The first chapter was incredibly good. I was a bit worried that some moments might overstay their welcome, just because we already knew the base story of what happened, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they didn't. I also loved and teared up a bit at some of the moments between Jacopo and Morgana in those early days of happiness. The interlude was also a great addition. I feel like it added a very much needed explanation about a very important character and helped me see things from that distorted perspective. Ngl, initially I was raising an eyebrow, thinking, "Was this done just for the shock factor?" but I think they did a very good job on the explanation afterwards. The second chapter was also good. It was interesting to see how Jacopo went down the path that he did, but I still found it hard to completely empathize with him. I did find it interesting to read as a pure observer, just taking a look at the past and seeing what led to that seemingly inconceivable development.

I finished the main game but I still need to check out the side stories

Similarly to Extra and Unlimited, there was never a dull moment for me, which single handedly raised it to 7.5 - 8/10.

There were also a lot of big, emotional moments and many dilemmas embedded in each episode, which had influence on my thinking in more than one way and changed my viewpoint on some things.

Lastly, to mention some negatives. It felt like the characters were a bit overdramatic, some dialogues/monologues tended to go on for too long and there was a lot of repetition of ideas which was annoying, especially when it came to Takeru. The characterization was a bit weak and I didn't like Takeru at all in this installment.

Extra: (8.3/10)
I don't get why this part gets so much hate. All of the stories were very interesting and had their own problems to solve, so there wasn't much repetition. The stories were well written, had an emotional impact on me and explored some interesting ideas.

Unlimited: (8.7/10)
Takeru's growth was really enjoyable to watch. He was a useless and confused newbie at the start, but by the end he had transformed into an admirable and reliable young man with a purpose. When it comes to the story, all the fear, anxiety and horrors associated with war and survival were portrayed very well without even having to involve the cadets in any combat. But the best part would have to be the ending. Man, I cried like a bitch. That shit was so emotional.

The VN had a bit of a slow start and I can definitely say that the latter half is a cut above the first. If I had to rank my favorite doors it would go something like 7>8=5>4>1>2>3 (door 6 was more like a side story so I wouldn't include it). Overall, I would rate the base contend around 8/10. The prose is really good, the music slaps and the stories could easily stand on their own. The more emotional moments in the latter half are what elevates this experience to a 8.5/10. I don't really have any critiques for the novel, but it just wasn't able to reach higher highs and the first half just was a bit weaker than I would've liked. It's far from perfect, but it's definitely an amazing story that everyone should experience