By Khloe Wilkerson
Live A Live evokes an era when role-playing games experimented heavily with structures and ideas. The re-made version of Live A Live showcases HD-2D pixel art that appears fresh and new, a vintage Super Nintendo game for the modern era. The strangest, most wondrous attempts of that experimentation remain bright today. That’s because its unique story structure showcases seven different protagonists -from the prehistoric eras to the space-faring future. Its ability to combine all seven into a cohesive whole inspires the creators of JRPGs almost three decades on, making it so cool.
Each chapter includes a unique character and game mechanisms which suit them. Taking place in a different historical period with distinctive graphics and characters, you can play as a caveman in the prehistoric era, a robot in the far future, a cowboy in the western era, and more.
Since there was no such thing as language in prehistory, all narrative was done using animation and visuals. For example, the game’s caveman hero, Pogo, can locate where he needs to be to find opponents thanks to his strong sense of smell. Oboromaru has two options when breaking into a manor in Edo-period Japan: he can either sneak away from danger and finish the chapter without killing anyone, or he can ruthlessly murder his way through the house. The Sundown Kid, a Wild West gunslinger, doesn’t engage in combat nearly as frequently as the others in order to set traps for the wicked posse that is on its way to inflict damage on the town. Akira has teleportation abilities and can read minds in the near future. His teleportation powers, however, are unreliable in there generality. For instance, you need to locate a dungeon in order to open a chest. The dungeon can only be found by teleporting out of the fights. You’ll find yourself in the dungeon after a few teleports, but it gets confusing with all the dead ends before finding the chest. Which gets a little frustrating.
It’s hard to choose a favorite among the variety of stories Live A Live presents. Despite the fact that each chapter is distinct, you can start one, put it down, pick it back up, and continue reading. Live A Live will record your progress in each story and save a file of it. You can complete the game with a little more than 20 hours if you spend around an hour and a half to three hours on each chapter.
Each chapter is designed to have different enemies the protagonist can face that match their personality. As I progressed through the chapters, I was able not only to attack my enemies but to predict their next moves and how to avoid them. If you’re interested in all the secret bosses scattered throughout the game, Live A Live’s battle system shouldn’t be overlooked.
This captivating game creates unforgettable moments by fusing the nostalgia of sprite-based gaming with cutting-edge 3D technology. Whether a Shinobi is running in the dusk or a royal throne room has beautiful sunshine flooding through the windows, these are priceless scenes to witness. One of the nicest parts about Live A Live is how it first made me wonder what it was really about, and as the game progresses, you can see if your assumptions were right or wrong. Each chapter of each game is filled with excitement and fun, and the combat is straightforward and entertaining.
Each tale has a message to convey or a novel element to offer the genre such as lead, defend, and protect what is yours, and forbid anything evil. There is always some kind of good in these stories even when, in the heat of battle, it may not seem like it. The music by Yoko Shimomura is outstanding. While her original music for Live A Live was already amazing, it has only gotten better thanks to more advanced audio technology and her own 2022 improvements.
The conclusion of some of Live A Live‘s chapters is one of its main issues. Even though each of the seven chapters is brief and to the point, there are occasional moments that gradually drain the game’s enthusiasm for the story. This is unfortunate because before the exciting section of the game begins, you must deal with a series of tiny battles which feel pointless to me. It’s like when the best scene in a movie starts to play, but your internet connection drops out or an ad appears. I can see how these minor additions might be present to enhance the game, but it gets exhausting.
Live A Live is a fantastic JRPG that deserves to be played by a large international audience. Because of its original storyline, chapter structure, and endearingly distinctive characters, playing this game is worthwhile of your time and effort. Live A Live still stands out from other JRPGs decades after its 1994 release thanks to its outstanding graphics, gameplay, audio, music, performance design, and plot. Many people are familiar with Live A Live for the song “Megalomania” that appears in the game. In this case, “Megalomania,” the boss theme, makes you think of doing something extravagant as you defeat your enemy. Because Live A Live is a gaming experience based on taking on the role of different unique characters and fighting off opponents, I believe this inspiring song really portrays the whole that is Live A Live. In other words, Live A Live rocks.
Bronx native Khloe Wilkerson is our youngest intern. She recently won a college scholarship and compled our journalism and writing class at Mott Hall III.
