Visual Novel Reviews #4: When The Cicadas Cry

Higurashi: When They Cry, also known as Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, is a mystery doujin soft novel series started by 7th expasnsion. Higurashi is the first entry in the series, followed by another entry entitled Umineko: When They Cry. The series has had its share of appeal; having been made into an anime adaptation, OVA, and a manga of its own. The VN still stands out as the best medium to tell the tale out of all of them to this day, however.\
It's kinda wrong to label it as a true VN, as it merely consists of art, music, and expressions.
You do not make choices as in other visual novels. You just sit back, and watch the truth unfold. In that sense, it's not a 'game' at all, to some people.  However, it depends upon how you take the challenge. You're provided the necessary pieces episode by episode in your private quest to figure out the truth, and the 'game' part kicks in when you try to make sense of the things. The faster you do it, the more precise your guess is, the more entertaining, the story  will get. Which is, I dare say, top notch and NOT predictable in the slightest. This is one of the prime examples which go to show what only art and music can accomplish by themselves, without moving animations or anything of the sort, as I'll be detailing in the review.
Higurashi was the one that got me into the When They Cry series in the first place. First of all, let's lay down the setting. This basically going to be similar to a synopsis of the story, so you don't need to worry about being spoiled.
The story is basically divided into two arcs: A question arc, and an answer arc.
The games; or "episodes", as they've been termed, for both are four. The first arc, that is the question arc, has been named "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni". It's comprised of four gruesome episodes that puzzle the player, or the 'reader' in this case, through their setting. I won't go into that here, as they're bound to spoil some critical plot points. The second arc, "Higurashi no Nak Koro ni", is the answer arc for the various 'riddles' you've been put through. In a way, THIS is the arc in which the 'game' part of the sound novel will kick in. You'll be told whether your guesses and theories about the mysteries to that point have been right on the track, spurious, or utterly frivolous.
You're put into the shoes of Maebara Keichhi; a boy who just recently transferred to an isolated village called Hinamizawa. You're engulfed in the series of mysterious murders that have took place in the past in the village, and need to disclose the truth.
As for the story, I'll reiterate that it's top notch, albeit it might seem surreal at times. The constant hallucinations the protagonist faces in the question arc, and the feeling of deception and utter helplessness might tick off some people. But keep it to the end, and you'll see what's coming to you.
Pro-tip: If you require even a single chance to get CLOSE to the mystery in the question arc, you'll need to pay undivided and unadulterated attention to the dialogues. The characters' tongues DO slip, but so can your eyes wink at that precise moment you could have gotten a lead.
The art style is well....depends upon which version of the game you'll be playing. If it's the PS2 version, which isn't out in the US and only in Japanese, it's got the right and the fluid art style. If it's the translated versions we're talking about here, that is, the PC, Android, and the iOS versions, then you're in for THIS: http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg
And that is just the PC version. The iOS and the Android version possess far worse art styles, albeit the same direction as the aforementioned one. Luckily, the PC version has a "patch" from the PS2 version, that is capable of undergoing metamorphosis from the above screen to this one: http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg
Pretty neat, huh? I won't be going into how to patch your PC copy or anything here. Do the homework yourself.
The soundtrack is just superbly befitting. The developers KNEW what to do to intensify, depress, or exhilarate the player's moods with the right track at the right moment. Aside from it mixing with the atmosphere perfectly, the cry of cicadas also makes the player aware of an approaching omen, or other phenomena quite well. There are only a few tracks in the entire OST, but their constant repetition isn't annoying at all. Though the 'club activities' can get a bit boring.
This probably doesn't need to be said, but if you've watched the anime and are expecting gut-wrenching gore and bloodshed from this too, then you might want to look somewhere else. The sound novel is completely devoid of the sheer insanity and gore the anime was teeming with. Though it does promises to shake you psychologically, even if its for a second or two.
In short, Higurashi: When They Cry is probably one of the examples of the novels that were, well, done exactly right. There aren't any particularly diminishing flaws in the story, nor in the OST. This is what I would call everything done right.
Also, here's something extra. While the patch DOES add much more refined visuals, it takes away half the 'horror' vibe of the series. The 'ancient' feel to the original, 2OO2 art style adds to the psychological thriller aspect of the novel, in my honest opinion. So, if you're going to get around to playing this, I'd recommend you to play the first arc WITHOUT the patch, as that is the arc where things get from bad to worse and stuff, and the second arc WITH the patch. In this way, you wouldn't get too unnecessarily spooked OR happy, either.
My verdict for this will be no less than a 9/1O.
Pros:
-Great story.
-Great OST.
-Good art style[ provided you're playing the PS2 version OR have applied the patch to the PC version]
-Not predictable in the slightest.
-Not full of unnecessary details.
Cons:
-The club activity scenes can get a bit tiring.
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Visual Novel Reviews #3: Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom

Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom.

Rating: 17+ ( vulgarity, suggestive themes).

