[HEADING=1]Steins;Gate Review[/HEADING]
The Gears of Fate are Turning...
The Gears of Fate are Turning...
El Psy Congroo
Introduction:
Steins;Gate is a 2009 Japanese Xbox 360, PC, and PSP visual novel game (with the PC version receiving an unofficial English translation in 2011), created by developers Nitroplus and 5pb [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/9104-Critical-Miss-Corpse-Party]. It is a spiritual successor to the similarly themed ChäoS;HEAd [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.264914-Deskimus-Prime-Reviews-The-Madness-that-is-ChaoS-HEAd][footnote]Events from it get a passing mention a few times in Steins;Gate, but it's not at all necessary to have played it before, since they are entirely separate stories.[/footnote] It's to some degree a classic hard science fiction tale about unimaginable technological advances, and their potential (...for abuse), but its peculiar perspective and setting really sets it apart.
The story is centered around the self-proclaimed "Mad Scientist" Rintarō Okabe, whose paranoia and grandiose demeanor are a poor match indeed for the extremely humble advancements to science he have supposedly achieved in the makeshift "Future Gadget Laboratory" of his small Akiharaba apartment. Here he works with a dubious "research group" consisting of the gentle and kind, but also childish, airheaded, and none-too-bright waitress Mayuri Shiina, and the full-on otaku, eternal pervert, and exceedingly skilled hacker Itaru Hashida. Along with the young scientific prodigy Kurisu Makise, they are soon drawn into an elaborate string of mysterious events, involving the ruthless ambitions of SERN [http://public.web.cern.ch/public/] and manipulation of time itself... a mystery that begin with Kurisu's most untimely death.
Can the unbreakable chain of cause and effect be reforged? And if so, at what price?
Story: 9,5/10
Peculiarly, what helps set the above in motion is a circumstantial malfunction in Rintarō's latest gadget, a highly customized microwave oven which turn out to possess a rather unexpected side effect [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity]. If that sounds like the premise for a children's show, then that's because it sounds exactly like that. It really - really - isn't though, as anyone familiar with these developers' past track records would suspect. The plot is both complex and occasionally fairly brutal, and the amount of scientific theory - the vast majority of it real [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113292-Scientists-Baffled-By-Seemingly-Faster-Than-Light-Particles] - that gets explained and explored in this game is truly staggering.
This mean that the game is off to a slow start, as there's a of lot of scientific groundwork to lay down. While the game does a great job of conveying some very advanced scientific concepts to mere mortals, you'll still have to stay sharp to stay with it. Obviously the traditional problems and paradoxes presented by time travel are touched upon, such as the grandfather paradox [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_paradox] and the Butterfly effect [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect] (which the second ending theme, Butterfly of Fate [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ypVKRsMKM], seem to be a reference to). Many other theoretical concepts are also touched upon, in order to provide a convincing real world frame for when at last it takes the plunge into the fantastic unknown. It really is surprisingly elegantly handled, injecting a renewed sense of wonder into a world we thought we'd explored every nook and cranny of[footnote]This concept of ?postmodern fable? is even more prevalent in ChäoS;HEAd, which actually made it rather explicit by having a character with a traditional fantasy perspective on the events that took place there, complete with ?Black Knights? and such.[/footnote]. This is perhaps the greatest strength of the game, and where its build-up really pays off.
Aside from its hard science fiction angle, the game is also an almost anthropological study of otaku culture, and a veritable parade of characters who aren't exactly paragons of well-adjusted normality. The initial cast is quickly joined by other characters, whose mannerisms are no less odd - such a part time worker who's just a bit too eager to get with the times, and a journalist who's much too eager to communicate digitally. Set in Tokyo's famous "Electric Town district", most characters are engaged in some rather strange modern subcultures (...with those who aren't being stranger still), making pretty much all of them eccentrics at best. Rintarō in particular, while not as deranged a protagonist as seen in other NitroPlus works, seem to have been completely swallowed up by his own fantasy world (...which unfortunately for him doesn't stay that way), living and breathing for his "Mad Scientist" persona that unfortunately don't go over too well with his actual nature, much less with everyone around him. Though a worker at a catgirl themed maid cafe [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maid_cafe] is more than a match for him when it comes to just rolling with his delusions to places even he can't follow. In short, it's a veritable cultural undergrowth that's put on display here, and the game obviously contain copious references to various memes and nerd culture in general, both western and Japanese. All of which are for once quite naturally integrated, given the characters and setting it portray.
With these focal points - hardcore science and otaku/nerd/internet subculture - Steins;Gate will not be to everyone's taste. Even with plenty of mainstream strengths, such as excellent pacing (once the initial theory is out of the way), suspenseful drama, engaging character interaction, and an elaborate plot that is masterfully laid out, the game's underlying subject matter is simply going to be too alien(ating) for quite a few people to ever appreciate it. If you don't really care about science or internet culture, then this obviously isn't a title worth picking up, despite its uniqueness and considerable merit.
[IMG, alt=Although since this game absolutely adore any technology from around that time anyway...]http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/5551/reference.jpg[/IMG]
Quite an old reference you got there, young lady.
Quite an old reference you got there, young lady.
Artwork & Sound: 8,5/10
What most immediately springs into view is the highly stylized character design, with sharp lines, prominently colored eyes, and the unique texturing which is also put to general use (...well almost unique [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11318]). The latter adds quite a bit of vibrancy to the characters and backgrounds, while still retaining a low key coloring, and personally I find it appealing (though it's probably a "love-it-or-hate-it" kind of thing).
