Live A Live

Live A Live's story begins with a series of seven seemingly unrelated chapters which can be played in any order, based on popular genres such as Western, science fiction, and mecha. Each chapter has its own plot, setting, and characters. Although the basic gameplay is the same throughout the game, each chapter adds a new factor to the basic formula, such as the stealth elements in the ninja chapter. After the first seven chapters are completed, two final, sequential chapters take place, linking the previous chapters into an overarching plot and resolving the story.

Live A Live contains the basic elements of a role-playing video game. The characters explore dungeons, towns, or similar areas, fight enemies, and gain experience points to level up. However, the game does some things that are unusual for the genre, such as eschewing magic points and money, and automatically restoring the characters' health between battles.