Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace

Last updated

Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace
Steins;Gate Darling of Loving Vows cover.png
Cover art, featuring the characters Kurisu Makise (left) and Rintaro Okabe (right)
Developer(s) 5pb.
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Naotaka Hayashi
Writer(s) Tatsuya Matsubara
Composer(s) Takeshi Abo
Series Science Adventure
Platform(s)
Release
June 16, 2011
  • Xbox 360
    • JP: June 16, 2011
    PlayStation Portable
    • JP: April 26, 2012
    PlayStation 3
    • JP: May 24, 2012
    PlayStation Vita
    • JP: March 14, 2013
    iOS
    • JP: October 3, 2013
    Nintendo Switch
    • JP: March 20, 2019
    • WW: December 10, 2019
    Windows, PS4
    • WW: December 10, 2019
Genre(s) Visual novel
Mode(s) Single-player

Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace [lower-alpha 1] is a visual novel video game developed by 5pb., originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2011. It has since been ported to several other platforms, and was released by Spike Chunsoft in English for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows in 2019. It is part of the Science Adventure series, and a spin-off from the 2009 game Steins;Gate . The game is a romantic comedy set in a different world from the one in the original Steins;Gate, where the player builds romantic relationships with Steins;Gate characters. By making certain choices and interacting with the player character's cell phone, the player can affect the direction of the plot.

Contents

The game was produced by Naotaka Hayashi, and featured scenario supervision by Tatsuya Matsubara, as opposed to the original Steins;Gate, where 5pb.'s Chiyomaru Shikura planned the story on his own; after having worked on the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate, he realized that, with the game world being fully established, he could let other writers work on it and bring in new ideas. The game was well received by critics and multiple publications for its writing and art.

Synopsis

My Darling's Embrace is a spin-off from Steins;Gate , and is a romantic comedy visual novel taking place in a different world line than those in the original game. [2] [3] In the world line the game takes place in, the characters still have the possibility to change the past by using D-mails, but SERN has little influence and does not have rounders hunt the main cast. Instead, the player character Rintaro Okabe's main problem is paying the bills for the laboratory, having to take a part-time job as a waiter. The game has multiple routes, each focusing on Okabe building a romantic relationship with one of the characters from Steins;Gate. [2] The player affects the direction of the plot by picking choices, by answering Okabe's phone, and by clicking on highlighted text within text messages on the phone. [4] The game does not feature any game over states or routes where the player loses. [5]

Production

Development

The game was developed by 5pb., and was produced by Naotaka Hayashi. [6] While 5pb.'s Chiyomaru Shikura planned the story for the original Steins;Gate game on his own, My Darling's Embrace was written by other writers under scenario supervision by Tatsuya Matsubara. [6] [7] This change came from when Shikura was working on the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate, and realized that since the concept of the game's world had been fully established, he could let other writers who understand the world work on Steins;Gate projects and bring new ideas to it. [7] The concept for My Darling's Embrace as a romance game, according to Matsubara, came from how there was a trend in Japan to develop secondary games after the release of a visual novel, that explored characters more in depth; he did however not want to water down the main Steins;Gate narrative by portraying Okabe's struggle from the original game again, so he decided to set the game in a "peaceful, fun worldline". [8]

Release

My Darling's Embrace was announced in February 2011 by Famitsu , and was described as a fan disc. [6] It was originally released for the Xbox 360 on June 16, 2011, [9] and was later released for several other platforms: the PlayStation Portable on April 26, 2012, [10] the PlayStation 3 on May 24, 2012, [11] the PlayStation Vita on March 14, 2013, [12] and iOS on October 3, 2013. [13] The Xbox 360 version became playable on Xbox One through backward compatibility on May 19, 2017, along with the original Steins;Gate and its spin-off Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram . [14] The game was also released for the Nintendo Switch as part of the collection Steins;Gate: Divergencies Assort along with Steins;Gate 0 and Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram on March 20, 2019 in Japan. [15] The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita versions were both available separately and in bundles with the original Steins;Gate; [16] [17] [18] the PlayStation Vita bundle also included a ticket to Steins;Gate: The Movie − Load Region of Déjà Vu and a metal charm. [16] The game was published in English for the first time by Spike Chunsoft on December 10, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows. [19]

