Recent reviews by Kiri Kiri Basara

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2023/09/04/anonymouscode-review-a-stunning-step-forward/

Pros:

• Yet another deeply moving SciADV soundtrack from composer Takeshi ♥♥♥
  
• Listen in Steam's music player, or take the files from /steamapps/Music to go on your phone or another device

Cons:

• Composer commentary for all tracks, found in the console release, is unavailable here

You can't go wrong with Takeshi ♥♥♥, the foremost composer for MAGES.' Science Adventure series. Over the years, he's brought us memorable tracks galore, and he quite clearly has a wide range of talent.

SOUND DATA LOG features ANONYMOUS;CODE's full soundtrack, composed by Takeshi ♥♥♥, with a few bonus tracks as well. His work this time around is as stunning as ever; beautiful, atmospheric tracks dominate this OST, but nor is there any shortage of hype tracks to pump you up. Many tracks flow into each other and share DNA—the progression of PROGRAM → OPERATIONS → MINUS STREAM → ACCELERATOR is particularly unforgettable.

SOUND DATA LOG on Steam is also unique in that, instead of being tied to a console—as is the case if you buy on PS4 or Switch—the files are available to you in Steam's music client, or as separate FLAC and MP3 files in /steamapps/Music. This means you can copy it over to another personal device to listen away from your PC. Try not to listen to ACCELERATOR in the car—you might find yourself tempted to creep over the speed limit ;)

The tradeoff of this flexibility is that the Steam release of SOUND DATA LOG does not feature composer commentary, as is the case with the console versions. This commentary is a bit of an unfortunate loss, since ♥♥♥'s comments span the whole soundtrack and are actually quite interesting, offering insight into his thought processes and hidden meanings in certain tracks.

Overall, not a bad purchase for those who enjoy ANONYMOUS;CODE's soundtrack and want to give it a listen outside of the game.

Pros:

• Features beautiful visuals, lore insights, and comments from the creatives behind this release
  
• Offers more value than your standard-fare artbook bonus

Neutral Points:

• Only about an hour's worth of reading; may not be worth the price of admission for some

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO EARTH SIMULATOR is a special little book. Far from throwing a few illustrations at you and calling it a day, it also sets out to offer you insights you wouldn't get in the game, all from a rather unique perspective...

When you decide to read this guidebook is up to you. It's written with the intent that you read it before you start ANONYMOUS;CODE—it is a beginner's guide, after all—but if you would rather minimize your spoiler exposure, you can also save it for last. We're generally quite particular about spoilers, but this is a rare case where you can enhance your experience either way you approach it.

The contents of this book are quite fascinating, and are rendered particularly effective by a strong English localization that perfectly embodies the narrator's perspective. Background music and sound effects have been added to further the interactivity of what was just a regular old book in its original Japanese release. This guidebook will particularly appeal to big ANONYMOUS;CODE and SciADV fans, those who can't get enough of the game and want to learn as much as they can about it and its creation. For others, however, this may be a hard sell—the guidebook only offers about an hour or two's worth of reading.

This guidebook, alongside the SOUND DATA LOG soundtrack, was first released in Japan as part of their console release's physical edition back in 2022. We unfortunately did not get the physical book or CD, but considering how rarely we get these kinds of bonuses translated with other SciADV localizations, this is definitely a win, and we're hopeful the trend continues.

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2023/09/04/anonymouscode-review-a-stunning-step-forward/

Pros:

• Fun, fast, frantic narrative
  
• Excellent, dynamic protagonist duo
  
• Culmination of the SciADV series mechanics-wise, with exciting implications for the future
  
• Knockout English dub

Cons:

• Lofty price point
  
• 20- to 25-hour-long narrative may be a hard sell
  
• Some accessibility issues for JP voice players

Originally released in 2022 in Japan, ANONYMOUS;CODE is the latest and most ambitious entry in Science Adventure series overall. Series newcomers may begin with this title, but should go in with an open mind. While still plenty enjoyable standalone, ANONYMOUS;CODE's world and mechanics will be better appreciated by fans who have experienced other SciADV titles before it.

