A week ago, Live A Live landed on PC, PS4 and PS5, making the former Nintendo Switch-exclusive, and before that Japan-only, title available to more gamers. While the game is still essentially the same that we reviewed when it came out on the Switch, this impressions piece will go over the PC version. I’d encourage you to check out our full review of the Switch version which scored a 9.5/10.

As a refresher, Live A Live is a JRPG that lets you follow the individual stories of 7 characters - not unlike Octopath Traveler - but spanning different periods of time. This ranges from the Wild West to the present time to the far future; and each chapter can be played in parallel or independently and can be swapped at will. While every character's story is different, each is captivating in its own right. There’s the mysterious case of child kidnappings in the near future; the stealth mission of an Edo-era apprentice shinobi; and six more across different time periods that unexpectedly weave together.

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Live A Live’s gameplay features the traditional gamut of JRPG mechanics mixing exploration and a streamlined turn-based combat with a party. The game’s unique feature is that each character has a special ability. This ability can be used during exploration such as reading the minds of NPCs or having an invisibility shield. This can lead to different gameplay approaches such as adopting a more stealth style or a more combat-heavy one in the feudal Japan chapter.

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Combining the original, independent stories, exploration of different eras and engaging in tactical combat results in a gripping experience. With voice acting and a revamped HD-2D visuals, Live A Live looks and feels like a contemporary title with some inkling of nostalgia.

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These similarities are shared across the platforms the game has launched on. On PC, you’ll have access to additional settings to tweak the looks and performance based on your liking or your system’s capabilities. You can adjust the frame rate, shadow quality, rendering scale and anti-aliasing. There’s also the option to remap controller/keypad buttons for your custom setup.

More importantly, the PC version of the game ran flawlessly during my playthrough. As it is also Steam Deck compatible, it makes for a right fit for on-the-go gaming if you didn’t have the chance to play it on the Switch.

Now that it is available on more platforms, Live A Live is an easy recommendation for fans of JRPGs as this one delivers an original premise that’s gripping throughout.

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[tabzer]

of course it will it's not on the switch

Serious question. Did this have performance issues on the Switch?

 

[Deleted member 194275]

an average game wouldn't get translated so quickly by aeon genesis. this is a standout.
if you want a real average game play something like aero the acro bat. Now that is average.

Nobody cared back then where it was released, not because it is any bad, but because the extremely high quality games we had back then.
(Also games were fuckin expensive, so you couldn't try 10 games a year like chubby kids do today with daddy's money, you had to choose).

About translations, how an Internet website is indicator of anything? There was no internet, the translations came on pirated carts, as most were awful.

 

[tabzer]

There was no internet

I had AOL. It was a nice time for the internet. People were excited to connect with strangers and anyone who wanted to connect to the internet had to pass through a barrier of moderate technical capability; so there were a lot less stupid people online. Not slighting you, lol.