Steins;Gate is the second main entry in the long-running Science Adventure series. Originally beginning with Chaos;Head in 2008, it was followed by Steins;Gate itself in 2009, Robotics;Notes in 2012, Chaos;Child in 2014, the unfinished light novel Occultic;Nine in 2014, and finally Anonymous;Code in 2022. Unfortunately, Western audiences had to wait many years for many of these entries to see a release outside of Japan, and most of them were released out of order. However, with Steins;Gate being one of the most popular entries—mainly due to its stellar anime adaptation—it and its direct sequels and side stories became the main focus when localizing the series. Now, we are lucky to have the vast majority translated, but it was a long road to reach this point. Mages and Spike Chunsoft are back with something a bit different: yet another remake of Steins;Gate.
As its name implies, Steins;Gate Re:Boot is a reboot of the original Steins;Gate visual novel. The game was previously remade in 2018 using scenes from the anime to tell its story, but this time around, the title returns to its original "classic" visual novel roots. With new background art, re-recorded voice acting, and Live2D-style animated character portraits, the title offers a fresh way to experience the story while capturing an art style similar to the original. In addition to these changes, Re:Boot contains additional content not previously seen in visual novel form; however, not all of it is entirely new to the series. To be completely upfront about it, the previously announced Gamma Worldline is a short adaptation of the Drama CD released in Japan, which has already been fansubbed and shared online. While it is nice to finally have it included in the game itself, it isn't as game-changing as some might have hoped. That being said, it isn't the only new content in the game, and there are still multiple reasons to consider looking into Re:Boot.
For this review, I'll be tackling the game from multiple points of view. Those who have no experience with Steins;Gate will be happy to know that this is a perfect starting point, and anyone who has only experienced the anime will find an enjoyable, expanded version of the story they already love. However, fans of the original visual novel might find themselves questioning if Re:Boot is really worth purchasing for a second—or possibly third—time. If you are one such fan, feel free to skip to the end of the review, where I'll detail the differences between each version. For everyone else, I'll be diving into what Steins;Gate actually is, as spoiler-free as possible. This truly is a special story best experienced for yourself, but there's no denying that the initial chapters can be a bit of a hurdle to overcome if you are not already invested—though Re:Boot does help with that, thanks to its revised pacing.
Returning to Open the Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate opens by introducing players to our protagonist, a young man by the name of Hououin Kyouma—real name Okabe Rintaro. Okabe is a self-proclaimed Mad Scientist who is attending a seminar regarding time travel with his childhood friend Mayuri. Of course, Okabe doesn't have much hope for what the presenter has to say, but how could he possibly pass up such an opportunity? Drowning in his delusions, Okabe pulls up his cellphone to discuss the matter with his secret "contacts," in hopes that the "Organization" doesn't overhear him. With his signature catchphrase, "El Psy Kongroo," Okabe signs off and heads toward the meeting room. However, things do not go so smoothly.
After causing a scene over the fact that the presenter was simply ripping off the real-world John Titor's time travel discussions, Okabe is pulled aside by a young woman. Her name is Makise Kurisu, and she has made quite a name for herself recently due to having her research published. Okabe recognizes her, of course, though this is the first time the two have ever met—yet she seems to know him. She tries to ask what he was trying to tell her earlier, but Okabe simply brushes her off and goes on with his day. He reunites with Mayuri, but before the two can head out, they are interrupted by a scream that causes Okabe to spring into action.
Following the voice, he is greeted by a grisly scene: Kurisu lies in a pool of her own blood. Unable to grasp what he is truly seeing, Okabe pulls out his phone and does the only thing he can think to do—email his best friend Daru about what he had just seen. Just then, the world flashes before Okabe's eyes, and when he comes to, he finds himself standing in front of the building he was just in. After the initial shock, he quickly realizes that all the hustle and bustle of the people around him has gone quiet, but even stranger yet, a satellite has now crashed into the building itself. The seminar is canceled, and everyone is directed away from the site. This single moment is what sets the entire story into motion, sending Okabe down a path he could have never imagined.
