Back to the future

Revamp of a quirky time travel classic takes advantage of advances in gaming tech

ON the surface, it would be easy to say that this is just a reboot of the 2009 anime gaming smash hit that was Steins; Gate. It is that – but it is much more besides.

The original game became somewhat of a cult classic and a leader in the world of Japanese anime gaming.

More an anime novel/video game hybrid than a traditional sit–down–and–whack–the– buttons experience, there was a lot to read, choices to make, and a fantastic visual experience that compelled the gamer to become entwined with the superb narrative.

It certainly wasn’t for everyone due to its experimental nature and approach, but it did reach an audience and even spawned a Manga animation.

Reboots are all the rage at the moment and for once I am all for it because this serves up something more worthwhile than some shameless cash-ins I have seen in recent years.

Using the animation series that the original game inspired, this weaves back into the original game to create a rich animated gaming novel that is an evolution of its predecessor.

The story is the same. A group of students accidentally create time travel and then unearth a whole lot more in the process.

Your choices determines the way the story moves forward and this is very much your only real input, if you are someone who likes hammering the shoot button, this is not for you.

Presented in a very slow- moving, rich, and quirky way, this will appeal if you have plenty of patience and fancy something very unusual.

If you have played the original, there may not be enough here to make this necessary. But if you haven’t played it in some time, the extra layers of animation and story choices, may make it worthwhile.

If you’re new to the title, it’s certainly worth a look.

■ The Last Word: It’s a reboot that feels loved, and not cynical.