STEINS;GATE

absolutely better than the anime. gratefully havent watch the anime in the first place that make the experience really hit like a truck. every emotion aspect is flawless. totally worth it

Steins Gate has been truly an adventure, an amazing experience from the very beginning

The one time an anime matched up in quality to a visual novel...
And then I played the visual novel and it STILL topped it
10/10

Steins;Gate, the game that started it all for me, the game that changed my perception of everything, and that made me want to play every other Science Adventure game available.

I love this story, with my soul, it just feels... very nostalgic for some reason. The development of the story is one of the best things this game has to offer, the setting is very interesting and intriguing, filled with mystery and even a little of psychological horror. Also, one thing I think this game does very well, is that it puts you perfectly on the main character's shoes. You understand his vision, his madness, all of his feelings.

The characters, as always, are very unique, on their own way. They're funny, crazy, perverted, smart, shy, cute, you have everything to choose from. Each character makes the story very rich, so much that in fact, I'm sure you will want to see more of their perspectives, and well, you'll empathize with a lot of them for a lot of reasons.

I really think this is one of the best games to start, as it is very standalone, even if you technically need to play Chaos;Head first to understand a couple things a little better.
Trust me, you are not gonna regret buying this game, even if a new one is on the way (Steins;Gate Re:Boot).

I know you'll enjoy this game as much as I did, after all, it's the choice of Steins Gate. I'm sorry I can't say anything else, but the Organization is after me.

El. Psy. Kongroo.

Love the game. Love Christina, my schizophrenic 2channer STEM wife. Only complaint is there is nothing to hint at what you need to do to get Kurisu's ending or the true ending, forcing you to look it up online. Only a minor complaint tho, story is 10/10. Especially itches the 'tism as an astrophysics major, the talk of the theories n shit is fun. :>

Honestly, the best visual novel I've played in a very long time.

Story is immaculate.
Characters are perfection.
Definitely an emotional ride meant to be experienced at least once if you love visual novels. BUT BE CAREFUL. It might raise your standards by a dramatic amount...

People have said it has a slow start, I didn't think so... but when it kicks off it's in high gear for the rest of the journey.

This is one of those games where you could easily say this is something that deserves to be experienced at least once in a person's lifetime. However, if visual novels aren't for you, you might not wanna bother because it's a LONG one. (My actual ingame playtime is about 22 hours so ignore the 32 or whatever is posted on steam review.)

失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した失敗した

one of the best games ever made sadly daru is one of the most annoying characters ever. and way to much fanservice

I know this series is hailed as a weeb classic, but man, I just can't get into it. All the characters are just different shades of unlikeable weirdo, which just serves to make all the bloviating around time travel feel less like a smart person saying smart things and more like a dumb person saying something they heard a smart person say. If they just stuck to the time travel stuff and didn't waste so much time with the childish, anime-tropey characters making references at each other, maybe they'd have something decent here, but unless you're a dyed in the wool permavirgin weeb, maybe give this a skip.

Definitely give this a skip.

Watched the anime ages ago, the VN gives the story and its' characters much more depth. Had an awesome time going for all the endings. 10/10. One tip for new players would be to be interactive with the phone, sometimes it's not so obvious you can use the phone. Without spoilers true ending requires some serious trial and error or a no spoilers guide. Looking forward to SG:0.

THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! I'm glad I was able to finish this VN. Even though the story is about time travel, I didn't encounter any plot holes. All of the explanations are scientific. It taught me a valuable lesson: that whatever I do in this world, no matter how small, will always have meaning. If there is hope, there will be determination. And with determination, there will always be a way.
~El Psy Congroo~

more engaging than most games with regular gameplay, and one of the best stories i've ever read to boot. definitely worth trying for anyone who's even slightly interested in visual novels or the concept. go in as blind as possible, you won't regret it. El Psy Kongroo.

one of the best anime ive ever seen and the visual novel is just as good if not better

Well... I finished all endings yesterday & 100% today and damn Steins;Gate is an absolute masterpiece where do I even start? I won't say much about the story itself and keep it a minimum but read it yourself. The voice acting first off I would consider amazing each actor played their roles perfectly the emotion in their voices felt real.Steins;Gate doesn't have a large cast but each character is very unique and play a very important role in the bigger picture which is why I love them all. the story itself was fun, emotional and engaging and managed to constantly 1up itself each chapter. each of the individual character routes which you needed to do so you can unlock the true ending felt like they held significance. The themes of steins;gate are also really meaningful and something to cling onto emotionally. overall steins;gate is a emotional-full masterpiece that I will cherish and recommend to others.

