Whether you’re diving into the Super Famicom original or the newly remastered HD-2D version of Live A Live, this game is unlike anything else in the JRPG genre. With multiple playthroughs under my belt, I’ve come to appreciate its unconventional design—but that appreciation came with a steep learning curve. To save you some of the same growing pains, here are the five things I wish I had known before playing Live A Live for the first time.
1. Explore Everything—When the Game Lets You
Not all chapters are created equal. Some allow for broad exploration with hidden items and side activities, while others are tightly confined, linear, or even focused entirely on combat. That said, whenever you’re given the freedom to move around—use it.
Only a couple of chapters truly open up in this way, notably Pogo’s and Oboromaru’s scenarios. In these, you’ll find opportunities to craft powerful weapons and accessories, face hidden super bosses, and unlock crucial equipment that can carry over into the final chapter. For example, Oboromaru can find his own super bosses and ultimate gear. Even more critically, if you complete his chapter without killing any women, you’ll receive the Medicine Box—a reusable healing item. Equip it before finishing his chapter and you’ll have it in your inventory for the finale.
So poke around. Check every room. Explore every path. Sometimes, the strongest advantage is just one missed side room away.
2. Only Equipped Items Transfer to the Final Chapter
A rookie mistake that almost every new player makes is hoarding items or obsessing over full inventories in each chapter. It won’t help. When you enter the final chapter, your entire inventory is wiped—except for what your characters have equipped.
That includes not only gear but also unique items that you wouldn’t ordinarily think to equip. Akira’s chapter, for instance, contains robot parts. While he can’t actually use them, he can still equip them, and you can pass them along to Cube later in the final act. Similarly, in Pogo’s chapter, you can craft highly useful accessories—many of which are usable by multiple characters in the finale. And once again, Oboromaru’s Medicine Box will only follow you into Chapter 9 if it’s equipped as an accessory.
Make sure each of your characters finishes their chapter wearing the best equipment possible—not just for the sake of optimization, but because that gear may be all they carry forward.
3. Experience and Gold Don’t Matter (Until They Do)
You’ll need to rewire your expectations when it comes to RPG progression. There’s no gold in Live A Live. That’s right—no shops, no selling, no economic system whatsoever. Everything comes from treasure chests, enemy drops, and crafting systems unique to specific chapters.
Experience also works differently. Instead of traditional leveling, the game follows a Suikoden-like cap—level 16 is the maximum. Overleveling is basically impossible. The game doesn’t reward grinding with power, but with positioning, equipment, and tactics.
The one time this changes? The final chapter. There, you’ll likely be underleveled (around level 10) and will need to grind your way up to 16 just to stand a fighting chance against the final boss. But until that point, forget the grind. Focus on exploration and gear.
4. Turn Enemies Around to Turn the Tide
Combat in Live A Live is spatial, tactical, and sometimes incredibly unfair. There will be times you’re outnumbered or outclassed, with little room to maneuver. In those moments, one mechanic can make a surprising difference: turning enemies around.
If an enemy turns you around, you can still act freely. But if you turn an enemy around, it essentially robs them of their next turn. They’ll hesitate, giving you a precious window to strike. This tactic is especially powerful against bosses.
Use hit-and-run strategies. Turn an enemy, hit them, reposition, and repeat. It’s a clean way to even the odds, especially when raw power alone won’t cut it.
5. Choose Sundown for the Final Chapter Leader
After completing the initial seven chapters, you’ll be pulled into an eighth. Then, you’ll choose your lead character for the final chapter. Some characters come with interesting quirks—faster movement, telepathy—but none match the utility of Sundown.
First, he saves you time. A lot of it. Recruiting Sundown during the final chapter requires tracking him down nine separate times across the map. Choose him as your leader and you skip this entire process. No wandering. No backtracking. No frustration.
Second, picking Sundown also allows you to skip a fight with Masaru. As the narrator wryly puts it, “You don’t bring a gun to a fistfight.”
Lastly, and most importantly, Sundown is arguably the strongest character in the game. Once he hits level 16, he can solomost of the final chapter, including the endgame boss encounters. Picking him isn’t just a time-saver—it’s an endgame power play.
Final Thoughts
Live A Live is a refreshing, experimental gem in Square’s JRPG history, and its remake gives players around the world the chance to experience its eccentric brilliance. But brilliance doesn’t always come easily.
From invisible sequence triggers to nontraditional mechanics and misdirection about what matters, it’s a game that rewards knowledge and punishes assumption. Hopefully, these five tips will make your first journey smoother and more enjoyable.
And when in doubt? Equip everything, explore every inch, and don’t bring fists to a gunfight.
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