Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs

Absolutely peak VN!
One of the best story I've ever had the pleasure to read.
The characters are intricate, multi faceted, not a single one of them felt shallow.
The story is unique and intriguing, packed with mystery (and fantasy), emotions, interesting themes and dives deep into the characters that you will learn to love... or hate.
Had me on the edge of my seat excitedly cheering for them as if watching a boxing match, even though they are literally just talking.
Umineko is one hell of an experience I can wholeheartedly recommend.

I also highly recommend playing with PS3 patch for the stellar voice acting and better sprites.

And when the seagulls cried, none were left alive.

Let's be honest here: you don't need me to recommend Umineko to you. If you're here, you've probably seen some Youtube video or heard a glowing review from a friend. All I can say to you is this: it -is- that good. It's worth it. That insane word count? 100% worth it. 100% needed. You'll reach the end of the Answers arc and wish there was more, because you'll know this cast better than some people in your personal like.

What I, personally, like about Umineko is this: there is something here for everyone. If you go in for characters more than the plot itself, the characters are immaculate and consistent. If you're a fan of mysteries, these mysteries are great. There's layers to this, all connected by a throughline where the main character is arguing over the existence of magic with a golden witch in a seemingly extradimensional space. If you like intricate worldbuilding, there is endless lore about the Ushiromiya family and even Rokkenjima itself.

It challenges the way you think. There are no choices or failure states for you, the reader. You are along for the ride. All the same, if you choose to engage with this story, you will get returns in dividends. Every episode past the first challenges you to think about the episode you're reading, as well as previous episodes, in new ways. It challenges you to question everything, to scrutinize, to think. It asks you if these characters you love so much are people you can even trust. After all, if there is no magic, no golden witch, -someone- has to have committed the crime.

Look. You're still here reading this. Buy it, especially if it's on sale. The near-64 hours I have on record at the time of writing this constitute 63 hours of one read-through followed by an hour of looking over extra materials and hunting down 1 achievement. 25 dollars for 63 hours ain't a bad price in an industry where people increasingly try to package less for more money.

Also Ushiromiya Battler is literally me.

My wife keeps telling me to stop yelling "WHAT THE FUCK" in front of the children
It's that good.

Without love, it cannot be seen.

Comentario Analítico: "Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs" (Umineko no Naku Koro ni - うみねこのなく頃に)

Tras el éxito de Higurashi y la ascendente popularidad de Ryukishi07 en la materia de novelas visuales de horror y suspenso, dio lugar en 2007 a la serialización de la sucesora de los acontecimientos en Hinamizawa; véase Umineko no Naku Koro ni, cuatro arcos introductorias que en aquél momento fueron traducidos por el equipo The Witch Hunt, quienes trabajaron en conjunto a MangaGamer para el compilado internacional de tanto los arcos de preguntas (Estrenado el 8 de Julio del 2016) como los de respuestas (Chiru, estrenado el 17 de Noviembre del 2017).

La historia base se compone de 8 episodios (Y sus respectivos capítulos) repartidos en dos categorías, siendo Question Arcs un compilado de los primeros 4. El contenido adicional está compuesto por Tsubasa, Hane, Our Confession y Last Note of the Golden Witch, siendo estos dos últimos extras de un compilado llamado Saku, no disponibles en esta publicación en Steam.

Esta edición es fiel a los estrenos originales y te permite alternar entre los sprites modernos y los clásicos. Hay quienes prefieren leerlo junto al 07th Mod, también disponible para Higurashi y del cual escribí una guía respecto a su instalación.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3442843599

De entre tantas re-ediciones (Como las de Taito para móviles, la de Entergram para Nintendo Switch o la de Oizumi para máquinas de pachinko), la más popular gracias a sus altos valores de producción es la elaborada por Alchemist para PS3, PSP y Xbox 360, cuyos actores de doblaje hicieron un trabajo espectacular. Para quienes prefieran esa versión, el equipo de Umineko Project estuvo años trabajando en un port no oficial para PC, acá les dejo una guía que escribí sobre su adquisición e instalación.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3442940915

Respecto a la novela per se; es una historia tensa en exponencia e inteligentemente escrita con un alto valor de relectura.

Si bien todo depende de la velocidad del lector y de cuán propensos somos a retroceder para releer y así formar nuevas hipótesis, es bien sabido que Umineko es tanto una lectura lenta como una obra extensa.

