Muv-Luv

This game consists of two parts: Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited. Unlimited is unlocked after you get the endings of the two main heroines (Sumika and Meiya) in Extra.

Muv-Luv Extra:
Shirogane Takeru is a typical high school student with a lazy attitude and a love for the virtual reality mecha battle game Valgern-on. Even though he didn't really want it, he is popular in school mainly due to his daily fights with his osananajimi (Sumika) attracting too much attention. His life takes an unexpected turn when he finds a girl (Meiya) he doesn't remember ever meeting in his bed one morning. That girl is later revealed to be the heiress of one of the biggest zaibatsu. She immediately moves to his house and starts changing his life for the good with her one-track-mind and unlimited resources...

Muv-Luv Extra, the main part of Muv-Luv, takes place in the same world (and general area) as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien and Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu. The Sky Temple family restaurant is mentioned and visited, and Suzumiya Akane makes an appearance.

Muv-Luv Unlimited:
One day Takeru wakes up late, wondering why Sumika or Meiya didn't wake him up this morning. Not seeing any signs of them he gets a bit worried and goes out of his house only to see the town he lived in all his life in ruins. After getting past the initial shock he decides that this must be a dream and decides to enjoy it as much as he can...

[Partially from Wikipedia]

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Classic Tsundere Heroine 3.0 Sex with Protagonist Only 3.0 More Than Seven Endings 2.9 Alternate Dimensions^S 2.9 Male Protagonist 2.9 Genre Shift^S 2.9 Colored Name-tags 2.8 Childhood Promise^S 2.8 Colored Texts 2.8 War^S 2.8 Late Sexual Content 2.7 High School Student Heroine 2.7 Romance 2.7 Apocalypse^S 2.7 Mecha^S 2.7 Heroine with Expressive Ahoge 2.7 Combat Capable Friends^S 2.7 ADV 2.6 Protagonist's Childhood Friend as a Heroine 2.6 Student Heroine 2.6 Open Ending(s)^S 2.6 Donkan Protagonist 2.6 Heroine with Intake Hairstyle 2.6 Life and Death Drama^S 2.6 High School Student Protagonist 2.6 Multiple Endings 2.6 School Life Comedy 2.6 Mecha Pilot Heroine^S 2.6 Mecha Pilot Protagonist^S 2.6 Soldier Heroine^S 2.5 Super Deformed CG's 2.5 High School 2.5 Student Protagonist 2.5 Ending List 2.5 Heroine with Big Breasts 2.5 Impulsive Protagonist 2.5 Unlockable Event 2.5 Varied Title Screens 2.5 Flashback 2.4 Soldier Protagonist^S 2.4 Slapstick 2.4 Military^S 2.4 Modern Day Setting in a Fictional World 2.4 Protagonist with a Face 2.4 Ponytail Heroine 2.4 Twin Tail Heroine 2.4 Unlockable Hero(ine)^S 2.4 Comedic Love Triangle 2.4 Under the Same Roof 2.4 Protagonist's Rival as a Heroine 2.4 Genius Support Character 2.4 Protagonist from a Different World^S 2.4 High Amount of Special Effects 2.4 Military Base^S 2.3 Achievements 2.3 Branching Plot 2.3 Defloration 2.3 Delinquent Heroine 2.3 Drastic Character Development^S 2.3 Parting Ending^S 2.3 Heroine with Ahoge 2.3 Low Sexual Content 2.3 Post Apocalyptic Earth^S 2.3 Class President Heroine 2.3 Transfer Student Heroine 2.3 Mecha Combat^S 2.3 Protagonist with Partial Voice Acting 2.3 Fear of Death^S 2.2 Sniper Heroine^S 2.2 Unlockable Gallery 2.2 Dramatic Love Triangle^S 2.2 Childishly Violent Heroine 2.2 Episodic Story 2.2 Unlockable Routes^S 2.2 Deredere Heroine 2.2 Heroine with Glasses 2.2 School Sports Club Member Heroine 2.2 Fictional Modern Day Japanese Town 2.2 Comedy 2.2 Dystopia^S 2.2 Unlockable Choices 2.1 Extraterrestrial^S 2.1 Emotionless Heroine 2.1 Loli Heroine 2.1 Ojousama Heroine 2.0 Bokukko Heroine^S 2.0 Gamer Protagonist 2.0 Heisei Era 2.0 Joke Endings 2.0 Multiple Opening Movies^S 2.0 Slow-burn Romance 2.0 Enforced Playing Order 2.0 Nekomimi Heroine 1.9 Onna Bugeisha Heroine 1.9 Date Display 1.9 Maid Support Character 1.9 No Common Sense Heroine 1.9 Only Virgin Heroines 1.8 Science Fiction^S 1.8 Forced Auto-Read Sections 1.8 Varying Ending Songs 1.8 Food Discussions 1.8 Brief NVL Scenes 1.8 Arcade 1.8 Hotblooded Protagonist 1.8 Wedding^S 1.7 School 1.7 Popular Protagonist 1.7 Infodumping 1.7 Sports 1.7 Straight Lolicon 1.7 Sword Wielding Heroine 1.7 Tsundere Heroine 1.7 Arranged Marriage^S 1.6 Amusement Park 1.5 Bullying^S 1.5 Domicile 1.5 Inter-class Romance 1.5 Athletics Festival^S 1.5 Heroine with Catsuit 1.5 Nakige^S 1.4 Archer Heroine 1.3 Childishly Violent Protagonist 1.3 Save Memo Function 1.3 Teacher Heroine^S 1.3 Reunion^S 1.3 Reverse Trap Heroine^S 1.3 Pure Love Story^S 1.2 Brief Branches Only 1.2 Foolish Protagonist 1.2 Hard Science Fiction^S 1.2 Funeral 1.0 Kissing Scene 1.0 May-December Romance^S 1.0 Music Recollection 1.0 Sudden Girlfriend Appearance 1.0 Lolicon 1.0 Archery Club 1.0 Onsen^S 0.8 Fighting Heroine^S 0.7 Multiple Common Routes 0.4 Support Character Based on a Fictional Person 0.3 Fighting Protagonist^S 0.2

