Info about Muv-Luv: Official game description: Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse ================================= About the Game ============== The Muv-Luv series is an epic saga told in three parts: **Muv-Luv Extra, Muv-Luv Unlimited, and Muv-Luv Alternative**. What begins as a tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy ultimately transforms into an action-packed thrill ride in a war-torn alternate reality, and it’s this drastic-yet-methodical genre twist that makes the final chapter the most highly-revered visual novel of all time. This is a story that will plant seeds in your brain early in the first act that you won’t even notice until they sprout in the third for maximum narrative payoff and crushing emotional impact. Don’t fall for Extra’s cutesy exterior. This series ventures into some of the darkest thematic territory you’ll ever see, and when the final curtain closes, you’ll likely need a forklift to pick your jaw up off the floor. Make no mistake: this is a story that will challenge you in ways few works of fiction dare attempt, and an emotional tour de force unlike any other. This game contains the first two arcs: **Extra, and Unlimited**. The final arc, **Muv-Luv Alternative** is the story’s massive climax, and is nearly the size of the first two combined. Muv-Luv Extra ------------- Takeru is your average unassuming high school senior whose entire world gets turned upside down one morning when he awakens to find himself in bed with the heiress to one of the world’s largest international conglomerates. She calls herself Meiya, and - despite never having met him before - she insists that the two of them are destined for one another. This comes much to the chagrin of his childhood friend Sumika, the girl next door who’s always had feelings for him, who realizes that if she doesn’t act fast, she might just lose him forever. All of which begs the question: just who is Meiya? And do his feelings for Sumika run deeper than he thought? In the end, he’ll need to decide between the girl who’s been with him through thick and thin, or the stranger who claims they’re bound together by fate. But that’s only one side of the story. Muv-Luv Unlimited ----------------- Just as the page turns on Takeru’s happily ever after, he awakens one morning in a world not his own. An alternate timeline, humanity on the brink of extinction. A world infested by alien invaders locked in a war that’s been raging on for decades. And yet, all the set pieces are the same - his house is still here, albeit dilapidated and barely standing. His school is still here, though it’s now a military academy. And even though they don’t recognize him, all his friends are here too… with one exception. Was this all just a dream? Or was the world he thought he knew really a dream all along? Muv-Luv Alternative ------------------- To avoid spoilers, we only recommend visiting **Muv-Luv Alternative Steam page** after finishing Muv-Luv Unlimited. Features: --------- * **A Dating Sim** - Date any of the heroines, get to know their personalities and backstories, and fall in love with each other! * **Available in three languages** \- Japanese, English and Simplified Chinese. * The User Interface has been reworked, so it's compatible with the newest tablet PCs and touchscreens. * User save data are stored in Steam cloud so readers can continue their progress anywhere with ease. Muv-Luv Reviews (Original AppID) -------------------------------- Release date: Feb 28, 2018 Categories: Visual Novel, Dating Simulation, Romance Simulation, Science Fiction, Alternate History, Character-driven Interactions and Dialogue, Branching Narrative, Multiple Endings - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: No data - Playtime Metrics: No data - Time-to-fun: No data - Player Archetypes: No data Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Immersive and detailed world-building (weight 0.85): The game's world-building is immersive and detailed, with a rich narrative that transitions from lighthearted comedy to intense sci-fi. The characters and their developments are intricately tied to the world, making it feel alive and engaging. - Engaging character development (weight 0.81): The game features well-developed characters with distinct personalities and unique arcs. Characters evolve in believable ways, with motivations and consequences properly laid out, enhancing the depth of the narrative. - Emotionally engaging story (weight 0.66): The narrative is compelling and emotionally impactful, with a complex and engaging plot. The story transitions from lighthearted comedy to dark and intense sci-fi, creating a deep emotional investment. - Unique narrative structure (weight 0.51): The game's story is divided into different arcs (Extra, Unlimited, Alternative), each with its own unique tone and purpose. This structure effectively builds the world and characters, leading to a satisfying progression. - High production quality (weight 0.49): The game boasts detailed sprites, animations, and expressions, giving it a premium feel. Characters have various poses and expressions, and the presentation is polished with stable performance. - High-quality music and soundtrack (weight 0.45): The game features a great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The music is enjoyable and serves its purpose well, adding to the emotional impact of the story. - Exceptional voice acting (weight 0.42): The voice acting in the game is highly praised for its quality and performance. Notable voice actors deliver exceptional performances, and all dialogues are fully voiced, adding to the immersive experience. Common complaints: - Repetitive