Decent RTS stapled to a masterpiece of a visual novel. Despite the poor integration of narrative and combat gameplay, the former is so amazing that it doesn't really matter. The thirteen protagonists' stories are all compelling and are intertwined in a masterful way and even though the game's story starts out as 'mere' scifi, by the end it is so much more than that. The final message truly is beautiful.

I also have to praise the visuals and art style, indubitably the prettiest VN I have played. The soundtrack isn't always great, but there are more than enough brilliant tracks to help lift those crucial gameplay and story moments to the next level. These (final) moments are also the only times when it feels like the combat gameplay adds to the experience, combining with the story and music to make you want to fight for these characters' future.

So despite the lesser, mandatory RTS portion I would recommend this game to all visual novel fans, because what else does one need in a story other than love, hope and mechs? :D