Reception

My Darling's Embrace was met by "positive reviews", according to the review aggregator Metacritic. [20] Zenji Ishii at Famitsu compared My Darling's Embrace favorably to other bishōjo games, saying that it manages to create drama and tension despite how the game does not have a tragic element to it like the original Steins;Gate. He praised the writing as the work of a skilled scenario writer with a great understanding of the characters and world, and said that it manages to develop the characters and world further, giving them more depth, and that the portrayal of characters' emotions was well handled, allowing the player to feel immersed in the world. He particularly cited Luka and Moeka's routes as interesting, due to the different atmosphere that comes with a romantic route with an otokonoko character, and how the game manages to make the player reconsider their opinion on Moeka from the original Steins;Gate. He did note that because of the story's sense of safety and how it does not go off into a more serious direction, the game might feel unsatisfying of something impactful to some players, but also said that it fits in with the tone of the early chapters of the original Steins;Gate, where he considered the characters' everyday activities and light conversation part of what makes the game good. [5] Richard Eisenbeis at Kotaku called the art excellent, and said that the game might "sate [players'] appetites" while waiting for the then upcoming game Steins;Gate 0 . [2] Patrick Gann of RPGFan described the game's opening theme, "La*La*La Labolution", as "wretched", particularly noting the singers' "super-cute, super-nasal unison choir thing". [21] Famitsu gave the PlayStation Vita version of the game their "Gold Award". [12]

During its debut week, the Xbox 360 version was the fourth best selling game in Japan, with 31,666 copies sold, and with the Steins;Gate bundle in fifth place, selling an additional 11,041 copies; [4] this boosted sales of the Xbox 360 console, putting it in seventh place on the Japanese hardware charts for the week. [22] The PlayStation Portable version was the sixth best selling game in Japan during its first week, with 24,849 copies sold, [23] while the PlayStation 3 version was the eighteenth with 5,397 copies sold and an additional 9,223 copies of the PlayStation 3 Steins;Gate bundle. [17] The PlayStation Vita version, however, did not enter the weekly top 20 charts at all during its debut week. [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling (Japanese: シュタインズ・ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん, Hepburn: Shutainzu Gēto: Hiyoku Renri no Dārin, lit. "Steins;Gate: Darling of Loving Vows" [1] [2] )

Related Research Articles

<i>Chaos;Head</i> 2008 video game

Chaos;Head is a 2008 science fiction visual novel video game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is the first game in the Science Adventure series. Following the original Windows release, the enhanced version Chaos;Head Noah was released for Xbox 360 in 2009, and has since been ported to multiple platforms. An English localization was released by Spike Chunsoft for Nintendo Switch and Windows in 2022. The game follows Takumi Nishijou, who gets involved in the "New Gen" serial murder case. He frequently experiences delusions and hallucinations, some of which the player can influence, which affects the progression of the story.

<i>Steins;Gate</i> Japanese visual novel game

Steins;Gate is a 2009 science fiction visual novel game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is the second game in the Science Adventure series, following Chaos;Head. The story follows a group of students as they discover and develop technology that gives them the means to change the past. The gameplay in Steins;Gate includes branching scenarios with courses of interaction.

Mages Inc., formerly 5pb. Inc., is a Japanese video game developer and record label for video game and anime music. It was formed on April 6, 2005, after Chiyomaru Shikura left Scitron to begin the company as its executive director, a position he formerly held until January 2023. The company is divided into two parts, 5pb. Games for the manufacturing of video games, and 5pb. Records for the record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the TYO Group until Shikura purchased the remaining rights from the TYO Group on April 15, 2009. Shikura co-owns 5pb. with AGOne, an affiliate of Dwango Japan. Staff members include scenario writer Naotaka Hayashi, artist Yukihiro Matsuo, and producer Tatsuya Matsuhara.

<i>Sharin no Kuni: The Girl Among the Sunflowers</i> 2005 video game

Sharin no Kuni: The Girl Among the Sunflowers is a visual novel video game, developed by Akabeisoft2 for Microsoft Windows in November 2005 in Japan; it was later released by 5pb. for Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 in Japan, and is planned for release in the West by Front Wing for Microsoft Windows. A PlayStation Vita version was also in development by Front Wing but was later cancelled after multiple delays. The player takes the role of Kenichi Morita, a young man who has been training for seven years to become a "Special High Class Individual" – an elite class of people possessing complete legal authority – and travels to a farming town to rehabilitate three students and prepare them to re-enter society.