Most people who've ever heard the name "Steins;Gate" before will know it from the recent anime adaptation of one of the paths, and while the anime was deservedly a success, it did not succeed in capturing the lustre of the visual novel game CG's all too well. And there's also the fact that the visual novel game format - with its innate emphasis on branching lines of cause and effect - lends itself exceedingly well to time travel stories. This, combined with the far greater level of story detail, and the alternative outcomes available in the game, would lead me to recommend that fans of the anime check out the game. Even if they've obviously been spoilered on some rather major events.
As for the aural presentation, there's little to fault, and a few things to praise. The voice actors are all very well chosen, and considerable resources obviously went into securing this (Rintarō is voiced by the same guy who voiced Light Yagami of Death Note fame; though you wouldn't know it except when he really plays up the "Mad scientist" act). And if you happen upon one you don't like, they can all be individually muted. The music is overall pretty good, if perhaps another "love-it-or-hate-it" thing. Aside from fully fledged songs, including the rather catchy Technovision [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Hn_I3hDfg] and a few new tracks from in-verse indie rock band PHANTASM, the Back Ground Music span the usual range from casual everyday themes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkbp3TAf6XI] to those instilling great urgency [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx9LDyk9BCc], and everything inbetween [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXqcxRQbhE].
The production values are sky high, and Steins;Gate is overall artistically solid in both aspects as well. But it's in the visual department that it really shines.
[IMG, alt=There is actually not many action scenes in the game, despite it partly being a Nitro+ production.]http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2904/nytbitmapbillede.jpg[/IMG]
Jack Carver and friends go to Japan!
Jack Carver and friends go to Japan!
Interface & Tech: 7,0/10
The interface of Steins;Gate is not perfect. Unlike the traditional choices presented in most visual novel games, the interactive element comes into play through the protagonist's smartphone. The phone is used to control certain events, as well as communicate through - or simply ignore - calls and emails. Your communicative choices then affect the world around you, ultimately determining what path the story will take.
The idea itself is great, but the implementation of it could've used a few improvements. Once you've chosen a line to reply to in a mail, and the protagonist write out his answer to it, you cannot go back. Meaning that you'll have to save before clicking it, then load to see how he'd more specifically reply to the other choices. Depending on how meticulous your playing style is, this can be quite bothersome [...especially if like me you didn't think to use the quick save/load function. Thanks, Evilsanta]. Learning how to use the phone, and even just how to access it (...press P!) can at first be a bit daunting as well.
Considering that the English patch is currently in its beta phase, it's a very stable and polished game, but it's still not without flaw. The occasional spelling mistake and other text box oddities still appear, and there's no guarantee one won't run into a crash (I for one didn't experience any). A finished translation patch is expected around
[IMG, alt=In the background: Mayuri and Daru completely ignoring him.]http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9734/rintaro.jpg[/IMG]
You keep on telling yourself that, Rintarō
You keep on telling yourself that, Rintarō
Final thoughts:
It might be low on more physical action (if not on the physics one), and require your undivided attention to eventually make heads and tails of it all; but it ultimately still succeed in being grand scale hard and soft science fiction, a story whose heavy musings on advanced scientific concepts blends in seamlessly with a thrilling drama and a curious character piece. Its somewhat slow start and initially slightly daunting interface is quickly forgotten, when the story blossom and unfolds its layers.
While it is presumably far too niche appeal to ever become anything but a cult classic, there's no denying the meticulous attention to quality; within its limited scope, it performs masterfully. There is little doubt in my mind that this is one of the better and most unique visual novels that's been translated into English so far, and that it deserve far more attention than it'll ever get. But oh well, such is the choice of Steins;Gate.
[HEADING=1]Final Score 9/10[/HEADING]
An official English copy of the game is now available [http://www.jbox.com/product/SG001], at $40 + shipping.
An official English copy of the game is now available [http://www.jbox.com/product/SG001], at $40 + shipping.
Anime:
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.187959-Higurashi-no-Naku-Koro-ni-Kai-When-they-Cry-2-user-review#5770913]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira OVA 1 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.302761-Anime-Review-Higurashi-no-Naku-Koro-ni-Kira-OVA-1]
Mardock Scramble: The First Compression [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.351010-Mardock-Scramble-The-First-Compression-Anime-Review]
Games:
Assassin's Creed 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.158316-Review-of-Assassins-Creed-2#3940624]
Steins;Gate: 8bit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.353403-Steins-Gate-8bit-PC-Game-Review]
Swan Song [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.301706-Visual-Novel-review-Swan-Song#12038332]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.187959-Higurashi-no-Naku-Koro-ni-Kai-When-they-Cry-2-user-review#5770913]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira OVA 1 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.302761-Anime-Review-Higurashi-no-Naku-Koro-ni-Kira-OVA-1]
Mardock Scramble: The First Compression [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.351010-Mardock-Scramble-The-First-Compression-Anime-Review]
Games:
Assassin's Creed 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.158316-Review-of-Assassins-Creed-2#3940624]
Steins;Gate: 8bit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.353403-Steins-Gate-8bit-PC-Game-Review]
Swan Song [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.301706-Visual-Novel-review-Swan-Song#12038332]