Recommend a VN

[acewing905]

I haven't played it myself, but reading through this thread, some people really despise it while others make some effort to defend it. Very, very mixed opinions.

I really feel like giving it a try. After all, I thoroughly enjoyed Muv Luv Extra as well, even though many despise it. In fact, I have headcanoned that Unlimited and Alternative never happened and that Takeru and Sumika lived happily ever after following Extra. (Even though I really enjoyed Alternative, I just can't "accept" that. )

[encrypted12345]

Cross channel is one of those love it or hate it things. Some call it a master piece while some call it meh.

I like it, but I have to admit that the beginning is slow and the best part is the last few scenes.

[AdventSign]

I enjoyed:
Symphonic Rain a fair bit although it is a very slow story at first. As you continue to unlock routes, the game is become more and more emotional.
Kana: Little Sister is good BUT it is a pain to get it to run on a Windows 7 computer without making numerous trips to Google.
Fate/Stay Night is good but there are MANY wrong decisions you can make (luckily there is a flowchart available if you buy/download it)
Little Busters EX is good but it isn't fully translated which is a shame. It has a few mini games that you can play and some weird stat system that's hard to explain.
Snow Sakura is a bit on the shorter side but it is a very enjoyable game which in my opinion is similar to Katawa Shoujo
Yume Miru Kusuri can be a bit extreme with the scenarios that are given for each of the potential people you can form relationships with but is again enjoyable once you get past the first 20 minutes or so.
Clannad is long and is based in a school. It has a few "feely" moments that are realistic. I personally didn't like the big eyes but I grew to accept them after awhile. A few translation issues but it is still readable.

I'm on Kanon right now...it is pretty good so far but nothing extraordinary. I was trying to find Fate/Hollow Ataraxia (a sequel to Fate/Stay Night) but finding it online seems AWFULLY hard.

Also, it is best to have an FAQ handy for all of these games after you play through each of them a few times. It is hard to get 100% completion rates for all of those games without one.

Also these are just opinions...don't go flaming me if you don't agree.

[Nobody in Particular]

Wow, long time since I posted on this forum. I've managed to get into the VN genre so figure I should recommend a few to help out newer VN players, since after all it was this thread that helped me get into them. A big thanks to encrypted12345 for the advice on Kira Kira, it was absolutely fantastic. Anyway, for fans of Katawa Shoujo I would recommend:

Hoshizora no Memoria: Very upbeat with no bad endings. Has a lot of comedy with supernatural elements as well as being happy all the way through. Translation is very dubious however, but perfect if you have just played something depressing (i.e. Narcissu, Symphonic Rain).
Kira Kira: A comedy orientated VN. Quite similar to KS in the sense that it is mostly happy with the occasional sad scene. My personal favourite, if you like comedy and bands then this is a must.
True Remembrance: A drama and mystery VN. A little underrated in my opinion. Free and short, certainly worth a try.
Symphonic Rain: I always labelled this as the sad and depressing version of KS, since they share a lot of similarities. Also has a surprisingly addictive rhythm game built in and has a really good and, at times incredibly shocking, storyline.
ef - a fairy tale of the two: I'm still playing this one now, but I have to say that it is incredibly underappreciated. It gets a high score on vndb but doesn't seem to get recommended as much as other VNs. Basically what you get if you mix Hoshizora no Memoria with Symphonic Rain, upbeat and happy for the most part with some horribly sad sections as well.
Yume Miru Kusuri/Narcissu/Planetarian/Saya no Uta: Commonly recommended for newbie VN players. They won't be liked by everyone but they are all very good to get into the genre. Saya no Uta is necessary for horror fans.

Also, has anyone here played the Muv-Luv trilogy? I'm thinking of playing it after ef but I'm still unsure. Is Extra really as bad as they say it is?

[acewing905]

Also, has anyone here played the Muv-Luv trilogy? I'm thinking of playing it after ef but I'm still unsure. Is Extra really as bad as they say it is?