Mini reviews

By exoticbankai on 2020-09-21r43056Vote: 6

<report>Kind of a rite of passage to get to read muv luv alternative, this is a rather basic, cliche and unoriginal visual novel, i still enjoyed it and liked some of the route but there really is nothing special about outside of unlimited.

Art style is alright, voice acting is great, music are ok.

It's just alright, getting to know the character is important for alternative, wouldn't recommend this if it didn't tie to alternative.

0 comments 4 points

By TLG12317 on 2023-11-19Vote: 5

<report>Muv Luv Extra: 2/10

Very generic and bland moege that bereft of good writing. The ONLY saving grace was the existence of Sumika.

Muv Luv Unlimited: 6/10

Surprisingly WAY better writing after the dogwater known as MLE, emotional moments are impactful, story changes from Extra without bieing overly jarring. Characters feel a lot more nicely developed, and enjoyable to read. One might argue that Sumika being gone is a bad thing, but I feel that it builds up anticipation for MLA in a satisfying manner. Lack of best girl is still a shame unfortunately.

Unlimited is a worthy read if only for one route. Extra however does not stand the test of time. Sloggin through Extra to read Unlimited is necessary however.

Overall: 5/10.

14 comments 3 points

By noxvn on 2022-04-11r57290Vote: 6.5

<report>Extra: Not as bad as I thought it would be, sadly the comedy aspect kinda stops being funny after the 4th hour.
Maybe also because the game is quite old, most of the 2000s tropes kinda make me cringe a bit. solid 5/10 Not bad not good just ok.

Unlimited: Definitely hook me very hard and I really fall in love with the setting. It is still fairly light-hearted and there isn't too much PAIN yet. The ending is very sudden and kinda out of the left field (which makes sense in the alternative). I definitely enjoy this way more than I thought and I love all the characters too. Solid 7.5

0 comments 2 points

By heyitsmeyeti on 2022-07-11Vote: 7

Extra: 6.5
I went into Extra knowing I probably wouldn't like it, but I came out pleasantly surprised. I'm not going to say it was amazing or anything; there were plenty of moments where I was completely uninterested. In the end, I enjoyed my time with it and am looking forward to Unlimited.
Unlimited: 8
Finally finished Unlimited and can confidently say that Unlimited is the better half. The shift to a serious setting definitely contributed to my enjoyment. Experiencing the locations that I became familiar with through Extra under completely different circumstances was refreshing. All the characters felt more compelling despite retaining their overall personalities. My main gripe has to do with Unlimited being mostly buildup with a pretty abrupt ending.