<i>Chaos;Head Love Chu Chu!</i> 2010 video game

Chaos;Head Love Chu Chu! is a romantic comedy visual novel video game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is part of the Science Adventure series, and is the direct sequel of the 2009 game Chaos;Head NoAH. It was released for Xbox 360 on March 25, 2010, and later released for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

<i>Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku</i> 2010 Japanese visual novel

Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku is a Japanese romance visual novel developed and published by 5pb. for the Xbox 360 and later ported to the PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. It is the seventh game in the Memories Off series.

<i>Robotics;Notes</i> 2012 video game

Robotics;Notes is a visual novel video game developed by 5pb. It is the third main game in the Science Adventure series, following Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate, and is described by the developers as an "Augmented Science Adventure". The game was originally released by 5pb. in Japan on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012; the enhanced version Robotics;Notes Elite was released for PlayStation Vita in 2014, and for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2019. An English version of Robotics;Notes Elite was released by Spike Chunsoft in 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

<i>Science Adventure</i> Video game series

Science Adventure is a multimedia series consisting of interconnected science fiction stories, created mainly by Mages, Nitroplus, and Chiyomaru Studio. The main entries mostly take the form of visual novel video games, but side entries span across several different mediums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Chunsoft</span> Japanese video game development company

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game development and localization company specializing in role-playing video games, visual novels and adventure games. The company was founded in 1984 as Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and merged with Spike in 2012. It is owned by Dwango.

<i>Steins;Gate 0</i> Japanese visual novel game

Steins;Gate 0 is a visual novel video game developed by 5pb. It is part of the Science Adventure series, and is set in the period of the 2009 game Steins;Gate. It was released by 5pb. in Japan for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in December 2015, Microsoft Windows in August 2016, Xbox One in February 2017, and Nintendo Switch in March 2019.

<i>Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram</i> Japanese visual novel game

Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram is a visual novel video game developed and published by 5pb. for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita in 2013, and later ported to iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows; the PlayStation 4 and Windows versions were released internationally by Spike Chunsoft in 2019. The game is part of the Science Adventure series, and a spin-off from the 2009 game Steins;Gate. It consists of ten side stories set in different realities, and follow different Steins;Gate characters. Unlike previous entries in the Steins;Gate series, the game is nearly devoid of interactive narrative.

<i>Chaos;Child Love Chu Chu!!</i> 2017 video novel game

Chaos;Child Love Chu Chu!! is a visual novel video game developed and published by 5pb. for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on March 30, 2017, in Japan. It is a fan disc for the 2014 game Chaos;Child, and part of the larger Science Adventure series. The story, which is affected by player choices, is set in Shibuya, Tokyo after the events of Chaos;Child, and follows Takuru Miyashiro, who ignores the "Return of the New Generation Madness" events, instead choosing to spend time with women.

<i>Steins;Gate Drama CD Alpha</i>, <i>Beta</i>, and <i>Gamma</i> 2010 audio dramas based on video game Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate Drama CD Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, stylized as α, β, and γ, are a trilogy of audio dramas based on the 2009 video game Steins;Gate, and are part of the Science Adventure series. It follows Kurisu Makise, Mayuri Shiina, and Rintaro Okabe, three characters from the Steins;Gate game, in three different alternative histories. Alpha shows Kurisu's actions during the tenth chapter of the video game, Beta shows what happened after Okabe failed to save Kurisu, and Gamma shows a reality where the Year 2000 problem caused a disaster and Okabe became an agent working for the organization SERN.

<i>Steins;Gate Elite</i> Japanese visual novel game

Steins;Gate Elite is a science fiction visual novel and interactive movie video game, part of the Science Adventure series. It was developed by 5pb. for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and iOS, and was released in September 2018 in Japan and in February 2019 internationally. It is an updated, fully animated remake of the 2009 game Steins;Gate, using footage from the anime adaptation of the original game along with newly produced animation by White Fox.

<i>Robotics;Notes DaSH</i> 2019 video game

Robotics;Notes DaSH, is a visual novel video game developed by Mages. It is part of the Science Adventure series, and is a sequel to the 2012 game Robotics;Notes. It was released in 2019 in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, and was released in English in 2020 for the same platforms and Windows by Spike Chunsoft. The game was written by Toru Yasumoto and Chiyomaru Shikura and produced by Tatsuya Matsubara, with character designs by Tomonori Fukuda, mechanical designs by Makoto Ishiwata and Yukihiro Matsuo, and music by Takeshi Abo.