Se introduce lento, el primer episodio (y sus 20 capítulos) se limita a contextualizar a sus personajes. Exige paciencia y saber tolerar los diálogos ecchi (Que acaban siendo menos habituales en capítulos posteriores). Ya con todas las cartas sobre la mesa, Umineko se convierte en una de las mejores obras literarias modernas nacidas en tierras niponas.

Es atrapante y conserva al lector en contínuo suspenso, activamente especulando con la información que se le va dando por el camino. De esa forma le da sitio para que no sea tan solo un intérprete pasivo. Entre las opciones del menú de pausa hay un glosario con información sobre los personajes del capítulo en cuestión, éste se va a ir actualizando a medida que ocurren acontecimientos clave. Pone todo de sí para que el lector se involucre con el misterio e intente resolverlo.

También fue adaptado al manga por Square Enix para la revista Gekkan Shōnen Gangan, idéntico en sus arcos de preguntas pero con particulares diferencias llegados a las respuestas. Por suerte fue supervisado de cerca por Ryukishi07 e ilustrado por Kei Natsumi, Jirō Suzuki, Sōichirō, Akitaka, Momoyama Hinase, Eita Mizuno, Fumi Itou y Kurumi Suzushiro.

De la adaptación animada no hablamos.

¿En conclusión? Peak fiction.

10/10. It's like listening to a famous story by a storyteller who revisits every detail to make sure you remember even if it means the story is longer than necessary.

Umineko has some of the best characterization I've seen in fiction, with most of the cast feeling incredibly complex and real. Ryukishi07's background as a social worker definitely shines through in that aspect.

Furthermore, the storytelling is very intricate and the mysteries, along with the writing in general are insanely clever.
Rereading some scenes with the full picture in mind hits even harder than the first time.

The soundtrack and also the voice acting (use 07th-Mod) are absolutely amazing, enhancing the experience by a lot.

My main critique is that it is very verbose (expect 80+ hours at least) and some parts of the story felt like a slog to get through. It was worth every second in the end though.

It's so much more than what the synopsis leads you to believe and explores a variety of themes.

I went in expecting a standard murder mystery and came out with a life-changing experience. If I could forget everything and experience Umineko for the first time again, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I highly recommend playing it with the PS3 sprites, just search for a guide. Best VN of all time! :)

Peak Fiction!!! One of the best games I have ever played. (10/10) (Make sure you install Umineko Project mod)

Extremely iconic and memorable story, will catch you off guards with it's plentiful twists and turns, while leaving you at the edge of your seat at the sheer sight of it's dastardly mysteries and conundrums.

Short and simple, peak fiction

Incredible character writing, intricately plotted mysteries, and an absolute banger soundtrack come together to make this one of the best VNs of all time. I'd highly recommend it, with some caveats:

• Installing 07th Mod is an absolute must - it replaces the character sprites and backgrounds with the ones from the PS3 port*, gives you the option to switch to ADV mode (i.e. the traditional 'one line of dialogue at a time, with character names' VN interface), and adds full Japanese voice acting for the entire game.
  
• If you can't stomach slow paced stories, this is not the game for you - between this and Answer Arcs, it took me over 85 hours to finish the whole thing, which is a long-ass time for a game that almost entirely consists of reading.
  
[*]There's some annoying 'horny anime character' scenes early on, which might be off-putting to some. Thankfully, this gets less and less frequent over time (and pretty much stops for good after Episode 2).

*which, in my opinion, are vastly superior - though I know a lot of people have a soft spot for Ryukishi's original sprites!

Holy Peak

(Play it modded tho)

This is the greatest thing ever written

Read Higurashi first!!!
Ch.1 is free on steam y'know...

Umineko is one of my favourite things ever though so it's like good and stuff too

Didn't play the steam release though, the steam sprites suck and most importantly no VA, play Umineko Project or get 07th mod I beg you...

I need Beatrice in my life so bad

OUUUGGHH BEATOORIICHEEEEE

goated vn, goated characters, goated soundtrack

truly umipeako

how do I play umineko

Game about a pirate alliance gathering at Laughtale where Garp should announce who will became a new Pirate King and get the One Piece. Masterpiece writing.
It's truly an Oda to gain peace through breaking furniture.
But it's up to you if you feel AngeR about it.

Ten 07thExpansions/Hideo Kojimbo.

I LOVE Umineko

These Witches are crazy bro!

played for the suri yex ending

why didn't battler search the solutions to the murders on internet? is he stupid?

