Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi

You don't get to pick a path with the story. It is like reading a book. The story and characters are interesting which is a good thing because this visual novel is a long read. However there is no alternate endings or any type of gameplay here.

It may be a bit intimidating to see that this is one part of an eight-part series. However, this game works perfectly well as a standalone story. It doesn't rely on having other parts to continue the characters, the mystery, or anything else. This is basically the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone of the Higurashi series: an enjoyable story on its own, and if you like it enough, an entry into a much larger world. Many of the other reviews have echoed how great the mystery element of the story is, and I wholeheartedly agree. The mystery had me coming back to this game for hours at a time to see how it all unfolds. There were a few particular times where certain lines of dialogue, combined with the soundtrack and the characters' facial expressions, sent chills down my spine. Other reviews have also pointed out that the story has a slow beginning, and while I somewhat agree, it is necessary to see how these characters are in their ordinary lives. Plus, the hook of the story (the mystery) gets introduced pretty quickly as well. Within the first or second in-game day, if I remember correctly. Another thing about this game's story is that, unlike most other visual novels, this story is completely linear. It wasn't a downside for me, but it may be a dealbreaker for some people who come to visual novels for some degree of agency in how the story progresses. Of the two artstyles players can pick, I chose the typical visual novel/anime style. The artwork does a good job at communicating the characters' emotions and personalities through their poses. The other option is the hand-drawn sprites by the original game's creator. It has a lot of charm, no doubt, but I found it too goofy and distracting to have on-screen during the game's serious moments. One final thing I'll note is that I initially had problems with the game running slow, as if it were being presented in a slideshow. I turned off transparency effects in the options and had no issues after that.

*** !!! Before you start!!! *** Download the free fan mod (07th Mod) which adds higher resoluton, alternative art and VOICE OVER, which enhances the feeling and immersion of the game 10 times, My first JP Visual Novel. Altough you have no choices in the game, the story is really engaging. Characters are great written. The sweet part of the story is a bit too sweet in my opinion. But the feeling of horror is truly bone-chilling. Great introduction to the series, but unfortunately you won't get the conlusion with only this one.

No lie, it's a bit of a slog at first as you're introduced to the characters and setting with vague hinting at the madness to come. But after chapter 4 or 5 is when things just go... well, I'll also say that the less you know about this going in, the better. It's becomes a real cracker after the first 4 or 5 chapters, is all I'll say. It's vile, it's maddening, it's heartbreaking. It's art.

While this is only the first chapter in the Watanagashi series, it is a complete story in its own right. And what a story it is! Starting off *very* slowly as what seems to be the simple slice-of-life story of a young man/boy whose parents moved to a small village with a dark mystery. In his new school he befriends 4 girls and joins their very competitive game "club". But when a man is found dead after a yearly religious ceremony/festival, things quickly take a turn to the dark side... To be honest, I almost quit after 3-ish hours because it seemed cute and occasionally funny, but the characters were (still) flat and boring. Background art (real phoptographs with a few photoshop art filters), music score (if you can call it that), and generally everything seemed put together quite lackluster. This impression quickly changed after the incidents at the festival and I couldn't wait to finish this vn. Total reading time: around 12 hours. I'm eager to get to the next chapter. strongly recommended!