Also Jared didn't mention it, but you can fight Hulk Hogan in this game. That's all I'm gonna say.)
I haven't finished the game during my childhood SNES era or even now but what you've said is pretty accurate to what I remembered. Some chapters are fun, some are confusing, it's hard to make an overall review of it cause it's like 7 games in one title.
I loved this game with the fan translation, back in the old days, and honestly, this is just the perfected version of an already fun and original experience. So happy that this once obscure gem now finally gets a chance to get some more widespread love. I only worry that being released so close to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is going to leave it deeply overshadowed.
I think more Jrpgs can greatly benefit from shorter length stories instead of dragging them to 40-60 hours, thats what i loved about the game the most.
Just finished playing through this game. Loved it. While the characters aren’t super deep, the story itself is interesting, and the combat is still fun.
I've always loved your game reviews, both the no-nonsense ones and the more lighthearted ones. If you like making them, I'd absolutely be down for more!
Appreciate that little jab at Triangle Strategy. I downloaded the demo for it because the gameplay looked fun, but the voice acting made me delete it. It was so painful. I still have only played the demo for this game as well, but I enjoyed it so much more and plan to pick up the full game when I have the chance. As someone that doesn’t get a lot of time to play games, even with the mobility of the Switch, having some smaller, self contained stories just means that I can enjoy it with the little play time that I get.
Thank you for pronouncing the title correctly. I've seen quite a few reviewers pronouncing "Live" as in "I Live Here", and not "Live" as in "We're Live, Folks!"
To be fair, there was no official pronunciation until the Direct. Liv-alive is what most people used as the pronunciation. It sounds way better than "Lyve-a-lyve," anyways.
Loved the review Jared! Really like your reviews and this one is no exception. Kinda wish you would still have a spoiler section since I would love to hear your thoughts on it more indeep.
I have been really enjoying the game, I personally really like Imperial China, Near Future, and distant future the most. Currently enjoying the desserts and wow, is all I will say. Can't believe Jared didn't comment on the soundtrack, the music in this game is fucking amazing, and the boss battle music is one of the best boss battle tunes ever imo.
I just wrapped up getting all of the endings and it felt incredible to revisit this amazing game! I had to import the soundtrack from CDJapan before the game released. This, Legend of Mana, and Parasite Eve are Yoko Shimomura's best soundtracks, in my opinion.
Spoiler warning for anybody who clicks to see the replies without due caution. Is one of those endings acquired by completing the final scenario with everybody? Because fun as the game was, I found the final scenario to be rather tedious (mainly because of fighting the same enemies in just about every area for the hours it took to complete). And while I do plan on also beating it with Oersted at some point at the very least (my first run was with Oboromaru), I've been wondering if there's any reason to go for 100%. Ideally without actually looking into it on a FAQ or anything, since that could lead to undesired spoilers.
I'm guilty of only wanting Live a Live to sell well because I want SE to remake Treasures of the Rudras. If we can get that game looking this good then that'll be the best retro revival
I say, we need more Japane3se exclusive games that were released back on the golden era to be re-released, remake or not, with full English translation, cause it's a great oportunity for Square show their other games besides Final Fantasy they made to the Western audience, all studios should do it, I especially looking at you, big N. If you want to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, okay.
As someone who played the original I can attest to this remake being a worthwhile purchase. My only complaints are usually negated by something that more makes up for them: >The voice acting is wonky in places - the oddest one being the world's most British Cowboy - but the overall quality is exceptionally better than I'd have expected. >Cutscenes are a bit slowed down by the voice acting and additional animations, but are also now completely skippable. >Combat is definitely easier than in the original since you don't have to guess-and-check weaknesses and can see HP totals from the start, but the charge bars mitigate a lot of the more aggressive forms of bullshit the game used to throw at the player. Special note that Jared didn't mention: the soundtrack is fantastic. Even the worst music in the game (the Near Future's rather aimless and awkwardly busy town and battle themes) sound significantly better with the addition of sax, and a lot of songs that were otherwise a bit forgettable absolutely slap.
