Live A Live (ライブ・ア・ライブ, stylized as LIVE A ƎVI⅃) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square. Originally released for the Super Famicom on September 2, 1994, it was re-released through the Wii U´s Virtual Console on June 17, 2015. A port for the Nintendo 3DS' Virtual Console was released on November 28, 2016.
Until 2022, Live A Live was exclusive to Japan, though an unofficial English translation was created by noted fan translation group Aeon Genesis. However, a full remake of the game was announced on February 9, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on July 22, 2022, published by Square Enix in Japan and Nintendo worldwide. Live A Live's story begins with seven seemingly unrelated chapters based on popular genres such as westerns, science fiction, and mecha anime, that can be played in any order.
Each scenario has its own plot, setting, and characters. Although the basic gameplay is the same throughout the game, every chapter has its own unique gimmick, such as stealth elements in The Infiltrator chapter or the crafting systems present in The First and The Outsider chapters. After all seven chapters are completed, two unlockable chapters play out, linking the previous scenarios together and resolving the story.
Gameplay[]
Live A Live contains the basic elements of a role-playing video game. With the exception of The Strongest, each chapter features the exploration of themed environments, such as an overworld and dungeons. All player characters fight enemies and gain experience points to level up. However, the game eschews some elements typical of the genre, such as magic points and money.
All chapters feature turn-based, tactical battles that play out on a 7x7 grid. Characters are able to move and perform actions such as attaching or performing specific skills. More powerful skills take multiple turns to charge, giving the enemy an opportunity to interrupt them. Certain attacks can imbue tiles with unique properties, such as healing characters or dealing elemental damage.
Each character can equip and use items. Characters inflict or be afflicted with status ailments, and certain items, attacks, and skills can buff or debuff a character or enemy's stats while in battle. When a character's hit points reach zero, they are knocked out and unable to act, but can be revived with a healing item or spell. However, if they are hit in this state, they are removed from the battle. If all characters' hit points reach zero in battle, the game ends.
The 2022 remake retains the original's basic gameplay, though redesigned for the new HD-2D graphical style, and with some features updated with quality of life improvements. Bars were added representing character health and charge time for moves. Other additions include a sparkling effect over items and materials that can be gathered, a display showing a move's area of effect, and an optional radar system which shows the position of objectives on the map.
Characters[]
Live A Live has a large ensemble of characters:
- Pogo (ポゴ), an excitable caveboy who finds himself learning much about his world.
- The Earthen Heart Shifu (心山拳老師, Shinsanken Rōshi?, lit. Earthen-Heart-Fist Master), an old kung-fu master seeking to pass on his art before he dies. His three disciples are:
- Hong Hakka (サモ・ハッカ, Sammo Hakka?), an obese yet agile man who likes food.
- Lei Kugo (レイ・クウゴ), a female yet not-so-feminine bandit.
- Yun Jou (ユン・ジョウ), a poor boy who stood up to local gangsters.
- Oboromaru (おぼろ丸), a shinobi of the Enma Ninja Clan with great potential sent on an important mission.
- The Sundown Kid (サンダウン・キッド), a wandering cowboy famous for his skill with a gun.
- Masaru Takahara (高原 日勝, Takahara Masaru?), a wrestler with the dream of being the strongest fighter in the world who possesses a strong sense of justice.
- Akira Tadokoro (田所 晃, Tadokoro Akira?), an orphan in the near future with psychic powers.
- Cube (キューブ), a self-aware robot created by the mechanic Kato (カトゥー, Katū?) aboard the spaceship Cogito Ergo Sum, designed to be a worker robot.
- Oersted (オルステッド), a famous knight of Lucrece (ルクレツィア, Rukuretsia?, lit. Lucretia), betrothed to the King's only daughter, Alethea (アリシア, Arishia?, lit. Alicia).
- Odio (オディオ), whose name is Latin for hate. He is the Lord of Dark (魔王, Maō?, lit. Demon King) and the main antagonist of the game.
Plot[]
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Forbidden lands lie beyond this marker The following article contains story spoilers! |
Prehistory: The First[]
In prehistoric times, the Kuu Tribe prepares to sacrifice a woman named Beru (べる) to their deity, a Tyrannosaurus rex named Odo (おーでぃーおー Ō-Dī-Ō). She escapes to the south and hides in a cave belonging to another tribe, stealing their food to survive. She is discovered by Pogo, who falls in love with her and decides to help her hide from the rest of the tribe. The Kuu Tribe attacks the Southern tribe to retrieve her; Pogo repels them, but the elder exiles Beru and he along with his gorilla friend Gori (ゴリ). Eventually, the three are forced to fight Odo, assisted by the Kuu Tribe warrior Zaki (ざき). After the beast is defeated, peace is established between the two tribes.
