Robotics;Notes DaSH is an entry in the long-running Science Adventure series that finds itself in a very weird position.
As the name implies, the title serves as a direct sequel to the original Robotics;Notes, while also bringing in Steins;Gate's Daru to serve as the new lead—which is where "DaSH" comes from in the title. Thanks to this, the game is actually a direct follow-up to everything that has come before, rather than something that can be enjoyed on its own. To be completely upfront, it feels more like a "fan disc" than another full entry in the series, making it a game worth considering only for those who want to see more of these characters. On the other hand, it does progress the overall plot and touches upon a key event that sets things up for the future. That being said, there is some enjoyment to be had along the way, but for many, Robotics;Notes DaSH will be very hit-or-miss. And that is unfortunate.
The Return of Daru the Super Hacker
Robotics;Notes DaSH picks up months after the ending of the original title, seeing the original crew of the Robot Club reuniting for a festival being held on their island home. Kaito and Akiho are a bit awkward around each other after their relationship took a turn, while Kaito himself continues to struggle with the loss of a close friend. On the flip side, the real Airi is now awake and has become part of the crew, giving us a glimpse into the lives of the other main protagonists following the grand finale as well. It is a great feeling getting to catch up with each of them, but things take a turn when Itaru "Daru" Hashida enters the mix.
For reasons originally unknown, Daru attends the festival and encounters the group that had previously saved the world. Of course, at this point in time, Daru already has a wife and daughter, and he is also well-versed in the events that have befallen the world over the years. The New Generation Madness and the finer details of the case from Chaos;Head are simply common knowledge for him, Okabe's struggles during Steins;Gate have been recounted, and by this point, characters like Maho from Steins;Gate 0 have officially met the other Lab Members within the Steins;Gate World Line as well. The game also follows The Return of the New Generation Madness, which was seen in Chaos;Child. To put things simply, the Daru of today is quite a bit different from where we last saw him—but then again, in other ways, he is exactly the same.
As great as it is to see Daru return—with his social media app also being filled with messages from other fan-favorite characters from the past—there is no denying that it is a bit awkward as well. When the AI version of Robotics;Notes' antagonist appears and attacks the festival, and characters' thoughts are seemingly Real Booted into existence (something fans of the Chaos; series of games will be familiar with), Daru steps in to help with the fight, but he is also part of the problem. With characters being put into what can only be described as fetish outfits, and even a moment where Daru puts on an AR device allowing him to "see through" swimsuits, it takes things a little too far. While it might be a bit more on par with his college-student self, 29-year-old Daru should have advanced past this. He makes references to his wife throwing away his collection of eroge, discussing how his wife and daughter are the two people in his life that matter most, but he still makes creepy comments from time to time. He continues to play into his "perverted gentleman" role quite often, despite the other characters being teenagers.
Thankfully, there is a moment where all of this changes, but it is not until the very end of the game.
The Initial Gameplay Loop and Branching Paths:
Quite similar to the original, DaSH is a visual novel with plenty of extras to find and a map system that allows players to choose their destination. This mostly controls the story routes the game will follow, but extra locations are often filled with new dialogue or collectibles to discover. As in Robotics;Notes, Daru can open his AR phone app at any time to scan for tags floating in the air, which provide additional information about the world. He can also open his social media app to read posts, though none of this is as in-depth as in previous titles. There are no reply requirements to advance, no specific tags that need to be found, nor do you have to win quick-time event minigames to progress. It is simply pure fan service dialogue for those who wish to learn more about the world.
When it comes to selecting areas on the map and going down different paths, these are also very straightforward, featuring only a handful of branches. Each character receives their own story route after the introductory chapter, but they all follow the same pattern. Players are reintroduced to the character who will be the main focus, learn a little more about their backstory, and then watch as their time at the festival is impacted by the strange little device "Real Booting" thoughts into existence. While some of the routes include a threat that puts the main cast in danger, most of these moments are still complete jokes with no real tension. The whole point of these stories is simply to have fun with the cast players have come to know and love from the original and to spend a little more time with them. Whether you enjoy these tales will completely depend on how much you liked the characters already, and what is shown here will not change your mind if that was not the case. Eventually, the festival ends and Daru goes home, allowing you to repeat the process with the next character in line.
This is how nearly every route in the game plays out, with all of them being extremely short. It is possible to read through them in less than an hour depending on your reading speed. If you are really not feeling a route, using the skip function will bring you to the end in a matter of minutes—something I would honestly do if I were to ever replay the title, as the "true" story unlocks only after going through this initial slog.
The Turning Point:
After completing the "fan disc" section of the title, DaSH opens up the "true story" options on its main menu. Here, players are brought back to the start of the festival once again, but this time around, it directly relates to the original Robotics;Notes and pushes the narrative forward. This is what ultimately unlocks the "final story," and here is where DaSH truly shines.
Without ruining the plot, the game's final chapters are exactly what fans of the series expect from a Science Adventure game: world-changing events, our protagonists uniting to tackle the new challenge, and reveals that will ultimately shape the universe while impacting future titles along the way. This is what the series is all about, and DaSH does not disappoint once the shackles come off! Although many will enjoy spending more time with Robotics;Notes' cast of characters and Daru, it is this final stretch that makes DaSH truly worth experiencing. Sadly, however, it only lasts for a few hours before coming to a close.
It is the ending that honestly puts the title into a difficult position. There is no doubt that many players will enjoy only the conclusion, getting burned out by Daru's constant perverted remarks and the multiple story paths best described as filler that came before it. On the other hand, there are those who will enjoy every second of the game, with the turning point serving as the icing on the cake. It is difficult to gauge which category you will fall into without experiencing it for yourself, but watching playthroughs online is always an option as well. Being a visual novel, it is not a title you truly need to play yourself unless you want it for your personal collection—or to obtain the very easy trophies and achievements.
Should you play it?
Robotics;Notes DaSH is a game that will not be for everyone.
Despite the Robotics;Notes branding, this is a canonical "fan disc" aimed at fans of the entire series. Extensive knowledge of Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes, Chaos;Child, and Steins;Gate 0 is needed to enjoy it to its fullest. With that being said, however, the vast majority of the game is non-stop fan service, with story routes that exist only to provide a bit more screen time to each character from Robotics;Notes. With messages and other callbacks to Steins;Gate thrown in for good measure, there are plenty of moments to put a smile on the face of fans, but there are just as many parts that feel as if they drag on for far too long.
Normally, this is the type of game that could easily be skipped and would exist only for die-hard fans, but thanks to the final chapters, DaSH is actually a key, defining moment in the series. It does not make up for the lackluster content that comes before, but missing out could lead to some confusion later on. On the other hand, it would not be too difficult to simply watch the ending online or look up the key information, which is just another reason DaSH might not be worth the time and effort. While I personally enjoyed the story for what it was, it is also not a title I would ever be willing to replay unless I were given a very good reason to do so. Maybe if the game were re-released or remastered, I might consider it, but even then, I would be using the skip function the vast majority of the time. Outside of the introduction, there were only two routes I even liked, not counting the ending—and even then, one's "gimmick" went on for a bit too long.
Overall, Robotics;Notes DaSH is a game for die-hard fans of the Science Adventure series and offers little for anyone else. While some will find its main story paths boring and overly drawn out, the game's ending is one that should not be missed. It is a shame the rest of the title could not live up to this same quality, but at least it can still be entertaining from time to time.
VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
Available On: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC
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