Steins;Gate Elite Reviews
5pb's 2009 visual novel gets a sizeable makeover - but don't expect it to make new fans for the genre.
Visual novel fans simply must play Steins;Gate at some point in their life.
Steins;Gate Elite takes the best of the anime and visual novel source material to create a superb visual novel adventure experience that is a must play for newcomers to the genre and fans of the original visual novel.
Steins;Gate has been re-released with new anime visuals that completely revitalize an already interesting storyline.
Steins;Gate Elite lays down the welcome mat for newcomers whilst providing a much-needed excuse for eager fans to lose themselves in this stirring tale once more. Long-winded, technical dialogue segments are remedied with engaging animated scenes that keep you more thoroughly ensnared in it's compelling story. Its time-travelling premise is thorough and easy to follow yet shrouds it's narrative in an exciting element of unpredictability that overshadows your every decision with a daunting sense of uncertainty.
This may not be the definitive way to experience the series, but it's damn sure the most accessible, and it beats the hell out of the neutered anime adaptation. For new fans, this is a fantastic entry point. For returning fans, Steins;Gate Elite is a solid reason to revisit a beloved series with a fresh set of eyes. I adored every second of it.
Those minor problems aside, Steins;Gate Elite is definitely the best way to get into this property. It has all the charm of the anime, all the narrative excellence of the original, and a refinement that hasn't existed in either up until this point. For new fans or veterans alike, Steins;Gate Elite is well worth the pick-up, and should represent a potential starting point for future visual novels looking to make a similar impact.
While I have some contention in regards to the changes made to the main campaign, the additional stories are well worth the cost of admission by itself for fans, and even though I hesitate to call “Elite” the definitive way to experience the beauty of Steins;Gate, there is simply no bad way to experience such an exceptional story.
Despite some small annoyances that are either confusing or intrusive to the overall immersion that Steins;Gate Elite provides, this was a genuinely fun and engaging experience. In fact, because of how graphically close it is to the anime and how intense and complex the narrative is, Steins;Gate Elite is smooth as butter from start to finish and captures the true meaning of a graphic novel come to life.
Easily one of the best visual novels available, Steins;Gate Elite is a stellar and beautifully framed retelling of its source material and one that is grandly suited to series newcomers and stalwarts alike.
It's surprising just what an impact the new animations have in Steins;Gate Elite -- the additions take an already excellent visual novel and makes it feel much more dynamic and intense. What's more, being able to finally play Linear Bounded Phenogram in English is just the icing on an already very scrumptious cake. Elite is the complete visual novel package, and pretty much the best that the genre has to offer.
Steins;Gate Elite is a remake of the original game that uses videos taken from the anime version. The result is almost perfect, and improves the global confort that you feel while playing the game. A must have in the visual novel genre !
Review in French | Read full review
Although Steins;Gate Elite has a tendency to get lost in the minutiae, this updated release is perhaps the best way to experience 5pb's kinetic visual novel.
Whether it's your first time playing a game in the genre or not, Steins;Gate Elite is definitely one of the best visual novels available today. Just keep in mind that, while it may have taken a bit for the Phonewave (name subject to change) to heat the story up, the payoff is worth the wait.
The definitive way to experience one of the best visual novels.
Steins;Gate Elite meshes the best parts of the original VN and its anime adaptation, making it the definitive version of this classic.
Steins;Gate Elite is a fantastic version of 5pb.'s beloved visual novel. Not only do the animated sequences help bring its story to live while players read, but the phone trigger gameplay system has been intelligently streamlined as well.
Steins;Gate Elite succeeds to a surprising degree, and succeeds enough that some shortcomings can be overlooked. If you have not already, Steins;Gate Elite is the way to experience the classic story. This, too, is the will of Steins Gate.
This is one of the best visual novel ever. It's a pity that this new version adds nothing more than anime style animated scenes and little extras, but, even in the way it is, we cannot recommend this story enough.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I wasn’t particularly fond of feeling like I was watching an anime without being able to take a break between each episode, but I’d have to be an idiot to not see that Steins;Gate Elite is still one of the best visual novels out there.