Do yourself a favor and buy the game, its really incredible and very much worth the price. If you think its too much money for a visual novel then just put it on your wishlist and wait for a discount it get like 70% off, at full price its already worth it but discounted is just the greatest sale ever.

Peak.
Great game, worth the price, but if you have already watched the show, only buy on steam sale. The VN only adds about 10 hours of new content from the show. Still peak.

Steins;Gate is my favorite anime of all time, and I've always had a fascination for visual novels (or at least visual novel elements, as it's done in the Persona series, for example), so it's practically a given that I'd play this game eventually. It's the first game I've ever really put effort into getting all the achievements. Not that it's any difficult task, it's just that I had to read all the different endings and possibilities. After almost 45 hours, I still don't think I've seen all the different text message conversations I could, and that bugs me a little because the game truly makes you care for its cast of characters.

That said, I really recommend that if you haven't watched the anime yet, give it a try before playing. This might be a bit too overwhelming (slow might be a better word) for someone without a proper introduction to the series. If you did like what you saw, then you're probably going to enjoy the VN: more about how time travel works with lengthy, (fairly) comprehensible explanations by Kurisu (if you love time travel stuff you'll definitely love this), more scenes fleshing out character interactions and their dynamics (you'll understand why Christina is undoubtedly best girl), and most of all—the different story outcomes!

Overall, it has great voice acting (with seiyuu such as Miyano Mamoru and Hanazawa Kana), good ost, great story and characters. On the flip side, the art and the pacing were kinda janky at times, but it's definitely worth playing if you already love Steins;Gate. If you haven't watched it and want to play anyway, just brace yourself for a lot of expositionary text. It'll get real eventually, trust me.

El. Psy. Kongroo.

I'm not a terribly avid visual novel player, but Steins;Gate is a stellar work of fiction. The first half can feel painfully slow at times despite being enjoyable, but practically every story beat ends up being incredibly meaningful to the overall narrative. The story is simultaneously stuffed with obnoxious otaku dialogue and incredibly in-depth exploration of real like scientific concepts; both of these halves play into one-another and make the Steins;Gate what it is. There's nothing quite like Steins;Gate, which is sad but makes it all the more special feeling

Time travel where they lay down the rules early and follow them, and where time travel is the problem rather than the solution in the story. Also well done "slice of life" ontop of all of it

A fun game about bananas gained momentum very quickly...

One of my favorite visual novels ever made. Thanks to this anime i got to know japanese culture and started learning japanese extensively

The vn does an even better job. After watching steins;gate and steins;gate 0 I decided to play the vn.I am still playing it. This vn is one of the best out there✨

The organization kept me from finishing this VN for 6 years, but now I have prevailed. El. Psy. Kongroo

I heard online that this is a total classic VM, a must read, and so far it has been very interesting! I am very excited to uncover the story and find all the endings! 4 the sake of da lab mems X3

amazing novel with great and deep characters, original (and also beautiful) visual style, gorgeous soundtrack that works perfectly with the story and emotions. the story itself is probably one of the best (if not the best) things i've ever seen. just an amazing game, definitely worth the price and time, something i think everyone should try to play at least once

steins;gate the ol original visual novel is cooler than its anime series, regarding details- no, DETAILS

wanna know everything about Okarin's and Mayuri’s friendship?
play it
wanna know time travel theories and how would they would work irl?
play it
wanna know how sending a copy of your memories to your past self feels like and what side effects it gives?
play it
wanna learn new old terms and new old slang words and their meanings?
play it
wanna know why Kristina Kurisu is the best girl?
play it
wanna know why the voice actors nailed it better than in anime?
play it
???
it’s literally a thick book that is fully illustrated and voiced
of course it is worth it

this shit put real tears in my eyes man this is one of the best sci fi stories ive ever experienced

Such a great novel! I didn't realize you can make choices so I got a bad ending at first that almost made me think there was not more to the story. If you can, it's definitely worth trying for the true ending if you don't get it on your first go. It's super satisfying and wraps up the story nicely.

