Higurashi - Game Qs & Discussion (no-spoilers version)

[einhorn303]

Originally Posted by Levani

Is that still a thing? It says "At the end of 2014" so...

Hopefully it's canceled. I don't think Ryukishi is capable of science fiction, he should do what he does best - mystery.

It's still coming. It was going to be released at last year's Winter Comiket, but was delayed. As happened with Rose Guns Days Last Season...I guess Ryukishi is used to working at his own pace by now! I think it's a good bet we'll be seeing it at this year's Summer Comiket. I'm looking forward to it immensely, since I love SF. Also, from the whole

Spoiler for Umineko EP8:

Library of Books and senate of witches

in Umineko EP8, I think Ryukishi's demonstrated his talent at cool world-building at a grand, epic scale.

On the other hand, I don't think it'll be a WTC game. If it was planned that way, he would've dropped the title immediately to build up hype on it. I think it'll just be another appetizer like Higanbana and RGD, before WTC5 comes out.

Anyways, for this announcement on April 1st, there's always the possibility it'll be an April Fools joke :P

[Levani]

Anyways, for this announcement on April 1st, there's always the possibility it'll be an April Fools joke :P

Holy crap... this didn't even cross my mind and Ryukishi is a person capable of this...

He trolled about Ushiromiya Kinzo being there and used the sprite of Butler once and... I believed it.

in Umineko EP8, I think Ryukishi's demonstrated his talent at cool world-building at a grand, epic scale.

On the other hand, I don't think it'll be a WTC game. If it was planned that way, he would've dropped the title immediately to build up hype on it. I think it'll just be another appetizer like Higanbana and RGD, before WTC5 comes out.

I agree, Umineko has a very mysterious and an amazing world. He should totally try a fantasy story setting.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by Levani

Is that still a thing? It says "At the end of 2014" so...

Hopefully it's canceled. I don't think Ryukishi is capable of science fiction, he should do what he does best - mystery.

Most people in Japan would tend to disagree with you there, considering the reason he stopped writing mystery was because so many people hated Umineko's solution. (At least that's how he painted it with the Goats in Ep8.)

Also, he wrote a route for Rewrite- He's done Science Fiction before, and it was called one of the better routes in the game. I wouldn't dare hope a new budding franchise was cancelled in order to make room for more of the same. That'll just end with him being miserable once again, and we'll get another work the quality of Higanbana's First Night out of him- And I think we'd all prefer another epic, like RGD or WTC.

[GrAVit]

Originally Posted by Levani

Murder mystery in a space ship... sounds ridiculous xDD

That reminds me of 7 Days A Skeptic from the Chzo Mythos series. Great game, spooked the hell out of me. lol

Really looking forward to this new setting!

[Levani]

Most people in Japan would tend to disagree with you there, considering the reason he stopped writing mystery was because so many people hated Umineko's solution. (At least that's how he painted it with the Goats in Ep8.)

Just because the Japanese equivalent off 4chan was in chaos because they were too stupid to figure out the answer, doesn't mean that the majority of people hated Umineko. Toxic haters exist in every fandom. But whining and bitching is more loud than people who are satisfied.

You can't really be talking about the behalf of "most people" in Japan when you've only heard this by reading someone's experience of JPN fandom unless, of course, you were there, spoke Japanese and interacted with these people and were capable enough to make the conclusion that most of them hated Umineko.

and we'll get another work the quality of Higanbana's First Night out of him- And I think we'd all prefer another epic, like RGD or WTC.

Well, you know I hated RGD. I'd take Higanbana over something like that any day, so it depends who you ask, I guess.

[xPearse]

Originally Posted by Levani

Well, you know I hated RGD. I'd take Higanbana over something like that any day, so it depends who you ask, I guess.

I haven't read it myself, but what was so bad about RGD? Does it have anything to do with the changing of themes and such?

[Levani]

I haven't read it myself, but what was so bad about RGD? Does it have anything to do with the changing of themes and such?

Oh, I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, it was just bad in my opinion. I couldn't get into the story (It felt like there was no story at all and I read quite a lot) and the characters weren't interesting enough. They felt like walking one liners. (Rose couldn't save the whole cast on her own)

You could give it a try, you might like it, but it's not my thing and I don't want Ryukishi to be doing something similar to that anytime soon.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by XPearse

I haven't read it myself, but what was so bad about RGD? Does it have anything to do with the changing of themes and such?

Originally Posted by Levani

Oh, I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, it was just bad in my opinion. I couldn't get into the story (It felt like there was no story at all and I read quite a lot) and the characters weren't interesting enough. They felt like walking one liners. (Rose couldn't save the whole cast on her own)

You could give it a try, you might like it, but it's not my thing and I don't want Ryukishi to be doing something similar to that anytime soon.

