Live A Live is an interesting game in that it has many identities rolled up into one. Of course, that might seem obvious when one looks at the packaging and the core conceit of the game, but it really runs deeper than the superficial idea of simply playing as different characters. No, the mechanical identities in this game are also quite numerous, which is something best described as a 'beguiling strength' of the game.
It's quite enjoyable to find a new twist or gimmick with every character one picks up. A stealth mission, a horror story bereft of combat, a weird marriage of Street Fighter and Megaman, rather than different characters sharing a game, some of these feel like distinct games altogether. The differences of each story line are manifested in gameplay rather than set dressing, heightening that effect. It makes this first part of Live A Live exciting to play through, and given that each of these character missions only take a few hours to complete at most, it is also a brisk experience. It makes it easy to overlook the couple of segments that are less exciting or mechanically samey (Namely the prehistoric and near future chapters).
But really all of this is just a ruse, as this first part of Live A Live is just a prelude to the actual game: A hackneyed 'team-up' segment that shamelessly falls back on classic RPG mechanics. (Though, I suppose at the time of the original's release, they were just "RPG mechanics") This includes random battles, grinding, and a need to obsessively min-max the gear of each of your characters. This final, long, segment of the game is fun, but it feels at-odds with everything that came before it.
The problem is the continuity between the first and second parts of the game. As an RPG, your characters all level up and grow throughout their individual stories. However, all stories are not created equal, and thus has different amounts of combat. Unto itself this is not problematic; you're never expected to grind in any of the stories, and completing them is rather easy. However, when one loads into the end game, it's very easy to find oneself unprepared for what's to come.
To provide more detail: At the start of that final story the player chooses which of the eight characters they'd like to play it with. One of my characters was level 10, another was level 5, another was level 2. All of those levels were the natural result of those individual stories, yet most of them necessitate grinding once loaded into the final story, as the latter is scaled for characters of higher levels.
It's baffling, the game does not at all prime the player to invest in the characters' levels. After all, why would you care if you're not going to be playing as them in an hour? Why would you care if the mission is easy anyway? Then there's a sudden shift of momentum and the "real game" is an RPG where your level dictates your success. It's annoying to have a forced shift in your priorities; it's annoying to be presented with a grind when one was not needed before.
Don't misunderstand, this final section of the game is quite fun, but it feels at odds with the stated conceit of the game up to this point. It's a final piece of variety that upsets everything before it, a spice that throws off the balance of the dish. Taken individually it works fine, but not here.
There's a lot of things one could talk about concerning Live A Live that would make for interesting discourse. The game has a wealth of interesting ideas (Up to and including an insane anti-boss-run that serves as one of the potential endings) but it's all small potatoes when compared to the intrinsic structural issues Live A Live presents. All the same, I'm happy the game took what was clearly several risks. While the final experience is middling, it's a very memorable game, and that is extremely appreciated.
It's quite enjoyable to find a new twist or gimmick with every character one picks up. A stealth mission, a horror story bereft of combat, a weird marriage of Street Fighter and Megaman, rather than different characters sharing a game, some of these feel like distinct games altogether. The differences of each story line are manifested in gameplay rather than set dressing, heightening that effect. It makes this first part of Live A Live exciting to play through, and given that each of these character missions only take a few hours to complete at most, it is also a brisk experience. It makes it easy to overlook the couple of segments that are less exciting or mechanically samey (Namely the prehistoric and near future chapters).
But really all of this is just a ruse, as this first part of Live A Live is just a prelude to the actual game: A hackneyed 'team-up' segment that shamelessly falls back on classic RPG mechanics. (Though, I suppose at the time of the original's release, they were just "RPG mechanics") This includes random battles, grinding, and a need to obsessively min-max the gear of each of your characters. This final, long, segment of the game is fun, but it feels at-odds with everything that came before it.
The problem is the continuity between the first and second parts of the game. As an RPG, your characters all level up and grow throughout their individual stories. However, all stories are not created equal, and thus has different amounts of combat. Unto itself this is not problematic; you're never expected to grind in any of the stories, and completing them is rather easy. However, when one loads into the end game, it's very easy to find oneself unprepared for what's to come.
To provide more detail: At the start of that final story the player chooses which of the eight characters they'd like to play it with. One of my characters was level 10, another was level 5, another was level 2. All of those levels were the natural result of those individual stories, yet most of them necessitate grinding once loaded into the final story, as the latter is scaled for characters of higher levels.
It's baffling, the game does not at all prime the player to invest in the characters' levels. After all, why would you care if you're not going to be playing as them in an hour? Why would you care if the mission is easy anyway? Then there's a sudden shift of momentum and the "real game" is an RPG where your level dictates your success. It's annoying to have a forced shift in your priorities; it's annoying to be presented with a grind when one was not needed before.
Don't misunderstand, this final section of the game is quite fun, but it feels at odds with the stated conceit of the game up to this point. It's a final piece of variety that upsets everything before it, a spice that throws off the balance of the dish. Taken individually it works fine, but not here.
There's a lot of things one could talk about concerning Live A Live that would make for interesting discourse. The game has a wealth of interesting ideas (Up to and including an insane anti-boss-run that serves as one of the potential endings) but it's all small potatoes when compared to the intrinsic structural issues Live A Live presents. All the same, I'm happy the game took what was clearly several risks. While the final experience is middling, it's a very memorable game, and that is extremely appreciated.