Moral of the story:
Don't let a bored japanese men get access to a microwave and a few bananas.




El. Psy. Kongroo.

Good for readers.

The visual part of it could be better because its like the same expressions even during tense moments but thats to be expected from a 2010 vn.

my first ending was the suzuha route and that was so fucked up. Got all endings except the Kurisu one which is essentially same as the true ending

It is your fate to play this game.
It is the will of Steins Gate.
El. Psy. Kongroo.

Phenomenal story and atmosphere. I already knew the story because I watched the anime years ago but it still had me feeling insanely sentimental. The story just works better when you're experiencing it in VN form, as you're actually reading Okabe's thoughts. One day I'll write a more detailed review but just know that this story is worth your time.

I'm not an anime fan.
I don't like the style. I don't like trophes. I don't like exaggerated style and I don't even like sound of japanese language.
Yet this story is so good it transcends above all the negative aspects.
I went through whole anime and I could watch it again, but instead i bought this to see the differences.
I was glued to screen again. Even tho i knew what is gonna happen.
The biggest shocker were alternative endings. These are the true worth of going through visual novel after watching anime.

tl;dr
No matter if you like anime or not: buy it and play it.
And if you watched the show: buy it and check guides for alternative endings

Absolutely amazing game. As someone who's already seen the anime, this VN still offers so much. Honestly great as a beginner VN. It has a "tips list" that tells you about internet slang or certain scientific stuff you might be curious to learn about.

I recommend getting the Committee Of Zero patch. It is essential to enjoying any of these games. It makes the text so much more easier on the eyes, and other stuff.

Compared to the anime, it really gives you a full peek into the mind of Hououin Kyouma. The first time leap is especially more impactful compared to the anime as you are able to read every detail of what he feels in that moment. A lotta things just feel more detailed. That's coming from someone who doesn't read VNs that much.

I cried multiple times, and the true route especially hit the hardest. Jesus. It's so damn peak. The alternate routes are great too. Even if you only play the true route, you're guaranteed to have quite the experience.

Took me 33 hours to 100% this game, and I don't regret a single second of it. Absolutely recommend.

"I didn't think I'd be this thankful to not know what's next."

Usually I'd just write a meme joke recommendation review for a game I have enjoyed such as "See you in a week" or "bye social contact" but this series has touched me too much to not write an honest self indulgent review of it.

Steins;Gate is truly a work of art, a master craft story and world setting. I would just be straight up wrong in denying it. I had watched the anime adaptation of it about a month prior to playing it and I thought it was very good all things told. But not the masterpiece that I had recently just played, or experienced I guess would be a better term.

On the outside Steins;Gate appears to be a story about time travel, but for me its core its a human drama about overcoming a sense of being trapped in a loop, sacrificing your own pride to save your sanity, living with the monstrous decisions you've made and uncomfortable thought's you will have as a result of your actions. For some people i'm sure they'll have an entirely different interpretation, but that's what it means to me.

Okabe Rintaoru is initially not very likeable, from his arrogant demeanour, perverted behaviour and general sense that the world revolves around him. This is briefly made up for by the strange but unusually insightful Otaku-esque characters that surround him and eventually join him on his plans to goof off with him in his lab, or at least that's what he would've wanted to keep doing. Slowly but surely however Okabe's character undergoes unimaginable character development and in many situations is unrecognisable from himself just 3 short weeks ago. Even his behaviour in the past is justified by half way through the plot and a down right nostalgia train look into the past by the end.

The rest of the characters are equally excellent, from Cosplay Demon Mayushii , Hardcore 4channer Daru, pot noodle addict Kurisu, 240wpm Moeka, "BUT HE'S A GUY!" Rukako, Cat Maid Chess Grand Master Faris & lovable freak of nature Suzuha. Not a single one of them feel as though they're a cookie cutter character, they're all exceptionally weird, intriguing and likeable in their own ways. They have meaningful conversations to add towards the plot as well and I rarely if ever felt like they were being pretentious or overly convenient for the sake of the plot or the games message.

