Wrapping up the story of the original Steins;Gate and tying up all the loose ends, this story is, at least to me, a timeless masterpiece.
Picking up from where the original seemingly left off, Steins;Gate 0 explores an alternate beta worldline where Okabe chooses to sacrifice Kurisu to save Mayuri and does not go with Suzuha to the past once again in order to reach the Steins;Gate worldline.
He is now deeply broken, and has even abandoned his ‘mad scientist’ Hououin Kyouma persona and is living his life as a normal college student, with friends who are completely unaware of his time travelling experiences.
Everything suddenly changes when he encounters Amadeus, a sentient AI based off Makise Kurisu’s memories. Getting a chance to once again talk with a loved one, it’s really interesting to see how he grapples with his feelings and seemingly forgets that Kurisu is actually dead until Maho reminds him of it.
And speaking of Kagari, such a tragic character she was. Being brainwashed in the future and then being used after being sent to the past, she honestly deserved better. But I’m glad that ultimately, she put her faith in Okabe, Mayuri and Suzuha and entrusted them to change the past and henceforth save the future.
One of the most striking aspects of Steins;Gate 0 is Okabe's evolution as a character. His character development is honestly so insane, and he is easily one of the most well written characters I’ve seen. Through various interactions with the rest of the characters, especially Maho, Suzuha and [Kurisu], we witness his gradual transformation from a broken individual to a resilient hero.
His decision to time-leap over 3000 times, all the way from 2036 to 2011, all in order to save those he loves, regardless of the mental toll it would take, just goes on to show how far he is willing to go for their sake. And as he finishes his long journey of time leaping, all the buildup culminates in the revival of the ‘mad scientist’, Hououin Kyouma. With his grand laugh that topples time itself, he once again proclaims himself to the world.
As Mayuri and Suzuha depart, Okabe in the future sends the D-mail to his past self, instructing him to take the necessary course of action to reach the Steins;Gate worldline and save both Kurisu and Mayuri as well as prevent World War 3. Honestly it’s really bittersweet, as Okabe from this timeline won’t get to see Kurisu again yet he did everything just so that another version of him can again be together with his lovely assistant.
And at the end, when Hououin Kyouma arrives in a brand new time machine to save Mayuri and Suzuha, what a legendary scene that was. Easily cemented the ending of Steins;Gate 0 and Steins;Gate in general as one of my favorites.
Central to this all is Okabe Rintarou’s relationship with Makise Kurisu. Despite the temporal and existential challenges they face, their bond remains a special one, transcending the boundaries of time and space itself. Be it the time when the Okabe from this beta timeline met the Kurisu of an alpha timeline, or his interactions with Amadeus, the dynamic these 2 characters have is so beautiful.