I remember playing the translation back in the days and while I could understand what was going on, I couldn't understand the battle system... as such, I didn't progress and gave up on it. Fast forward to this game's release on Switch and I'm now into endgame and I have to say : this game makes me wish for a sequel or a spinoff. Some would say maybe look into Saga Frontier which, admitedly, has vibes ressembling Live A Live... but really, I'd like to see this battle system expanded upon, as is the idea of having separate tales of the likes, maybe some of them coming together for a time then splitting again. And I have to say, Live A Live has one of the best boss theme out there... it's no wonder it was the inspiration for Undertale's Megalovania 😄
I'm glad to hear that you recommend this, I've been a fan of the original for years and when I heard about a remake months back I was Ecstatic! But then I saw the price tag of £35 and I knew for a fact it was a short game, unless they added extra content which didn't seem like it, and I wasn't sure whether it would be worth playing compared to playing the original. But I'm glad you enjoyed your playthrough I'll more likely give it a go now
There are some very nice QOL fixes/adjustments. Other than that, there's a semi secret final ending/boss added. But you are correct, there wasn't much added.
Fun fact, this game, Live Alive, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are actually connected. They came out within the same week, but actually share a continuity. Want to see? Watch this. Live Alive -> Chrono Trigger (spiritual successor) -> Xenogears (Lavos = Deus + XG was planned to be a CT sequel) -> Xenosaga (rewrite of all of Xenogears and it's lore, failed before it could be completed) -> Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Kos-Mos lands of a primordial Alrest at the end of XS3 and turns into a blade due to her evolutionary matter being dissolved and absorbed by nanomachines son!) -> Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (semi-sequel to Xenoblades 1 and 2, but only the fanservicy epilogue DLC expansion which will definitely happen is actually canon. Mio is the daughter of Nia from Xenoblade 2, Noah is Rein and Sharla's son, Lanz is the machina kid NPC from Hidden Village is XB1)
I was looking through RPG titles on SNES that only came out in Japan. This was one of those that interested me just on the idea alone. Was about to get a reproduction just to try it out when I saw that Nintendo direct. An English remake? Heck ya I’ll wait for that! As of this post I am still doing my first play through, but I know what Jared is talking about. Yes I was a fool and read up on the full game. Don’t do that if you’re interested! The ending is worth it! This would have been cool to play back in the day, but glad I’m able to get to now 😊 it’s a story of heroes, that’s all you’ll want to know going in
It's great to see a lot of old square soft remakes coming out this year.if they are all with this level of care put into them. Then this will a great year for retro fans.
This was one game that I saw and wanted to play it, even the demo was great. Never knew that this was a remake so I'm glad fans of the old can have fun with it and can show newer fans what they missed
I don't know how it's, "totally worth your time.", while also having easy battles, no stories long enough to feel like a real RPG, simplistic systems, and bad stat screens.
I don’t throw around the word “masterpiece” very often, but Live A Live EASILY earns that grade! The Space chapter alone would be worth the price of admission, imo, but there is so much more!
I picked this up alongside Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and I’m waiting to play Live A Live until I’m done with that, but I am so excited to play it. Maybe I’ll take a break from XBC3 to play through this one since it’s so short…
ireally hope this game sells well so square can release some of their other snes hidden gems like bahamut lagoon or treasure hunter g. even though they arent amazing, i do feel like going with a remake like this, would bring out their best quality, and maybe, cut some of the problems.
Seeing some reviewers complain that it isn't like a "traditional" JRPG makes me wish people understood everything besides the "J" part of that acronym. Because L-A-L isn't a final fantasy derivative.....it's the video game equivalent of tabletop night with your friends and you try a couple of one-shots of various games. Yes, there is a core backbone there, but each one has its subtleties and mechanics to consider. And each story is written differently, with your player interactions and choices being different too. Seriously, think of how different it would be to do a caveman RPG where you can't use words, only grunts and scribbles. Or an RPG where your character is getting old and needs to "train" your new character, which gets a mix of skills and bonuses both from their background but also the training. Lot of potential there! ANd yes, the "dessert" was so much fun, and it even has its own little mechanical differences depending on some other choices you made! They really went above and beyond with it!