For most people I think they would come to the same conclusion as me that the world building of Steins;Gate is insane when you've gotten through it all. From the first run through, most messages, words or actions don't seem to have much impact in the long run. But by the turning point half way through it starts to become apparent how much effort had been made to ensure that every single thing "fit" or made sense. The amount of work that must've been done to cover up plot holes and inconsistencies across its massive story while it was in development must have been exhausting for the writers to say the very least. Yet it also makes it all the more enjoyable to reread and rewatch it all unfold.

Steins;Gate's world, or I guess Akihabara also appears to be near like for like with the real world Akihabara and details in full its surrounding areas. The world never feels as thought it's actually that far away from reality either, this in my opinion only elevates the world building further, like its real, somewhere I could actually visit and experience. The conversations in the game also frequently references and even revels Otaku media and terms as well, almost parodying them in some instances for fun.

Some could argue that the first half of the original series has far too much slice of life comedy in the first half to be enjoyable, but even though I had a hard time watching it the first time round I disagree with it now. The first half is supposed to actually develop the characters, give you a reason to care what happens to them, to make the turning point in the story ever more impactful and a reason to look back on the times before. Besides, if you remove all essence of happy moments in a story as Steins;Gates tries to prove, you just become numb to the feeling, same if you remove all the sad parts and only leaves the happy parts in.

The visual novel exceeds the capabilities that the anime had by a long shot as well, the adaptation was 24 episodes long but in hindsight should have been much longer in my opinion. Where as the episodes rush past the slice of life parts to get towards the plot development. The visual novel takes its time to really let emotions process for each incoming sentence, which is aided by its gorgeously intimate ambient music in the background. Or if your the world building type the hyper realistically detailed posts that's in the 2channel conversations and the interactable text message conversations with the fellow lab members.

The VN also allows for more than one ending, some of which I actually prefer over the true ending which is what is used in the anime. Take for example Suzuha's ending which not only shone light on some of my very bitter memories but also deepened how far the series was aware of human instinct and how vile it really is. I am thankful that all the endings in Steins;Gate are bittersweet in some regard, because that's how life is too. It's inevitable that we'll end up hurting someone to get what we need whether that be a job, money, a relationship, letting go of something etc. If a story says that someone has a "Good Ending" we generally perceive them living in some kind of miracle land afterwards where little bad happens to them afterwards. I have tended to hate those endings more with time, especially going through difficult periods of my life, it just doesn't seem fair or relatable that a character truly gets everything they want.

Overall, Steins Gate has become one of those pieces of media for me where it's exceeded the point where I just see it as a game or a series. It's given me some genuinely valuable perspectives on people, given me time to think about what I could have done differently and made myself happier in the long term, but also where I was more than likely in the right and needed confirmation that what I had done was the right thing to do for myself and not backtrack on those choices.

"I don't want to deny who I've been. Because even my failures are a part of who I am today"

Thank You, Steins;Gate.

El Psy Kongroo.

edgy, cringy and intolerable mc ruined the experience, probably has a good story line but this edgy and intolerable dickbag and his filthy pervert friend will make you want to uninstall it <3

Personally for me this visual novel will be the greatest one I've ever played in my life, no doubt. Not I'm only was fascinated by the plot and how everything was well thought about, I'm started to ask myself phylosophical questions about my life and my decisions and that was the moment I understood that this piece of people's work got me so much that it influenced even out of the work itself and it's really great

Summary:

Art: Medium. I've seen games with a better art.
Music: Medium. It is not horrible. But could be better.
Gameplay: It is a VN. But you have a minimal interaction that can steer the course of history. This is done by sending mails and making phone calls (or accepting phone calls) in key moments of the history.
Plot: Superb

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I feel I really need to comment on the plot. It is the strong point of this game. It is one of those rare histories that are deeply emotional and lingers on your mind for a couple of days. Weeks even. For games, there are two that were like this (astonishilgly both trilogies: Mass Effect and Deponia). And now, Steins;Gate joins the list.

