Recent reviews by Mst Sgt Peppa

I played through Extra, Unlimited and Alternative some years ago so my review is based mostly on the game itself and its story rather than Degica's release. However, this is essentially the definitive version and for Extra/Unlimited it certainly ticks all the right boxes. The game itself is now in a very close to 16:9 aspect ratio, compared to the original 4:3, without a stretching of the assets that we can see when some VNs attempt to accomodate for widescreen. The main menus are remastered with art from the later console releases, and we're also presented with the option of playing Unlimited straight away, instead of having to clear the two main heroine's routes as was the case with the original Japanese release. This is a welcome addition in many regards, although I can't recommend enough that you at least play through Extra once even if you don't pursue one of the main girls' routes as the sudden "shift" that we see into Unlimited requires the set up from Extra.

Now on to the game itself. Extra is in the best way of saying things, a relatively generic and completely standard dating sim. It doesn't do anything exceptional, nor does it do anything particularly poorly. The characters vary in depth and likability, with their routes varying in similar ways. I feel that Sumika and Meiya are afforded the most fleshed out stories given their place as the main heroines, but some of the other girls do offer surprisingly enjoyable routes, however there are times when you can't help but feel they're lacklustre in comparison. The story itself is extremely normal as far as high school romance/comedy plot lines go. However, despite having no dizzying heights of excellence it does suffer from some rather dull and sometimes outright boring lows. They detract partially from the overall experience, especially if you're playing Extra purely to get to the rest of the series and looking to get it over with as fast as possible. However, most routes progress acceptably and offer a nice resolution to their plot lines in the end. To put it simply, Extra is a pretty fun dating sim but it suffers from being a necessary first step in a trilogy that has such a strong pedigree. Many expect excellence from the get go and mediocrity alone would be dissapointing, so when things get boring it seems even worse. Approach Extra with a light mindset, and look to get as much as you can from the enjoyable character interactions and comedic situations and you'll probably come out of the experience happy, or at least satisfied. As a title enjoyed most of all in retrospect after completing the trilogy, it certainly presents itself as the oddball for newcomers. Stick with it, and when you play through the rest of the series you'll certainly be pleasantly surprised.

Continuing on to Unlimited, I personally not only find it to be a lot more interesting when compared to Extra but also quite compelling even as a stand alone title. The dramatic shift of environments and plot direction evoke an excellent sense of displacement when one comes from the normality of Extra, and I feel it helps to emulate the feelings (to a very minimal degree) that our main character is also experiencing. The world building in Unlimited I found to be excellent, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. We're experiencing things from the perspective of the main character who knows about as much as we do, so the drip feed of information as the plot progresses is incredibly compelling. What exactly happened in this world? What is humanity up against? You're always kept tantalisingly close to finding out more, but suitably in the dark as one would expect for our main character's current position in the world and overall story. Compared to Extra, Unlimited offers much less choice in affecting the story and choosing routes. One can pick their favourite girl in a similar manner, but events are much more tied to the relatively strict narrative. I feel that this affords Unlimited to have more time to explore the aspects that it wants to show to the reader, rather than to cater to various different plot lines.

Despite these strengths Unlimited isn't without its own faults. Much of the light hearted tone carries over from Extra and it can seem to be starkly out of place at times, compared to the gritty tone established through the world building. With Unlimited essentially being a prequel to Alternative in terms of plot and world building, it also suffers in the limitations of its scope. The information drip that I talked about earlier can sometimes dry up frustratingly, and leave one feeling left too much in the dark and wanting to delve deeper into the world. In this respect, and similarly to Extra, it suffers slightly as it's best enjoyed in unison with Alternative and the trilogy as a whole; similarly to Extra it also benefits from being enjoyed more retrospectively as one progresses through the final part of the trilogy. None the less, these weaknesses don't detract enough from the title for it to be unenjoyable, and I find that for those who are here for the action, the mechs and the excellence that Alternative is said to offer are able to find much enjoyment in the second entry. It doesn't really suffer from similar lows of boredom that Extra has, and largely offers a robust experience from start to finish. Judging it as it is, it stands as an excellent preface to the bulk of the saga which comes in the form of Alternative.

For newcomers to the series, Extra is an average dating sim that's worth a play through for the set up for the rest of the series. Unlimited offers us an exciting peak into the Alternative universe, and serves to whet one's appetite admirably in anticipation of the final entry. Its plot is both more interesting, infinitely less standard, and overall more enjoyable than that offered by Extra, yet the set up from Extra is absolutely vital to fully enjoy the world and story of Unlimited. Get your teeth stuck into these titles and begin your journey on a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi rollercoaster.