Info about Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.7 Minagoroshi:

Official game description:
**June, 1983.**  
The summer heat has arrived earlier than it does most years.  
By day there are cicadas, and by night, the higurashi.  
Hinamizawa, a small village in the Japanese countryside.  
While there are fewer than two thousand people there, every year, 'something' happens.  
For the past 4 years, someone has died, and someone else has gone missing.  
This series of deaths and disappearances is connected to the local resistance against a now-abandoned dam construction project.  
A murder during the construction, covered up by the local authorities, is being re-enacted year after year.  
Is it a conspiracy? A coincidence? Or perhaps a curse?  
Someone who was supposed to be there... isn't.  
Someone who wasn't supposed to be there... is.  
Someone who was alive last night is now dead, and someone who is here right now isn't alive.  
There is no way to avert this tragedy. There is no choice but to give up trying.  
But even so... _please don't give up._

Release date: Jul 18, 2019

Categories: Visual Novel, Choice-based Narrative, Mystery, Character-driven Narrative, Emotional Storytelling, Branching Narrative, Story-driven Gameplay, Narrative-driven Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 50.0h
  - Story completion: 25.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes mentions of specific chapters and their lengths, as well as total playtime estimates. For example, 'steam 版 的 1 4 鬼 隐 篇 Onikakushi hen' and 'steam 版 的 5 7 截止 到 发 评论 日' suggest that the game is divided into chapters, each with a certain length. Additionally, 'More than 50 hours of reading to reach this perfect point of tension and reveal, once and for all, the secrets of Hinamizawa' indicates a significant total playtime to reach a major point in the story. These quotes help estimate the typical playtime metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is initially fun but experiences a drop in engagement due to pacing issues. However, it can regain its fun factor as players progress and appreciate the deliberate pacing.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Getting used to the pacing
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Pacing issues causing boredom
  - Unlock drivers: Progressing through the story; Appreciating the deliberate pacing
  - Conditions: Patience with slow rhythm; Interest in story and mysteries
- Player Archetypes:
  - Critical Story Analyst (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking deep and meaningful storytelling.
    - Playstyle: Analytical and critical, focusing on narrative depth and coherence.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: Story Critic; Analytical Player
    - Reference games: 京极夏彦; 三津田信三
  - Emotional Story Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking emotional engagement and narrative satisfaction.
    - Playstyle: Immersive and engaged, focusing on character development and story progression.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Story Lover; Emotional Player
    - Reference games: Higurashi
  - Practical Customizer (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a customizable and valuable gaming experience.
    - Playstyle: Practical and customizing, focusing on game mechanics and value for money.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Modder; Practical Player
    - Reference games: Higurashi


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and high-quality storytelling (weight 0.9): The game features an engaging and well-written storyline that captivates players with its emotional depth and mystery.
- Emotional impact and character arcs (weight 0.72): The story evokes strong emotions and features well-developed character arcs, particularly focusing on Rika's perspective and development.
- Effective plot revelations (weight 0.67): The game effectively reveals plot twists and mysteries, providing coherent and satisfying answers.
- Strong narrative structure and depth (weight 0.64): The narrative structure is praised for its depth and progression, including character development and story interactions.
- Great music and sound (weight 0.16): The game features great music and sound, enhancing the overall experience.
- Community support for translations (weight 0.16): The community efforts for translations, including support for Russian translations, are noted and appreciated.

Common complaints:
- Weak middle section (weight 0.52): The middle section of the game is criticized for being filled with unnecessary content and dragging on, making it feel boring and drawn out.
- Poor character development (weight 0.39): Character development, particularly for Satoko and Rika, was seen as weak and unsatisfactory. Players also noted inconsistencies in character behavior.
- Unsatisfying and tragic ending (weight 0.35): The ending of the game was found to be unsatisfying, tragic, and not a good resolution to the story's mysteries. Players felt it was cruel and harsh.
- Repetitive content issues (weight 0.29): The game suffers from repetitive information, dialogue, and flashbacks, which made the experience tedious for many players.
- Pacing issues (weight 0.27): The game has pacing issues, particularly in the first half and certain arcs, making it feel slow and drawn out.
- Comparisons to other works (weight 0.21): Players compared the game to other works, often finding it lacking in comparison to titles like Demon Slayer and FTL: Faster Than Light.
- Art style and background issues (weight 0.2): The original art style is considered outdated and unappealing. Additionally, backgrounds are described as rough, blurry, and mismatched.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.16): Players reported various technical issues, including game crashes and bugs, which affected their gameplay experience.
- Unclear motivations and behaviors (weight 0.16): Teyuno's motivations and behaviors were criticized for being unclear or poorly explained, affecting the overall story.
- Long and excessive text (weight 0.16): The game features long texts and descriptions, which some players found excessive and tedious.
- Confusing dialogue and style (weight 0.14): The dialogue can be confusing without speaker names, and Ryukishi's style may add to the confusion.
- Inappropriate humor and themes (weight 0.12): The game includes inappropriate jokes and tacky themes, such as 'believing in friends,' which some players found off-putting.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.09): There is no Chinese language support, which limits accessibility for some players.
- Limited character customization (weight 0.08): The game offers limited character customization options, which some players found restrictive.
- Lack of horror elements (weight 0.07): The game was criticized for its lack of horror elements, which some players felt was a missed opportunity.
- Disappointing villain portrayal (weight 0.07): The villain in the game was not as compelling or well-developed as players had hoped.
- Grammar errors (weight 0.07): There are grammar errors in the game's text, which can be distracting and detract from the overall experience.
- Unfavorable BGM and sound effects (weight 0.07): The background music and sound effects in the game were updated but found to be unfavorable by some players.
- Excessive humor and fourth wall breaks (weight 0.07): The game includes excessive humor and instances of breaking the fourth wall, which some players found disruptive.

