Live A Live has made its way back into the gaming airwaves with the updated Nintendo Switch version. We still have the core gameplay at hand, but things are looking differently this time around. It’s the video game directorial debut of Takashi Tokita, director for gaming classics like Chrono Trigger and Parasite Eve; he’s also worked on multiple Final Fantasy projects. Revisiting Tokita’s 1994 RPG has been intriguing since the game features seven particular protagonists to play as. And each distinctive chapter is told through one of the heroes. For this guide, we’ll take a quick look at the chapters, coupled with a couple of suggestions to consider when playing through Live A Live.
Live A Live | Are Chapters In Order?
Chapters in Live A Live can mostly be played in any order. The game doesn’t force you into a fixed narrative from A to B. However, the chapters are in chronological order. Each one is set in a different time period, and they all deal with seemingly unrelated situations. Of course, it all comes together in the final chapters that feature Odio and the protagonists. But if you need a peek into how they’re in order, here’s a quick list for each chapter:
- Prehistory: The First
- Imperial China: The Successor
- Twilight of Edo Japan: The Infiltrator
- The Wild West: The Wanderer
- Present Day: The Strongest
- The Near Future: The Outsider
- The Distant Future: The Mechanical Heart
- The Middle Ages: The Lord of Dark (Must first complete the initial 7 chapters in order to unlock)
- Dominion of Hate (Also known as the final chapter)
Which Live A Live Chapter To Play First
While each chapter presents its own unique story and characters, we like to start from the beginning – Prehistory: The First. It deals with Pogo and his efforts to save a woman from ritual sacrifice to the dinosaur god, Odo. It’s a fairly straightforward scenario that kicks off the game and the sinister presence of Odio. Of course, you can switch it up by playing through the middle chapters before Prehistory, but we prefer to play through established time periods. If you want to start off Live A Live a bit more smoothly, play The Distant Future chapter featuring Cube. It’s mainly a narrative playthrough with minimal fighting, and it’s a nice way to learn the basics of the game without getting into too much trouble.
If you noticed from the list of chapters, the final two have prerequisites that must be met. The Middle Ages section tasks you with playing through the first seven chapters; Dominion of Hate acts as the ultimate confrontation between Odio and the protagonists. Evidently, you’ll need to play as the main seven heroes if you wish to experience the final chapters.