2037, Nakano. The Sad Morning has long passed, but its scars still haunt; a sore reminder of the tragedy. Millions were displaced or killed when spaceborne satellites simultaneously fired on the world in 2036, an earthly calamity spurred by wholly digital circumstances—namely, the Year 2036 Problem.
And yet, life goes on. For Pollon Takaoka, our young, dropout protagonist, this means making a living to survive in the aftermath, using the only skillset he’s got that’ll give him an edge: hacking. Make no mistake, though—Pollon is no malicious black hat. Together with his hacker pal and right-hand man, Cross, he’s formed a two-man team he calls “Nakano Symphonies.” Their creed: to help anyone who’s in need, no matter when.
Not long after the story begins, Pollon encounters a mysterious, catsuit-clad girl named Momo who’s clearly in need of help—somehow or another, she’s gotten the country’s military and the Vatican on her tail, desperate to capture her and whisk her away. So of course, where any reasonable person would falter, Pollon, foolhardy and justice-driven to a fault, swears to help her no matter the cost.
ANONYMOUS;CODE is fast, fun, and frantic. It’s got the classic Science Adventure formula, seamlessly weaving enthralling storytelling with fantastical sci-fi setpieces and lovable, down-to-earth characters. Hayashi Naotaka and Ayano Suehiro have delivered a tight, bulletproof narrative that promises to deliver exactly what it does: a powerful rollercoaster ride of action, emotion, and high-speed adventure. And for the more seasoned SciADV fans, there are layers upon layers of hidden meaning to uncover throughout the narrative.
The protagonist duo, Pollon and Momo, are a joy to follow. Their actions and their motives are selfishlessly selfless—you'll always be rooting for them to succeed as they fight to save the world. Their character arcs are carefully crafted and full of emotional highs and lows—sometimes even bringing a tear to the eye.

While somewhat accessible to newcomers and STEINS;GATE-only fans, keep an open mind as you play—not everything you see will make complete sense, because ANONYMOUS;CODE is greatly contextualized by the SciADV series entries that came before it. Many of these games are already conveniently available in English on Steam. It's never a bad time to start the binge. Check out our website[kirikiribasara.com] for more info.
The implications ANONYMOUS;CODE has for the rest of the SciADV series is startling. This is both the end and the beginning; SciADV fans will not want to miss this story.

ANONYMOUS;CODE features stunning and varied graphics, a strong English localization, a knockout English dub, and an unforgettable soundtrack. After seven years of development, it's been well worth the wait. Players should rest assured that this entry is a gem amongst gems, packed with love and attention to detail.
Like ROBOTICS;NOTES before it, ANONYMOUS;CODE aims to evolve the static feel that visual novel characters can have by introducing animated character sprites. As characters speak and think, they will react accordingly: leaning in close, widening their eyes, moving to and fro, and so on.
In its most tense, action-packed, or visual scenes, ANONYMOUS;CODE will interrupt its regular visual novel flow to introduce the Manga Trigger: aka, scenes depicted in manga format, complete with its own unique artstyle and sense of motion.
ANONYMOUS;CODE’s English script is confident and passionate, a definite step up from previous, more lackluster series localizations. This is further strengthened by an on-point English dub performance, which feels true to the game's vibe, sometimes even surpassing the Japanese track.
The soundtrack gets full marks: it’s got a wide range of memorable pieces, subtle and exciting, gradual and breakneck. The way certain tracks blend into each other with increasing tempo and presence is absolute genius.
Some issues do bear mentioning, however:

• Japanese voice players will encounter unsubtitled voice scenes every so often
  
• The graphical variation, while strong, can feel unevenly distributed at times

ANONYMOUS;CODE's Digital Deluxe Edition features a full-fledged guidebook and complete soundtrack. This is a great addition for the more passionate fans who'd like a deeper dive into the world of ANONYMOUS;CODE.