Great review! The shorter, self contained chapters and not too deep combat system makes me really want to try Live A Live out, despite not really being into RPG's.
Glad to hear they pulled it off. Hopefully this sells decently so we can get some of the other previously Japan-only Square back catalog. Bahamut Lagoon, please!
I finally got around to playing this and just beat the game. I absolutely loved the whole thing, but unfortunately I knew some of the spoilers from an old video you had uploaded about the fan translation. That video was what made me so excited to see this game remade. After playing through the remake, I wanted to watch through that old video again, but I couldn't find it. Did you take it down, or do I have a severe case of the Mandella effect?
Man this game has been on my backlog for over a decade by now, I'm honestly glad I never got around to it until I picked up Switch port; I'll give up any (ANY) body part not required to play the game if they'll do an HD2D remake of Rudra no Hihou.
Interesting. I was on the fence about this game, and I think you have sold me! Considering the video game I'm working on also has several characters to pick from with their own chapters and is also an RPG I wonder if I could find some inspiration. Thanks for the review Jared!
I honestly really want To try this game-only problem? The localizers changed quite a few of the lines for seemingly no reason other than they could-it’s sadly another case of American localizers using their position to change the original creators context-only because they could. In one or two cases it changes how a character comes off to the player….
I have played so far only the Edo Japan chapter and, to be honest, the combat required smart thinking and smart placement of the hero and ally. I did not find the gameplay mechanics too easy, at all.
I have to disagree on the gauntlet fight in Imperial China. I know it's a spoiler but the reasons and motivation to start the gauntlet felt very satisfying to me.
God, I loved this game back when it was just the fan translation...and I still love it now Seriously, if you haven't played it, I implore you to do so...whether the Super Famicom original with the fan translation, or the remake!
Third favorite game of all time and the biggest part of why that is is the "dessert" you mentioned and is spoilers. I'm going to buy the game eventually even though I don't own a Switch, I love it that much.
Yeah, the combat is not deep but I would say the story and the gimmicks of each chapter are the strongest aspects of this game, just worth playing for those, it's a really fun game
And the final chapter is a blast. Easily the best part of the game. Too bad what it entails is a massive spoiler so we can't openly talk about it. A lot of the starting chapters were hit or miss but the last two chapters hit it out of the park.
While I've heard of this game since the SNES days, I hadn't played it until this release. It's crazy how each chapter has an excellent story that's better than 95% of games today. My favorite is cube's chapter.
►► Thanks for watching! I haven't done a 'new' game review in a while. How do you feel about me doing these? Would you like to see more new, no nonsense game reviews like this?
► I'll be LIVE ON TWITCH right as you see this! Come join the stream as I keep working on the games for the next new videos! 👀👀🚨🚨👀👀 twitch.tv/projared
►► In case you missed it, the review video for FINAL FANTASY XII is also live! -- ruclips.net/video/-9bgw5T26hk/видео.html
► Also be sure to check out my WEEKLY series, Now in the 90s! New episodes every single Friday right here on the channel! -- ruclips.net/video/Eyq6N8RBn4c/видео.html
►► Did you play Live a Live? Which chapter ended up being your favorite?
► Don't forget, I have *DAILY* gameplay videos over on the second channel! -- ruclips.net/user/projaredplays
►► Thanks for watching and for all of your support!
This is the content I signed up for man thanks!! 🙏🏻
Whoah, I thought you were going to give it an 8/10. Now I gotta try it.
Love your reviews man! This was so good, hope to see more of these ^_^
Would love to see a fuller spoiler version, but for this title this was perfect actually!
