Steins;Gate 0 gamescom Preview

Steins;Gate is one of the more successful visual novel games in the west. Whilst the genre is huge in Japan, it’s seen as something of a niche product over here. Nonetheless, the first game in the series was a huge hit amongst western audiences, shifting enough copies to top the PS Vita sales charts upon its release.

Whilst it is counted as canon in the Science Adventure series, STEINS;GATE 0 isn’t quite a sequel. Although it’s based in the same universe, It looks at the story of the first game from a different point of view, with different events unfolding from the same starting point.

The title is set in an alternate timeline, but within the beta worldline. In this version of the timeline Rintaro did not save Kurisu and as a result is suffering from post-traumatic stress.
This means that the game takes a much darker tone than the previous, with the choices throughout much more ominous in tone.

If you’ve played any of the other games in the series, then you’ll know what to expect. The dialogue is the mainstay here, with the visuals very much complementing the story. Ryohei Fuke is back on board for a lot of the art, meaning that striking visual style from the first game is kept intact.

As is expected from the series, there are multiple endings, six in fact. Like the first game, this gives replayability after the initial finish. Decision points come in on the new RINE system, which is essentially an in-game messaging system, complete with emojis and stickers with which to reply.

The anime versions of all the main games in the series are now available on Netflix throughout most of the Americas and Europe, meaning that catching up is easier to new players, however publisher Marvellous UK advised us that this wouldn’t be mandatory, due to the alternate timeline making things brand new.

The game is due for release on the PS3 and PS Vita, with a limited edition version that comes with an artbook due to be revealed soon.