Imperial China: The Successor[]
In ancient China, an old Shifu of the Earthen Heart Kung Fu tradition takes on three disciples to pass on his art before he dies. While the Shifu is away one day, the dojo is attacked by a rival dojo seeking revenge for an insult. Two of the disciples are killed (the surviving disciple being the one the player trained the most), prompting the Shifu and surviving disciple to avenge their deaths. The rival school, led by Ou Di Wan Lee (オディワン・リー Odiwan Rī), is defeated, but the Shifu dies afterward, having used the last of his strength in the fight. The disciple succeeds him as master of the tradition and takes a new generation of students.
Twilight of Edo Japan: The Infiltrator[]
In feudal Japan, a mysterious figure named Ode Iou (尾手 院王) is trying to throw the nation into chaos. The Enma Ninja Clan sends one of their shinobi, Oboromaru to rescue a prisoner who can stabilize Japan, then kill Ode Iou. After being rescued, the prisoner joins Oboromaru in the battle with Ode Iou. After Ode Iou is slain, the prisoner reveals that he is Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本龍馬 Sakamoto Ryōma). Oboromaru is then given the choice of returning to the Enma or joining Ryoma in his plans to rebuild Japan.
The Wild West: The Wanderer[]
This chapter takes place in the American old west. An outlaw called The Sundown Kid and his rival, a bounty hunter named Mad Dog (マッド・ドッグ), arrive in Success Town, a place terrorized by a group of bandits called the Crazy Bunch (クレイジー・バンチ Kureijī Banchi), led by O. Dio (O・ディオ O Dio), the last remaining survivor of the 7th Cavalry division. Sundown stands up to the bandits, and they decide to raze the town in retaliation. Mad Dog agrees to help Sundown and the townsfolk prepare the town's defenses. After the town emerges from the battle victorious, Mad Dog challenges Sundown to one final duel. The player has the option of killing Mad Dog or running away.
Present Day: The Strongest[]
The Strongest is set in the present day. Masaru Takahara strives to become the strongest fighter in the world by fighting the masters of different fighting disciplines to learn their techniques. However, another fighter, Odie O'Bright (オディ・オブライト Odi Oburaito), has the same idea, but deliberately kills each of his opponents during the fight. He then challenges Masaru, who defeats him.
The Near Future: The Outsider[]
In the near future in Japan, a biker gang called the Crusaders has been kidnapping people with unknown intentions. A young orphan with psychic powers named Akira Tadokoro grows up in an orphanage with his sister. One day, the Crusaders kidnap one of the children from the orphanage, so Akira and his friend Lawless (無法松 Muhoumatsu) set out to rescue him. Akira learns the location of the Crusaders' base, and discovers a plot by the Japanese government to liquefy people and use them to power a giant idol named Odeo (御出居). Lawless then sacrifices himself to power an ancient mech called The Steel Titan (ブリキ大王 Buriki Daiō, "Tin-Plated Great King"), which Akira uses to destroy Odeo.
The Distant Future: The Mechanical Heart[]
In the distant future, a space ship called Cogito Ergo Sum is returning to earth carrying a dangerous alien called the Behemoth (ベヒーモス Behīmosu). The mechanic, Kato (カトゥー Katū), creates a spherical robot and gives it the ironic name of Cube. The player takes the role of Cube as it explores the ship and meets the crew. However, things begin to go wrong as the ship malfunctions and a crew member named Kirk (カーク Kāku) dies in a freak accident. Soon, the Behemoth is released, and it kills more crew members. The remaining crew members continue to blame and mistrust one another, continuing with the deaths of the crew members Huey and Rachel. However, it is finally revealed that the culprit is the ship's computer, OD-10. Cube hacks into the computer and defeats it.