Gameplay feedback:
- Character-driven narrative focus (weight 0.51): The game emphasizes character development and emotional storytelling, creating a narrative that is deeply intertwined with the characters' growth and experiences.
- Chapter-based story structure (weight 0.3): The narrative is divided into multiple chapters, each with interconnected stories and arcs, providing a structured progression through the game.
- Visual novel with choices (weight 0.29): The game is a visual novel that includes choice-based narrative elements, allowing players to influence the story through their decisions.
- Mystery-solving genre (weight 0.17): The game falls within the mystery genre, focusing on solving mysteries as a core gameplay element.
- Emotional impact focus (weight 0.1): The game aims to deliver a strong emotional impact through its storytelling and character development.
- Multiple language support (weight 0.1): The game offers text in multiple languages, making it accessible to a wider audience.
- Text-heavy presentation (weight 0.09): The game is text-heavy, with minimal use of character sprites, relying mainly on text to convey the story.
- Lack of voice acting and CGs (weight 0.09): The game does not include voice acting or CGI elements, which may affect the immersion and visual appeal for some players.
- Seventh chapter in series (weight 0.08): This game is the seventh chapter in a series, continuing the story from previous installments.

Performance notes:
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.17): Players report that the game crashes often, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- Need quick save feature (weight 0.1): Players express a strong desire for the ability to quick save their progress to avoid losing game progress.
- Audio issues reported (weight 0.09): Some players experience problems with the audio, which can detract from the immersive experience.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended chapter (weight 0.18): Many players strongly recommend this chapter, especially if you have read Chapter 6.
- Enhanced experience with 07th-Mod (weight 0.17): Several reviews suggest reading with the 07th-Mod and installing the developer's patches for an improved experience.
- Read Umineko first (weight 0.09): Some players recommend reading Umineko before this chapter for a better overall experience.
- Check out anime openings (weight 0.08): A few reviews mention that checking out the anime openings is worthwhile.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.15): The excitement primarily stems from the story's progression, emotional impact, and narrative structure. Players are thrilled by the plot twists, character arcs, and the introduction of new characters, which keep the experience engaging and surprising.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment arises from weak plot resolutions, repetitive gameplay sections, and lack of horror elements. Players also express dissatisfaction with character developments, pacing issues, and technical aspects like sound effects and lack of voice acting.
- Admiration (weight 0.11): Admiration is driven by the author's writing skills, narrative depth, and character development. Players appreciate the emotional impact, thematic depth, and overall brilliance of the story, considering it a masterpiece.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Satisfaction comes from the story's progression, strong narrative, and character development. Players are pleased with the resolution of mysteries, improvements in the game, and the emotional impact of the story.
- Excited (weight 0.07): Excitement is generated by the anticipation of the next chapter and the overall story and character development. Players are eager to see how the story resolves and progresses.
- Frustration (weight 0.06): Frustration is caused by character behaviors, game crashes, and pacing issues. Players are annoyed by drawn-out subplots, weak character development, and technical problems like mod issues.
- Sadness (weight 0.05): Sadness is evoked by the emotional and tragic endings of the game. Players feel the cruelty and harshness of the story, which leaves a bittersweet impact.
- Happiness (weight 0.04): Happiness is derived from the enjoyment of character arcs, new characters, and philosophical aspects. Players are happy with the personal growth depicted and specific heartwarming moments in the story.
- Anticipation (weight 0.04): Anticipation is driven by the excitement for the next chapter and the progression of the story. Players are looking forward to the upcoming chapters and the resolution of the narrative.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy comes from the character focus and the overall storytelling experience. Players find joy in reading about beloved characters and seeing their development.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): Curiosity is sparked by the intriguing plot, setting, and mysterious characters. Players are drawn in by the appearance of new characters and the mysterious elements of the story.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Disappointment is due to unsatisfying endings, style changes, and technical issues. Players feel let down by the plot and the overall execution of certain aspects of the game.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is inspired by the hopeful moments and character development. Players feel hopeful due to the themes of hope and struggle depicted in the story.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from unclear character motivations and weird interactions. Players are confused by certain character behaviors and plot elements that are not well explained.
- Hopeful (weight 0.02): Hopefulness is driven by the protagonist's journey and themes of hope. Players are hopeful about the final chapter and the resolution of the story.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Frustration is caused by pacing issues and technical problems. Players are frustrated by the slow progression in certain arcs and the game crashes.
- Sad (weight 0.02): Sadness is evoked by the emotional impact of the chapter. Players feel sad due to the poignant and touching moments in the story.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is caused by criticism of certain individuals and repetitive dialogue. Players are angry about the lack of depth in the story and frustrating interactions.
- Despair (weight 0.02): Despair comes from the characters' backgrounds and struggles. Players feel helpless due to the story's destruction of hope and the harsh realities depicted.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is triggered by references to an anime and specific chapters. Players feel nostalgic due to familiar elements and songs that enhance the experience.}