Steins;Gate Re:Boot Review
I'm no stranger to remakes, and Steins;Gate Re:Boot is no exception. While I'd played the original with its Vita release back in 2016, I reviewed the first remake - Steins;Gate Elite - back in 2019. I was considerably more positive on it than most; while Elite slimmed down much of the story, I felt it was mostly better for it, with its increased pacing. Even if specific elements of the story were left a bit lacking, combined with the FMV presentation I wouldn't hesitate to call it a perfectly viable way of experiencing the story.
Steins;Gate Re:Boot is a different beast. It's yet another remake; an amalgamation of the versions that came before it. The redrawn art and portraits skews closer to the original, but the script is based off Elite's condensed telling of events. Because of this, If you're curious about Steins;Gate as a story, I'd suggest reading that original review - I see no need in repeating myself for what hasn't really changed.
As for what has changed? There's new additions that directly reference Steins;Gate 0, the entry that fills in the gaps leading up the original VN's true ending - as well as a brand new ending focused on Kiryu Moeka, a character that never had her own route in the original, but eventually had a side story written about what such a route may have looked like. There is brand new, redrawn art, as well as animated portraits. The Phone Trigger is restored to how it worked in the original VN. There's a new translation from the same duo that delivered the original fan translation, as well as JAST USA's official PC release.
If you're familiar with Steins;Gate already, the last paragraph is all you need to know. The new art, despite what I had thought about them prior to release, is quite good - the portraits, which I was so sure would be distracting, work incredibly in practice. I have already established that I think that Steins;Gate Elite's pacing changes are good; and since the only changes are a better translation and a few additional scenes, everything I wrote about the story 7 and a half years ago remains the same. On the same token, Re:Boot probably won't convince anyone who disliked Elite's changes that it's the "better" release.
What will influence my recommendation, then, is what is new - and what platforms Steins;Gate Re:Boot is set to launch on. First off, let's talk about Kiryu Moeka; despite all the marketing about the Gamma Worldline and a new story, this is not a proper adaptation of that existing storyline. Instead, it's a cliff notes introduction to the Gamma Worldline, with about the same scope as every other alternate route. It's a mere fraction of what the original story it's clearly based on.
I'm of two minds about this. There's plenty of disappointment, sure, but taking a step back Moeka always stood out for her lack of an ending in the original release. The new route absolves that complaint, even if the idea that the team could have delivered a full adaptation instead might sting a little. Now Moeka is just like the rest of the cast who got their own route; no more, no less. If someone reads Re:Boot as their first impression of the story, Moeka's new route will feel just like any of the others.
Much the same can be said for the new scene directly referencing some characters and plot beats from Steins;Gate 0 - it's there, and you even hear a few voice lines from specific characters, but it's by no means a substantial change. It's a respectful nod and not much more; it does give me hope that Steins;Gate 0 Elite, or at least the script for it, isn't yet dead. I rather like 0 despite its faults, and if the team is still working with VAs from that project maybe there's a chance a new version of 0 in the style of Re:Boot might be in the cards down the line.
If you plan to read Steins;Gate on anything other than a PC or a PlayStation Vita, then Steins;Gate Re:Boot is without a doubt the version of the story I would recommend. If I were to be hard-pressed, it's probably my new favorite version of the story regardless, but far more importantly - this is the only version of the game most people will even be able to play. While Japan did receive a PlayStation 4 port of the original technically, the original VN - with the original script - hasn't been re-released since.
I don't feel great about that. It's not Re:Boot's fault, but even if I do prefer the script changes and will likely return to Re:Boot for most re-reads; most does not mean all. I think the original script does have merit and pretending it didn't exist, warts and all, rubs me the wrong way. Take a look at Spike Chunsoft's upcoming Danganronpa 2x2 as an example - the original version Danganronpa 2 is readily available on most platforms. Even though I'm sure 2x2 will "replace" it for most players, at least for now the choice remains, and hopefully will continue to remain.
Consider this a nitpick, but it was at the back of my mind while going through Re:Boot. This is, to my tastes, the best version of Steins;Gate - but I don't necessarily see that being the universal opinion. If you've never read or experienced the story, I have no qualms suggesting you start here; I just can't help but wish this wasn't effectively the only option on the market for so many players.