The Middle Ages: The Lord of Dark[]
After completing the first seven chapters, the medieval chapter is unlocked. A brave knight named Oersted, a hero beloved by the people, defeats his best friend, the wizard Streibough (ストレイボウ Sutoreibou), in the final round of a fighting tournament, winning the right to marry Princess Alethea of Lucrece (ルクレツィア Rukuretsia). That night, she is kidnapped by the Lord of Dark (魔王 Maō). The next day, Oersted and Streibough set out to rescue her. First, they find the heroes who defeated the Lord of Dark thirty years prior, the knight Hasshe (ハッシュ Hasshu) and the priest Uranus (ウラヌス Uranusu), and convince them to join. They fight and defeat the Lord of Dark, but Hasshe dies due to the plague, Alethea is nowhere to be found, and Streibough is seemingly killed by falling rocks. Oersted and Uranus return to Lucrece in defeat. That night, Oersted is tricked into slaying the King of Lucrece by an apparition of the Lord of Dark. He is accused of being the Lord of Dark himself, and is imprisoned. Uranus helps him escape, but is killed. Oersted returns to the Archon's Roost and finds Streibough alive, having faked his own death. Streibough reveals that, out of jealousy for Oersted, he sold his soul to become the next Lord of Dark, and tricked Oersted into killing the King. Oersted is forced to kill him. He then rescues Alethea, but she confesses her love for Streibough believing he had saved her where Oersted abandoned her, she then kills herself out of despair. Oersted, in his grief snaps, and sacrifices his soul to become the next Lord of Dark, and names himself Odio. He then takes revenge on all of Lucrece, killing everyone.
The Dominion of Hate: Final Chapter[]
In the final chapter, "Dominion of Hate", Odio summons the protagonists of the first seven chapters to Lucrece, which is now colorless and depopulated, for a final battle. The player's chosen hero meets and recruits the other six heroes. The chapter is full of optional trials containing powerful equipment and in which they can encounter Streibough, who questions what his jealousy had caused. Once ready, the group confronts Odio, who questions the heroes' motives, and then transforms into a demon to fight them. Once defeated, as Oersted, he reverts to his human form, and asks the hero to kill him. The hero gets a choice and can either kill him and get stuck in this time period forever or spare him and leave his lair. The hero refuses so Oersted attacks again, forcing each hero to fight the incarnation of Odio from their chapter. After the heroes win again, Oersted is unable to understand why they cannot prevail—in the remake, Odio again manifests, and Oersted breaks free and deliver the final blow to Odio himself. The hero explains what he or she fights for to Oersted—each one having a different reason. He finally returns to reason, and so agrees to return them all to where they came from. He dies, and Lucrece is restored. Recruiting all heroes unlock extra extended credits.
If the player chooses Oersted as the final chapter's lead character, he will take control of the seven different incarnations of Odio in each chapter in turn. If he defeats each of the heroes, he is left to wander alone in an empty Lucrece. Alternately, he can choose to cause Armageddon, inexplicably destroying all of space-time instantly.
Development[]
The characters of each of the game's chapters were illustrated by a group of different manga artists involving Yoshihide Fujiwara, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Osamu Ishiwata, Yumi Tamura, Ryōji Minagawa, Gosho Aoyama and Kazuhiko Shimamoto. This was done in order to give an unique look for each scenario.
Soundtrack[]
Live A Live's soundtrack was composed by Yoko Shimomura. The Live A Live Original Sound Version, a single CD containing 41 songs, was released on August 25, 1994.[2] A promotional Mini CD was included with the "Live A Live Perfect Strategy Guide Book." It contained two arranged medley tracks, and was released on October 21, 1994.[3] Both items were published by NTT Publishing. In 2008, the tracks "The Bird Flies in the Sky, the Fish Swims in the River" and "Forgotten Wings" were included on Drammatica: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura, a compilation of the composer's work at Square Enix.
Reception[]
On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the game a 29 out of 40. In 2011, GamePro included it on the list of the 14 best JRPGs that were not released in English, adding that "rumor has it the game was originally slated for a US release, making its absence here sting all the more."
Marketing[]
The following images are from marketing material used to promote the game:
Trivia[]
- The second Live in Live a Live's title (LIVE A ƎVI⅃) can be read as "evil", likely symbolising the fate of Oersted and his fall from grace after becoming Odio.
- It shares a few parallels and sound effects with Chrono Trigger, being an inspiration by having Takashi Tokita also work on it.
- It also has inspired Octopath Traveler with Takashi Tokita receiving special thanks.
- The Remake also uses its style and its engine.
- The name of the song Megalovania from Undertale was inspired by Megalomania, the boss theme of Live A Live.
- Ninja Chapter, Secret Orders, has an option to give mercy or kill NPCs, being a possible inspiration for Undertale.
Videos[]