This review contains spoilers, click to view.

0 comments 1 point

By ReikoRaph on 2023-05-29Vote: 8.9

<report>In the community it is customary to hate the first part of the trilogy (Extra), because it is too standard and boring. But I liked it! Game was even funny. I read all the routes and was never bored. I can say the same about Unlimited.

0 comments 0 points

By cheekyman07 on 2024-01-09Vote: 8

<report>This review is only for Muv-Luv Extra, and not indicative of my impressions of both sequels. I read the trilogy a while back, so this will be short.

I enjoyed this overall, a simple, silly little romcom that got a few laughs out of me that ended on sweet notes that you would generally expect from a lighthearted heroine romance focused game.
It manages to be just about interesting enough to fulfil it's intended role of introducing the reader to the cast to provide a bit of groundwork for the sequels. Nothing exceptional, but nothing terrible either.

5 comments 0 points

By tertyyy on 2020-09-10Vote: 7

<report>I actually enjoyed Extra quite a bit, it felt very self aware and often didn't take itself too seriously making it enjoyable for the most part. Though I have to admit that I laugh at pretty much anything so I found it funny most of the time. Unlimited was fairly enjoyable but in my opinion is actually worse than Extra because it is very blatantly setup for Alternative. With that said it still has some high points such as more character depth and works well shifting the tone between Extra and Alternative to prevent it from being too jarring.

0 comments 0 points

By LostPomegranate on 2023-11-12Vote: 8

<report>Muv-Luv when taken on its own is a decent to good slice of life - comedy visual novel that is relatively pleasant to play. I actually really enjoyed Muv-Luv by itself and it is one of my preferred / recommended SoL VN's.

Unlimited bridges the gap between ML and MLA and begins to build a wider universe and leaves more questions than answers that ultimately get answered in Alternative.

If you have no intentions of playing MLA or you're unsure if you want to, you can still play Muv-Luv without issues, but I would not recommend playing Unlimited. It's still decent after Muv-Luv, but without Alternative it just leaves a lot to be desired and is without a major payoff.

0 comments 0 points

By averageVNlover on 2023-11-16r43373Vote: 5

<report>Really only necessary to get the full Muv-Luv Experience later in Alternative. I skimmed through most of Extra and didn't lost anything. Only Sumikas and Meiyas ending i finished, it is just a below average love comedy. Unlimited is more interesting and i didn't skip anything there, but it barely scratches on to what alternative is going to be in litterally anything, it does build up the world a good bit though and ultimately made me not lose hope for alternative

0 comments 0 points

By itsnooa on 2021-12-08r51272Vote: 4

<report>Alternative is indeed a good VN, but Muv-Luv really isn't. Extra is as basic as High School moeges go, and Unlimited essentially retells the same story, but in a military / scifi setting. I think that it is necessary to get attached to at least one of the characters in order to enjoy this, but I can't say that I did. Instead I had had to force myself to read through most of this. Also doesn't help that the MC is really not to my liking.

I'd rate Muv-Luv Extra 5/10 and Unlimited 3/10.

21 comments 0 points

By magicflier on 2020-09-18r43373Vote: 7.1

<report>This visual novel is split into two separate stories: "Extra" and "Unlimited".

Muv-Luv Extra is basically a bundle of nonsensical school life-related fun; while Muv-Luv Unlimited leans to an alternate line with a more severe setting, which still retains it's upbeat atmosphere. Both are personally very fun to read through. Takeru is such a daydreaming idiot, and the cast have such a colorful range of personalities that clashes are unavoidable. Lots of moments to have a great laugh, and cliches to cringe to. Wonderful varied multiple routes and it's endings for many of the heroines to take in Extra like a normal high school romance, albeit for Unlimited, it's a one-way track to the end.

