Live A Live heads to PlayStation and Steam in April

The HD-2D revival heads to more platforms

Classic RPG Live A Live is heading to more platforms. The HD-2D remake of the Super Famicom classic is getting ported to PlayStation 4 and PS5, as well as PC via Steam, on April 27.

Square Enix released the HD-2D remake of Live A Live last year, and it was certainly a bit of a surprise. This RPG with multiple “paths” and protagonists had long eluded the west. The Switch release not only brought it over, but revitalized it with some quality-of-life updates and revamped graphics.

Now, PlayStation and Steam users can experience the journey themselves. Live A Live will go for $49.99, though there’s a $10 off pre-order bonus running right now. Also, all platforms are getting a demo, which is currently live right now for PS4, PS5, and Steam. It sounds like it’s a similar demo to the Switch version, letting you try out the Wild West, Edo Japan, and Distant Future sections.

The remake includes remastered music from Yoko Shimomura too, and let me tell you: the version of “Megalomania” in the Live A Live update is absolutely phenomenal.

More lives to lead

If you’re completely unfamiliar, Live A Live follows several different heroes throughout the eras and their individual journeys, as they eventually come together to fight a greater evil. If that sounds familiar, that’s because yes, Octopath Traveler owes a fair bit to the original Live A Live.

What makes Live A Live such an interesting game is that each era has its own mechanics and systems, making their playthroughs remarkably distinct. The Edo Japan period is a Metal Gear-style castle infiltration, while Present Day is basically RPG Street Fighter. It’s a really interesting game for RPG fans to dig into, and something that we found still largely succeeds almost three decades later.

Live A Live arrives on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam on April 27.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter