I finished Alternative, though haven't been posting my status since it's already become too much of a one person thread
It really is as good as everyone says it is, though it wasn't without its issues. It was a bit too long in the tooth, especially when it came to explanations, mission briefings, flashbacks, and the samey conversations about resolve and guilt and reasons for fighting.
I also dislike the linear narrative. I realise that it's necessary to tell the story this way and it's merely a personal gripe, but what I enjoy the most about these types of games is that you're free to persue the route that you want and end up with the girl of your choice. Because of this I'd say Extra is the installment I enjoyed playing the most.
Alternative has a tiny bit of leeway, though, and for my playthrough I had Kei as the 'secondary heroine', though all that meant is that Takeru talked to her before Sadogashima, she overheard Takeru talking to Sumika in the simulator, and she left a letter for him at the end.
While I did go in aware of spoilers, that served to enhance the dread I felt knowing that certain events were mere mouse clicks away. I did encounter plenty of stuff I didn't know, however, namely most of what goes down in Extra Branch.
I knew EB Marimo would die, and I saw an image of a crashed basketball hoop and put those two together. I didn't know about the meat grinder, or the disappearing memories. The latter (especially when Sumika was involved) was particularly heartbreaking to the point where I'm not sure I want to go back and choose the other options (I picked Kei, naturally).
It was nice getting reacquainted with the Kiminozo characters and I think the battle of Yokohama was the best of the game's offerings. I found myself drawn to Haruka far more than when I was younger, Yuuhi was amazing and Tsukuyomi was all kinds of awesome.
Can't think of anything else to comment on. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.
"In the end, the world doesn't really need a Superman... Just a brave one."