• The guidebook, "A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO EARTH SIMULATOR," is packed with new information, visuals, creator commentary, and more. Provided as a separate app, the guidebook also features background music and sound effects. Compared to other artbook bonuses out there, A BEGINNER'S GUIDE is a step above.
  
• The soundtrack, "SOUND DATA LOG," features every track the talented composer Takeshi ♥♥♥ created for the game, plus a few extras. Available through Steam's music player, but can also be found in MP3 and FLAC under your /steamapps/Music folder.
  
• One downside: the SOUND DATA LOG does not feature the translated composer commentary on each of his composition, which, in the console releases, details his thought processes and hidden details he integrated into the tracks.

The SciADV series is back, and it’s better than ever. ANONYMOUS;CODE is, in pretty much every respect, one of the best Science Adventure games, if not one of the best sci-fi visual novels on the market right now. It simply succeeds where it must, and its successes are sublime.
I don’t think anyone knows where the series is going to go from here, but one thing’s for sure: this is a step up and a step forward. The future of SciADV looks exciting, and we can’t wait to see more of what it has in store for us.

(Please note that this game may take 30 hours or longer to complete.)

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2020/10/13/roboticsnotes-dash-review/

Pros:

• Great characters, presentation, and story
  
• An excellent crossover entry in the Science Adventure series

Cons:

• A few technical issues
  
• No mouse support

Originally released in 2019 in Japan, Robotics;Notes DaSH is the sequel to Robotics;Notes Elite and the latest entry in the Science Adventure series overall. Notably, it features Daru from Steins;Gate as a main character.
Please note that we highly recommend playing Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate before Robotics;Notes Elite! Steins;Gate is available on Steam, and you can find our Chaos;Head buy guide here.[www.kirikiribasara.com]

Robotics;Notes DaSH takes place in 2020, just a few months after the events of Robotics;Notes Elite. The events of the previous game have wrapped up, and the cast has had the chance to graduate and get started on pursuing their dreams.
The story begins with protagonist Kaito Yashio returning to Tanegashima, having been away for studies beforehand. However, Kaito is not the only one heading for Tanegashima that day—a mysterious man who goes by the name “Itaru Hashida,” (Daru) arrives at the island on the same boat as him. Kaito and the rest of the Robotics;Notes cast introduce themselves to Daru, and offer to give him a tour of the Tanegashima Wazaika Gun Festival taking place that day. Though Daru seems to be in Tanegashima for other, undisclosed reasons, he accepts their offer to hide his true intentions.
As Daru, Kaito, and the rest of the Robot Research Club make preparations for the festival, they are unaware of the fact that they are about to be thrown into yet another high-stakes, nigh worldline-changing plot, where their skills and friendship will be challenged once more.
The story’s narration is primarily split between Kaito’s and Daru’s perspectives—readers will get to see events and character development unfold from the same main perspective that was offered in Robotics;Notes Elite, but they will also get to experience things from the perspective of another familiar character. For Steins;Gate fans, getting a glimpse of Daru’s thoughts and reactions is also very entertaining.
Robotics;Notes DaSH’s story pulls no punches and gets straight into action, sparing very little time on initial setup. However, the narrative paces itself throughout all of the story branches, such that it never gets too overwhelming for the reader.
The returning cast is as strong as ever—they have even more characterization in DaSH, taking full advantage of the character development that Robotics;Notes Elite provided. Each main character is given their own share of character exploration in their personal routes, which is much deeper and harder hitting than ever before.
However, the story also has a couple of lows in certain routes that water the experience down a bit. Even though those lows are still valuable to DaSH’s character development, we do feel that they could have been paced a bit better. Tackling the routes in the wrong order can ruin the pacing of the game—keep an eye out on the Steam Guides section, where we will soon be posting a guide for this game so that you can play in the best order.
Even as DaSH takes the plot to new heights, it still keeps the character relationships as genuine as ever, and even adds a hint of Steins;Gate to mix thanks to Daru.