<i>Steins;Gate 0</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Steins;Gate 0 is a Japanese anime television series created by White Fox that continues the story of 5pb.'s 2015 video game of the same name, and is part of the Science Adventure franchise. The series is the final iteration of the Steins;Gate 0 story, which explains certain events in the ending of Steins;Gate. It aired from April to September 2018. It is set in an alternative future where the university student Rintaro Okabe, traumatized after his experiences with time travel, meets the neuroscientists Maho Hiyajo and Alexis Leskinen and becomes a tester for their artificial intelligence system Amadeus.

<i>Steins;Gate</i> (manga) Japanese manga series

Steins;Gate is a Japanese manga series created by Yomi Sarachi. It is based on 5pb. and Nitroplus' video game of the same name, and is part of the Science Adventure franchise. It was serialized by Media Factory in Monthly Comic Alive from September 2009 to July 2013, and was later released as three collected volumes; these were published by Udon Entertainment in North America in 2015 and 2016, and re-release in 2022 as one volume as:"Steins;Gate: The Complete Manga". The story follows Rintaro Okabe, who together with his friends use a microwave oven and a cell phone to send text messages back in time, altering the present.

Rintaro Okabe is a fictional character in the Science Adventure series, first appearing as the player character of 5pb. and Nitroplus's visual novel game Steins;Gate (2009). Okabe is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who often goes by the pseudonym Kyouma Hououin. He is also nicknamed Okarin by his friend Shiina Mayuri.

<i>Steins;???</i> Upcoming video game

Steins;??? is an upcoming video game developed by Chiyomaru Studio and Mages. It is a thematic sequel to Steins;Gate (2009), and is part of the Science Adventure series. The game is written by Mages' representative director Chiyomaru Shikura, and previously went under the working title Steins;God.

References

  1. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (August 8, 2017). "Steins;Gate". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Eisenbeis, Richard (July 29, 2015). "The Three Steins;Gate Spin-off Games You've Probably Never Heard of". Kotaku . Gizmodo Media Group. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. ↑ Ishaan (August 20, 2014). "Steins;Gate Love Comedy Spin-Off Follows Original Game To PSP". Siliconera . Curse, Inc. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Leo, Jon (June 24, 2011). "Big in Japan June 13–19: Zelda 3D". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Ishii, Zenji (June 27, 2011). "キャラへの愛が深まる『シュタインズ・ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん』インプレッション". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Gantayat, Anoop (February 27, 2011). "5pb. Announces New Adventure Games". Andriasang. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Gifford, Kevin (March 3, 2013). "Steins;Gate creator talks up the new sequel and anime film". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Sato (February 28, 2019). "STEINS;GATE ELITE Producer On Stringing Together Its Worldlines And A Science Adventure Teaser". Siliconera . Curse, Inc. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "シュタインズ・ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん まとめ [360]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ "シュタインズ･ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん まとめ [PSP]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "シュタインズ･ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん まとめ [PS3]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 "シュタインズ・ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん まとめ [Vita]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ "シュタインズ・ゲート 比翼恋理のだーりん まとめ [iPhone/iPod]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "『シュタインズ･ゲート』などXbox 360の5タイトルがXbox One下位互換機能に対応". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. May 19, 2017. Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ Romano, Sal (December 24, 2018). "Steins;Gate: Divergencies Assort announced for Switch [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Romano, Sal (October 29, 2012). "Steins;Gate coming to PlayStation Vita". Gematsu. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Romano, Sal (May 30, 2012). "Media Create Sales: 05/21/12 – 05/27/12". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  18. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (June 23, 2011). "Zelda Propels 3DS Back Into First Place". Andriasang. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  19. ↑ O'Connor, James (December 10, 2019). "Steins;Gate 0 Is Out Now On Nintendo Switch, And My Darling's Embrace Comes West". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  21. ↑ Gann, Patrick. "The Sound of STEINS;GATE Complete". RPGFan. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  22. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (June 22, 2011). "Japanese charts – Ocarina of Time takes 3DS to the top". VG247 . Videogaming247 Ltd. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  23. ↑ Leo, Jon (May 3, 2012). "Big in Japan April 23–29: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 31, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  24. ↑ Romano, Sal (March 24, 2013). "Media Create Sales: 3/11/13 – 3/17/13". Gematsu. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.