Review: Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered Stuns on the Switch

Muv-Luv is one of those games series where there’s one entry that is pretty close to being a masterpiece, but you do need to go through everything leading up to it to truly get the most out of it. Muv-Luv Alternative, which is available now on the Switch via a Remastered version, is that installment. Age tells a great story in it, to be sure, but it really becomes fantastic and ties everything together if you also went through Muv-Luv Extra and Unlimited as well. 

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for Muv-Luv Unlimited in this Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered Switch review. 

Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered picks up where Unlimited left off. Takeru Shirogane finds himself in his room, but he is not back in his original “reality” from Extra. Rather, he still remembers everything that happened in the previous two games, but finds himself back at the beginning of the story as seen in Unlimited. However, since he has all of the experiences and knowledge from that life, he knows the dire fate that awaits him and the earth. Resolved to make a difference and use that knowledge to avoid the previous outcome, he heads directly to the UN 11th Force Yokohama base to reunite with Yuuko Kouzuki. After convincing her of who he is and what he experienced by sharing what he knows about the Alternative IV and V plans to deal with the BETA invasion, he once again is assigned to Unit 207 alongside Meiya Mitsurugi, Chizuru Sakaki, Kei Ayamine, Miki Tamase, and Mikoto Yoroi, working with them, Kasumi Yashiro, and other characters toward a better future.

Right from the outset, you can see how far Age and Muv-Luv has come in Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered’s earliest moments. A big part of this involves Takeru’s character development. To be honest, I wasn’t his biggest fan in Extra! He’s not the worst dating sim protagonist, but he’s definitely an immature kid. In Unlimited, I felt like he really grows on us. He starts as that same person as he was in the initial entry, but we see how his experiences with the BETA, heartbreak, and other stressors force him to grow up into someone more dependable and even admirable. I suppose you could say his appearance here in Alternative is his final form. From the very start, he’s much more committed, mature, and resolved. Like I would trust him as a person. As a testament to Age’s writing and direction, I honestly felt proud of him, what he accomplished, and how he really has these good intentions to help the people he loves and the world. 

That care put into the script and character development also comes through in pretty much every other element of Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered, making the Switch release a pretty good time. (The localization remains pretty great, just like in the first parts.) Little plot points and threads that came up as far back as Extra are touched upon here, and I really appreciated the pay-off. Going through the three one after another on the system also meant I probably picked up more on them through these playthroughs, so I’d definitely recommend anyone else interested take that approach as well. While I feel like it’s most evident with certain characters, such as Meiya, Kasumi, and another person I won’t name, in general there’s a lot going on and people get quite a bit of attention.

Also, the story absolutely goes places. While previous games involved more influencing of the routes to varying degrees, that doesn’t happen in Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered. However, given what’s going on, it makes sense and feels more natural. Yes, you can still make choices and see some minor changes as a result. But in general, you’re working toward one specific ending. As a result, I felt like Age really got to go full-force into making it as impactful as possible. Given how connected folks may be to certain characters as a result of going through these harrowing situations for three games now and possibly romancing them in previous entries, there are absolute gut-wrenching and tearjerker parts. 

As with Muv-Luv Remastered, Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered also looks and runs wonderfully on the Switch. It still remains a dynamic visual novel, with character portraits and sprites appearing at different parts of the screen to show motion, extra positions and posing for greater emotional impact, and care put into CGs and other elements to amp up tension or capture action from different angles. It’s all handled quite well. It’s easy to play. I also felt it was fantastic in Handheld mode.

With Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered, Age tells such a striking and emotional story. The events of it stick with you, especially if you put in the time and went through every part of the adventure. The only downside to it all is that it really does demand that dedication. The pay-off is fantastic if you are willing to go through Extra and Unlimited first. I would still say it is a great story if you don’t, but the character development and hints leading up to what happens here builds in a great way and results in a fascinating sci-fi story.

Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered is available for the Nintendo Switch. It is also available on the Vita and PC worldwide and the PS3, Xbox 360, and mobile devices in Japan.