LIVE a LIVE (and those are both pronounced like “live broadcast,” if you were wondering), was a Square-published JRPG originally released for the Super Famicom in 1994. While the game was well-received by those who played it, it didn’t sell very well, which kept it from ever making the jump from Japan to the world stage. Now, nearly three decades later, LIVE a LIVE is reaching the rest of the world. If you’re not sure about this experimental game, though, try the demo! Here are all playable characters in the LIVE a LIVE demo.
All Playable Characters in the LIVE a LIVE Demo
The demo for the LIVE a LIVE remake on the Nintendo Switch allows you to play through the introductory bits of three of the game’s scenarios. For those who didn’t know, LIVE a LIVE features seven different scenarios set throughout history, each with its own story and protagonist, all ultimately converging in the end. These protagonists all have not only distinct abilities, but distinct rules and playstyles that govern their tales.
The scenarios and characters you can try in the LIVE a LIVE demo are:
- Imperial China: The Successor – Earthen Heart Shifu
- Distant Future: Mechanical Heart – Cube
- Twilight of Edo Japan: The Infiltrator – Oboromaru
Earthen Heart Shifu
The Earthen Heart Shifu is the elderly master of Earthen Heart kung fu. Wise and skilled, he seeks new disciples to pass his personal style of martial arts onto while he still has time left.
As a kung fu master, the Shifu starts at level 10, with much higher stats and a wider array of abilities than most of the other protagonists. However, because he’s in his twilight years, he can’t gain any more strength. This means he can’t level up or learn any new abilities; what you start the scenario with is all you’re getting, though your disciples can level up like normal when they join you.
Cube
A worker and support robot built by a mechanic on the civilian cargo vessel Cogito Ergo Sum, Cube gradually discovers what it means to be a sapient creature as the crew teaches it more about the world.
Since Cube isn’t human, it also can’t level up. This isn’t actually a problem, however, because its scenario only has one combat encounter at the very end. Rather than a traditional RPG, Cube’s scenario is more like a visual novel, requiring decisions and memorization from the player to escape dangerous situations.
Related: Kirby and the Forgotten Land Demo is Now Available
Oboromaru
Oboromaru is a rookie shinobi tasked by the Enma Clan to rescue a politician from the power-hungry Ode clan, who seek to throw Japan into chaos and take control of whatever remains.
Oboromaru is one of the more normal characters, starting at level 1 and gradually gaining strength and abilities as he wins in fights and gains XP. He can hold his own decently well in a fight, though, as a ninja, nonviolence is also a viable path. Oboromaru possesses the ability to vanish from sight in the overworld, allowing him to skirt combat encounters altogether. While the choice to fight or hide is ultimately yours, Oboromaru will keep a running tally of every enemy you kill throughout the scenario.
Any progress you make with these three characters can be saved and carried over to the full version of LIVE a LIVE. You don’t need to finish a scenario to switch to another, either; you can return to the scenario selection screen at any time to jump to someone else’s adventure, then return to the first one and pick back up where you left off when you’re ready.
