Info about Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Rei:

Official game description:
Story
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The tragedy of Hinamizawa is over.  
Those held captive within its grip are free from the fate that bound them to June 1983.  
Yet the tale of Hinamizawa is not truly complete.  
There are many worlds not yet explored.  
Three such worlds await in here, but are you prepared to reveal what was left in obscurity?  
**Saikoroshi-hen**  
This is a tale of Furude Rika reaching the summer of 1983. Her power allows her to choose one of many worlds, but is this world truly the best for her?  
The difficulty here is malicious, for all you dear connoisseurs who prefer it that way.  
**Hirukowashi-hen**  
This is a tale involving a peculiar dispute over the most precious jewels - the Magatama of Fuwarazu, capable of granting mutual love - which befalls the club members.  
**Batsukoishi-hen**  
Within these pages is a bible of blazing passion for today's modern, apathetic youths! Even though it was meant as an after-party for Meakashi-hen, it completely ruins the impact of that chapter! Deemed too dangerous for consumption, this legendary scenario was sealed away!  
Continue only if you can vow that you are truly degenerate.
Gameplay
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Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Release date: Jun 2, 2022

Categories: Visual Novel, Story-driven Gameplay, Choice-based Narrative, Interactive Fiction


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.99 - $4.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing, but primarily when it is on sale. This indicates that while the game is valued, the current base price of $5.99 might be considered slightly high by some users. The repeated mention of buying it on sale implies that a fair price range would be lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 4.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that 'Saikoroshi' is the main chapter of interest, with a playtime of around four hours. This chapter is described as an epilogue and is considered essential reading, indicating it is likely the focus for both story completion and game completion. The mention of 'hours of characters lecturing' and the overall length of the chapters help estimate the session length and total playtime. The reviews also mention that the other chapters are shorter and less engaging, which supports the focus on 'Saikoroshi' for playtime metrics.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Series Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Story continuation and completion
    - Playstyle: Engages deeply with the narrative and lore of the series.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Higurashi fan; visual novel fan
    - Reference games: Higurashi When They Cry
  - Narrative Connoisseur (sale)
    - Motivation: High-quality narrative experiences
    - Playstyle: Seeks out and appreciates the most well-crafted and impactful story arcs.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: story enthusiast; narrative critic
    - Reference games: Higurashi When They Cry
  - Value-Conscious Completionist (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Value for money and completion of the series
    - Playstyle: Prefers to experience the game in its entirety, including additional content, but is mindful of the cost.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: completionist; value seeker
    - Reference games: Higurashi When They Cry


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:
- Saikoroshi-hen is well-written and meaningful (weight 0.97): The Saikoroshi chapter is frequently praised for its emotional resonance, excellent storytelling, and significance as a conclusion to the series. It is described as deeply meaningful, well-written, and a satisfying epilogue that provides closure.
- Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi are humorous (weight 0.55): These chapters are noted for their humor, entertainment value, and enjoyable storylines. They are described as funny, light-hearted, and full of fan service, providing a contrast to the more serious Saikoroshi chapter.
- Strong character development (weight 0.23): The story explores complex themes and character development, particularly focusing on Rika. This development is described as strong, meaningful, and essential for understanding the characters and their arcs.
- Fascinating and refreshing epilogue (weight 0.1): The epilogue is described as fascinating, interesting, beautiful, and refreshing. It provides a satisfying and meaningful conclusion to the series.

Common complaints:
- Criticism of Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi (weight 0.51): These chapters are widely criticized for being forgettable, not funny, and filled with brain-breaking, obscene scenes. They are often considered as flippant joke chapters that are not well-received and seen as hot garbage by many reviewers.
- Fanservice and cringe content (weight 0.3): Several chapters are filled with fanservice that is considered cringe and without meaning. This includes explicit content and juvenile lewdness that many players found uncomfortable and tasteless.
- Mediocre and forgettable chapters (weight 0.24): Many chapters are described as mediocre, silly, and forgettable. They are often seen as filler content that does not add much value to the overall story.
- Lack of voice support and language issues (weight 0.14): The original version of Hirukowashi lacks voice support, and there is a lack of official Chinese support, making it difficult for non-English speakers to fully enjoy the game.
- Difficulty and frustration with gameplay (weight 0.11): Players have expressed frustration with the AI in Judgment and the difficulty in achieving specific hands for 100% completion. Some chapters are also described as tedious and frustrating.
- Incongruent and nonsensical content (weight 0.11): The latter arcs and some parts of the game are described as incongruent and nonsensical, making it difficult for players to immerse themselves in the story.
- Excessive and unnecessary text (weight 0.09): There is an astronomical amount of extra, unnecessary text, and the game is described as being overly wordy, which can be off-putting for some players.
- Depressing and sad content (weight 0.09): Some parts of the game are described as extremely lonely, sad, and depressing compared to the rest of the series, which can be off-putting for some players.
- Short playtime and missing content (weight 0.07): The game is criticized for having a short playtime and missing certain content, such as a beach episode, which players found disappointing.
- Disappointing graphics and art style (weight 0.06): The graphics and old art style are not appealing to some players, which can be disappointing and affect the overall enjoyment of the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Visual novel with storytelling focus (weight 0.21): The game is a visual novel that emphasizes storytelling, featuring multiple chapters and arcs with minimal gameplay mechanics. It includes elements of suspense and puzzle-solving.
- Multiple story arcs with varying themes (weight 0.18): The game features multiple story arcs, each with different themes and storylines, providing a rich and varied narrative experience.
- Introspective and reflective themes (weight 0.12): The game explores deep themes such as identity and belonging through its story-driven narrative, offering an introspective and reflective experience.
- Immersive sound design (weight 0.12): The game relies heavily on sound for immersion, creating a deeply engaging atmosphere for players.
- Steam achievements and no traditional choices (weight 0.1): The game includes Steam achievements but does not feature traditional choices or branching paths, focusing on a linear narrative.
- Meaningful ending and thematic depth (weight 0.09): The game offers a meaningful ending and explores themes with depth, providing a satisfying conclusion to the story.
- Character-focused narrative (weight 0.08): The game is heavily focused on its characters, with a narrative that expands and deepens their stories.
- Choice of visual styles and chapters (weight 0.08): Players can choose between original or updated sprites and select different chapters, offering some customization in the visual experience.
- Includes Mahjong gameplay (weight 0.08): The game features Mahjong gameplay, adding a unique element to the visual novel experience.
- Dating sim and fanservice elements (weight 0.07): The game includes elements reminiscent of dating sims and features fanservice, catering to specific player preferences.
- Full voice acting (weight 0.05): The game includes full voice acting, enhancing the storytelling and character development.

