<report>Great starting point for beginners who want to get a taste for "true" visual novels (no gameplay, 30-50 hours length, and multiple "routes" that you will most likely have to look up in a walkthrough).

After playing Aokana earlier this month I began to question whether or not I really wanted to get into visual novels to begin with. Fortunately, I decided to give this medium one more try by playing something popular that is almost unanimously praised across VN communities. That's where Steins;Gate came in to save the day and solidify my interest in the medium.

<report>What Steins;Gate manages to do really well, is make full use of its medium as a VN, and straddle the line between super seriousness and light-hearted humour. It fully embraces otaku culture, and many of the jokes are self-referential, making an entertaining read for those familiar with that kind of thing. The characters are one of the strongest aspects of this VN, from the lovable mad scientist Hououin Kyouma, to the genius tsundere girl Kurisu, they are all enjoyable, yet believable. The story is exceedingly good, with many twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end.

The only criticism I'd say is if you've already watched the anime, playing the VN doesn't add *much*, besides the additional routes, and the appealing character art, drawn by the almighty Huke.

<report>Read a few years ago but forgot to drop a review. Super late to the party and there's little I can say that has not been said in other reviews. So just short personal impressions here.

I loved it. It gave me an experience very few other vn's have done. I was fascinated by the story and was immersed by it from start to finish. The cast was memorable and funny. Everything basically clicked with me. That's it, nothing but praise.

So for me, it's a rare case of liking something to the point where any issues it may of had (as stated in other reviews) did not matter to me.

<report>I was on the edge of my seat from the start of it and it kept me there for a very long time mixing real world science facts with interesting sci-fi fantasy theory made for a great read info dumps rather than being boring slogs became interesting as you try to grasp how this world behaves differently from our own in addition to this the cast is very lovable and always has something funny o break tension in the proper moments.
From a lovable cast to interesting sci-fi mystery and edge of your seat action Stein's Gate is a cut above truly one of the greats glad i read it and i really think its worth the 10/10 there are some weak spots and half of the endings kinda suck IMO but the Journey to get there and the ends that are good are on different level Stein's gate truly is one of the GOATs

<report>This novel has some of the best characters I've ever seen in fiction, along with one of the worst plots I've ever read. The early part of the novel is an absolute treat because of how masterfully the characters are written, but once the plot kicks in the characters themselves are put out of focus. While I liked the initial premise of the main character accidentally turning his microwave into a time machine, the time travel mechanics are used very poorly. I reluctantly recommend this novel.

<report>Steins;Gate is the VN that cemented my love for the medium in general. It was the first visual novel I read outside of Key VNs (it was a very dramatic shift) and it certainly left quite the impression. Steins;Gate uses a lot of sci-fi tropes and terminology that isn't for everyone, however, if you like that sort of element to your stories, then I would say that this VN will be a very enjoyable read. Steins;Gate is also a part of the "Science Adventure Series" (SciADV), a series of interconnected novels that use similar terminology and take place within the same shared universe. This Series is one of my favourites of all time and I'd highly recommend reading the series from the beginning (Chaos;Head Noah, using the Committee of Zero patch as should be done for all SciADV entries).

<report>Go ahead and play it. Thank me later lol. What would you expect here? It is a review on one of the most popular visual novel ever.

Honestly, I tried to play in it a long time ago, but I quitted after first chapter, I just didn't wanted to play in it. I never wanted to continue the game but in the end... it was good. It is not that good as Chaos;child but still I personally really enjoyed it. If you wanna play in a visual novel with a very good and interesting plot, then it should be steins;gate. After it you should certainly try chaos;head and chaos;child. 8/10

<report>Steins;Gate was one of my first visual novels that I ever read. Unlike many of the others I read at the time, it has managed to stay high on my list of favorites. Steins;Gate is an amazing time travel thriller with a heavy focus on its protagonist's growth. Okabe is one of the most unique and best protagonists in any visual novel and seeing his journey and experiencing what he does is extremely interesting. The only negative I would point out is that some of the side characters do not get much in the way in development but despite that they manage to be very unique and memorable and the cast remains one of my favorites. Overall, Steins;Gate is a great story everyone should check out and is especially recommended for beginners to the medium.

