https://gematsu.com/wpcontent/uploads/2018/04/HigurashinoNakuKoroniHouSwitch042718.jpg Before starting this review id like to explain that i am talking about the visual novel of higurashi and that this review is only about the first arc known as Onikakushihen https://whentheycry.fandom.com/wiki/Onikakushihen since i havent experienced the rest of the series yet this review will only contain spoilers from this arc and my opinions about some things might change along the way. With this being explained ill now start the review. The story is about a boy named Maebara Keiichi who ends up moving to an isolated village in Japan and after a month there he starts to uncover a series of murders that happen anually and since then he grows more and more suspicious of his friends. Although i kinda hated the slice of life sections the way the story is told is truly interesting to me you have no idea if you should trust the protagonist and the things happening around him or if hes already completely delusional. This was a really refreshing and cool way to present a horror story in my eyes i hate most edgy horror movies and anime and despite being kinda boring the slice of life sections made me enjoy all the characters The contrast between the first chapters of the arc and the end of it are clear. Since this was the first arc of the series i thought that i wouldnt know almost anything about the characters but the story presents a lot about the main trio and even a little bit of Satoko but she ends up being kinda forgotten in this first arc the only one thats still shrouded in total mystery is Rika. Keiichi was a specially entertaining protagonist to play on this first person perspective specially since hes one of the only Visual Novel protagonists i know that doesnt act like a blank paper for selfinsert and i really liked his personality in the slice of life sections of the game i also liked a lot of his quirks idk how to say this in a better way during the horror section of the game. As keiichi slowly started to break bonds with all of the girls i felt really bad for the situation and it even made me relate to him in a way the struggle he felt while having to distance himself from the people he cared the most was really the real horror of the story for me but yeah rikas bizarre laugh still made me have some nightmares lol. The way he tried his best to pretend like they were only demons or false versions of his friends was interesting to see. In resume the first chapter is an introduction to all the mysteries of Hinamizawa as well as a really well structured tragedy of its own making you care for all of the main characters just to then see them slowly breaking apart and eventually killing each other.