Reviewed on December 30, 2020
(Note: The following review predates the official release of the site, and thus may review the game using an older version of the Full View Template.)
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Game Examination
| Date of Release | February 19, 2019 |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam |
| Genre | Visual Novel Psychological Thriller, Time Travel |
| Developer | Mages Inc. |
| Publisher | Spike Chunsoft |
| Cost of Game | $59.99 |
| Hours of Play | Main Story — ~25 Hours All Endings — ~30 Hours |
| Storage | 14.79 GB (PS4), 15 GB (Steam) 7.1 GB (NS) |
| Players | Singleplayer |
| Age | Teens, Adults |
Player Examination
| Hours Played | 35 Hours |
| Completion | Main Story + All Endings |
| Achievements | Nearly Complete (~80% PS4 Trophies) |
| Style of Play | Longplay (~3 hours / one chapter every session) |
| Platform of Play | PlayStation 4, DualShock 4 |
| Date of Play | November 2020 – December 2020 (~2 weeks) |
| Price of Play | Library (free) $10.39 (new, with gift cards) |
BEYOND THIS POINT: LIGHT SPOILERS
There may be remarks on certain story or gameplay elements. However, these references are early into the game, overall trivial and minor, or not the central focus of the article-
Categories of Interest
Gameplay
- TECHNICALITY
Steins;Gate Elite relies on two types of interactivity: email replies and phone decisions. The choices you make in these interactions should influence the type of ending you receive. Like any other traditional visual novel, the game lacks the kind of interactivity found in games like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa.
- EXECUTION
Integration of these simple systems is still lacking; email replies are scattered and mostly trivial while phone decisions are infrequent, even though they do affect the story and ending.
If anything, it does simulate the life of the main character and further immerses the player into the world. Otherwise, playing this game is mostly a matter of pressing a single button to progress dialogue.
- ENJOYMENT
Those looking for a game will be disappointed by the lack of interactivity. Those looking for a story will be more accepting for this game, and the visual novel genre. Much like watching an anime or a movie, I enjoyed experiencing the story with all its moments and twists.
Writing
- CHARACTERS
Steins;Gate does not have the most charismatic cast. Many of the characters are too eccentric while others seem to have purposely annoying traits. They’re not the star-studded, shining heroes who act and look good. And I think that certain quality makes them realistic and relatable, to some degree.
The main character’s banters are often more obnoxious than endearing, but I do like that his presence isn’t so much to embody you, like other visual novels, but to embody himself. He’s not your mirror to this world; we’re watching his world through his window. While the depiction of certain characters may be iffy, I think the game excels in character development and relations.
Personally, I didn’t find the cast memorable by the end of the story. I felt I was missing something, that I still don’t know the characters. I still question the relevance of certain side characters, and wonder if I truly liked certain individuals. For instance, do I like Makise and Okabe because they were genuinely likeable characters, or because they moved the plot forward?
- STORY
After a promising prologue, Steins;Gate Elite’s first half does little to engage you. Although the story is always developing with mysterious revelations regarding time travel, these developments are crowded by insignificant scenes and unnecessary pandering; I don’t think there’s much a plot in Steins;Gate as it is the main character accidently leading himself to the plot. It might sound harsh, but I think there are too many places a player will be motivated to quit.
But say you stick around as I had. Suddenly, something clicks within you. A certain set of scenes made me realize that going through the first half was worth it. After that point, the rest of the story became more engaging. The atmosphere drastically changed and for once, I actually felt Steins;Gate’s story had a direction. Honestly, Steins;Gate Elite has some of the best moments I ever had with a story. There’s something thrilling about the second half of the game.
The story was more chaotic, more willing to take risks and defy expectations. While the first half can feel like a slow walk at times, the second half grips your hand and moves at a pace that is both exhilarating and terrifying. Save for a few chapters, I have no issues with how the second half turned out, though I suspect that certain aspects of the plot become predictable if you are one to overthink.
