Muv-Luv Photonflowers
Photonflowers is what in Japan is called a fandisc. Originally released on the local market on PS3, it gathers a series of short stories that were previously released on PC as part of different fandisks.
This one is available in English only on Steam.
The short stories included in Photonflowers are also split between some set in our world as described in Extra, and some set in the universe of Alternative.
It provides a deeper look into the personality and past of the heroines of the game and does an excellent job with that.
You can find a more in-depth description in my review, but Photonflowers features the same contrast that the original trilogy does.
The stories set in the Extra universe are bright, heartwarming, and often comedic, while a couple of those set in the Alternative universe will reawaken all the feelings generated by playing the trilogy, likely making you cry again, and a lot.
We also get the first glimpse (at least among the English releases) into the rest of the Alternative Earth, with one of the stories set in Europe.
This is where you will start to realize that there is much more to the Alternative universe than what is described in the original trilogy. Japan is just one country among many still struggling to contain the BETA.
Incidentally, Muv-Luv, Muv-Luv Alternative, and Muv-Luv Photonflowers can be purchased on Steam as a discounted bundle.
And now, we move on to some of the games released only in Japan so far. It’s not a 100% full list, but it touches the main entries you should know about.
