Worth playing if you played the original?

[Kygun]

Hi, I finished the original S;G but have not seen the anime yet nor played S;G 0 (though I plan to). Is this game worth it for those who played the original, and if so, is it similar enough that I should play the sequel or spin-offs first so the content doesn't feel repetitive?

Also, I noticed that ELITE doesn't seem to technically have a price (part of bundle with S;G LBP) so is it possible to go on sale? I checked online but couldn't find anything. Thank you in advance to anyone who can provide any info.

EDIT: I've come back to play both ELITE and LBP and have come to the conclusion that the bundle was absolutely worth it. LBP alone gave me the value I needed, and ELITE was (as @Blanners mentioned in his comment) "a nice way to re-experience the story" though I definitely prefer the original. The unique art-style, more focus on Okabe's inner thoughts, and personal bias since I played it first definitely made it more enjoyable, but I don't regret playing ELITE.

[Blanners]

The story is literally the same, with some scenes and dialogue removed. Definitely don't go through this if you've just finished the original - I'd say give it at least a few months, maybe years.
This game is, at most, a nice way to re-experience the story if you ever feel like it, so don't expect any more than that. It doesn't have new material besides a few more @channel messages during those segments.

[Kygun]

Originally posted by Blanners:

The story is literally the same, with some scenes and dialogue removed. Definitely don't go through this if you've just finished the original - I'd say give it at least a few months, maybe years.
This game is, at most, a nice way to re-experience the story if you ever feel like it, so don't expect any more than that. It doesn't have new material besides a few more @channel messages during those segments.

I see, thanks for letting me know. I plan to play the other Sci;Adv games as well as some others, so I'll follow your advice and put this one off as a maybe way later down the line.

[mimizukari]

Personally I think this is the best version of the VN, any of the changes were made intentionally as this is the way the original developer wanted the game to be like but didn't originally have the funding for.

Even if you've full cleared S;G, I find I replay S;G E far more often and enjoy the way it's told more than any other visual novel, with the only real comparison being something like School Days.

[Kygun]

Originally posted by deneb altair vega:

Personally I think this is the best version of the VN, any of the changes were made intentionally as this is the way the original developer wanted the game to be like but didn't originally have the funding for.

Even if you've full cleared S;G, I find I replay S;G E far more often and enjoy the way it's told more than any other visual novel, with the only real comparison being something like School Days.

Hey, I appreciate your input. It seems the community is quite divided on whether they prefer the original or ELITE, which is fair given the plethora of pros and cons of each. I didn't know that ELITE was how the original dev intended the game to be--that's pretty interesting. I actually ended up playing through the game, and surprisingly enjoyed it. The cinematic scenes made for a cool way to re-experience the story, and I loved LBP so it was definitely worth it (On that note, I feel like a lot of the disdain for ELITE comes from it being the wall LBP is locked behind, but I digress).

That being said, I still prefer the original. I feel like the use of animated cutscenes was cool albeit somewhat repetitive, and I've admittedly grown rather fond of the charming art style with the spiral eyes and faded colors. In contrast, I wasn't a huge fan of the animation style; I know it's old and there were budgeting issues, but characters (esp Kurisu and Daru) look so bland imo, even if video is more impressive than a still image. Speaking of animation, I feel like the medium made for less emphasis on Okabe's personal thoughts (an aspect we get thorough insight on in the original) which I think weakened the story a bit from a narrative standpoint, personally.

TL;DR: I enjoyed playing through ELITE, but still favor the original. I think it's ultimately a matter of taste, though, and I'm glad you really enjoy it!

[Blanners]

Originally posted by Kygun:

Originally posted by deneb altair vega:

Personally I think this is the best version of the VN, any of the changes were made intentionally as this is the way the original developer wanted the game to be like but didn't originally have the funding for.

Even if you've full cleared S;G, I find I replay S;G E far more often and enjoy the way it's told more than any other visual novel, with the only real comparison being something like School Days.

I didn't know that ELITE was how the original dev intended the game to be--that's pretty interesting.

(you didn't know it, because they made that up)