TL;DR: Luna Rossa is one of the most coherent men's lines in current mainstream perfumery, with several variants designed for different uses rather than a simple pile-up of flankers.
A line designed like a complete wardrobe
Rather than relying on a single best-seller surrounded by minor variants, Prada built Luna Rossa as a genuinely coherent collection: Carbon for year-round daily wear, Black for winter, Ocean for warm seasons in an aquatic register, Eau Sport for a more active use, and the 2012 original as the line's historic reference.
The 2012 original: lighter, less often the first choice
The original version remains the lightest composition in the whole line. It continues to interest collectors who want to own the full collection, but it's rarely recommended as a first purchase over more accomplished variants like Carbon.
Carbon: the most recommended choice for daily wear
Carbon comes up most often as the entry point to favor in the line: versatile, wearable year-round, with a good balance between freshness and presence. It's generally the reference recommended to anyone who only wants to own a single Luna Rossa bottle.
How many versions do you really need to own?
Most feedback agrees on the same point: the majority of buyers end up owning two or three rather than the full collection — typically one for warm season (Ocean) and one for winter (Black or Carbon), which is enough to cover most needs without redundancy.
Is it worth it overall?
For value for money in mainstream perfumery, Luna Rossa Extreme in particular is regularly cited as a good investment for those looking for a reliable perfume with good presence, even if performance is considered decent rather than exceptional by some more technical reviews.