Extra being "bad" is a highly exaggerated opinion. The Muv-Luv series, including Extra, basically tells one of the best stories every told in any media. Extra is a part of the whole experience. Skipping Extra will be like skipping Fellowship of The Ring when reading LoTR. It'll be a bonus if you like comedy VNs, of course. Just do the main two routes (Meiya, Sumika) and then do Meiya's route in Unlimited, before moving on to Alternative. You will see why once you're done with the whole thing. Good luck.

PS. Don't pick up Alternative if you can't stand gore, btw. There's a rather horrifying scene about halfway through it.

[Nobody in Particular]

Extra being "bad" is a highly exaggerated opinion. The Muv-Luv series, including Extra, basically tells one of the best stories every told in any media. Extra is a part of the whole experience. Skipping Extra will be like skipping Fellowship of The Ring when reading LoTR. It'll be a bonus if you like comedy VNs, of course. Just do the main two routes (Meiya, Sumika) and then do Meiya's route in Unlimited, before moving on to Alternative. You will see why once you're done with the whole thing. Good luck.

Well comedy is my favourite genre of VN, so I should like it. Apparently playing Extra and Unlimited is a must for Alternative, but ultimately that is the only reason anyone ever picks up Extra in the first place. Are the other routes in Extra worth doing? How many routes does Unlimited have and are they worth the hassle? Also how long are all three parts? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to know as much as I can before I decide to jump into it.

PS. Don't pick up Alternative if you can't stand gore, btw. There's a rather horrifying scene about halfway through it.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of the images thanks to 4chan spoiling it for me. Going to the /vn/ threads in /vg/ is obviously a huge mistake if you haven't already finished Muv-Luv or Symphonic Rain, they get spoiled quite often.

[acewing905]

Well comedy is my favourite genre of VN, so I should like it. Apparently playing Extra and Unlimited is a must for Alternative, but ultimately that is the only reason anyone ever picks up Extra in the first place. Are the other routes in Extra worth doing? How many routes does Unlimited have and are they worth the hassle? Also how long are all three parts? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to know as much as I can before I decide to jump into it.

If you like comedy, Extra by itself will also be a lot of fun. (That seems to depend on whether the reader likes the character of Sumika or not, though. I like her quite a lot, so I loved Extra.) Just don't expect anything mind blowing. Unlimited, however, is pretty much useless without Alternative. It'll seem like there are a lot of plot holes and everything, if you take it as a standalone thing instead of a prologue for Alternative. A main route (Sumika or Meiya, you'll have to do both to unlock Unlimited, but they diverge only at the last moment, so the second one can be pretty much skipped through for the most part) in Extra can be generally completed in less than 10 hours, I'd say, though I didn't measure it. Just an estimate. Same goes for Meiya's route in Unlimited, and that's pretty much all you need to do before going for Alternative.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of the images thanks to 4chan spoiling it for me. Going to the /vn/ threads in /vg/ is obviously a huge mistake if you haven't already finished Muv-Luv or Symphonic Rain, they get spoiled quite often.

If you've seen the image commonly known as "headchomp", that's the worst of it. However, if you don't know what that is, don't go searching, because that's a huge spoiler.

[Nobody in Particular]

If you like comedy, Extra by itself will also be a lot of fun. (That seems to depend on whether the reader likes the character of Sumika or not, though. I like her quite a lot, so I loved Extra.) Just don't expect anything mind blowing. Unlimited, however, is pretty much useless without Alternative. It'll seem like there are a lot of plot holes and everything, if you take it as a standalone thing instead of a prologue for Alternative. A main route (Sumika or Meiya, you'll have to do both to unlock Unlimited, but they diverge only at the last moment, so the second one can be pretty much skipped through for the most part) in Extra can be generally completed in less than 10 hours, I'd say, though I didn't measure it. Just an estimate. Same goes for Meiya's route in Unlimited, and that's pretty much all you need to do before going for Alternative.

Ah okay, so the important routes in Extra and Unlimited are relatively short but you need to paly all three to enjoy it. Thanks a lot for answering my slightly inane questions acewing905, I'm now looking forward to reading Muv-Luv.

If you've seen the image commonly known as "headchomp", that's the worst of it. However, if you don't know what that is, don't go searching, because that's a huge spoiler.