Not exactly the meat and potatoes of your channel, but still worth showing up for.
This game is best going in blind. This is the perfect review, Jared!
I didnt even knew the name of this game, i will play it for the first time with 0 knowledge
This or octopath
Would I still enjoy the game without having played the original at all?
@@Barkit Yes it's the same game with of course updated graphics, voice acting and a few changes here and there so its deffinetly not required to have played the original to appreciate it.
@@jasondp3546 this
Glad to see such a great game finally get the love it deserves. I especially love the new art style of pixel characters and more detailed environments
Glad to see you uploading a lot more between your normal reviews and Now in the 90s. Always a pleasure watching you talk about RPGs after all these years
Thanks for shouting out the voice acting. Everyone on the English cast genuinely did an incredible job. I never played the original, but the whole game, especially the soundtrack and stories, absolutely blew me away.
This game deserves NOT to be spoiled. It's that good trust me.
I'm getting this game on the basis of this comment alone.
Are there any games that do deserve to be spoiled?
There are so many games that if you don't know the story, you won't know what your going to expect. I agree with you. Those who work more than play games want to know the game more before they move on to whatever is next.
Well, if is an Vaporeon telling me, so it's true.
@@silvermoon2608 Games that don’t deserve to be played.
This game introduced me to my new favorite boss fight music ever. Every end chapter fight is always the hypest parts for me!
Yeah, I love Megalomania! It’s a god damn rave party!
So good it indirectly inspired arguably the most famous boss fight music ever
The boss music is so god damned good, I crank up the volume every time it starts.
Its yoko shimumura! She also did super mario rpg and many others!!
@@093Megamanthe original Live A Live was actually her first project after joining Square.
This was such a good game back on the super famicom, and even now with this version is so good. I am glad it finally is in the hands of people outside of japan now
Okay. I kinda wanted this game due to the "finally being released" part, but now I must pick it up.
Any game that has the "deserves not to be spoiled" tag is generally well worth it.
SO glad to see Live a Live is getting so much attention now. I REALLY want to play this, everyone's saying it's great. Thanks for the review.
I never thought this game would ever get an international release let alone a remake. Not only that, but Front Mission is also getting a remake, and Trials of Mana got a great remake. This not only makes me happy, but hopeful for other japan only RPGs to get similiar treatment. It would amazing to get a remake of Bahamut Lagoon, Treasure of the Rudras, or Treasure Hunter J as they're wonderful RPGs that sadly never came out of Japan.
I would really love to see Treasure of the Rudras redone in this style.
i just love the end sequence of the near Future setting
it is so over the top that it is just amazing
I really liked near futures arc. I also did like distant future and wild west.
Jared can sell any game to me. His reviews are so honest and detailed. I was on the fence about this one because I actually played the translation of it many many moons ago. But this was just enough to nudge me off the fence. I'm going to dive deep into this game eventually. Thanks Jared!
Agreed I will be playing this next I am so excited to play it !!
Only in rpgs
I played this game after playing Chrono Trigger and FFVI and searching for any other gems on the SNES. The first part with the robot was very atmospheric, this video has convinced me to finally finish it.
The VODs are still up if want to see Jared play through this. The ending was really something else.
The spaceship chapter has a good scifi horror vibe to it
so much tension despite having no combat
Great review! I would love to see more videos like this, I think it balances really nicely with your other more humor focused ones
Great review Jared. I was on the fence on this one, and you've pushed me to pick it up. I'm very excited to play it now
Absolutely fantastic game. I played the original years ago when I was really young and man it lives up to what I remember of it
After beating this game just recently, I officially put this as my all time favorite RPG/JRPG
I downloaded the demo and started with Cube's story. I fell in love with Cube and new I needed the game.
damn bro, you attracted a bot
@@wi11ow8 i mean they did mention a robot in the comment itself
Very nice review.
I really like those 'new game reviews'. Always good to see new content from your channel. Simple, but full of information.