The presentation of Robotics;Notes DaSH is largely similar to its predecessor, but it does also make large strides of improvement.
The game utilizes the freedom that 3D models provide to its maximum potential by creatively using moves such as zooms and camera pans in order to achieve more immersive shots and perspectives—in this sense, DaSH is a great improvement over Elite. As a result of this, the game is much more engaging from a visual perspective.
The game's 3D models appear as sharp as ever at 1080p, which is the highest resolution the game runs at. Though the 3D models have been reused from Elite, plenty of new outfits were produced to keep them from growing stale.
Many of the game's CGs are so visually pleasing that they’re wallpaper-worthy. They fit the game perfectly, and they’re never missing from key scenes, nor do they outstay their welcome.
DaSH also has a brand new original soundtrack, which contains 38 tracks. Many of these tracks were composed by veteran series composer Takeshi ♥♥♥, and his work is, as always, absolutely stellar.

Twipo is just as interesting as ever in terms of world building, but this time around, it's not used to decide what character route you end up on. This was quite the relief, as Robotics;Notes Elite's route system was quite obtuse with how it used Twipo. This time around, "Deluoode Map" is used to decide what route you end up on. At certain points in the story, the player will be asked to open the map and decide where to go. Depending on which location you go to, or which location you go to first, the story plays out in one way or another. Depending on the choices made, the game will eventually branch out into a character route.
The organization of Twipo is also much more interesting this time around. While the player is in Kaito’s perspective, they have access to tweeps from his mutuals, the returning cast from Elite. When the player is in Daru’s perspective, however, they can check up on tweeps from Daru’s friends… the Steins;Gate cast. That's right, DaSH allows you to stay up to date with what the Steins;Gate cast is up to in 2020.

Compared to Robotics;Notes Elite, DaSH's localization is better. While many of the issues in Elite are still present here and there in DaSH, the localization still seems to be a lot more accurate overall, with significantly fewer issues throughout. Sadly, the questionable terminology choices that originated in Elite are carried over into DaSH, which is to be expected for the sake of consistency among simultaneous releases. Overall, DaSH is just as well-edited as Elite’s localization, and readability-wise, it’s smooth and enjoyable.

Unfortunately, Robotics;Notes DaSH, like Robotics;Notes Elite, lacks mouse support. This once again means the use of a controller is needed for maximum comfort, as navigating menus on a keyboard is just as annoying as you would imagine.
One issue Robotics;Notes DaSH has on PC that Robotics;Notes Elite doesn’t, though, is messy fullscreen support for displays with a resolution higher than 1080p. On one of our 1440p displays, the game simply took up the 1080p portion of the monitor, leaving the rest transparent. It acts almost like a window that has simply been pinned at the top-right corner. This is obviously extremely immersion breaking, and it pretty much forces users with contemporary displays to play in windowed mode with all the distractions it comes with.
Other than that, owing to most assets having been made fairly recently, the game does not have any scaling issues with backgrounds, system menus, or models whatsoever. With the exception of some Robotics;Notes Elite assets appearing in certain flashback scenes, the game looked extremely sharp throughout our entire playthrough.

Despite the localization being far from perfect and some immersion-breaking technical issues, Robotics;Notes DaSH is a great improvement upon its predecessor. All that holds it back from absolute perfection is its slight inconsistencies in tone between some of its character routes. DaSH is definitely among the best the SciADV series has to offer right now, and it’s proof that the SciADV team can still produce excellent visual novels.

(Please note that this game may take 50 hours or longer to complete.)

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2020/10/10/roboticsnotes-elite-review/

Pros:

• Excellent story and characters
  
• A worthy third entry in the Science Adventure series

Cons:

• Flawed translation
  
• Numerous technical issues
  
• No mouse support

Originally released in 2014 in Japan, Robotics;Notes Elite is the third game in the Science Adventure series, and together with its sequel, Robotics;Notes DaSH, it is the latest in the series to receive an English localization thanks to the efforts of Spike Chunsoft, Inc.
Please note that we highly recommend playing Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate before Robotics;Notes Elite! Steins;Gate is available on Steam, and you can find our Chaos;Head buy guide here.[www.kirikiribasara.com]

