On the surface, LAL is an anthology of 'mini-RPG's' - each chapter follows a different protagonist and takes place in a different time period. I usually start my reviews by giving a brief run-down of the story and the setting, but this time around I don't have such luxury - it would simply take too long to cover.

What better place to start than the very beginning? Now, having played the remake from cover to cover. To me, this was a 'new game' rather than a trip down memory lane, so no nostalgia glasses were involved. I've never heard of it myself, which isn't surprising given the circumstances of the original release. The game failed to meet sales expectations, received middling review scores and never left the shores of Japan, like many games of the era. It was in that decade that Live A Live (LAL) was originally released for the Super Famicom, and it was one such 'experimental' title. The phenomenon that started off in the 8-bit era has fully matured, and with the hardware becoming increasingly capable, developers felt incentivised to experiment. Many moved away from simple games of stats-grinding towards more complex, narrative-based titles.

This was the time when gamers got their hands on some of the best games in the genre, games that we continue to play to this day. This combo means that Live A Live is not only promising a remake of a release that would have passed by many in the west, but a reimagining of Square Enix’s past works through a modern lens.The 90's are generally considered the golden age of Japanese role-playing games. Original director, Tokashi Tokita ( Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger), is returning as producer and there will be a fully remastered soundtrack from Yoko Shimomura. Live A Live was an ambitious omnibus when it was first released in Japan in 1994 and while the original may seem dated, it’s never felt more timely than in 2022. And an autonomous service droid opens its eyes for the first time in a return voyage to Earth. A wandering outlaw must protect a saloon from a raiding bandit gang. A young ninja infiltrates a palace to rescue a diplomat from the clutches of a feudal lord. An elderly martial artist descends the mountains in search of students to pass on his teachings.

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