The RPG is the genre in which side activities are always threatening to take centre stage.

This chapter is a bawdy comedy written in grunts, gestures and speech bubble emojis.

Some chapters feel more like jokes.

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I enjoyed this chapter partly because I had no idea what would happen next.

Fortunately, you could murder non-humans such as ghosts with impunity.

I should probably get round to telling you how that works, shouldn’t I?

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The bread-and-butter: characters have action bars that fill up when another character moves or acts.

Some abilities affect the terrain, filling squares with water or fire.

Live A Live is a chronically whimsical game, with far more fart jokes than sonorous philosophical takeaways.

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It is, you might conclude, a vision of history that is all sidequest.

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Live a Live review - cavepeople-era with a row of flinstone-like cars blocking a path, with one caveman on the floor as the female player character looks on

Live a Live review - some grid-based combat between an old master and two other characters

Live a Live review - an old master looks out over Chinese mountains, speaking of training a disciple

Live a Live review - far future inside a spaceship as several characters converse

Live a Live review - a ‘You Win’ screen, in the style of old fighting games

Live a Live review - combat inside a dojo with lots of fire-like effects and massive damage coming from the player

Live a Live review - a black background and pair of cat-like eyes, with a speech bubble reading ‘You happy with your lot in life?'