Becoming a Lab Member
While Okabe continues playing the role of a "Mad Scientist," he and his friends operate a makeshift lab above a classic CRT TV shop. Here, he, Mayuri, and Daru create "Future Gadgets," with their newest being their strangest one of all—a microwave with a very peculiar feature.
Dubbed the "Phonewave (Name Subject to Change)," this microwave has a cellphone attached to it, which allows users to start the device remotely. By pressing pound followed by a set amount of time, the microwave springs to life and cooks for however many seconds were entered. However, as discovered by mistake, pressing the number before the pound sign activates a "freezing" function that turns food into a strange, jelly-like substance. This phenomenon becomes the focus of the lab's research, with countless bananas being sacrificed in the name of science—much to Mayuri's dismay. Sadly, the group doesn't have a lot of time to focus on the Phonewave, but yet another chance meeting opens the door to new possibilities.
When attending another seminar, Okabe comes face-to-face with a literal ghost. Makise Kurisu is alive and is the presenter, discussing why a concept like time travel is a foolish notion that has no right being discussed within the scientific community. Besides looking like a crazy person for thinking Kurisu was dead, Okabe argues against her points in an attempt to prove time travel is possible. These outbursts lead Kurisu to take an interest in Okabe, and after the lecture, she follows him home. This is when she, too, discovers the Phonewave and its strange jellification function. However, when they break a banana off from the bunch and put it in the Phonewave, things truly get strange: the single banana vanishes before their eyes and reappears reattached to the cluster across the room. This leads the entire group to realize the "freezing" function was anything but, and a new mystery is at hand.
The Cell Phone and Messaging the Past
Unlike most visual novels with branching paths, Steins;Gate uses a mobile phone system that allows players to pull up Okabe's phone at nearly any moment. From here, he can read and reply to emails he's received, call friends he has added to his contacts, and choose to answer his phone if a call comes in. Each of these actions has the possibility of impacting the overall story, with different routes becoming available along the way. While Steins;Gate is linear overall, failing to make the right calls will lead to alternate ending paths, while the true ending itself requires very specific email responses throughout the game. But this is only part of it.
Along with the mystery of the Phonewave, Okabe and his lab members discover quite early on that they are able to send emails to the past—which includes the very first message Okabe sends in the game. Daru is the one who discovers it arrived days prior, and that realization gives the group the idea to begin testing their newfound ability. Naturally, these messages play into the branching story paths, but they are also a vital part of the plot. While some emails are minor and alter nothing in the grand scheme of things, other messages have major repercussions that change everything in the story as we knew it. With Okabe—and us as players—being the only ones who remember the world as it was before each email, he must navigate this newly altered reality while trying to get to the bottom of how it truly works. What he is doing is clearly dangerous, but it is too late to stop now. Someday his actions will surely catch up to him, though he never could have imagined what was truly in store.
Kicking into High Gear
Steins;Gate is a story that is technically broken up into two parts. Everything I've already explained only makes up the intro and is just a small portion of the overall narrative at play. However, it is this first part of the story that many first-time readers struggle with. Okabe and his "Mad Scientist" spiel can be a bit much and might honestly turn some players off. The game also takes its time introducing each member of the supporting cast, and there are long-winded conversations about real-world scientific theories that might not hold everyone's attention—though I personally find them to be some of my favorite moments in the game.
On top of that, there are dozens of "tips" to read that provide additional context to the topics brought up and the non-stop pop-culture references, which hilariously include a callback to Gundam 00, where Okabe's voice actor voiced the protagonist, Setsuna. In short, it is a lot of reading that can slow down the story's pacing, but it also offers a deeper understanding of the world and what is happening. This might not be for everyone, and it is completely understandable if someone finds it to be a bit overwhelming. With Re:Boot, however, the script has been trimmed because it uses Steins;Gate Elite as a base, which helps speed things up so players arrive at "the good part" faster.