I keep being surprised when people call Triangle Strategy's voice acting or direction bad or bland.
To me it felt like a Period Piece, with everyone having a certain composure to them, and when things got intense the characters got this deeper, more gruff tension to their voices.
I personally liked the composure and controlled, somewhat archaic, speech that everyone had.
Many RPG fans seem to hate everything that's not a 100% stereotypical anime voice dub.
@@Mystemo true. Apparently they think everythings needs to be over the top like a shonen story
I really hope this means more classics will be getting the "HD 2D" treatment. Chrono Trigger would look fantastic in this style.
I recall watching the region locked episode and having such a desire to play it, now that I bought it and finally played it through, I am very happy. I just finished Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne and went for the complete ending and that ended up being a 90+ hour play through and I needed this game after that chore. This was so refreshing and fun, and the final chapters have no right to go as hard as they did, but they got my feels up a bit. Good review, Jared!
I'm so so so so SOOOO happy this game got a remaster! I've been fascinated by the original for years, even though I admit I never got far in it... so to see it get this beautiful remaster, and be what I think is the best-looking HD-2D game so far, I was overjoyed. And then I played it... and it became one of my FAVOURITE games ever! Sure, it's simplistic, more so than it appears, and yet it can also be a little obtuse once or twice, but for the most part, it's awesome start-to-finish. I genuinely can't think of a chapter I didn't at least like, and it's so cool to see how they basically took a standard SNES RPG gameplay loop, and recontextualised it 7 different times. And that ending, without spoiling, was so much more impactful than I ever anticipated... I really really want people to give this game a chance. It finally got the worldwide release it always deserved!
(Also Jared didn't mention it, but you can fight Hulk Hogan in this game. That's all I'm gonna say.)
I was really looking forward to your review man I swear I waited this time for your review before buying a damn game. Thanks man! 🙏🏻
I haven't finished the game during my childhood SNES era or even now but what you've said is pretty accurate to what I remembered. Some chapters are fun, some are confusing, it's hard to make an overall review of it cause it's like 7 games in one title.
I loved this game with the fan translation, back in the old days, and honestly, this is just the perfected version of an already fun and original experience. So happy that this once obscure gem now finally gets a chance to get some more widespread love. I only worry that being released so close to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is going to leave it deeply overshadowed.
I think more Jrpgs can greatly benefit from shorter length stories instead of dragging them to 40-60 hours, thats what i loved about the game the most.
Disagree fully...more bang for ur buck is always better
Just finished playing through this game. Loved it. While the characters aren’t super deep, the story itself is interesting, and the combat is still fun.
I've always loved your game reviews, both the no-nonsense ones and the more lighthearted ones. If you like making them, I'd absolutely be down for more!
Good job taking this approach with Live A Live. Ayup, might seek this out sooner or later. Whole game is just ton of fun.
Appreciate that little jab at Triangle Strategy. I downloaded the demo for it because the gameplay looked fun, but the voice acting made me delete it. It was so painful.
I still have only played the demo for this game as well, but I enjoyed it so much more and plan to pick up the full game when I have the chance. As someone that doesn’t get a lot of time to play games, even with the mobility of the Switch, having some smaller, self contained stories just means that I can enjoy it with the little play time that I get.
This is sick! I just bought the game after watching Jared play it on stream, looking forward to seeing all the endings!
I bought it because of the HD-2D style, without knowing it was a super famicom game from 1994, and I LOVE IT, A "MUST HAVE" IN YOUR LIBRARY OF GAMES.
Glad to see these chill reviews back.
Not everything has to be a main series episode
Thank you for pronouncing the title correctly.
I've seen quite a few reviewers pronouncing "Live" as in "I Live Here", and not "Live" as in "We're Live, Folks!"
To be fair, there was no official pronunciation until the Direct. Liv-alive is what most people used as the pronunciation. It sounds way better than "Lyve-a-lyve," anyways.
