It’s the only scenario to feature a world map you travel to get from place to place, and the city’s brightly colored world looks great. The Near Future follows Akira in a familiar RPG-style quest fueled by human sacrifice, giant robot mechs, and telepathy. Buildings of different heights line up, creating even more visual variety.
Moments like this also have a better sense of scale than the 16-bit version. The Twilight of Edo Japan features some truly beautiful moments running across rooftops as the sneaky ninja Oboromaru is silhouetted against a waxy moon and purple sky. Some scenarios are more visually stunning than others, though. Each scenario combines 16-bit nostalgia with an updated 3D world that uses light expertly and looks smooth and glossy. You’ll get to travel to the far reaches of space in an isolated spaceship in one and journey to the beginning of time in a prehistoric world in another. The game begins with seven different scenarios to choose from, and each stands out for different reasons. This is a huge step-up from its original 16-bit design, though it retains much of its original charm. It follows the path carved by games like Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy with its HD-2D world. Live A Live truly deserves the new life affoded by a remake. This is bolstered by the non-linear narrative, helping this almost 30 year old game stand out today. You can even save and exit from a scenario and jump to another if you get bored or stuck. The game presents 7 scenarios to explore that you can complete in any order. As years passed, Live A Live has established itself as a cult classic, bringing us to today. Yet, time proved favorable to Tokita’s debut. Unsurprisingly, it’ s considered a commercial failure. Unfortunately, despite a strong directorial debut for Takashi Tokita (who would go on to head up projects like Chrono Trigger and Parasite Eve) the game sold just over a quarter million copies in Japan. The game released in 1994 for the Super Famicom just a few months after the undeniable hit JRPG Final Fantasy 6. Live A Live’s very existence as a remake is curious.
Much of this is thanks to its distinct and lovable characters – from a stealthy ninja in feudal Japan to winning over the folks in the Wild Wild West as the most wanted man in town. Despite its faults, it is still a worthwhile romp through history and time. Y et Live A Live is, at times, plagued by pacing issues, the occasional lack of direction, and a fair amount of backtracking. While you’ll do much of the same from one story to the next, there are enough differences across each time period that most every story feels wholly unique. Almost every scenario in the game pulls from the same bank of mechanics. Live A Live bundles together a collection of vignettes that intertwine in subtle, curious ways.