Beat Live A Live on the weekend and I'm still processing whether or not I enjoyed it.
On one hand most of the 7 (8) scenarios you play through -- each of which is essentially an intro chapter or side-mission from a traditional JRPG -- aren't very good. The "near future" was a notable dud with lots of needless backtracking and awful pacing. Some use fun gimmicks, but none really lasts long enough or is good enough to stand out from a gameplay or story perspective.
On the other hand somehow the game pulled through in the final chapter, wherein (spoilers) you get to pick your favorite protagonist and lead a party of other protagonists to defeat the final boss.
Where I frequently found myself annoyed or rushing through the individual character chapters, I thoroughly enjoyed the grinding and character-specific dungeons and secret bosses of the final chapter. I had a tonne of fun finding the other characters and trying different ones out as a party member.
Despite none of the characters having much depth, and generally having at most lukewarm feelings toward any of them, I found myself super invested in them during this last chapter. There was barely any dialogue between characters but it was almost as if there was implicit dialogue through the silly dungeons and stupid bosses and the skills and items unlocked through the process. They felt like a team, and playing as my chosen protagonist they began to feel like a real protagonist.
After the credits finished rolling I found myself smiling, having truly enjoyed the final battle and epilogue sequence. I still can't tell for sure, however, if that one awesome last chapter was worth trudging through 8 chapters of mostly-bland trope-filled JRPG-ness.
I am curious, however, about the secret sauce. Why did that last chapter work so well? I feel like there's a valuable nugget in there I've not yet puzzled out!
I also want to identify a really cool thing the game did which was to tell stories through the RPG mechanics. In one chapter you gain skills by letting enemies use them on you. In another chapter you fight your disciples and they get the experience at the end of the battles. Some battles were presented more like puzzles than battles! They definitely explored their battle system thoroughly in this one, which I can appreciate!