Loved the review Jared! Really like your reviews and this one is no exception. Kinda wish you would still have a spoiler section since I would love to hear your thoughts on it more indeep.
I have been really enjoying the game, I personally really like Imperial China, Near Future, and distant future the most. Currently enjoying the desserts and wow, is all I will say. Can't believe Jared didn't comment on the soundtrack, the music in this game is fucking amazing, and the boss battle music is one of the best boss battle tunes ever imo.
I just wrapped up getting all of the endings and it felt incredible to revisit this amazing game! I had to import the soundtrack from CDJapan before the game released. This, Legend of Mana, and Parasite Eve are Yoko Shimomura's best soundtracks, in my opinion.
Bowser's Inside Story...
@@ogre589 Another incredible album!
Spoiler warning for anybody who clicks to see the replies without due caution.
Is one of those endings acquired by completing the final scenario with everybody? Because fun as the game was, I found the final scenario to be rather tedious (mainly because of fighting the same enemies in just about every area for the hours it took to complete). And while I do plan on also beating it with Oersted at some point at the very least (my first run was with Oboromaru), I've been wondering if there's any reason to go for 100%. Ideally without actually looking into it on a FAQ or anything, since that could lead to undesired spoilers.
I'm guilty of only wanting Live a Live to sell well because I want SE to remake Treasures of the Rudras. If we can get that game looking this good then that'll be the best retro revival
That would be incredible
I say, we need more Japane3se exclusive games that were released back on the golden era to be re-released, remake or not, with full English translation, cause it's a great oportunity for Square show their other games besides Final Fantasy they made to the Western audience, all studios should do it, I especially looking at you, big N.
If you want to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, okay.
Great to see Jared review one of my favorites!
As someone who played the original I can attest to this remake being a worthwhile purchase.
My only complaints are usually negated by something that more makes up for them:
>The voice acting is wonky in places - the oddest one being the world's most British Cowboy - but the overall quality is exceptionally better than I'd have expected.
>Cutscenes are a bit slowed down by the voice acting and additional animations, but are also now completely skippable.
>Combat is definitely easier than in the original since you don't have to guess-and-check weaknesses and can see HP totals from the start, but the charge bars mitigate a lot of the more aggressive forms of bullshit the game used to throw at the player.
Special note that Jared didn't mention: the soundtrack is fantastic. Even the worst music in the game (the Near Future's rather aimless and awkwardly busy town and battle themes) sound significantly better with the addition of sax, and a lot of songs that were otherwise a bit forgettable absolutely slap.
I remember playing the translation back in the days and while I could understand what was going on, I couldn't understand the battle system... as such, I didn't progress and gave up on it.
Fast forward to this game's release on Switch and I'm now into endgame and I have to say : this game makes me wish for a sequel or a spinoff. Some would say maybe look into Saga Frontier which, admitedly, has vibes ressembling Live A Live... but really, I'd like to see this battle system expanded upon, as is the idea of having separate tales of the likes, maybe some of them coming together for a time then splitting again.
And I have to say, Live A Live has one of the best boss theme out there... it's no wonder it was the inspiration for Undertale's Megalovania 😄
Thanks for this review, I was on the fence about this game but now I've decided I want to play it. Great, detailed and concise review!
I'm glad to hear that you recommend this, I've been a fan of the original for years and when I heard about a remake months back I was Ecstatic! But then I saw the price tag of £35 and I knew for a fact it was a short game, unless they added extra content which didn't seem like it, and I wasn't sure whether it would be worth playing compared to playing the original. But I'm glad you enjoyed your playthrough I'll more likely give it a go now
There are some very nice QOL fixes/adjustments. Other than that, there's a semi secret final ending/boss added. But you are correct, there wasn't much added.
Thanks for the spoiler-free review. I honestly thought Live a Live was one of those Japanese pop idol series for whatever reason. Might check this out
That's probably because of Love Live, which is a pop idol anime. Specifically a school idol anime.