and weak story routes (weight 0.68): Many routes in the game share similar events and lack significant variation, making the story feel repetitive and weak. - Rushed and unsatisfying climax (weight 0.46): The final part of the game feels rushed and incomplete, failing to deliver a satisfying climax despite a strong build-up. - Outdated and unappealing art (weight 0.42): The game's art style is considered outdated and may be unappealing to some players, affecting the overall visual experience. - Uninteresting and boring Extra chapter (weight 0.42): The Extra chapter is often criticized for being boring, slow, and feeling like an average slice of life with outdated themes. - Unskippable scenes reduce replayability (weight 0.23): The presence of unskippable scenes, including cutscenes and animations, makes replaying the game tedious and frustrating. - Annoying protagonist in Extra chapter (weight 0.22): The protagonist in the Extra chapter is often portrayed as ordinary, childish, and annoying, which can be off-putting to players. - Low resolution and lack of 1080p support (weight 0.11): The game's resolution is quite low and it lacks support for 1080p, which can be a drawback for players seeking higher quality visuals. - Unnecessary and shoe-horned lectures (weight 0.11): Some lectures in the game feel forced and unnecessary to the narrative, disrupting the flow of the story. - Censored and additional scenes (weight 0.1): The game includes censored scenes and additional scenes that may not add significant value to the overall experience. Gameplay feedback: - Genre shift from comedy to drama (weight 0.92): The narrative shifts from a lighthearted romantic comedy in Extra to a darker, more intense sci-fi epic in Unlimited, creating a significant tonal change. - Game structure with Extra and Unlimited (weight 0.9): The game is divided into two main parts: Extra and Unlimited. Extra sets the foundation for the story and characters, while Unlimited introduces a more serious and dramatic narrative. - Multiple routes and endings (weight 0.69): The game features multiple character routes and endings, allowing players to experience different storylines and outcomes based on their choices. - Dating sim and romantic elements (weight 0.31): The game includes dating sim elements and romantic comedy aspects, with players able to pursue relationships with various characters. - Science-fiction elements (weight 0.17): The game incorporates science-fiction elements, particularly in the Unlimited arc, which features a post-apocalyptic setting and alien invaders. - Strategic combat and mecha battles (weight 0.11): Unlimited introduces strategic combat and mecha battles, adding a layer of gameplay beyond the visual novel elements. - Alternate timeline narrative (weight 0.1): The story explores alternate timelines, providing a rich and complex narrative structure. - Character sprites and visuals (weight 0.09): The game features character sprites that change based on facing and position, with various expressions and effects to enhance the visual experience. Performance notes: - Performance and stability (weight 0.24): The game is noted for its stable performance and polished menus, especially in the Steam release. It runs well on both PC and Steam Deck. - Visual discomfort issues (weight 0.15): Some players report visual issues causing discomfort, including camera movement that causes eye strain and inconsistent lip-sync. - Art and visual performance (weight 0.15): The game's art and visual presentation are notable, with some players appreciating the artistic expression and visual performance while others find the visuals outdated. - Quick startup and high resolution (weight 0.14): The game has a quick startup time and supports high resolution, although there are some issues with sprite stretching in 720p. - Optimization and compatibility issues (weight 0.12): There are optimization issues reported, particularly on Windows 11. Some players need to use a Windows 7 virtual machine for the full experience, indicating compatibility problems. - Accessibility features included (weight 0.11): The game offers accessibility features such as skip and auto functions, which help in replaying routes and make the game more accessible. - Memory management issues (weight 0.06): There are reports of memory management issues, which can affect the game's performance and stability. - Binaural spatial audio (weight 0.06): The game features binaural spatial audio, enhancing the immersive experience for players. - Widescreen format support (weight 0.06): The game supports widescreen format, providing a better viewing experience for players with widescreen monitors. Recommendations: - Play Extra and Unlimited first (weight 0.7): Players are advised to start with Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited before moving on to Alternative for a complete and enhanced experience. - Buy and play before Alternative (weight 0.64): It is essential to play Muv-Luv before Muv-Luv Alternative to fully understand and appreciate the story. Some routes are specifically recommended for important background information. - Highly recommended for narrative depth (weight 0.38): The game is praised for its deep narrative and character development, making it a standout in the visual novel genre. It is recommended for fans of series like Attack on Titan and Steins;Gate. - Recommended for mech and romance fans (weight 0.27): Muv-Luv is highly recommended for fans of mechs, visual novels, or romance. Despite minor flaws, it offers a compelling experience. - Worth the time and investment (weight 0.23): The game is considered a great value, offering dozens of hours of