But even at its most predictable, the story always has a sense of mystery and discovery. Some plot points are easy to catch, yet the events leading up to that certain point can still surprise and shock you. There’s always something you’ll never see coming and I think that’s because Steins;Gate excels at misdirection. That is not to say that the story is all nonsense, rather the entirety of the story is hiding in plain sight.
While I finished Steins;Gate Elite with a mostly positive reaction, a question still remains in my head: why did it have to take so long for the story to “get good”? Many great games and stories have slow beginnings, but I think Steins;Gate takes it too far. It’s unrealistic to believe someone is willing to invest in 15 mostly unengaging hours for a promise of a better story. I think the same effect of the second half can be produced even if the first half was cut down.
- WRITING (overall)
The game primarily teeters between immature slice-of-life moments and intellectual science fiction banters. This dual direction in storytelling proves detrimental to the audience: those looking for intriguing science fiction may not like the teenage humor, while those looking for fun character interactions may not like the excessive theories and physics terms. That is not to say that these two elements cannot co-exist, and certainly if you like Otaku-culture and science, this game is an easy recommendation. Yet in the moments I’ve played the game, I often thought: this is the same game?
While the game is excellent at explaining concepts as well as showcasing character personalities and serious conversations, it mostly fails with its humor. Most gags are repetitive and are perhaps the biggest factor as to why most of these characters feel so bland, so one-faced. To reiterate, Steins;Gate’s writing isn’t abysmal but simply littered with too much of the same.
Yet in the second half, the writing seemingly became more engaging, sincere, and appropriately humorous. I like how humor was integrated to relief tension, and not just set up a silly scenario. I like how there were more down-to-earth interactions that not only expanded the depth of its characters but made me appreciate the story more than ever before. It’s disappointing that the first half is not entirely representative of the entire game.
Visuals
- ENVIRONMENTS & EFFECTS
Most of the story takes place in Akihabara, unremarkable streets, and a single room; there is no setting that really stands out. Without the flair of the time travel aspects, this would of the same caliber of any realistic slice-of-life anime. There are moments of excellent, stylized animation, but those are infrequent.
- CHARACTERS & MODELS
The designs of the characters are incredibly realistic though nothing spectacular. None of the characters are eye-popping, but characters like Mayuri and Makise have enough design choices that make them recognizable, even outside of the fanbase. Even so, I appreciate that the designs are conservative and tame. Heck, I was attracted to this game because they looked like real people.
- PRESENTATION
Steins;Gate Elite is a passing production, which might be an odd statement to make. On one hand, this game animates much better than any other visual novel around; on the other hand, it cannot compete with the fluidity of an anime. It may have more moving pictures than most visual novels, but Elite sacrifices the original art style in the process.
It feels to me that Steins;Gate Elite simply got the anime and made minor adjustments to include the original script. Of course, I cannot deny that many frames and new scenes were created solely for this game, but it still feels over-reliant on the anime.
Many frames were reused or adjusted to a fault; for instance, an angry-sounding Okabe may, on screen, look like a casually speaking Okabe. There’s occasional zooming into a character’s face, which can make the image quality awfully blurry. Another example is the inconsistent animation of characters; sometimes, body movement before speech is sped up to ensure lip flaps are matched correctly, which proves to be a jarring transition to see.
Once again, there is nothing wrong with the animation, it’s more about how poorly integrated it can be at times. While Steins;Gate Elite is one of the first fully animated visual novels, I cannot say it’s the best.
Sound
- MUSIC
Most songs are a mix of orchestra and techno, creating an atmosphere that feels mystical, modern, and lowkey. While some may sound beautiful and weirdly entrancing, other songs are reminiscent of simple MIDI tunes. Overall, the soundtrack is fitting for a science fiction adventure; however, it may rely too much on the main theme’s motif. On a separate note, there isn’t enough songs to prevent fatigue; some tracks become annoying because you hear them so often.