It is the second half of the story where things truly kick into high gear, transforming into a non-stop, unforgettable rollercoaster ride. I personally first experienced this story in 2015, and I'll never forget the day I reached "that moment." Up until then, the story honestly wasn't clicking with me, and I didn't expect to end up liking it. It was 8:00 PM, and I told myself I'd maybe play for only an hour. But then something happened, and the next thing I knew, it was 3:00 AM, and I was being forced to stop solely because my PlayStation Vita's battery was dying. That moment has remained burned into my memory ever since, and despite knowing the story in Re:Boot, I found the exact same thing happening again—though this time I pushed it to 3:30 AM instead.
Obviously, I cannot ruin what makes the second half so great, but those who reach it will know the second they've arrived. It truly is where the game shines brightest, though players need to put in the time and effort to get there. After that, even replays of the first half will hit differently as more details come to light, making Steins;Gate a title well worth playing through more than once—something Re:Boot now offers for those who have already taken this ride before.
Re:Boot's Changes
With all of that being said, the real question on many players' minds is none other than: "What has been changed with Re:Boot?" Well, not a whole lot actually, outside of the general presentation and the script.
As previously mentioned, Steins;Gate Elite featured a trimmed-down script that greatly increased the pacing. This can work to the game's advantage, but it also means quite a bit was taken out. It will depend on each individual's reading speed, but I finished the original Steins;Gate with close to 40 hours on the clock, whereas my finish time in Re:Boot was 28 hours. I didn't let all of the voice lines play out completely this time around, but that wouldn't have changed too much if I had. The difference in length mainly comes from the fact that Okabe no longer overly explains his actions before and after spoken dialogue, and a handful of other details are cut down as well.
Compared to the original, the biggest hit to the script actually comes from the removal of nearly an entire chapter—an edit that carried over from Elite. During this point in the story, Okabe has to meet up with someone, but discovers they are not home; instead, they are attending an event. So rather than waiting for them to return, he goes to the event himself, which begins an entire subplot. While it isn't strictly key to the story, it expands upon a minor part of the universe that is referenced multiple times prior and introduces its own antagonistic character. Eventually, the story takes a turn and leads to an altercation, pushing that specific chapter into its final arc. In Re:Boot, on the other hand, this section of the story begins with Okabe traveling to the event and arriving after the altercation has already taken place, skipping directly to the final stretch instead.
Was this subplot truly that important? No. Will players unaware of the original version even realize something is missing? Also no. However, those who play Re:Boot and enjoy it enough to want more can rest assured that there is still additional content out there to be seen, but not within Re:Boot itself. While its removal, once again, increases the game's pacing to keep the main story flowing, this particular moment occurs after the title has already kicked into high gear and likely hooked its audience—and if it hasn't, the game simply isn't for you. Still, this is a complaint only fans of the original will have, though some might appreciate its absence.
On the other hand, some fans may be happy to know that this isn't completely the Elite script. Despite the cuts, additional lines of text have been added where needed. While Elite relied on anime scenes to visually show actions or introduce characters walking into a scene, Re:Boot has to rely on the old-fashioned method of describing what has happened. It is thanks to this that the script is technically longer than Elite's, but still not to the same level as the original Steins;Gate—which I still personally prefer. Additionally, Elite's extra forum posts—which contained a lot of nods to the rest of the Science Adventure series—have also been removed, but the full original mobile phone function has been restored.
The final set of changes comes from completely new content for the game that isn't necessarily new to Steins;Gate.
As previously mentioned, the Gamma Worldline story is a new route placed where one was previously unavailable. It shows a different side of our main cast and is actually pretty interesting. While some might have been hoping that Re:Boot would greatly expand upon the Drama CD, what's here is sadly only about an hour long. That doesn't mean it isn't a good story, and the game is certainly better for including it, but it isn't a massive inclusion that would make Re:Boot worth purchasing on its own—that's what the new presentation and re-recorded voice acting are for. Along with this, the game also includes a scene that helps tie the original story to Steins;Gate 0, which is sure to put a smile on the faces of fans. But even this is a small inclusion, lasting only a handful of minutes.
