Thursday, August 8, 2024

Live A Live for SFC


Image: MobyGames

Live A Live

Great concept, poor combat


Genre: rpg - japanese

Publisher: Square

Year: 1994

System: SFC


Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

Has a lot of good ideas, but the combat system is too weird. One nice concept is the way that your party fully heals between battles. This makes the game incredibly easy, but also takes the monotony out of healing everyone between battles. Chained Echoes lifted this idea. the grid-based movement within the battle screen is another of the nice ideas, but it feel like an incomplete thought. I don't find that it ever adds to the experience in any strategic way. Instead, it feels like an annoyance.


Level Design Score: 4

Level Design Notes:

The stories are very scripted so the narrative drives this game. You've got precious little influence or freedom. The areas are all tiny and are disconnected. Each story feels small and self-contained.


Theme Score: 4

Theme Notes:

The game's structure, with eight separate stories which eventually converge, is a super unique idea. Obviously, Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 carried this torch, but I'm amazed to see it in a SNES title. I liked the variety in the settings and stories, but the levels feel so disconnected that it's hard to get too invested.


Art Style Score: 4

Art Style Notes:

Nice sprite work, particualrly in the backgrounds.


Audio Score: 4

Audio Notes:

Lovely music which is tailored the the setting of each of the eight stories. None of it really stands out, but its breadth and variety is impressive.


Overall Score: 70

Review ID: 1732



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