What’s an Higurashi Visual Novel?
Higurashi When They Cry is a series of classic Japanese horror novels that were turned into visual novels with extensive anime adaptations and spin-offs. Visual novels are a type of interactive storytelling where you control the protagonist through a series of branching dialogue paths.
The visual novels are mostly text-based, with the exception of simple, static 2D artwork. The artwork is generally low-res, but it fits the style of the novels, so it doesn’t look out of place. As with many visual novels, the series has a small but passionate fanbase, with many people playing the series multiple times.
How to Play Higurashi When They Cry
There are a few different ways to play the Higurashi When They Cry visual novels. You can choose to follow the story linearly, where you play out a single day’s events until the next day arrives. Alternatively, you can skip ahead a few days in order to see the outcome of different events. The visual novels are also designed to work with a variety of different playing methods, so feel free to experiment and see what works best for you.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 1 – The Hinamizawa Syndrome
In the first arc of Higurashi, we follow a group of high school friends as they rent a house from their grandfather. However, when their grandfather is killed by his next door neighbour, Houjou Satō, they find themselves trapped in the house with him, their friend Hanyu Heizi, and her sister Mii. The story follows the group as they attempt to figure out what happened while avoiding Satō’s increasingly violent advances. There are three routes in this visual novel, and each of them is followed by a different playthrough.
The story and gameplay are relatively straightforward and easy to follow. However, Higurashi is one of the more difficult visual novels to get into, so it’s a good idea to try out just one route first to get a feel for the series.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 2 – Unseen Footprints and Red Herrings
In the second arc of Higurashi, we follow a group of high school friends who have reunited to perform a New Year’s ritual on the beach. However, when they all go missing one by one, they are quickly blamed for the disappearances and forced to fight for their lives. The story follows Mii as she desperately tries to uncover the truth behind the strange events unfolding. There are three routes in this visual novel, and each of them is followed by a different playthrough.
This arc is considerably easier to follow than the first. It’s still a bit of a challenge, but it’s a lot easier than the first arc.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 3 – A Cold Night in July
In the third arc of Higurashi, we follow a group of high school friends as they take a summer camping trip. However, when they arrive at their camping site, they find that someone has already been there and burned the surrounding forest. The story follows Satō as he tries to cover up the destruction caused by his men, while also hiding the bodies of his victims. There are three routes in this visual novel, and each of them is followed by a different playthrough.
This is by far the easiest arc of the series to follow, as the gameplay and story are much simpler than the others. There’s still some mystery to be uncovered, but it’s a lot easier to follow than the other arcs.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 4 – Mellow Yellow Painting and Black Cat
In the fourth arc of Higurashi, we follow a group of high school friends as they visit their grandfather in a rural town. However, when they arrive, they find that their grandfather has been killed in a horrible accident, leaving them trapped in the house with his killer, Houjou Satō. The story follows Satō’s younger sister Mii as she tries to figure out what happened to her older brother, while also escaping the house before she’s next on the killer’s list. The route is followed by a different playthrough, and there are two routes in this visual novel.
The story in this arc is much more difficult to follow than the others, as it’s much more abstract and difficult to understand. It’s also the only arc in the series to feature black cats as significant plot devices.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 5 – The Third Birthday and the Cursed Pencils
The final arc of Higurashi follows an unlikely pair of survivors, a homeless man and an elementary school boy, as they attempt to survive in a deserted city after the rest of the world has vanished. The story follows the pair as they try to get out of the city and find their way back home. The visual novel is followed by a different playthrough, and there are two routes in this visual novel.
This arc is the most difficult to follow out of the series, as the story is extremely abstract and difficult to understand. There’s also a lot of symbolism and symbolism in this visual novel, so it’s a challenge even for seasoned visual novel players.
Higurashi Walkthrough: Part 6 – A Final Word
The Higurashi visual novel series is a classic and beloved series of horror novels. While it can be a challenge to get into, the payoff is well worth it, and once you get through the first couple of arcs, you’ll be hooked! If you’re new to the series or want to get a little more information on the Higurashi visual novels before trying them out, be sure to check out our complete Higurashi guide!