Muv-Luv Alternative (マブラヴ オルタネイティブ) is a sequel to the first Muv-Luv game, taking place after the events of Unlimited (to Takeru, at least). The DVD version of the game was released on 24th February 2006, the CD version was released on 3rd March 2006, and the all-age version was released on 22nd September 2006.
The all-age version features new opening sequence with a new song by JAM Project, 5.1 surround sound, and the ability to skip to any chapter (even before you start the game, making this convenient for people who already played the original version). There are also new events and event CGs, and more voice acting for Takeru. Adult content is no longer present (toned down to the level of what one might see in a TV drama), and the more gory scenes were toned down. Some of the new events can only be seen if one has saves in which certain decisions were made from Extra/Unlimited (for example, in order to get the boat event, you have to first find the boat in Unlimited).
Unlike the first Muv-Luv game, it consists of only one part, Muv-Luv Alternative.
According to âge, Muv-Luv Alternative's genre is "a tale of love and courage" ("あいとゆうきのおとぎばなし"). It is even more serious in tone than Unlimited. It also features a lot of cameo appearances from other games by âge. In addition to the new main characters, one other main character from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien shows up, and several characters from other games are mentioned.
It is worth noting that Alternative takes up over 4.5 GB of hard drive space, and requires at least 256 MB of RAM as well as a minimum screen resolution of 1024×768. It also takes 14–20 hours (most report it to take around 16) to clear one playthrough (which is very long when compared to other adventure games).
Unlike most adventure games, there is only one ending and one route in Alternative. While it is possible to influence small portions of the story (like determining which letter Takeru reads at the end), the ending ultimately remains unchanged, and the characters who die cannot be saved.
In Alternative, Takeru wakes up three years after the end of Unlimited to find himself back in his room. Although he first thinks that everything that had happened to him was a dream, he soon feels that something is wrong, and leaves the house to find that he has been sent back in time to the beginning of the events in Unlimited. Unwilling to accept something like Alternative V, he decides to help professor Kouduki to complete Alternative IV and save mankind.
While the game starts off loosely following some of the events of Unlimited, Takeru soon makes enough of a difference for all sorts of things that didn't happen in the previous timeline to occur.
When talking about Alternative, fans typically use "AL" when referring to the world, and "Oruta" (オルタ) when referring to the game.
"Oruta madaa?" (オルタマダー？, "Is Oruta here yet?") was a frequent chant in Muv-Luv threads on BBSes such as 2ch during the three year wait after the first Muv-Luv. This was replaced with "Oruta FD madaa?" (オルタFDマダー？, "is the Oruta fandisc here yet?) after Alternative was released, but isn't seen nearly as often as its predecessor was.
While Alternative answers most of the questions and ends Muv-Luv's story (only three members of the Isumi Valkyries are left by the end of the game, excluding Takeru, who has left the world), the conflict with the BETA is far from resolved. While the Original Hive and the Superior (Target A) have been destroyed, the solar system, and indeed, the universe, is still filled with BETA (according the Superior, at least 10^37).
The game has been heavily criticized for its inclusion of several "grotesque" (gory) scenes, especially Marimo's death scene, which is undoubtedly the worst of the lot, in which she gets her head bitten off. However, fans argue that said scenes are necessary to let players know why Takeru is affected so heavily by those events (Takeru's reaction to Marimo's death results in a series of major plot twists).
Even the fans agree that that scene could have been censored, and shouldn't have been seen again in so many flashbacks, though. Due to this, a censor patch has been made available.
The game is largely hit-or-miss. It is likely that this is because it is nothing at all like the lighthearted Extra.
There is one last unique alternate world introduced in Alternative at the end of the game, which is referred to by fans as "FEX", for "final Extra".
A Muv-Luv Alternative fandisc,
Altered Fable (アルタードフェイブル) was announced in February 2007. There is no release date yet.
最終更新：2007年05月06日 12:23