- VOICE TALENT
While I commend the actors for the immense voicework they had to do, nothing really stands out. Okabe’s voice is too inconsistent; some moments he sounds like a squeaky teen, while other moments his voice takes a drastic turn into a mature man. I understand those are signs of a good voice actor, but Okabe’s inflections feel unnatural, as if the actor isn’t maintaining the character and is simply speaking into the microphone.
Other characters have uninteresting voices—Daru comes to mind. Similarly, Mayuri’s voice is annoying, in that all her enunciations are so long-winded; still, the voice actor does a perfect job fitting the character’s ditzy, carefree personality.
Do note that there is no English dub available for this game, which is a shame since the anime had an English dub available.
Categories of Assurance
Quality of Life
- ACCESSIBILITY
A lot of options are available when it comes to player preference and comfortability, such as the ability to adjust the volume of individual character voices, music, and sound effects. Additionally, the player can adjust text speed, use a backlog to reread lines, among other small features.
The skip function allows for a quicker experience when it comes to replaying the game for the sake of multiple endings; likewise, there is adequate amounts of save slots (as well as quick saves, which work automatically when interactivity occurs), just in case.
A neat inclusion is the encyclopedia, which provides further explanations of certain Otaku and science terms. I think this allows many players of all different cultures to experience this game without compromising the original content and dialogue of the story. However, it may prove disruptive to bring up the encyclopedia during pivotal moments in the game; rest assured, most of the terms are revealed by the first half of the game.
- USER INTERFACE
The interface is smooth, but it seems that the bare minimum was done. It’s not the worst since navigation is intuitive. The way the interface is integrated into the game can be neat at times.
Quality of Play
- BUGS & TECHNICAL ISSUES
The syncing of voices to lip flaps is surprisingly good, though the issue comes with the use of animation. Because certain actions occur before speaking, sometimes the animation may fast forward or stutter in order to match the voices. Especially when you skip dialogue, voices remain for a while before being cut off.
- NUANCES & NUISANCES
- Steins;Gate approaches time travel in one of the most realistic, constrained ways possible. I like the in-depth approach they take with time travel, though this may come off as contrived and boring to other viewers.
- It is nearly impossible to stumble upon the True Ending on your first playthrough. Achieving this ending makes sense in context of the story, but as a game, it feels trivial and unfair.
- I would try to achieve the True Ending on your first playthrough. The default ending is honestly unsatisfying and leaves a lot of story conflicts unresolved. Experiencing the entire story in one go will probably be the most impactful. See the “Replay Value” section for more information.
- The “Extras” section includes a soundtrack player and other goodies, but unlike the original visual novel, Steins;Gate Elite seems to lack an artwork gallery.
- REPLAY VALUE
Achievements are bare, as they mostly pertain to story endings and natural story progression. There’s not much incentive to complete these, aside from learning more about the characters.
The different endings, unfortunately, do not provide much satisfaction. Most of the “non-canon” endings last around 30 minutes, which isn’t substantial compared to the rest of the game. These endings sometimes detract from the entire point of the main plot, which only solidifies their insignificance.
Replaying the game for the sake of obtaining the true ending turned out not to be so much an issue, that is, if you find a reliable guide (note that the linked guide is for the original game, so certain options may not be present in Steins;Gate Elite, but the options that are there should lead you to the true ending). I do like how new scenes are present when attempting a True Ending route, though it still takes some time to skip through the entire story.
After you finish the story, there’s not much a reason to replay the game; however, I do think seeing the anime adaptation or other related content as a valid possibility.
Categories of Consideration
Verdict
EYE KINDA LIKE
CRITICAL RATING: 8/10
A GREAT STORY BEHIND AN UNWELCOMING GATE:
An experience with extreme highs and twists, bogged by a slow first half, redundant character dialogue, and rough integration of animation. I’d recommend the anime or the original visual novel instead-
Situation
- GENRE
If you’re familiar with visual novels, this is one to experience. It contains familiar aspects of the genre—multiple endings, slice-of-life moments, fanservice—but tells a story more ambitious and chaotic than most.
