Why Live-A-Live Is Important

Square Enix's next title releases shortly, and it's important to realise why this is a big deal.

With the release date of Live-A-Live fast approaching (July 22nd to be exact), fans of Square Enix RPG's such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest should be excited to try this upcoming 2D-HD remake of an often overlooked part of Square's history.

Players will be able to experience 8 stories across different time periods, in a unique twist on the JRPG formula. While the game looks visually stunning, and Square Enix has done an incredible job updating the experience for a new audience, the main reason to get excited for the LIVE-A-LIVE remake is because it's actually apart of something greater.

Live-A-Live was originally released on the SNES back in 1994. However, the game received poor sales, and as such never released outside of Japan. This means that, for most western audiences, accessing the game in an official capacity became extremely difficult. For starters, people would have to import a copy of the game from Japan, and secondly, the game never received an official translation, meaning unless you understood Japanese, it was very difficult to appreciate the dialogue.

Game preservation and accessibility has always been a hot topic for discussion within the industry, and there have been many occasions where games become stuck on old, outdated hardware, or become region locked. In worst case scenarios, many of these games may even become lost media, meaning many individuals will never get the opportunity to appreciate these titles for what they are.

However, it is important to recognise just how much joy and entertainment these games can bring to people. Arguably, the most infamous example of a region locked title would be Nintendo's Mother 3, which has only been able to receive it's wide critical acclaim thanks to an unofficial fan translation project. From an anecdotal experience, I have encountered fans of these games who claim it resonated with them deeply and impacted the way they view the world today.

Therefore, it is important that as many people get the chance to experience these titles as possible, as many more titles, including Live-A-Live, deserve the chance to reach a new audience.

Square Enix themselves have been on a roll with making their older, more obscure franchises more accessible to modern audiences. Most notably, the once Japan only, Trials of Mana, received both a full remake and a fully localised re-release of the original game, and Chrono Cross received a new remaster with the originally lost Satellaview content.

The Live-A-Live remaster may just be another in line for Square's attempt to make these older titles more accessible, and that genuinely deserves more recognition. Many companies, do not take preservation as seriously as they should, and could learn a lot from Square's efforts.

Live-A-Live is shaping up to be one of the switch's most anticipated titles this year, and after more than two decades of time in obscurity, has finally been given the chance it deserves.

Check out Live-A-Live when it drops on Nintendo Switch on July 22nd 2022.