Steins;Gate Releases Today! But What is Steins;Gate?
Steins;Gate is finally out. If you’ve not been living under a rock (a rock not near a Wi-Fi hotspot) then you’ve probably noticed we’ve been hyping it up more than the Power Rangers hype man at Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Power Rangers booth. But why have we been hyping it up so much? In part, that’s something only you can find out, by sitting down with the game and experiencing the story.
But here’s what I can do: a guide post. What is Steins;Gate? Well…
Launch Trailer
Steins;Gate Overview
– Six Endings
– Has won several awards and reader polls
– There was a great anime based on it (and a stage play)
– Terrific art by Ryohei “Huke” Fuke, the creator of Black Rock Shooter and an illustrator on the Metal Gear Solid series
– The concept of the game was based around “99% science (reality) and 1% fantasy”
– Unlike a lot of visual novels the protagonist is actually interesting and isn’t a blank-canvas player-insert
– Not too fanservicey
– A gripping and thrilling sci-fi story that definitely rivals the work of the Sci-Fi greats, be they Philip K. Dick, Raymond Bradbury, William Gibson, or others
– The Phone Trigger system in which you interact with the story is super unique, you can choose which keywords to respond to when your receive emails, or whether to not respond to texts or phone calls at all — a great way to make a visual novel feel truly interactive
Story
Steins;Gate follows a rag-tag band of tech-savvy young students who realise they can alter the past by using a microwave coupled with a mobile phone. Their experiments into how far they can go with their discovery begin to spiral out of control as they become entangled in a conspiracy surrounding SERN, the organisation behind the Large Hadron Collider, and John Titor, a mysterious forums poster who claims to be from a dystopian future ruled by that very same organisation.
Press Quotes
‘a modern classic’ – Kotaku
‘a truly memorable narrative experience’ – US Gamer
‘an exemplary visual novel’ – Destructoid
‘The Créme de la créme of visual novels’ – RPG Fan
‘we are faced with something monumental for the world of the visual novel’ – Multiplayer
‘a crowning achievement in the visual novel arena’ – Hardcore Gamer
‘an epic time travel masterpiece’ – The-O Network
‘a mandatory purchase’ – OtakuAniverse
‘things will get intense’ – Japanator
‘A Does not even a single fault? Not sure. And even one caveat would point the tip of his nose, he would immediately erased by all the qualities that abound the title as a whole.’ – Jeux Video
Characters
Okabe Rintaro“I am the founder of the Future Gadget Lab, Lab Mem Number 001, the insane mad scientist Hououin Kyouma!”
An eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist and founder of the ‘Future Gadget Lab’, a small group of friends with ambitions of global domination.
Okabe is usually arrogant, and believes himself capable of conquering the world, though his plans are often thwarted by the Organization. |
Mayuri Shiina“Tutturu♫ Call me Mayushii! I like making costumes more than wearing them.”
Okabe’s long time friend, Mayuri enjoys creating cosplay costumes and works part-time at maid cafe MayQueen with Faris.
She is always positive, and greets everyone with a friendly ‘tutturu’! Mayuri likes to create portmanteaus of people’s names: ‘Okarin’ to mean Okabe, for example. |
Itaru Hashida“Stop calling me that! It’s super hacker, duh.”
An experienced computer programmer and an Otaku through and through.
His affection for Faris can often lead him to say crude things aloud. |
Makise Kurisu“Let me start by saying that time travel is an absurd concept.”
An extremely talented neuroscience researcher at an American university.
Kurisu is drawn into the world of Okabe because of her scepticism in his experiments. |
Faris NyanNyan“Are you holding another secret meeting to overthrow the evil Organisation, nya?”
Faris is the most popular waitress at the Maid Café ‘MayQueen NyanNyan’, where she adopts cat-like mannerisms and adorns cat ears. She likes to play along with Okabe’s mad scientist persona, calling him Kyouma, and discussing the Organisation.
Faris is also a hardcore RaiNet AccessBattlers card game player and hosts the Faris Cup tournament at the MayQueen. |
Moeka Kiryu“…Sorry.”
Moeka is a shy young woman that relies heavily on here mobile phone, preferring to communicate with people through text message, even if they are nearby. |
Suzuha Amane“If you’re ever in trouble, Okabe Rintaro, let me know. I can help with stuff like that.”
A part-time assistant for the landlord of Okabe’s apartment.
She enjoys riding her bicycle around. |
Luka Urushibara“Ah, umm. El…Psy…Kongaloo…?”
Although wearing female garments and acting in a very feminine manner, Luka is a dude.
Because of this, he is very shy and self-conscious, and unsure of his true feelings. |
Grab a copy of Steins;Gate for either PlayStation 3 or Vita on our store. Don’t miss out on the game of the decade!