0 comments 0 points

By kuphyde on 2021-05-10Vote: 6

<report>Okay, imma be short here, first part of the game/story kinda bored me to death, slice of life, school, yadda yadda. But after playing the second part... God, do I understand the utility of the first part and salute the writers to have made it so well.
If ever you thought about giving up cause you heard of mecha and shit and were disappointed, rethink and try going a bit further. It is worth, I assure you.
(But yeah first part bored me so I won't go higher than 7/10)

0 comments 0 points

By anvaws569 on 2024-02-04Vote: 7

<report>I love Muv-Luv trilogy to bits, but I cant seem to recommended this to anyone without spoiler, because Extra is just so boring with lot of generic things, I personally find it hard to finish Extra, it took me around 6 month to finish 1 route and from Unlimited it gets little bit more interesting for me to finish it in mere a week or so, but after finishing Alternative I appreciate Extra more and love it even, and you cant enjoy Alternative without Extra and Unlimited, and yes Unlimited ending hits me hard too, I just feel bad, helpless, sad, and much more I cant describe it well

0 comments 0 points

By Healibord on 2022-03-12Vote: 8

<report>Very cleverly written they way they make you really sit through Extra just to throw you right into Unlimited later on. And depsite being merely a set up for Alternative it was a pretty good read for me. Entertaining characters and Unlimited really grabs your attention.

0 comments 0 points

By llow on 2023-04-17Vote: 9

<report>Pretty good! Heartwarming in both parts, and the relationship between the MC and the two main love interests is really well developed. You also come to love most of the characters of the main cast, which is a feat in and of itself. I had a lot of fun, especially with Sumika and the relationship between Chizuru and Kei. Two thumbs up. Minus 1 point for an ending that's fairly open-ended and clearly meant to lead into another game -- as Alternative had come out around the time of my playthrough, that didn't quite hinder my experience, but if there was a 2 year wait for me it certainly might have.

0 comments 0 points

By agbe431 on 2023-12-02Vote: 8

<report>Muv luv extra: 4/10
It was interesting at first with somewhat funny jokes and great attention to detail on animations/va but it got old very quick. I decided to skip the entire rest of extra after getting 5 hours into it, and I don't regret it. It might be "blasphemous" but I would say if you are feeling done with it and don't want to continue, just skip to unlimited as long as you have a basic understanding of all the characters.
Muv luv unlimited: 9/10
I really enjoyed this game. There is great interaction between all the characters and you really get to watch the development of the main character Takeru as he has to transition from his carefree life to a more serious setting. Overall this game really captured my interest, and although there isn't much actual action was excellent!

2 comments 0 points

By lexaed on 2021-05-25Vote: 7

<report>It's a good game.

First of all, the only reason why I have complete the games were muv luv alternative- the best visual novels by the rating. It was enjoyable.. sometimes...

Muv luv extra- an eroge without sex. It's just a simply yet good story. Some heroines were interesting. I don't regret.

Muv luv unlimited- way better then extra. But also authors don't explain a damn thing about the world. How did this happen? We didn't have answers.

Overall it wasn't that boring. It's good and easy to play but nothing special except for the unlimited. 7/10

1 comment 0 points

By indexaroo on 2024-02-03r43373Vote: 9

<report>These two games hold a special place in my heart after playing them. I've only just gotten into visual novels, but I'm glad to have started here. I cannot wait to see how alternative plays out. Also Meiya <3

0 comments 0 points

By iplayvidya on 2020-09-11r51272Vote: 9

<report>-Extra-
It's your standard high school romance visual novel, but it's definitely one of the better ones out there. There were some moments and scenarios that I didn't like, but many more that I loved. Really great overall.

Overall - 9/10

Sumika's Route: 9/10
Ayamine's Route: 8/10
Miki's Route: 10/10
Meiya's Route: 7/10
Chizuru's Route: 10/10

-Unlimited-
A very interesting shift in the series. A few moments that didn't really feel right, even for Unlimited's setting, but overall really enjoyable. Definitely has me excited for Alternative.

[Originally published at <link>]

0 comments 0 points

By barfboy on 2020-11-24Vote: 6

<report>Muv Luv Extra was so enjoyable and fun. A fairly standard high school romance with the twist being that a very rich girl Mitsurugi Meiya is introduced as the main competitor to the main heroine Kagami Sumika who is one of my all time favorite characters in a VN and best childhood friend. It's a cute and fun experience about the characters trying to practice for an upcoming Lacrosse tournament. The other heroines are worth reading, surprisingly I came to love Sakaki Chizuru far more than expected.

Then the game shits itself by becoming some weird alternate reality about Giant Robots and fighting aliens where the best girl is gone and I just stopped caring.

6/10 way to ruin a good experience

1 comment 0 points