Pros:
- Uu
- Cackle
- Chandelier
- BEAAAAAATORICHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Cons:
- This is not a game

keep going

i love u beatrice

"But of course, Battler simply counterattacked by refusing to explain."

reel good . i like

This game is so xxxxxxx slow going I had to stop before my teeth fell off.
The characters are badly written to the point where I didn't care wether they'll live or die. And when that thing happened, they all seemed to cope unaturally well. No, this is not stellar writing.

If you want that, play Steins Gate instead. It may also be kind of slow but it's not as long as this one.

One last thing: if you need a million words to tell a story; you are not a very good storyteller.

Very touching. Cried. Would recommend 100x.

My favorite part about Umineko has to be the amazing character writing, and depth. Ryukishi07 has an amazing talent for writing characters you don't get tired of even 100 hours. All of the characters are charming in their own way especially the main leads Battler, and Beatrice. The mystery elements are fantastic, Ryukishi clearly loves mystery this game is laden with mystery discussions, theory making, and meta talks on the genre itself. The love for mysteries really shines through in battler and other characters in the novel. The theme's and message of Umineko are thrust upon you quite relentlessly, but I loved it so many characters and moments enforce this idea into you throughout the read I really like how much the "truth" gets played around it can really change your perspective. The love and care Ryukishi shows is evident, along with his cruelty, and heartlessness making him a fascinating and charming writer. I recommend this heavily especially to mystery fans.

!! !!

Absolute cinema.
(Ignore low hours I played on another platform)

It's very hard for me to describe what Umineko is. I'll just say a few things it has. It has great characters with depth. It has an intriguing mystery. It has hilarious moments. It has terribly sad moments. It has a few scary moments. It's not a flawless story, but it's well worth the time it takes to read. Install the 07th Mod for voice acting.

OOOOHHH BEATRICEEEE!!!!

I regret buying this one, Some plot points and story elements just didn't sit right with me. Espeically how certain characters are portrayed. Even the truth aspect ends up felling flat.

Without love, peak cannot be seen.

Umineko has ruined my life
Peak fiction

masterpiece

splendid

Just read it

You might have heard Umineko described as a murder mystery, or possibly a horror story. This is a lie.

Calling Umineko either of those things would be selling it terribly short. It's a mystery, a fantasy tale, a thriller, a cosmic horror story, a character drama, a puzzle book, and probably a few other genres that haven't been invented yet. It'll make you feel joy, sadness, anger, and all the emotions in between, often at the same time. And it might even change your worldview.

I just finished reading the Question Arcs using Umineko Project (which is why my Steam playtime is low), and I've enjoyed the ride thoroughly so far. The interface is a little jank, both with and without mods, but the story is top-notch.

While I really enjoyed the first chapter and it still remains as my favorite, I got a bit overwhelmed when reading the following chapters for the first time, which caused some frustration, but I've pushed through it and after digesting everything for a while I can say that I quite enjoyed it. I definitely recommend you try it, just don't go in expecting something similar to Higurashi like I did.

As someone who read both Higurashi and Umineko without modifying anything, such as using the 07th-Mod for voice acting, I personally preferred it this way as I found it more immersive in comparison to when I looked up how the voice acting sounded, it's certainly good but it ultimately boils down to preference.

If you decide to try it, I hope you enjoy your stay in Rokkenjima~ 🏝️

its peak

I haven't been successful in finding anything that would top this for me for 12 years. Even though there are pretty much no choices I'm going to die on the hill of it still having the best gameplay out of everything I've played before and since if approached from the situational game design perspective. It's a thrilling mystery that strikes a perfect balance of tone, serving you the drama, comedy, tranquility, surprise and suspense. It's subtle but extremely effective in converying beautiful ideas which, while I can't speak for everyone else, they have changed how I see the world and people around me. It does require you to read but it's very much equipped to make it pleasant with the NVL layout that covers the entire screen in text.
I love video games, I've certainly found a lot of great ones. I'm a fan of many different genres, including Nintendo games, RPGs (and jRPGs), point'n'clicks, shooters, you name it. I've read quite a few visual novels too, been a VN game jam judge once. I'm simply saying that nothing else has made such an impression on me and I honestly wish something would capture that feeling for me again. I'm not really going into every single game comparing it to Umineko, I'm conscious of the fact that it's pretty much always apples to oranges. It's a lot of self-conscious rambling, I know but I'm pouring my heart out and just trying to convey that I've been ready for something else to claim the top spot for me for over a decade and it just didn't happen yet.

I Cry Every Time

Live Chandelier Reaction

where's Umineko Gold edition

CINEMA

Peak literature, every other games will feel stale after playing this game