Performance notes:
- Steam Deck Compatibility (weight 0.09): Players have mentioned the game's compatibility and their experience with it on the Steam Deck.

Recommendations:
- Saikoroshi-hen highly recommended (weight 0.23): Many players specifically recommend the Saikoroshi chapter, highlighting it as a must-read, especially after completing the main chapters.
- Must-play for series fans (weight 0.15): The game is described as a heartfelt epilogue and a must-play for fans of the series, providing a satisfying conclusion.
- Skip Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi (weight 0.12): Several reviews suggest skipping the Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi chapters, either for achievements or due to sensitivity to certain content.
- Use 07th-Mod for DRM-free (weight 0.08): Players recommend using the 07th-Mod for a better, DRM-free experience.
- Read after main chapters (weight 0.08): It is recommended to read Rei after completing the main eight chapters of the series.
- Rei as a worthwhile epilogue (weight 0.05): Rei is considered a worthwhile epilogue, particularly for those who have enjoyed Saikoroshi-hen.
- Play in PS3 mode (weight 0.04): Some players suggest playing in PS3 mode for an enhanced experience.
- Avoid the anime adaptation (weight 0.04): Players advise against watching the anime adaptation for this part of the series.
- Play Hirukowashi on specific platforms (weight 0.04): Suggestions to play Hirukowashi on PC for Ooishi fans and on console for Irie fans.
- Recommended if hungry for more (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for those who are eager for more content related to the series.
- Read Umineko no Naku Kino ni (weight 0.04): Some players recommend reading Umineko no Naku Kino ni, possibly as a related or alternative experience.
- Wait for Hou chapters (weight 0.04): A few reviews suggest waiting for the chapters of Hou, indicating anticipation for future content.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.17): Players expressed satisfaction primarily due to the conclusion of Rika's story and the overall quality of the Saikoroshi arc. The detailed character development, well-paced writing, and the impactful message of the story were also significant contributors to this emotion.
- Joy (weight 0.15): The humorous and absurd content, particularly in the bonus stories, brought joy to players. Additionally, the enjoyable scenarios, engaging narratives, and the overall fun experience, including learning Mahjong, contributed to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Players felt disappointment due to the forgettable and nonsensical nature of certain arcs like Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi. The presence of fanservice content, drawn-out slice-of-life segments, and changes that removed references and spoilers also contributed to this sentiment.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.08): The connections and callbacks to previous parts of the series, along with the classic presentation style, evoked a sense of nostalgia. Seeing familiar characters again and the inclusion of new OST pieces also contributed to this feeling.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Players appreciated the significance and quality of specific arcs, particularly the Saikoroshi chapter. The beautiful presentation of complex topics and the deep themes of the series were also highlighted as reasons for appreciation.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): The humorous nature of additional chapters and joke stories provided amusement. The entertaining content, including the mention of Mahjong terminology and the fun aspects of Hirukowashi and Batsukoishi, were key contributors.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Players admired the reflective nature and meta-narrative commentary of the game. The masterful handling of duality of choice, detailed analysis of character development, and the philosophical depth of the narrative were also praised.
- Sadness (weight 0.04): The emotional impact of the story, particularly the reflective and emotional ending of Saikoroshi, brought sadness to players. The All Cast Review sequence and the lonely, sad atmosphere compared to the rest of the series also contributed to this emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.04): Difficulty in achieving specific hands for 100% completion and the AI behavior caused frustration. The lack of official Chinese support and the tedious, long lectures in Saikoroshi were also sources of frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Players enjoyed the supplementary content and the nice short side stories. The fun and light-hearted nature of Hirukowashi-hen and Batsukoshi-hen, along with the interesting storyline, contributed to this enjoyment.
- Reflection (weight 0.02): The introspective nature of the story and its themes led to reflection. Beautiful moments in Saikoroshi that made players think about life choices were also significant.
- Contemplation (weight 0.02): The deep and introspective themes of the game, along with its philosophical and thought-provoking content, led to contemplation.
- Discomfort (weight 0.02): Mentions of controversial themes and cringe fanservice caused discomfort among players.
- Disgust (weight 0.02): The explicit content and weird nature of Batsukoishi led to feelings of disgust.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): The intriguing moral dilemmas and story depth fascinated players.}