Octopath Traveler and Live A Live are both absolutely incredible games by Square Enix launched on the Nintendo Switch. They both feature the stunning HD-2D art style that was originally popularised by Octopath Traveler and has since taken the gaming world by storm.
Related: Best Healers In JRPGs
Octopath Traveler and Live A Live both seem like very similar games from the outset. But how do they compare? If you’re wondering whether you should add Octopath Traveler or Live A Live to your ever-expanding backlog, keep reading to find out which one is superior.
7 Combat: Live A Live
Octopath Traveler and Live A Live both feature a turn-based battle system, but Live A Live spices things up just a little bit. The combat style is more on the traditional side, but Live A Live introduces a grid-like structure that almost makes it reminiscent of a tactical RPG.
Live A Live may tiptoe the line between tactical RPG and turn-based combat, but it still is very much leaning towards the turn-based combat side of things. The grid-like structure adds just enough flavor to the experience to make it a touch more interesting than Octopath Traveler's combat system.
6 Characters: Live A Live
Both Live A Live and Octopath Traveler have an absolutely incredible cast of characters. But when it comes to which cast is best, Live A Live takes the cake once again. Octopath Traveler offers a cast of eight playable characters (hence the name Octopath), which are all a joy to play through. But Live A Live, on the other hand, has a whopping total of 23 different playable characters throughout the game.
Related: Live A Live: Every Character's Best Technique
Live A Live offers a huge number of playable characters and somehow still manages to make each one of them vibrant and engaging. While both Octopath Traveler and Live A Live have quirky and lovable characters, Live A Live undoubtedly has more variety. And you know what they say, variety is the spice of life.
5 Music: Octopath Traveler
When it comes to music, it is hard to argue with Octopath Traveler's score. Octopath Traveler’s music is nothing short of amazing and was even nominated for best score/soundtrack at the 2018 Game Awards.
Yasunori Nishiki’s compositions perfectly match the mood of Octopath Traveler and deepen the emotional bond between you and the characters effortlessly. Octopath Traveler's soundtrack is best described as a masterpiece.
4 Visuals: Tie
Both Octopath Traveler and Live A Live are rendered in an HD-2D art style. This style combines 2D sprites with dynamic HD polygonal backgrounds to create a whimsical and nostalgic picture that is sure to pull on any retro gamer's heartstrings.
While the art style was first popularised by Octopath Traveler, both games share this next-level pixel art style. So it would be unfair to pick a winner in this case. Both games are visually stunning.
3 Narrative: Live A Live
Live A Live and Octopath Traveler both share a relatively similar structure — you play as a range of different protagonists throughout your adventure. This definitely keeps things interesting and is a strong point of both titles, but there is one slight difference between the two games.
Related: Best Story-Driven Video Games
Octopath Traveler follows the stories of eight protagonists as they travel together as a party, each unravelling their own storyline. Live A Live, however, follows eight different protagonists from entirely separate time periods. This changes not only the story, but the gameplay as well. Some chapters play out like the classic title Street Fighter 2, while another plays out more like the survival horror classic Alien. This variety is something that makes Live A Live's narrative unique and puts the game one step ahead of Octopath Traveler.
2 Lighting Effects: Octopath Traveler
Both Live A Live and Octopath Traveler do share the same HD-2D graphics. But there is one that excels over the other in terms of lighting effects, and that is Octopath Traveler. Lighting effects in games are not only utilized, so the player can see what’s happening on the screen. They can also be used to show emotion. And Octopath Traveler is a perfect example of this.
Octopath Traveler uses dynamic lighting design to filter rays of sunshine through the trees in a dimly lit forest or depict the soft glow of light emanating from a lantern. They set the mood of the scene expertly. Live A Live is a more bright and vibrant game in terms of its graphics, but Octopath Traveler fully harnesses the lighting design to deepen the story.
1 Verdict: Live A Live
Live A Live and Octopath Traveler are two incredible games that anyone who is a fan of the RPG genre should add to their collection. But when it comes to which one is best, Live A Live is the clear winner here.
This is somewhat unsurprising, considering that Octopath Traveler is the spiritual successor of Live A Live, and Live A Live was the original inspiration for Octopath’s core structure. Octopath may have been inspired by Live A Live, but it simply can't beat the original.
Next: Lingering Questions We Have After The End Of Live A Live