The plot premise is (without making spoilers): imagine a teenager that lives dreaming someday it will be a big shot. Living a rebelious life fighting some kind of global conspiracy. Now, just for a fluke of luck, that happens. The "conspiracy theory" is real. He becomes a high-profile target from an organization trying to take-over the political power of the world.

The way they deal with time-travel is really good. The developers researched what actual physics have to tell about time-travel in the real world. They explain these to the player and why time-travel should not really be possible. And then they use all this info to build their own take on how time works and justify time-travel. Although there are still logical holes in their explanation (because time-travel is impossible for logical reasons :P), at least it is not the vanilla "parallel world" that we often see. I really appreciate the effort put on trying to come with a more ellaborate explanation. And this make the plot much richier and satisfying.

Be advised: the first 5 chapters are really boring. But i guess this is what makes the plot so good. It first construct the external shell of the protagonist. A guy really irritating that speaks non-sense all the time. He is so delusional that even you as the player starts to get fed up of his non-sense. And then, things get serious. Really serious. Life-and-death serious. The shell of the protagonist falls. And it becomes clears why he acts the way he acts. What he is trying to achieve. And the utter despair of his situation.

Last piece of advice: use a guide to hit the True Ending Flags. It will be hard to hit them going blindly because they are not obvious. Also, keep a save just before the decision of going to an alternative end or proceeding towards the true ending (usually at the end of chapters). This will reduce the time needed to complete the game.

After playing this game, you become a MAD SCIENTIST who's addicted to Dr.pepper and occasionally speaks broken english.
10/10

Absolute peak, and while the anime does do it justice, this is still the best way to experience the story. 1000% worth, even at full price

When you first hear the menu theme its unnerving and yet by the end it's a soothing melody. STEINS;GATE is truly sublime masterpiece. It encapsulates the visual novel medium at its finest. this review It was must the choice of the STEINS;GATE. El Psy Kongroo.

playing this game is truly the choice of steins gate
El. Psy. Kongroo.

Watched this absolute masterpiece 12 years ago.. alas never bothered to play the VN coz i didnt like to play VN tbh and the anime adaptation already adapt the True Ending route..

But when it was on ATH sale (80% as this review out), instantly buy it coz Y not? its cheap af.. if i didnt like it i can just refund it lol

Then again after playin it, got hooked immediately cos of the nostlagia? lmao

Overall 10/10, still a masterpiece, because.. that is the choice of Steins Gate? xD

El.. Psy.. Kongroo.. :)

超討厭愛情元素
以為是科幻作品才買的...
結果不僅戀愛主軸還超好看
難道這也是命運石之門的選擇嗎?

My first VN that is not a hentai game. Amazing experience, must play if you loved the anime!

Have watched the anime many years ago, it's in my top 3

Love this so far. The game offers much more detailed content than what you see in the anime. Yesterday the reboot was announced. I wonder how different it will be.

Half of the time I'm spending googling physics phenomena explained in the game. When I used to watch TV as a kid I absolutely loved the space, physics and time travel documentaries.

Even if you have already watched the anime this game is a must play.

Playing this game is the choice of Steins;Gate

Genuinely one of my favorite animes of all time and now also one of my favorite Visual Novels of all time

If you would ever want a Sci Fi, Mystery and Drama type VN this is the best choice, its kinda hard at first due to how boring the first few chaps are but once you finish it, the story becomes really interesting, gameplay wise the phone being your only source of options to pick is kinda iffy but in the end its not that bad, hard start but amazing story telling in the end, worth it to buy if you ever want to start reading Visual Novels or just a fan of the series.

AN ABSOLUTE PEAK. Man, what a rollercoaster of emotions. The way Steins Gate always keeps you on your toes was disturbing, yet exciting. I cheered and jeered along the playthrough with the characters. Best VN experience so far.
Don't rush with series. Have some time for the informations to really sink in. Although, binge playing isn't bad too I guess.

AWESOME game, absolutely incredible. Nothing about it is flashy or jumps out at you but it has so much depth to the characters and the story. The way it's all tied together in the endings is just perfect. It's simply.. incredible.