Robotics;Notes Elite takes place in 2019 on Tanegashima, an island south of Japan’s main islands. The story follows Kaito Yashio, Akiho Senomiya, and the rest of the Robot Research Club at Central Tanegashima High. Their goal is to build a giant robot based on Gunvarrel, an extremely popular in-universe anime. However, their journey is fraught with complications, mysteries, and conspiracies hidden on the island. The club’s friendship and robot-building skills are put to the test as a world-ending plot is unraveled before their eyes.
As is the standard in the SciADV series, Robotics;Notes’ story starts slow, but after a few chapters, the plot quickly picks up, and it becomes a thrilling, high-stakes adventure. The cast of characters encountered throughout the game is interesting, unique, and lovable—there are many points throughout the story where you can’t help but root for the main characters as they tackle a particularly difficult challenge to their identities, their goals, and their dreams.
As a SciADV title, Robotics;Notes is lighter in tone, but it does have its fair share of grim moments. The themes of friendship and dreams that are explored throughout are powerful and very relatable—seeing them play out in Robotics;Notes made the story and characters feel more grounded in reality when compared to the other SciADV titles.

Robotics;Notes is different from other visual novels in that it uses 3D models for its cast rather than 2D sprites. This feature makes the characters feel more real, and adds a huge sense of interactivity to the whole experience. All of the characters are well-animated and voiced, and they have a wide variety of movements and emotions that they can show.

The game also features a number of apps that the user can interact with on their "PhoneDroid" tablet while they read. For example, you can read "tweeps" from the different characters on the in-universe Twitter equivalent, face off against foes in QTE battles in "Kill-Ballad," or play around with augmented reality and the real world with the "IRUO." app.
Unfortunately, this release of Robotics;Notes Elite does have its fair share of problems. The "heroine routes" in this story are more like single chapters of a linear narrative, and if you don't tackle them in the right order, you might accidentally read chapter 8 before you read chapter 6 and 7. The method of getting heroine routes is not particularly intuitive, either—however, keep an eye out on the Steam Guides section for this game. We plan to publish a guide soon that will cover how to get the heroine routes and 100% of the achievements in the right order.

The game’s localization is unfortunately a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the game was extremely well edited, which makes the script flow nicely in English and made the game a joy to read overall. However, that’s just about where the merits of the translation stop. While the liberal approach to the game’s editing does add a professional feel to the text, it also tramples on the characterization of the main protagonist, Kaito, and other characters very often. Upon comparing the game's script to the Japanese scripts, it's easy to see the disconnect if you're familiar with both languages. The characterization isn’t bad for all of the characters, though. It's actually done extremely well for some other characters.
The game's script was seemingly translated by multiple translators, which leads to varying levels of localization quality depending on the chapter. Certain chapters in the game have narration that cuts out a lot of details for seemingly no reason, while others are almost perfectly translated. These inconsistencies are rather disappointing to see, because it shows that the localization was very close to being stellar but fell short instead.
Fans of SciADV may also notice that some of the series terminology has not been kept consistent with previous official SciADV translations. These inconsistencies make it much harder for an uninformed reader to make important connections between the different SciADV titles.
It also feels as though for the most part, the Twipo tweeps throughout the game simply did not get the editing pass that the rest of the script did—a great many of the tweeps read awkwardly and/or contain typos and mistranslations.

There are a number of technical issues with this game's Steam port, and we recommend checking out the full review linked above to read about them all. In short, the game has no mouse support, and navigating the game's menus with only a keyboard is very tedious. Using a controller, however, will improve your experience greatly.
Additionally, certain assets in the menus and UI appear to be in a lower resolution and are visibly upscaled.

Solely from a story perspective, Robotics;Notes Elite is nearly flawless, but it suffers from a poor structure and a number of technical and localization issues that dampen the experience. Regardless, its entertaining story, great characters, strong world-building, and varied gameplay make it an excellent third entry in the Science Adventure series.

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2019/02/13/steinsgate-linear-bounded-phenogram-steam-review/


(Please note that this game may take between 20 and 30 hours to complete.)

Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram is a Steins;Gate spinoff title that was initially released for Japanese audiences in 2013. At the time, the game was widely praised for its unique structure—in Phenogram, the player does not follow Okabe as the protagonist for the most part, which makes it unique in comparison to other Steins;Gate titles. Through its multi-short-story structure, the reader is given the opportunity to experience several stories that vary in tone and premise, many of which are told from the perspective of characters that are close to Okabe.


Phenogram puts you in the perspective of characters other than Okabe for the majority of the game. This unique take on the format provides for some great world building and character development that the main Steins;Gate games don’t or can’t provide. In terms of tone, you’ll be seeing light-hearted fanservice and character moments, but you'll also experience some great moments of serious plot and emotional drama.
Unlike the original Steins;Gate, Phenogram’s numerous routes were written by a variety of writers, which allows for quite a bit of varied content. Among the list of writers are:

• Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, the Infinity series)
  
• Vio Shimokura (Steins;Gate Suzuha route, Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi)
  
• Naotaka Hayashi (Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes)
  
• Tooru Yasumoto (Robotics;Notes DaSH)

The game’s presentation is very similar to the original Steins;Gate visual novel, which is not necessarily a negative. The game features art and character sprites by the talented Huke, alongside an atmospheric soundtrack composed by Takeshi ♥♥♥.
As is expected from a fan disc, Linear Bounded Phenogram reuses many assets from the original Steins;Gate visual novel. However, the game has many presentational surprises up its sleeve, what with original sprites featuring new outfits, and the addition of many new amazing soundtrack pieces. “Gate of Phenogram”, the game’s main theme, is probably the best rendition of “Gate of Steiner” thus far in our opinion. Takeshi ♥♥♥ even spared the time to give 4°C, one of the most underappreciated Steins;Gate characters, his own theme.
An issue we noticed was the lack of word wrapping for phone mail, a bug which was also present in the original visual novel. This bug can make mail difficult to read, and we hope that this issue can be addressed in the future by means of an official patch or fan patch.


The gameplay here is identical to the original Steins;Gate visual novel. Phenogram uses the same user interface as the original game, so fans coming from the first game should feel right at home.
Instead of choosing your route by replying to mail in different ways, you select the route to play from the title screen. The mail function is still present and allows for some nice optional character interactions, similar to the original visual novel.


Linear Bounded Phenogram is a interesting foray into the world of Steins;Gate, and it’s a title that we would certainly recommend to those that enjoyed Steins;Gate/Steins;Gate Elite’s story and characters. While Phenogram is not necessarily essential to the original story in any way, it develops the world of Steins;Gate and Science Adventure very nicely. The content and context it adds through its routes typically ranges between average and quite good, which definitely makes it worth experiencing for any fan of Steins;Gate.

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2019/02/19/steinsgate-elite-review/


(Please note that this game may take around 30 hours to complete.)
When Steins;Gate was initially released for Japanese audiences in 2009, it was met with great critical and commercial success. Steins;Gate Elite is a rerelease that aims to combine the animated visuals from the highly popular anime adaptation with the story of the original game to provide an improved, elite experience.


The story is as follows: A group of teenagers, members of the makeshift “Future Gadget Laboratory”, discover that their microwave has the uncanny ability to send emails back in time to their phones in the past. The group, led by self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintaro, begins to conduct experiments with these emails that change the past, and therefore, the present and the future. What isn’t immediately obvious to them is that messing around with time is dangerous, and abusing their newfound discovery can lead to disastrous consequences.
Steins;Gate's plot structure is commonly described as intriguing, scientific, and light-hearted in the first half of the story for the sake of character development and world-building. The second half of the story is where things truly pick up, putting the player through an emotional wild ride full of twists and turns that they won’t want to leave until its satisfying and powerful conclusion. As it stands, Steins;Gate Elite is a great way for old fans and potential new fans to experience the story.