Yeah, I am 99.9% certain that the image I got spoiled on was the "chomp" one. I don't know who the person in the picture is though so I suppose I wasn't entirely spoiled, which is good obviously.

[Tempester]

Also, has anyone here played the Muv-Luv trilogy? I'm thinking of playing it after ef but I'm still unsure. Is Extra really as bad as they say it is?

It depends. It was just mediocre for me. Well, if you only play the Sumika/Meiya route, you'll find it a mostly pleasant experience. The route is mostly the same whether you're pursuing Sumika or Meiya, it just splits off for each girl near the end. It is pretty darn good and it's the best route in Extra, and it's the only route you really have to play.

The problem is with Kei and Chizuru's routes, which are lowly regarded among most players. Kei's route departs from the comedic mood to become more serious, but I felt that it was taxing and somewhat irritating to read because of a certain character's whining. Still, I suggest you put up with it anyway before starting Unlimited, because it becomes relevant later in the trilogy and it explores Kei's strange character quite well. I haven't played through Chizuru's route because it supposedly doesn't contribute anything to the overall story, but I've heard that it's much worse than Kei's route.

Miki's route is above average, cute and fun but not as good as the Sumika/Meiya route. Not as relevant to the story as Kei's route, but it does introduce a character who appears later on. Whether you play it or not depends on how much you like Miki and how much of a completionist you are.

If you want to start off with a good route, try this order:

Miki -> Kei -> Sumika/Meiya

Or if you want to just play what's important:

Kei -> Sumika/Meiya

Or if you absolutely despise Extra and can't wait to get to Unlimited, just do this:

Sumika/Meiya

Is Muv-Luv worth playing? In my opinion, very much YES. The character development, especially that of the protagonist, is well done. The comedy can be funny if you don't take it too seriously. The art is mostly high in quality, and there are many unique CGs and animations used where most VNs would just describe by text. The universe it explores is fascinating. It's an avant-garde piece that defies a lot of literary rules, so it's a unique experience to sit through.

[acewing905]

I'd still say it's not worth playing through Kei's or Miki's routes, though. Naoya and Tama's father aren't really necessary to know before meeting them in Alternative and Unlimited. Maybe Naoya a bit so, (in which case, just Kei's route would do. Even then, I'd argue against it, as IMO, it's not worth the time.) but Tama's father? Knowing him in Extra really wouldn't be much of a benefit. He's quite different in Extra than what he is in Unlimited/Alternative.

[BobBobberson]

If you're looking for a VN that'll drive you insane, try Kara no Shoujo. I ended up getting the first bad ending 3 times, and then I found out that it's extra uber long. There's so many choices you can make that it's easy to fuck up, and you have to pay attention to people and evidence that you're given (It follows the life of a detective, and there's only one things detectives do, herpaderp). But still, it's pretty enjoyable, if a bit fucked up. Serial killers and H-scenes ahoy!

[acewing905]

MAJI DE WATASHI NI KOISHINASAI!!

This.Is.Just.Awesome.I'm.Totally.Hooked.

Of course, the whole thing isn't translated yet, but several routes have been translated. If you want some great comedy, this is something to try for sure.

[Megumeru]

MAJI DE WATASHI NI KOISHINASAI!!

This.Is.Just.Awesome.I'm.Totally.Hooked.

Of course, the whole thing isn't translated yet, but several routes have been translated. If you want some great comedy, this is something to try for sure.

I hate you.

No seriously, I really-really hate you for enduring the 6GB download. When I was downloading that thing, my damn PC suddenly cries out "NOT ENOUGH MEMORY"

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[acewing905]

I hate you.

No seriously, I really-really hate you for enduring the 6GB download. When I was downloading that thing, my damn PC suddenly cries out "NOT ENOUGH MEMORY"

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Not enough memory...? Out of disk space?

Anyway, it takes up 7.2 GB for installation as well, but all that is just sooooo worth it.

[Mysterious Stranger]

Out of sheer curiosity, has anyone been able to play any of the Haruhi Suzumiya visual novels? And if so, are any of them actually decent? I'm pretty sure none of them have been or are in the process of being translated, but despite that my adoration of the franchise has my interested piqued.