If you’re familiar with the adventure genre, this game may fit your tastes in terms of how the story progresses. While not as interactive, the sense of mystery and discovery may intrigue you the same way as exploring a vast world. The only warning I have is that the entire story takes place in a rather ordinary urban city.
- NEWCOMER
As your first entry to the Science Adventure series, I’m going to assume this is the safest game to try out. The characters are eccentric yet grounded in reality; likewise, the story is complex yet approachable while the setting is recognizable.
As your first entry to the visual novel genre, I’m unsure. The game itself is not visually representative of the genre (it resembles more of an anime), though shares many writing characteristics of the common visual novel. I feel games like Ace Attorney or Danganronpa, while transcending the visual novel genre, would provide a better starting point for newcomers.
As your first game ever, I’m not sure that it is the most representative or conventional “game”. I think the anime adaptation would be more preferred in this case, as it’s more streamlined for a general audience.
- GENERAL CONCERNS
The original visual novel, the anime adaptation, or… Steins;Gate Elite? This is an overall tough decision, but any option is a solid experience. That said, the anime is free for all, the original is cheaper than Steins;Gate Elite, though this game is more widely available. Additionally, new copies of Steins;Gate Elite include exclusive content, which none of the other options provide.
From a general standpoint, Steins;Gate Elite might not be the best way to experience the narrative. The original offers the best visual novel experience as much as the anime adaptation offers the best animated experience. Elite meets in between and pleases nobody. It removes the original visual novel’s art direction for the sake of fluid animation, but at the same time, loses the anime’s concision in animation and storytelling.
Having watched the anime after playing Steins;Gate Elite, I believe that the anime is an excellent adaptation. While the show may cut down on detailed explanations, it resolves a lot of the redundant dialogue and manages to make the entire story (even the first half) a tad more exciting.
Even for those who want a more detailed, interactive story (or perhaps finished the anime), I’d still suggest playing the original over Steins;Gate Elite. A lot of choices, alternate conversations, scenes, and minor characters are missing from this game. Along with the original’s solid artstyle, I don’t see much reason to choose Steins;Gate Elite over the original. The only reason would be for those who want the exclusive content or prefer the style of the anime.
Price
- COST
I think the base price of $60 is asking for too much, but the usual price of $25 is a good price to get as it matches the play time of around 30 hours.
Do note that the anime is accessible for free. Still, Steins;Gate Elite (or the original game) would be a nice re-exploration of the story if one wants more of the series after watching the anime.
The only edge Steins;GateElite has is that new copies include a download code for Linear Bound Phenogram, another visual novel more akin to the artstyle of original visual novel and depicting the events of Steins;Gate in different perspectives. This additional game is also a hefty 30-hour game.
- AVAILABILITY
Steins;Gate Elite is available for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Physical copies are only available for the console versions.
Only the PS4 and PC versions include Linear Bound Phenogram, while the NS version includes 8-bit ADV.
PS4 and NS have limited editions that are mostly available in online retailers. These editions include a cloth and an exclusive 118-page storyboard book.
- PREFERENCE
In terms of a purchasing perspective, Steins;Gate Elite is perhaps the most representative of the series, if you get Linear Bound Phenogram along with your purchase. That in itself is a free, fully realized visual novel; with that, you can first experience the story through the animated style of Steins;Gate Elite, then experience different perspectives of the story through the original style in Linear Bound Phenogram.
In this regard, it would be better to purchase new copies for either PS4 or PC over the NS version.
As for the limited editions, value can only be found for those who love the series; given that this game isn’t the most involved, animation-wise, it’s hard to say whether the storyboard book is interesting enough to warrant a purchase. Even if you like behind-the-scenes content, I think paying $60 (around where the limited editions now cost) is not worth it.
CRITICAL EYE 