Umineko is a kinetic visual novel (meaning that there are no choices, you only read) or a “sound novel”, like the developers said (more focused on the soundtrack and BGS), brilliantly written, and with a soundtrack so good that it will literally make you lose your time sense and just keep reading. All the characters have an important role in this story; you’ll love some of them, hate others, and even have mixed feelings between wanting to hug and punching them in the face for being so mean or dumb (aka “the best mom ever”, Beato, etc).

This is, without doubt, one of the best (if not the best) visual novel I’ve ever read. I have a special place in my heart for Higurashi (from the same developers), but Umineko is just… It gets to you. The first episode starts slowly, but I understand that’s necessary in order for the reader to get to know better the characters and how they normally act. But after that, things will change so drastically that you’ll wonder if you’re reading the same story you had been previously reading. Considering that there are four games worth of 50+ hours of reading in total, it’s worth every cent.

This is a must read for mystery fans. And keep your mind open, because lots of surprising things will happen. Choose the better explanation that suits your tastes. After all, it’s the Witch Hunt season. Uncover the truth with your own theories.

Welcome to Rokkenjima, and I wish you all luck in your hunt.

10/10.

If i have to choose my 5,000 hours combined dota2 Experience with this game,

322 out of 322 times will choose this game for sure.

This game makes the Danganronpa series look like a kindergarden school

Your whole life experience is represented in this game

Just remember to just keep on beleiving in RED

10/10

Give us Chiru please! :D

Umineko is, and always will be, the perfect mystery story to me. Don't let the fact that it's a visual novel from Japan put you off; it's not a tiddie tale. It's an undeniably thrilling magical murder mystery that, like its predecessor Higurashi, poses several questions over 4 arcs and then explains them in 4 answer arcs (known as Umineko Chiru). Compared to Higurashi though, Umineko is on a whole other league.

The story deals with mystery, murder, life & death, the occult, magic, choice, love, and even delves so deep as to deal with issues of identity amongst other things I can't mention due to spoilers. It also has some really fantastic music ranging from classical pieces to pussi-poppin' EDM(-ish) tracks.

I can't do this story justice with my words; let its own words explain why this story altered my life from the moment I first read it.

P.S. If the artstyle puts you off, try searching around for the PS3 patch (when it comes out for the Steam release), or play it with the original Ryukishi sprites.

Like Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion before it, reading Umineko no Naku Koro ni quite literally changed my life and perspective. You might think that sounds like ridiculous hyperbole--it's 'just' a Visual Novel, are you truly comparing it to one of the greatest high fantasy epics of all time? Yes, yes I am. Umineko touched something inside me that is difficult to explain in words alone, something that has to be experienced for yourself to be understood.

Even if you are not normally one to read Visual Novels, I would highly recommend Umineko (and have, many times before, to anyone that would listen to me--or would not listen to me. Occasionally I'd clamp on to random passers-by on the street), because it is anything but your average VN. Apart from one at the very end of the series (as in the Answer Arc, which will no doubt be released on Steam in time as well), there are no choices to be made, only a pure rollercoaster-ride of a novel to savour.

The only negative point I could possibly say is that, as I mentioned before, as of now only the Question Arc has been released on Steam, so when you have inevitably consumed the first four Episodes in 1-2 days filled with nothing but feverish reading, you'll have to look elsewhere for the Answer Arc--at least for the moment.

In short:

Do you revel in unraveling mysteries that actually challenge you instead of spoon-feeding you all the answers?

Umineko no Naku Koro ni is for you.

Do you enjoy a large cast of multi-layered, fascinating characters with complex motivations and an intricate plot?

Umineko no Naku Koro ni is for you.

Do you enjoy heart-wrenching piano pieces and/or some of the most upsweeping, flat-out badass electronic music you've ever come across; an OST so gripping to the point where Umineko was actually marketed as a Sound instead of a Visual Novel in Japan?

Umineko no Naku Koro ni is for you.

Did you watch the anime and come out disappointed, thinking the concept of it sounded infinitely better than its execution, which was marred by one-dimensional characters, more holes in its plot than a piece of cheddar, and nonsensical writing that was so inconsistent to the point it became actually impossible to solve the mystery?

Umineko no Naku Koro ni is for you.

Welcome to Rokkenjima. The Golden Witch extends her heartfelt greetings. Please, relax and put yourself at ease.

There's no need to think overly hard about any of this.
Quietly accept all that is about to happen.
That is all that's being asked of you...

Allow me to say something in red:

This is the greatest video game of all time.

I do not make this statement lightly. This game stole an entire summer from me; I never expected to lose 150 hours to a visual novel, but I did. Umineko kept me on the edge of my seat for a solid three months. An engrossing narrative, an unforgettable cast of characters, and a flawless original score firmly established it as my personal gold standard of video game storytelling. No other game has even come close to eliciting the feelings that Umineko did.