Fun fact, this game, Live Alive, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are actually connected. They came out within the same week, but actually share a continuity. Want to see? Watch this.
Live Alive -> Chrono Trigger (spiritual successor) -> Xenogears (Lavos = Deus + XG was planned to be a CT sequel) -> Xenosaga (rewrite of all of Xenogears and it's lore, failed before it could be completed) -> Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Kos-Mos lands of a primordial Alrest at the end of XS3 and turns into a blade due to her evolutionary matter being dissolved and absorbed by nanomachines son!) -> Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (semi-sequel to Xenoblades 1 and 2, but only the fanservicy epilogue DLC expansion which will definitely happen is actually canon. Mio is the daughter of Nia from Xenoblade 2, Noah is Rein and Sharla's son, Lanz is the machina kid NPC from Hidden Village is XB1)
Glad to see the classic reviews back!
This review got me to buy the game, thnx man!
Nice review!
I think Live A Live oozes the most charm when it's looked at through the lens of "above all else, this is a collection of short stories."
This game was awesome. I had a lot of fun with this game, and I really liked the additional stuff they did for the ending too.
How did you not like the Imperial China chapter?! :o That's one of the best ones! The combat there is very strong, and the story is excellent too!
Besides that, the ninja chapter was tedious. Probably the weakest part of the game.
You did a good job of explaining everything while spoiling basically nothing. Good work!
I was looking through RPG titles on SNES that only came out in Japan. This was one of those that interested me just on the idea alone. Was about to get a reproduction just to try it out when I saw that Nintendo direct. An English remake? Heck ya I’ll wait for that!
As of this post I am still doing my first play through, but I know what Jared is talking about. Yes I was a fool and read up on the full game. Don’t do that if you’re interested! The ending is worth it!
This would have been cool to play back in the day, but glad I’m able to get to now 😊 it’s a story of heroes, that’s all you’ll want to know going in
I appreciate that Jared did more to not spoil the game then the games back art did.
It's great to see a lot of old square soft remakes coming out this year.if they are all with this level of care put into them. Then this will a great year for retro fans.
This was one game that I saw and wanted to play it, even the demo was great. Never knew that this was a remake so I'm glad fans of the old can have fun with it and can show newer fans what they missed
I don't know how it's, "totally worth your time.", while also having easy battles, no stories long enough to feel like a real RPG, simplistic systems, and bad stat screens.
I don’t throw around the word “masterpiece” very often, but Live A Live EASILY earns that grade! The Space chapter alone would be worth the price of admission, imo, but there is so much more!
I picked this up alongside Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and I’m waiting to play Live A Live until I’m done with that, but I am so excited to play it. Maybe I’ll take a break from XBC3 to play through this one since it’s so short…
Makes me want to pick up a copy for sure.
I'm glad to know that it's worth beating all the individual stories for some delicious "Dessert".
ireally hope this game sells well so square can release some of their other snes hidden gems like bahamut lagoon or treasure hunter g. even though they arent amazing, i do feel like going with a remake like this, would bring out their best quality, and maybe, cut some of the problems.
Jared my man. Love your reviews. An isometric grid is that which has 3 axes (either to form a grid of triangles or to project 3D onto 2D)
Hope it sells well so we’ll get more of these games.
WOO HOO! JARED IS TALKING ABOUT MY FAVORITE GAME!
Seeing some reviewers complain that it isn't like a "traditional" JRPG makes me wish people understood everything besides the "J" part of that acronym. Because L-A-L isn't a final fantasy derivative.....it's the video game equivalent of tabletop night with your friends and you try a couple of one-shots of various games. Yes, there is a core backbone there, but each one has its subtleties and mechanics to consider. And each story is written differently, with your player interactions and choices being different too. Seriously, think of how different it would be to do a caveman RPG where you can't use words, only grunts and scribbles. Or an RPG where your character is getting old and needs to "train" your new character, which gets a mix of skills and bonuses both from their background but also the training. Lot of potential there!