Ultimately, Re:Boot is a game that is exactly as advertised, and it doesn't hold any real secrets outside of a new ending scene obtained by completing all of the others. Even the strange marks in the background that I constantly overthought throughout the entire experience seem to have just been an artistic decision without any greater meaning. But then again, maybe there secretly is one? There's a lot more to the Science Adventure series than meets the eye, but I'll just leave it at that.
Should you play it?
Steins;Gate is a game I wasn't initially sold on when I first played it back in 2015. I wasn't the biggest fan of Okabe and his "Mad Scientist" act, the supporting characters didn't initially hook me, and it felt as if the story wasn't really going anywhere. I stuck with it, though, in hopes that it would pick up, but what I never expected was the emotional ride I would eventually embark on because of it. By the end of the story, not only had it become one of my all-time favorite visual novels, but also one of my favorite science fiction stories across all media. It is one of those stories you wish you could experience again for the first time, but instead, you have to settle for simply replaying it and enjoying it for what it is. That being said, although Re:Boot is the third visual novel version of the game, it is actually my fourth playthrough in general—and that's not counting my time spent watching the anime adaptation, as well. When it comes down to it, Steins;Gate is a story worth experiencing at least once in your life, and there's not really a wrong way to do so.
That being said, Re:Boot sits in a weird position. At this rate, I feel as if I'll always prefer the original visual novel with its full script, but that doesn't mean Re:Boot isn't a fun time. The newly recorded voice acting and Live2D animated style for the characters are really nice, and I enjoyed seeing the new backgrounds and CGs as well. Yes, I wish the full original script had been brought over rather than Elite's, but at the same time, not having it doesn't harm the story. Those new to the title are perfectly fine beginning here, and the callback to Steins;Gate 0 will help better introduce newcomers to its story. Having the Gamma Worldline story as part of the game itself is also a nice inclusion, even if it doesn't add a lot of playtime. The faster pace can also help counter the issue I initially had with the original, where it felt like it dragged on a bit too long at the start—though knowing the script has been trimmed might also turn some players off. It really comes down to personal preference, but there is truly nothing wrong with Re:Boot.
As for long-time fans returning, everyone should ask themselves why they want to play Re:Boot to begin with. Fans of the anime adaptation will be greeted by a greatly expanded story and more screen time with their favorite characters, and they will also learn new pieces of information that the show simply didn't have time to cover. Those who played Elite will get to see basically the same game, but with a classic visual novel presentation rather than anime scenes, as well as a slightly expanded script. Fans of the original visual novel, however? Again, there's not much new here, and it is a much quicker read due to the cuts that were made. If you're only interested in the new content, it honestly might not be worth it; but if you'd like a reason to return to one of your favorites in a new way, then you can't go wrong with Re:Boot—as long as you are fine with the exclusions.
Either way, Re:Boot doesn't truly replace Steins;Gate, nor does it replace Elite; all three visual novels can stand on their own. They offer different ways to experience this great story, giving prospective players options that fit their preferences. I still had a great time retreading the same ground and can easily see myself playing this version again in the future. In fact, despite receiving a free review copy from Spike Chunsoft, I went out and pre-ordered a physical console version as well. It is a game I personally wanted to add to my collection, and the idea of being able to play through it again on my TV in the living room sounds nice. Although, the asking price is a bit much when other editions are cheaper at this point—something else potential players might want to consider.
Despite not adding anything major, Steins;Gate Re:Boot is an excellent retelling of one of the greatest time travel stories in all of media. With a lovable cast of characters and an unforgettable, emotionally charged narrative, it truly is an experience everyone should have at least once. El Psy Kongroo.
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