Muv-Luv Alternative is one of the highest acclaimed visual novels in the medium, and for good reason. The Muv-Luv Trilogy (and its peripheral content), and in this case specifically Alternative are the best visual novels I've ever read. Some of the best pieces of fiction I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. And just about par to any other piece of fiction ever. The original trilogy consists of Extra, and Unlimited, and foremost Alternative as the grand finale.

Muv-Luv Alternative assumes you've played the latter two entries, so if you haven't this is a forewarning to tell you they are absolutely necessary to the trilogy as a whole, no matter what anyone else says. These are vital to character, and world development across the board in Alternative. You're doing a disservice to yourself without experiencing them prior.

Muv-Luv has always very much been a story of bonds, whether it be a cute and fun rom-com set in a world much like our own about, or a war wrought world in an alternate version of our reality. A story of humanity and its warriors as they attempt to unite against a common enemy known as the BETA. A story of love and camaraderie in the face of an insurmountable extraterrestrial foe. The original trilogy is the story of Shirogane Takeru, his bonds. His struggle to find and maintain his convictions in a hellish world unlike his own. The struggles in his repeated attempts to mature and grow in a way befitting of such a world. After finding his convictions in Unlimited he wakes up.

Now he must too learn to be unafraid of the consequences of his own actions. To look on courageously in the face overwhelming adversity.

Muv-Luv generally is an ambitious, and beautifully rich story that pushes the idea of a visual novel to its upmost limits. In the truest sense Muv-Luv Alternative is a coming-of-age story, an emotional journey and epic war odyssey that surpasses time and space in the name of true love. A riveting tale that challenges your ideals, and touches on all manner of things. Above all a truly unforgettable experience unlike any other. It's undeniable that it has flaws, these are evident to the extent I feel unqualified to explore them as many others have before me. And still despite all these it nonetheless holds such a high position in my heart. Revisiting the world of Muv-Luv is always a cathartic experience despite all its carried sadness. Brilliance to the truest degree in this unparalleled bookending to a quite unparalleled saga.

Achieve your mission with all your might.
Despair not till your last breath.
Make your death count.