ANd yes, the "dessert" was so much fun, and it even has its own little mechanical differences depending on some other choices you made! They really went above and beyond with it!
Great review! The shorter, self contained chapters and not too deep combat system makes me really want to try Live A Live out, despite not really being into RPG's.
Looks fun, not gonna lie. With that, so do the remakes/remastered versions of Front Mission 1 & 2
Glad to hear they pulled it off. Hopefully this sells decently so we can get some of the other previously Japan-only Square back catalog. Bahamut Lagoon, please!
I finally got around to playing this and just beat the game. I absolutely loved the whole thing, but unfortunately I knew some of the spoilers from an old video you had uploaded about the fan translation. That video was what made me so excited to see this game remade. After playing through the remake, I wanted to watch through that old video again, but I couldn't find it. Did you take it down, or do I have a severe case of the Mandella effect?
Man this game has been on my backlog for over a decade by now, I'm honestly glad I never got around to it until I picked up Switch port; I'll give up any (ANY) body part not required to play the game if they'll do an HD2D remake of Rudra no Hihou.
Looks like a fun in between game where play one chapter after beating some longer game.
Interesting. I was on the fence about this game, and I think you have sold me! Considering the video game I'm working on also has several characters to pick from with their own chapters and is also an RPG I wonder if I could find some inspiration. Thanks for the review Jared!
I honestly really want
To try this game-only problem? The localizers changed quite a few of the lines for seemingly no reason other than they could-it’s sadly another case of American localizers using their position to change the original creators context-only because they could.
In one or two cases it changes how a character comes off to the player….
It really is that good... I still miss your analogy/10 ratings, but I still enjoy the reviews, keep it up dude.
I have played so far only the Edo Japan chapter and, to be honest, the combat required smart thinking and smart placement of the hero and ally. I did not find the gameplay mechanics too easy, at all.
Two reviews in one week?! DAMN!
Thanks Jared, I would have likely passed this one up without your review. Hope you're doing well. Love ya, man.
I have to disagree on the gauntlet fight in Imperial China.
I know it's a spoiler but the reasons and motivation to start the gauntlet felt very satisfying to me.
God, I loved this game back when it was just the fan translation...and I still love it now
Seriously, if you haven't played it, I implore you to do so...whether the Super Famicom original with the fan translation, or the remake!
I totally agree with the "desert" part. Great review man.
I really like your reviews, I hope you do more!
Third favorite game of all time and the biggest part of why that is is the "dessert" you mentioned and is spoilers. I'm going to buy the game eventually even though I don't own a Switch, I love it that much.
Love that I got a add for Live A Live before the video.
Awesome review, Jared. I really missed them.
Once I finish xenoblade 3. This is what I’m playing next. Love the art style
Dude of course we want more reviews like this.
Conceptually, Jared's description makes me think of the OG Saga Frontier.
Yeah, the combat is not deep but I would say the story and the gimmicks of each chapter are the strongest aspects of this game, just worth playing for those, it's a really fun game
And the final chapter is a blast. Easily the best part of the game. Too bad what it entails is a massive spoiler so we can't openly talk about it. A lot of the starting chapters were hit or miss but the last two chapters hit it out of the park.
It’s true, after the voice acting in Triangle Strategy, i almost didn’t pick this one up. But thank goodness, it’s much better here.
as an rpg guy this sounds great and I never got to play the original so I am going to enjoy it
1:30 Holy crap, is that Lieutenant Surge?! Was this the war he was talking about?!
While I've heard of this game since the SNES days, I hadn't played it until this release. It's crazy how each chapter has an excellent story that's better than 95% of games today. My favorite is cube's chapter.
Oh I miss these videos!
FYI, the term "isometric" refers to a grid from the perspective of the corners of the squares at a 45 degree angle. Not just a grid
SUPER GOOD GAME! You need to play it people!
The food analogy couldn't be better:
You basically eat 7 apetizers, then the main course and then a fantastic dessert!