<report>A fun, albeit horribly paced, scifi romp with an overall decent cast, intriguing mysteries, and mostly worthless routes. Likely would have been superior as a linear title with an editing pass to cut down on the redundancies.

<report>This was my first Visual Novel, which i picked up after getting a bit bored from the anime. I think this has been a great Introduction to the Visual Novel genre to me, making me realize very soon that playing with a guide is pretty much mandatory if you don't want to spend hours trying out everything you can think off. There are some parts that are not even fleshed out in the anime at all, with most of the stuff just being more detailed overall. Overall the Story is really good, the interactions between the main Characters are also awesome and as such i can definitely see it as the highest rated VN on VNDB. Still, i think even the VN drags at times even though it is better than the anime, hence i took some points away. Still, i think this is easy to pick up and like by most people

<report>Great visual novel. The implementation of using your phone and making calls and writing messages to affect the story is an innovative choice system which fits the story really well. While the plot is definitely the strong point of this VN, the characters are rather well done too (especially the MC) and the dialogues are well written. The story does a good job at implementing time travel mechanics and does its best explaining them believably. It is well paced and the action scenes really feel like such. Also the game loves making pop culture and otaku references (also references other well known VNs). The romance aspect is well implemented and feels mostly natural. I also like the unique art style. Also THIS is how to make a true ending, by far the best execution thereof I've ever seen.

<report>This is one of the few visual novels I "underrate", i.e. rate lower than its average score. It's not like Steins;Gate is a mediocre game, far from it. But I watched the anime first and it really made a strong impression on me. So I expected something even greater from the original, only to get pretty much the same story but more dragged out. The visual novel didn't add as much to the anime story as I'd have liked or expected. The alternative endings were too short and unfulfilling to be considered a worthy addition while the most important plot points remained the same. Perhaps I'd have liked the game more if I played it first.

<report>It's a masterpiece. Must read for everyone, it became classic.
AMAZING protagonist, he got a really good character development (with brilliant MEME potential).
AMAZING main and secondary characters (Mayushi's really cute).
REALLY COOL and original phone feature! (which is NOT present fully in ELITE release, what a waste).
Cool graphic style and ASTONISHING OST!!!
And the plot is what makes this game "must have to read". Maybe dragged out a little, maybe too many hard terms and subjects, but still not boring!
Highly recomended!

<report>I watched s;g anime 2 years ago. I finally played VN this summer and (although I already knew all the plot from anime) I couldn't stop crying while playing it. It was the best emotional journey I have ever had. Halfway through I would rate it 10/10 without a hitch. But then it was only getting better and better, and more immersive so by the end I would honestly rate it 16/10 if could.

<report>Sadly I can't give it a 10 because the beginning's a bit slow but I'm sure Okabe can keep you entertained, he's arguably the most entertaining character I've ever seen in a VN. What are you even doing here? Just play it. Yes, S;G lives up to the hype. Go! Shoo!

<report>Read it a few years ago circa Covid-19 Pandemic, though (like muv-luv) the excessive info-dumping of middle school level science fiction gibberish should have been dialed back in favor of the excellent character writing and music.

<report>This is really good, I love the soundtrack, characters and story. Everything here was as good as I expected it to be and I love having conversations about it. My only complaint is that they needed everyone to be some obscure thing, breaking the illusion of realism just so everything tied together.

<report>Amazing visual novel, great cast, good chemistry between every characters in the game. Okabe is probaly my most favourite protagonist in any visual novel i've read so far. If this vn had the true ending as the only ending through the whole vn, i would've gave this higher

<report>What do you get, when you combine extremely well written characters, beautiful music, unique artstyle, and the best story ever told in (pop) culture? A masterpiece. 1.048596x9.536561268591526/10

El. Psy. Kongroo.

Posted originally 24 September, 2020 on Steam.

<report>The first visual novel I've actually finished. This was a genuine masterpiece of a story and despite a somewhat slow start, it ended up being an exhilarating read throughout and I finished it far earlier than I had expected to. Almost all of the characters were great and I grew to love the cast as I progressed through the story. Of it's 6 endings, only 1 missed the mark for me with the rest feeling very emotionally satisfying and earned. Any of these endings on their own would have made for a great story, but in unison they elevate the final product to the level of a masterpiece and I am glad this was one of the first visual novels I ever experienced.