This is one of the million otome games which made a place amongst the many dating sims out there. It stands out not just story and character wise, but also OST wise.

As you already know, otome games are originally intended for the female gender. If you find yourself NOT liking them despite their "beauty", then it's perfectly normal. You're not supposed to tread near them, anyway. 

Those who've watched Hakuoki's anime can testify to the game's uniqueness at first glance, as well. 

This is not one of those dating sims which are full of kisses and sighs until the very end. The game harbours a mature and very, VERY confusing story, if you're unfamiliar with the Japanese history and the various eras which called for the rule of another parties, etc.

First off, the game's set in the early primitive years of the Japanese history, back when the Shogunate was in war with the other powers in cahoots with one another. You take the role of a female protagonist, who, while helping out the soldiers thorough out their daily lives, needs to stay alive till the end and...hook up with one of the men, to put it bluntly.

The idea kind of seems frivolous.

( It's Idea Factory involved with this game though; no wonder).

However as stated earlier, the game's story revolves more around the eras and the historical battles of the Japanese and the Shogunate, and very less around the romance genre. There's barely any erotic scene into the game. I don't get why it was rated 17+, either. Must be due to the use of some extreme language, but that's too mild for today's standards. Anyways, we're supposed to be privy to such baseless debates. About the art direction, it's beautiful. The visuals were one of the plus points about the game that kept me going, alongside the desire to learn more about the Japanese history indirectly through a game. The men are clad in typical archaic uniforms casually, and formally, the Shinsengumi uniform that was hauled at that time.

About the OST, it's just average. You don't seem to really immerse yourself into the game through the OST. It'll be either the story that captivates you, or...*sigh* the men. I sincerely hope it's the former. 

It's not memorable, either. It just kind of seems to blend with the environment and the situations, but that's just about it, I wager.

Lastly, the "horror" in the game is non-existent. The whole concept of bloody furies and stuff had me under the impression that this was going to be one hell of a gory VN. It was quite the contrary. Clean as hell.

All in all, this was a mediocre effort by Akays games and Idea Factory. This had potential, and actually manages to live up to it, but not in all it's mesmerising glory , I dare say. My verdict is a 6/10.

Average.

Play if you happen to be bored out of your mind, or you crave a sick desire to search for a partner amongst the flames of war( virtually of course).

Pros:

-Good Story.

-Mediocre OST.

Cons:

-Minor jump scares which actually fail to "scare".

-Unnecessarily exaggerated amount of ramblings about some things.

That's it.

Visual Novel Reviews #2 Tears To Tiara

Tears To Tiara.
Rating: 18+[ is yet another VN of the eroge genre]
Ever heard of a Visual Novel and RPG hybrid? These gems are rare to come by, but most of them don't have the story to back them off. Fortunately, Tears To Tiara stands out as one of those games in the detested eroge genre which has a mediocre gameplay, a good story, and enthralling OST to back it off. Yes, this isn't another random hentai fap material teeming with s** scenes and nothing else. It's partly a Turn-Based RPG too, albeit that was kind of surreal of Leaf to add, in my opinion.
Those who've watched/played Utawarerumono might have a bell ringing in their head at this moment. That's right; this is the same Leaf behind Utawarerumono's game we're talking about here. If you've played that, you should have an idea about how this'll turn out[ gameplay wise, of course; there are no plot elements continuing in either series].
So, while I was craving for some 'colourful' animations to keep me occupied for a long time, I stumbled upon this. And boy, was I wrong with the first impression.
This is NOT as colourful as it looks like.
It's got an intriguing story which progresses at a satisfying rate[ if you're going to put aside the fact that the role-playing elements CAN get infuriating at times, and that there is no way to skip them either].
First of all, let's talk about the settings. It's set in an almost medieval setting, quite typically in the same fashion as most of the 'royal' shows are set. The concept of king, slaves, henchmen; it's all there. Still, there's pretty much a lack of enough bloodshed to account for the era, so you can expect a cleanly wonderful experience if you're not comfortable with gore and stuff.
Now, the actual game.
It's not actually made up of the same elements as most visual novels are. There are no choices to branch the story towards different endings. However, the RPG system accounts for that sufficiently. Dare I say, it's quite an addition, even if it's kinda surreal, as I've aforementioned.
Here's a screenshot depicting the visual novel part of the game:
http://fuwanovel.org/assets/images/vn/111/screen03.jpg
Well?
See that slightly blurry sprite behind the two easily visible sprites?
The characters in the role playing mode will be like that.
In order to simplify things more, here's an example screenshot for the RPG mode:
http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo294/megavikingroar/untitled.jpg
The gameplay aside from the VN part's pretty different to those typical old-school RPGs that did NOT let you wander around the entire world with one click, which this one bails.
You go around navigating in various towns, buy weapons, man up, go kick some ass[ or get your ass kicked in the process], come back, keep pressing space, save, quit, get on with your life.
...I guess I disclosed a little too much there.
Now, about the OST. It's quite good, to be honest. Not to mention that it perfectly matches with the surrounding atmospheres, but most of the BGMs spark that virtual flare in you to just...."do" something.
You'll get what I'm insinuating once you decide to take this one on.
Now, about the eroge side of the game.
If you have a PC and it's located in a room which everyone visits frequently, then you're better off skipping this game[ unless you're up for loosing a tooth or two by being sucker punched by your family for treading close to such an erotic material]. Although it's censored a bit, s** scenes appear out of the blue. Literally. You get NO indication whatsoever at times, and spontaneously, you'll see two people *beep* *beep*
...You get the gist of it, right? It's pretty unreliable to play it on PC, or so I believe. I had a notebook, so I easily took care of this one on it. There is no patch to remove the ero-scenes, nor can they be skipped altogether. Not even on a second playthrough. Nice move, Leaf.
With all that under consideration, I guess I can give out the verdict now.
7/1O.
Not shabby at all, but still not close to being "great".
Pros:
-Good visuals.
-Good story.
-Great OST.
Cons:
-Too much role playing elements unnecessary for a Visual Novel.
-Erotic scenes can't be skipped, and they seem to be forcefully inserted into the game.
That's it.
Oh, and this game is also available on PSP, aside from PC.
But the PSP version is in Japanese, and is a Strategy-Role Playing Game, almost devoid of any visual novel elements. I suggest you go for the PC version if you're going to play this. The requirements are minuscule, so you should be able to run this without any problem.

