STEINS;GATE ELITE
- February 19, 2019
- Spike Chunsoft, Inc.
Get on PS StoreSTEINS;GATE ELITE is a fully animated game that follows a group of tech-savvy friends who discover time travel through email, becoming entangled in a conspiracy surrounding a dystopian future. Every choice made affects the story's outcome, with multiple animated endings. This remastered version includes new animation and scenes, building upon the anime's 24 episodes.
Playstation 4
Reviews
- The game features an excellent and emotional story with memorable characters that keep players engaged.
- The animated sequences enhance the visual novel experience, making it feel more immersive compared to traditional stills.
- It's a great entry point for newcomers to the visual novel genre, showcasing the unique storytelling format effectively.
- The gameplay is minimal, with limited choices and interactions, which may not appeal to all players.
- The story takes time to build up, which some players may find slow or frustrating.
- Some animation quality may not meet expectations, as it reuses assets from the anime, leading to less detailed visuals in certain scenes.
- story19 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The story of Steins;Gate is widely praised for its emotional depth, unique characters, and engaging time travel narrative, making it a standout in the visual novel genre. While some players note that the pacing can be slow initially and that gameplay is limited, the overall experience is deemed worth it for those who appreciate rich storytelling. The game offers both a short side story in the Switch package and a more extensive visual novel experience on PS4, catering to different preferences.
“Awesome story, and a superb cast of unique characters really make this 100% worth your time.”
“An absolutely phenomenal story.”
“The hype is safe to buy into with Steins;Gate — it offers over 30 hours of excellent and emotional storytelling and memorable characters.”
“However, the most common complaint about Steins;Gate is that the story does take some time to get going.”
“As for my own personal complaint, aside from an occasional choice of text message and the handful of story choices you make later, there really isn't much in the way of gameplay.”
“I was a bit skeptical at first because I knew that visual novels didn’t have much gameplay, which is why I originally didn’t invest in them much. This game taught me that VNs are their own unique genre of gaming because of how it presents itself as an interactive story.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this visual novel is minimal, primarily consisting of text choices and a few story decisions, which may disappoint those seeking more interactive elements. However, the engaging story and well-developed characters largely compensate for the lack of traditional gameplay mechanics, reinforcing the genre's focus on narrative over interactivity. Overall, it aligns closely with the gameplay experience of the original title.
“I was a bit skeptical at first because I knew that visual novels didn’t have much gameplay, which is why I originally didn’t invest in them much. This game has taught me that visual novels are their own unique genre of gaming because of how it presents itself as an interactive story.”
“Far as gameplay goes, it seems on par with the original, so referring to an old review would be just fine.”
“As for my own personal complaint, aside from an occasional choice of text message and the handful of story choices you make later, there really isn't much in the way of gameplay.”
“My only gripe about this is that there isn't much gameplay to speak of, but the story and characters are good enough to mostly make up for that.”
“As far as gameplay goes, it seems on par with the original, so referring to an old review would be just fine.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics in this version of the game stand out due to the use of animated assets from the anime, enhancing immersion and engagement compared to the original's still art style. While the original featured more stylized artwork, the animation in this iteration brings a vibrant and dynamic quality that elevates the visual experience.
“What distinguishes this version of the game is that, unlike the original game (which had a very unique art style but used stills), this game uses animation assets from the anime to add some immersion and flair that keeps the player's attention.”
“It’s not the traditional video game but rather a novel in a video game format with, of course, visuals.”
“While the original game had much more stylized artwork, this version feels much more alive thanks to it being animated.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the Switch package features a charming 8-bit soundtrack that complements the cute art of the short side story game, though the overall experience is noted to be brief and lacking depth.
“The Switch package includes a short 8-bit side story game, which is cute with good art and a great 8-bit soundtrack.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Steins;Gate is praised for its emotional depth, featuring over 30 hours of compelling storytelling and memorable characters that resonate with players.
“The hype is safe to buy into with Steins;Gate — it offers over 30 hours of excellent and emotional storytelling and memorable characters.”