The main selling point of this game is that it’s animated. In contrast to most traditional visual novels, Elite is fully animated thanks to the already existing animations from the awesome anime adaptation. The anime adaptation didn’t cover every aspect of the visual novel, which is why the game introduces some brand new animated scenes from the same studio that worked on the anime adaptation, White Fox. Replaying the original visual novel with animation is like a brand new experience, it’s like seeing the game come to life.
Oddly, the English ending credits contain quite a few strange typos. These typos were present in the original Japanese version of the game as well, and we hope that they can be addressed in the future.
Some sound effects do sound out of place in Elite, likely due to them being carried over from the original visual novel without being updated for the new visual format. Notably, the time leap sound effect and the worldline shift sound effect remain the same, which is a bit jarring at times.


The gameplay here is pretty standard for a visual novel, though it’s spiced up through the “Phone Trigger” system, which allows the player to read and reply to emails. This system allows the player to receive certain achievements and reach certain routes depending on the message.
A notable gameplay change from the original game is the “@channel” message board, a prominent feature in all Science Adventure games. @channel has been completely revamped in Elite, and threads have been greatly expanded with many new added posts in comparison to the original game.


As it stands, we do not believe that Steins;Gate Elite is objectively superior to the original game due to some shortcomings and trade-offs, especially in the visual department.
For those who are new to visual novels and familiar with anime however, Steins;Gate Elite is one of the best options out there for a first visual novel. Not only will a player come to understand the mechanics and structure of a typical visual novel to the backdrop of the immersive anime animations, but the included Linear Bounded Phenogram bonus serves as a great complementary visual novel to be read after Steins;Gate Elite.
For those who are looking to reread Steins;Gate, Elite is a great way to re-experience the visual novel for the many unique quality of life changes that it makes to the original experience.

Full review: https://www.kirikiribasara.com/2019/01/20/chaoschild-steam-review/
We highly recommend using this fan improvement patch: http://sonome.dareno.me/projects/chaoschild-steam.html


Playthrough guide: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1631178600
(Please note that while our hour count may be low, this game may take over 50 hours to complete.)

Chaos;Child is the fourth game in the Science Adventure Series, initially released in 2014 for Japanese audiences, and in 2017 on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita for Western audiences. Now, the game has received a brand new Steam port.

The game follows Takuru Miyashiro and the rest of his friends in the Newspaper Club, as they investigate a series of bizarre murders that are occuring in Shibuya and bear a striking resemblance to another serial murder case from six years ago. However, Takuru soon realizes that he may be in too deep—the murder mystery that he was chasing is now beginning to chase him.

Chaos;Child has multiple endings that can be reached by means of the “Delusional Trigger” system. The player can decide if the protagonist will experience a positive delusion, a negative delusion, or no delusion at all. To anyone that typically plays with a guide, we've written one that can be viewed here.

The translation for this release is largely the same as the console release, which is not necessarily a negative quality. The translator did a great job of conveying the story in the target language, which is an important factor considering the intricacy of the game’s plot.

We did notice a few issues in this release which will likely be fixed via Committee of Zero fan-patch, and hopefully through official updates as well. These issues do not interfere with one's enjoyment of the game for the most part, but we hope they are addressed in the future.
The script seems to contain many typos and would probably benefit from another editing pass. These typos do not interfere with one's understanding of the plot.

• One segment of the game requires the player to pinpoint a few areas on an in-game map that is untranslated as of this review. Until this is patched, here is a link to an image that shows you what to select: https://imgur.com/Ds23JM9
  
• Playing the game at the lowest supported resolution (1024×576) will cause sprites to appear as if they are pixelated. We recommending playing in either 1280×720 or 1920×1080.

To conclude, Chaos;Child is an amazing game, and it’s the one of the best stories in the SciADV Series. If you’re a fan of Science Adventure, or a fan of visual novels in general, you’ll definitely want to give this story a shot.

As a side note, be sure to check out Operation HiddenHand, a fan initiative aiming to bring more Science Adventure titles to the West in an official capacity. The petition page can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/spike-chunsoft-please-localize-robotics-notes-elite-for-english-audiences