An exceptional visual novel with one of gaming's finest narratives. The complex time travel story and memorable characters make it a masterpiece of the genre. Essential for fans of story-driven games and anime.
Your verdict
Category
Visual Novel1 player12+
Description
Visual novel by 5pb. adapting the Steins;Gate anime from Science Adventure collective. Published by 5pb., released in August 2015 in Europe, North America and Japan. Rintaro Okabe self-proclaimed mad scientist Hououin Kyouma discovering a phone-microwave to send messages to the past in 2010 Akihabara, over six multiple endings according to D-Mail cellular choices between friends Mayuri, Daru and Kurisu, visual novel gameplay with narrative choices influencing world lines via Phone Trigger mechanic to call or ignore, over six Future Gadget Lab members to interact, semi-realistic anime aesthetic faithful to Nitroplus manga, Japanese voice-over with official anime voices including Mamoru Miyano as Okabe, soundtrack by Takeshi Abo.
Steins;Gate review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
A would-be mad scientist convinced he is being hunted, a young man stumbles on a way to send messages into the past. What begins as farce turns to heartrending drama when he must sacrifice the irreplaceable to save those he loves. A peak of the visual novel, its time-travel plot moves as much as it fascinates.
Gameplay
"Decent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Very easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
A dense tale carried by storytelling that unfolds over long hours of reading, the work stands out for its branching endings and alternate routes opened by your choices. Reliving the divergences to unravel the whole time-spanning plot invites several full replays. That narrative labyrinth made it a peak of the genre, still cited as a benchmark.