<report>Steins;Gate is a very popular visual novel which spawned a very very popular anime and a not as known manga.

Steins;Gate is an amazing Sci-Fi Visual Novel developed by MAGES who in my opinion, make great Visual Novels. Steins;Gate has probably one of the worlds most interesting plots and it has you at the edge of your seat throughout most of it. The True Ending was great and the other endings were great but not as good as the true ending.
This Visual Novel is a bit high priced but it's really good!

Rating: 9.9/10

<report>This visual novels' ability to make scientific theories a reality is a wonder to read. This is easily one of the best visual novels I've played. I'm writing this review almost a month after I beat the visual and I still find myself thinking about how good this is. The characters have a personality (yes this includes the protagonist) and have a real role in the story, the events that happen don't feel forced, and the character protagonist character development is absolutely wonderful. This visual novel also teaches that although time travel might sound pretty cool, there are definite consequences for breaking the laws of the world. This is my first review on a visual novel and I needed to make one just for steins;gate. I highly recommend!

<report>Even though anime is great, it misses a lot of content from the VN, serving more like a summary of the story. The screen time is too limited to fully express how great of a character Kyouma is.

The main things you love about this story are of course same as in the anime - the great and smart time travel stuff. But in the VN they are explained much more thoroughly - you get enough time and details to comprehend what is actually happening to taste the moments like "I failed I failed I failed" in their original greatness. And some more content and characters background info improve the experience.

El Psy Kongroo

<report>Steins Gate is my first VN followed by Danganronpa which brought me to this fandom. It's been quite influential to me...

My opinion of it is, it is a great Sci-Fi. They explained it well and everything and the whole ride was fun too... Just, it lacks something Ever17 has and the characters could be better

<report>to me it's based (8), +1 funny and dramatic, -1 for lackluster other rute endings. after the solid turning point at the other half of the game it took a nosedive for just a chapter but to be fair if u start it with reading the true ending first i think it's fine and the other endings are for extra content. it's a solid start for sciadv but id rather recommending people to start w chaos head

<report>One of the great video game stories, but also one of the worst paced games I have ever played through. You are much better off watching the anime and will lose almost nothing of the experience. The few touching moments it doesn't cover aren't worth the slog.

<report>I've waited hours for the slice of life sections to pass, and when the series tone finally toneshifts, I still felt it was lacking and it was not worth the wait at all.

I assume this is just not for me, the artstyle is great and the ost is good too.

<report>Very wholesome story and its characters. Oh, and style of arts+sprites just awesome.
At the start you may feel like its very boring, after 10 hours of reading nothing happens, but it just needed to meet you with characters and their relationship with MC.

<report>I have to say, I am disappointed with how the entire novel turned out to be. I expected a rather complicated science-fiction, and expected having to use my focus a lot in order to keep up. That was not what was delivered.

Throughout the game, they've had a chance to build a story with pretty interesting concepts on multiple occasions, but all of them remained unused, and instead the story went down the most basic and cliché way that you could think of. The "twists" were foreseeable from miles away, if you weren't just accepting whatever the game has spoon-fed you, and the game itself (including some of the extra scenes) was filled with inaccurate information and impossible scenarios, even... Read more »

<report>Worth a read if it's within your first 5 or so well-written visual novels with the concepts/themes/plot beats presented here.

Characters - 7/10. Generally good and fun. Not a lot of depth to most of them. The arcs the characters that have a bit of depth go through; I've seen them done better in other VNs.

Voice acting - 8/10. You have the heavy-hitters like Okabe and Mayuri's VAs. I felt like Daru's few dramatic moments ruined the scenes though, and Nakabachi near the end was kinda bad. Makise was generally good but sounded a bit artificial e.g. in the "tsundere moments" (even if it was on purpose).

Story - 7/10. No huge complaints. So I didn't subtract a lot from the score. It's just... Read more »

<report>FYI:This will just be a review putting positives and negatives i found while playing both versions of steins;gate on the table. You should know by now, that the game itself is a classic and for good reason, so there goes!