Yeah, the story takes a long while to actually begin, but I think that's mostly due to how thoroughly Ryukishi wanted to build his world. Unlike Higurashi and Higanbana, which sort of take place in our world, and Umineko, in which the Metaworld slowly unfolds, RGD introduces you to this alternate universe Japan and then introduces each plot element one by one. First you meet the Women of the Night, then you meet the mafia, then you meet the Americans, then the Chinese... I will admit, the beginning is episodic, and that's probably not the best way to start a particularly long Visual Novel. I personally think that the build-up is satisfyingly followed through, but I understand if you thought it was more trouble than it was worth. I think that it's thematically sound(The scenes that take place in the present are especially bittersweet), but maybe the execution is flawed.

I disliked Higanbana's First Night (and only the first, the Second Night is fantastic) because of it's themes, however. It came off as really pessimistic and almost nihilistic. The first story's pretty good, and Utopia is an absolutely brilliant end, but the slogging shocking tales between weren't the most enjoyable. I like my Ryukishi stories to have heavy enforcement of their themes, which wasn't present in the First Night.

Anyway, I have a feeling the sci-fi story will be more like RGD than WTC. The translation of the teaser seemed to give it a pretty heavy political vibe, which brings to mind RGD's power struggle.

[xPearse]

Well, let's just hope this thing R07 is brewing up isn't an April Fools joke.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by xPearse

Well, let's just hope this thing R07 is brewing up isn't an April Fools joke.

Do they do April Fools in Japan? I'm not sure... Hmm. I seem to remember reading an elaborate April Fools anime announcement joke, but I don't remember if that was done in Japan or if it were an American joke about a Japanese announcement.

[Katsu Koneko]

Well the Pokemon anime first aired on April 1st in Japan and if I recall correctly KEY is one of those elaborate April Fools announcers?

I can't wait to see what he tweets though.

[einhorn303]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dent

Do they do April Fools in Japan? I'm not sure... Hmm. I seem to remember reading an elaborate April Fools anime announcement joke, but I don't remember if that was done in Japan or if it were an American joke about a Japanese announcement.

Yeah, ANN always has a compilation of New Years jokes from Japanese companies, and I look forward to it ever year!

[Levani]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dent

Do they do April Fools in Japan? I'm not sure... Hmm. I seem to remember reading an elaborate April Fools anime announcement joke, but I don't remember if that was done in Japan or if it were an American joke about a Japanese announcement.

Ryukishi has done it. He passed off Butler from RGD as Ushiromiya Kinzo and the fandom was in uproar and hype, turns out that he just bullshited us.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by einhorn303

Yeah, ANN always has a compilation of New Years jokes from Japanese companies, and I look forward to it ever year!

Actually, thanks for telling me about that- I looked it up, and found what I was thinking of! There was an announcement for what appeared to be a new Madoka Magica movie, but it was just a joke.

Originally Posted by Levani

Ryukishi has done it. He passed off Butler from RGD as Ushiromiya Kinzo and the fandom was in uproar and hype, turns out that he just bullshited us.

Really? That's funny! A cute idea, too.

[Katsu Koneko]

Well results are out for the popularity contest.

#1 Rena
#2 Rika
#3 Mion
#4 Keiichi
#5 Shion

[Levani]

I'm offended that Rika didn't win xDDDDDDDDD

Wait, what the heck, Teppei won against THIS much amount of characters? O_O

[GrAVit]

Originally Posted by Katsu Koneko

Well results are out for the popularity contest.

#1 Rena
#2 Rika
#3 Mion
#4 Keiichi
#5 Shion

Aww, I wish Hanyuu had made it into the top 5. Oh well, I guess 6 is fine too.

Who's 18th?

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by FXtreme

There's something about the April 1st message already on Tumblr (apparently it's already April 1st in Japan). I don't know what this is. Looks like something new.
http://nothingmuchiguess.tumblr.com/...-tri-anthology

Nope, that's the Sci-Fi thing! The pamphlet said something about it taking place in three different worlds, so it makes sense that it's a collaborative work, I guess. (I've also heard that only one of the worlds is actually sci-fi, but I dunno if that's confirmed yet.) Anyways, that character design has some definite playing card motifs... Brings to mind Alice in Wonderland!

[Levani]

I won't believe anything until April's Fools in Japan passes, people in JPN fandom are already suspecting that Ryu is trolling.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by Levani

I won't believe anything until April's Fools in Japan passes, people in JPN fandom are already suspecting that Ryu is trolling.

Eh, I believe it. This character is the same as the one in the teaser pamphlet. The outfit is the only thing different. If anything is a prank, I'd say it's the Visual Art's/Key collaboration bit, since that's the only thing that wasn't previously announced or hinted at.

Also, the other box says something about there being a revival of the original Hinamizawa Bus Stop stageplay.