entertainment. Many players suggest waiting for a sale, but it is also deemed worth the full price. - Transformative storytelling experience (weight 0.16): Muv-Luv is described as one of the most transformative experiences in visual novel storytelling, offering an unforgettable meditation on love, loss, and fighting for the future. - Recommended for fans of serious topics (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for fans of visual novels that explore serious topics and for those who appreciate detailed user experience improvements. Other player notes: - Series context enhances experience (weight 0.15): Playing the entire game series provides a more complete and enriched experience, with reviews highlighting the importance of the game's history and context within the series. - Language support issues (weight 0.11): The game patches are only available in English and Japanese versions. Changing the game language allows access to the patch installer. Additionally, there is a lack of Russian localization. - Lacks modern features (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for not including modern features such as backlog jump and mouse gestures, which are commonly expected in contemporary visual novels. - Suitable for older players (weight 0.06): The game is mentioned as being suitable for older players who have limited time, suggesting it has an appeal to a more mature audience. Emotions: - Excitement (weight 0.37): Players are excited about the game's narrative depth, philosophical themes, and worldview expansion. The engaging storyline, character arcs, and unique narrative structure contribute significantly to this emotion, along with the anticipation of future installments and their emotional impact. - Satisfaction (weight 0.24): Satisfaction stems from completing all character routes and experiencing interconnected stories. Players appreciate the character development, storyline, and the immersive alternate reality, as well as the unique narrative structure and effective use of foreshadowing. - Disappointment (weight 0.21): Disappointment is primarily caused by the mediocre plot, unengaging story, and lack of significant events. Players also express frustration with the repetitive endings, weak main heroine routes, and the overall lack of balance in the genre blend. - Nostalgia (weight 0.18): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's retro art style, dynamic performances, and emotional impact of the narrative. Players reflect on the emotional impact of replaying the game and the memories it brings back from their younger days. - Frustration (weight 0.15): Frustration arises from technical issues, such as game crashes and progress loss, as well as repetitive endings and the slog of getting through all the routes. Players also struggle with the initial character portrayal and the perceived boring nature of the game. - Enjoyment (weight 0.15): Enjoyment comes from the game's presentation, characters, and the detailed daily life in Extra. Players find the plot of Unlimited more engaging and fun, and appreciate the character growth and world-building in the Visual Novel. - Anticipation (weight 0.07): Anticipation is driven by the excitement for future installments and the realization of future events in the story. Players look forward to the next part of the series and recommend playing EX first for the best experience. - Admiration (weight 0.06): Admiration is inspired by the game's ambitious storytelling, character development, and emotional depth. Players praise the narrative structure, character development, and the animation in the UNLIMITED chapter. - Emotional Resonance (weight 0.03): Players are deeply moved by the detailed emotional portrayal of the game's characters and the exquisite storytelling. The depiction of human goodness and beauty in a harsh world resonates strongly with them. - Engagement (weight 0.03): Engagement is driven by the deep character development and emotional storytelling. Players find the game very fun and engaging with fully voiced dialogs and mindblowing sprites. - Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation grows after playing Alternative, as players begin to value the moments from Extra more. The compelling story and character development, as well as the art and presentation, contribute to this feeling. - Sadness (weight 0.03): Sadness is evoked by the emotional impact of the ending of Unlimited and the character sacrifices. The ending of the UNLIMITED chapter hits players hard emotionally. - Impressed (weight 0.03): Players are impressed by the detailed animations and expressions, as well as the strong narrative structure and well-developed characters. The engaging overall story also contributes to this emotion. - Disappointed (weight 0.03): Disappointment is caused by inappropriate character design, inconsistent voice acting, and lack of 1080p support. The slow start and poorly executed early chapters also contribute to this feeling. - Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is derived from the fun and cozy nature of the game, as well as the well-written characters, engaging dialogue, and genuine relationships. Players find the game enjoyable and engaging. - Interest (weight 0.02): Interest is sparked by the opening design, drawings, diary, and background music. The 'unlimited' part of the game makes players think about what might happen next. - Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from the unexpected shift in the game's genre and the different parts of the game. Players express confusion about the series structure and the sudden introduction of mecha elements in what was perceived as a school comedy.}