Positives for ELITE:

+ More camera angles giving you a better sense of scale (character height is very obvious now).
+ Animations showing characters do things.
+ Background animations for signs and passers-by making the world more lively.
+ Extra scenes showing Okabe talking to the police and also showing him using a microscope to look at samples.
+ More changes in scenery make the day-to-day happenings in this world more believable as well.
+ New sound effects and... Read more »

<report>One of the first commercial VNs I've played. Not gonna lie at this point I'm somewhat jaded with the Sci. Adventure series. So I'm going to say it's good, it's real good, just as a lot of the Series is. This stands out as the prime title of a good VN that does mostly everything right once you caught on to it's weird choice system.

The big issue and something I'll fault the entire Science Adventure Series (here begins the spoilers) is that at the beginning every single Protag is an unlikeable demonspawn. Between writing the Main Character as an absolutely unlikeable Jerk and the often unintuitive choice system present in every single one of the games in the beginning, you'll grow to love... Read more »

<report>For me, the main reason I prefer the Visual Novel and I consider it the definitive way to experience Steins;Gate is that we understand Okabe a lot more by being able to read his thoughts, which makes his actions more understandable, his growth more meaningful (specially how much he belittles Mayuri's intelligence in his thoughts at the beginning but then comes around to understand how she's mature in specific ways no other member of the lab is) and his descent into madness way more impactful. I think the loudness of Anime Okabe is in a way the director trying to fix that, making Okabe state what he thinks louder and clearer to make his personality easier to understand, which REALLY works to... Read more »

<report>When I started to play Steins;Gate I felt like all characters were strange and unique and over the top.
Okabe (main protagonist) was arogant, ignoring, bossy and he thought he is the wisest person no matter the topic. He couldn't even respect his teammates and call them by their true names instead he always come up with some nicknames.
On top of that when he didn't know what to say he started his diabolic "Muhahahah" which was really annoying. I didn't know what to think about it.

The beginning was very slow for me. There was a lot of small talks which I didn't get at first. I thought that it's just a filler.
But before I knew it, I started to enjoy spending time with the characters and... Read more »

<report>What I liked:
-Well written characters that (mostly) receive a great amount of development. On the other hand, some of the characters did border on the type of stereotypes which are common in visual novels.
-The time travel aspect is taken seriously and must have required a lot of planning by the team to make it make entertaining while still being plausible.
-Its funny and serious when it needs to be. The feeling of danger in the thriller sections in particular is done very well, this can be hard to pull off correctly.
-Not overloaded with filler scenes like too many other Visual Novels I've played
-Alternative endings are decent, and you're pushed to check them out.
-Great looking... Read more »

<report>(Spoiler-Free)

I watched the Steins;Gate anime back in late 2019, and it's been one of my favorites ever since then, so my expectations were quite high for its highly acclaimed source material, and to put it shortly, it did not disappoint. In fact, it elevated the aspects of the anime I was really fond of and improved upon the few minor flaws the anime had.

Steins;Gate has a fantastic story, and the creators made perfect use of all of its characters and all the other story elements and managed to give enough depth and attention to every character and just how things work. In all honesty, it's hard for me to say that Steins;Gate has a lot of individually well-written characters, but where... Read more »

<report>Steins;Gate is a bit of a weird game to discuss. I expected it to be hard to talk about, but it ended up being pretty easy. It's not a very complicated story with not very complicated characters. It goes through most of the motions that I "expect" from lots of the top popular works across the weeb shit universe. In a lot of ways, Steins;Gate to me is Fullmetal Alchemist as Fullmetal Alchemist is Steins;Gate. They have similar "vibes" but I can't necessarily describe what makes them so similar despite being so clearly different. This isn't a bad thing, actually, I enjoy them both quite a bit.

My history with Steins;Gate is troubled, so my experience with the game would be surely biased... Read more »

<report>Rating: 10/10 (“Masterpiece”)

Recommended for: People who enjoy VNs, people who enjoy science fiction. I would recommend this for a first time VN-reader.

My route order: Suzuha > Faris > Luka > Mayuri > Kurisu > True End. Kurisu, Suzuha, and Luka were my favourite characters (asides from Okabe), but I did not particularly like Luka’s ending.

Steins;Gate is a science fiction/romance visual novel that makes fantastic use of the genre. Its plot is well-thought out, well-developed, and the characters are likable and dynamic. The main character, Okabe Rintarou, and Kurisu are especially well-written. Okabe, for his part, is a fantastic example of a voiced protagonist with his own personality... Read more »