One of the biggest surprises shown during the February Nintendo Direct was a collaboration between Nintendo and Square Enix to remake the classic JRPG Live A Live. Live A Live was originally released on the Super Famicom, Japan's SNES, in 1994 but was never localized afterward. It's only now being brought west, remade in a striking 2.5D style with Nintendo publishing Square Enix's project for the Nintendo Switch. The question for many is just what changes have been made to the 1994 JRPG to make it more palatable to modern audiences.
Luckily, a popular TikTok from the account FantasyAnime has put in the work. In a video released on Friday, the account compares the Live A Live remake trailer shown during this week's Nintendo Direct with comparable footage from the original Live A Live game for the SNES. While only a bit over a minute along, as long as the Nintendo Direct trailer for Live A Live is, the video provides the best currently available comparison of visual improvements between the original game and its update.
The key difference is, of course, that the original Live A Live was an entirely 2D experience -- just like a majority of JRPGs at the time. Live A Live's visuals were made with sprites. The remake of Live A Live uses much of the same spritework as the original game, though with significant improvements. These sprites have been altered to present a 2.5 experience akin to Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy.
Live A Live's shift in perspective and improved sprites aren't all that have changed, however. There are two additional major upgrades. A significant amount of rich detail has been added to environments in Live A Live, including 3D work. Most scenes shown in the remake's trailer feature a handful of identical sprites from the original game, only for the rest of the scene to be entirely new 2D and 3D work.
Lastly, and perhaps the largest visual standout, are what appears to be digital effects used to add dynamic elements to the Live A Live remake. There are weather effects, lighting/shadowing effects, spell effects, motion blur, distortion, and more throughout the trailer. It's a modern lens on what's still a very traditional RPG.
The changes between the original Live A Live and its remake are dramatic. In many ways, it seems like an entirely different game. For Square Enix's part, it might be their best modernization of a classic JRPG yet, short of creating an entirely different game like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It'll be interesting to see if Live A Live's gameplay has been changed in the remake, too.
Live A Live releases July 22 on Switch.