Visual Novel Reviews # 1:Shikkoku No Sharnoth

Shikkoku No Sharnoth.
Rating: Adult[ 18+; has some erotic and suggestive scenes].
Despite the cheesy vibe the cover holds, the novel's theme is eccentrically dark and tragic.
If you're one of those conformists who would judge a book[ taking into consideration that this is just a figure of speech, and the "novel" in question isn't one] by it's cover, then you'll probably shift your gears after gazing at the cover art, as it's one of those Visual Novels that seem like they'll have a hopeless romantic start and end.
Thinking outside the box, let's talk about the setting of the novel.
It's set in a steampunk era, where the technological power we now claim to harness, was not available. However, the game doesn't depict a primitive theme in that regard. The game's a unique archaic horror story, with an effeminate touch of mystery to it.
There's plenty of 'machinery' to get you hooked up if you're unnecessarily too much into mechanical stuff. Not to mention, the game seems to have a bit too much unnecessary "pollution" to back it's name off.
But I digress.
You're basically put into the shoes of a female protagonist, who's seemingly not your typically-spoiled-from-the-start princess, and is actually considerate.
For spoiler's sake, I can't disclose much information pertaining to the story, so I guess that's it for the know-hows.
Oh, and the story picks up it's pace really, REALLY slow.
If you're thinking of going into this one, I suggest you to work on your imaginative skills. Otherwise, you won't be able to cope up with the frustrating confusions the game seems to randomly hurl upon you at various intervals.
There are a lot of appearances of real life characters you've heard or read about in one of those famous detective stories, one prime example being Sherlock Holmes.
The art direction is....well, see for yourself:
http://calamitousintents.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/capture_001_22032012_172510.jpg
Exquisite, right?
Oh, you haven't seen the last of it yet. The game's full of archaic outifts that are just simply too captivating, in my honest opinion. It totally seems like the old English days in the game. That being one of the reason this VN seems to tick some people off; what with their likings regarding the current, 'fashionable' clothings being absent. I concur that I have a soft spot for archaic outfits, so I might be sounding a bit biased regarding the review, but this is just my take on the game as one of those players who relished the environment and the characters.
Now then, let's talk about the characters.
The main character's got a pretty adorable personality if you look at it from one of the character's perspective. I obviously won't be stating who, though.
There are random introductions of some minor characters who don't really play a big role in the story, and are there just for presence's sake. However, each and every one of them completely blend with the dark and gloomy environment, albeit with a bit of condescending attitudes.
The game also features mini-games where the main character has to "escape" from a certain group of enemies.
These can be skipped altogether if you don't want to encounter them, as they DO tend to get frustrating when the story gets interesting, and you're suddenly bombarded with one of them. But they're actually fun, and you might miss some minor plot points[ which aren't really "minor" considering the elusive nature of the game]  should you choose to skip them. I won't post any screens here.
Now that everything else is dealt with, let's talk about the soundtrack.
It's....above mediocre, if not good. I can't really say it's too befitting for the situations everytime, and the constant repeating of merely 11-13 tracks in the entire game can become a bit boring for some people.
However, in my case, it worked out perfectly well. The OST was just okay.
With all said, my final verdict for this will be a 7.5/1O.
Pros:
-Good story[ provided you're willing to use your head. A lot.]
-Good Art Style.
-'Okay' OST.
Cons:
-Unnecessary encounters.
-Slow pace with which the events occur.
That's it.
This is by far one of the good visual novels I've come across to this day, in all honesty. I don't know how you'll find this, but do give it a try.