Live A Live is wonderful. It's hard for me to really articulate why without getting into every little detail, but it's precisely that attention to detail that elevates this past "just some standard SNES JRPG" that we didn't get in the west for nearly 30 years.
Tokita's meticulously planned scenario, a series of disconnected vignettes spanning eras of the world from prehistory to the distant future, is a beautifully-executed -- if not lore-light -- little series of adventures, with some unexpectedly surprising twists. It reads like an affecting tribute to the human spirit; success and tragedy strike the cast in waves, and each character learns to overcome their adversities in their own way.
This sort of philosophy finds its way into the gameplay segment, too. While a pretty standard JRPG by most accounts, LAL implements different "styles" into each character's chapter, almost like a deconstruction of individual elements that make RPGs what they are. One chapter focuses on recruiting and training students; another, running around a town and snatching items up on a time limit to prevent a raid. One is All Battles, All the Time, another gives players the ability to read minds for extra information. Each has a different point of emphasis and plays up to its genre inspirations, from kung fu flicks to giant robot anime, spaghetti westerns to Street Fighter.
Punctuate all of these cool ideas with a legendary soundtrack from Yoko Shimomura, one of the undeniable composer greats, and you have yourself a breezy little adventure that upends a lot of JRPG standards and has an inspiring, satisfying conclusion for what seems like a bunch of disconnected stories. Highly recommend going in without any kind of idea what to expect.
For what it's worth, there is a demo available on the Nintendo eShop that allows you to play early segments of a couple of the chapters in case you're not sure what to expect from the gameplay itself.
Tokita's meticulously planned scenario, a series of disconnected vignettes spanning eras of the world from prehistory to the distant future, is a beautifully-executed -- if not lore-light -- little series of adventures, with some unexpectedly surprising twists. It reads like an affecting tribute to the human spirit; success and tragedy strike the cast in waves, and each character learns to overcome their adversities in their own way.
This sort of philosophy finds its way into the gameplay segment, too. While a pretty standard JRPG by most accounts, LAL implements different "styles" into each character's chapter, almost like a deconstruction of individual elements that make RPGs what they are. One chapter focuses on recruiting and training students; another, running around a town and snatching items up on a time limit to prevent a raid. One is All Battles, All the Time, another gives players the ability to read minds for extra information. Each has a different point of emphasis and plays up to its genre inspirations, from kung fu flicks to giant robot anime, spaghetti westerns to Street Fighter.
Punctuate all of these cool ideas with a legendary soundtrack from Yoko Shimomura, one of the undeniable composer greats, and you have yourself a breezy little adventure that upends a lot of JRPG standards and has an inspiring, satisfying conclusion for what seems like a bunch of disconnected stories. Highly recommend going in without any kind of idea what to expect.
For what it's worth, there is a demo available on the Nintendo eShop that allows you to play early segments of a couple of the chapters in case you're not sure what to expect from the gameplay itself.