It's so hard to explain without spoiling! What starts as a murder mystery slowly unravels into a complex network of interesting story threads. Alternate timelines, debates on the existence and nature of magic, a tragic family history, and the self-deconstruction of the mystery genre; they all come together in a drama that constantly forces you to re-examine everything you think you know about what's going on.

It's a Kinetic Novel, which means you have no actual interaction with the story. Umineko never asks you to make a choice, or save-scum your way past dozens of BAD ENDS. There's no actual game-play in the game, because it's all going on in your head. You'll be trying to solve all of the mysteries right next to the characters in the game. Hell, I had to write down actual notes to keep tabs on certain key plot points.

I literally have a folder of everything I would need to re-install and re-patch the game on three separate USB hard drives, because I want to be able to play through this game one last time on my death bed.

Oh, let me tell you about the install process. You want to know what I had to do just to run this game three years ago? First, I had to download and install the original game. Then I had to patch it with the fan translation. Then I had to install the patch that replaces the original character and background art with the art made for the PS3 release.

Oh, and because Umineko is two games, I had to do this twice.

But no! Here comes MangaGamer, offering you and I the chance to easily download and install the game through Steam! Now you have no excuse not to play it!

And good on MangaGamer for using The Witch Hunt's translation. These guys deserve a Nobel Prize for putting out a fan translation with over a million lines.

There are some... unfortunate removals.

First, you're stuck with the the original background art. It's a minor thing, but it really clashes with the new sprite work.

Secondly, one of the most chilling moments from episode one was the first time I heard 'system0'. It plays during a pivotal scene, and it's made much more terrifying by opening with a voice clip from 'Star Trek: First Contact'. This voice clip is absent from this version, and I feel that something is lost in the process. There may have been other musical changes, but I haven't noticed any. Tsurupettan is still here THANK GOD!

Minor issues. You're still reading through the same text and listening to (mostly) the same music that had me spellbound for 150 hours. This game was a landmark moment in my life, and you would doing yourself a grave disservice to not play though it.

EDIT: The patch that adds voice acting and PS3 graphics is finally out! Go get it here


Don’t let my play time fool you, I’ve already read the entire thing through the old fan patch, apparently the translation on the steam release greatly improves on that already excellent translation, so I’m looking forward to rereading it all. In this review I will be covering mostly the technical aspects of Umineko, so I’ll avoid talking about the story – it is best to go in without knowing what you’re getting into.


Sound:

Originally this work was a sound novel and not a visual novel, so you can guess the sound has an extra layer of attention given to it, and it shows.

There are almost 200 songs in the entire soundtrack composed by 5+ different artists. The genres spam all the way from instrumental piano to psychedelic trance. The range is amazing and somehow it manages to deliver the most fitting song for each scene, regardless of the musical genre.
Notable songs on the question arc include Dreamenddischarger and Hope.

It’s a shame the steam version did not include voice acting, presumably because of licensing issues, as it is one of the best in the entire visual novel medium. The patch I linked will restore the voices along with the PS3 sprites and backgrounds which in my opinion look way better than the steam version.


Characters:

The cast is absolutely huge, by the end of the eight episode there were over 50 characters in total, but never at any point did it feel like there were more than it could handle, all of the characters had their own goals and motivations driving them forward and almost all of them had a significant impact on the story.
The characters are also well developed and become people you actually care about, each with their flaws and distinct personalities. This novel is exceptionally good on characterization, out of the 18 main characters there is not a single one that is bland, generic or reliant on character tropes and that in itself is an achievement.


Content:

This is the first four episodes of a series of eight episodes. It takes roughly 50 hours to read through the first four episodes (question arc), and another 50 hours to go through the final four (answer arc), one of the longest visual novels out there. It is very acclaimed by the western visual novel community as a whole, ranking up top 5 in rating on vndb. There is no sexual content on Umineko and nothing on the steam version was cut out or censored, making it the definitive version of one of the greatest visual novels to date.


Final thoughts:

This novel is a finely crafted masterpiece and a truly unforgettable experience. I urge everyone to give it a try, especially if you are a fan of visual novels, this is one you absolutely can’t miss.
There are reasons Umineko no Naku Koro ni is ranked #5 on vndb, and while I wrote a couple of them here, the rest is for you to enjoy.

My beloved visual novel, the sweet Steam release to read it through.
You who seek a great murder mystery, follow its path downscreen and seek the cart.

If you follow the path downscreen, you will find "add to cart".
In the cart, look for the purchase options the two will tell you of.
There sleeps the key to the Golden Land.

He who lays cursor upon the key shall travel under the rules below.

At the first twilight you shall lift up as sacrifice the cost chosen by the key.
At the second twilight, those who "purchase for myself" will tear apart those who "purchase as a gift".
At the third twilight, those who remain will praise this noble game.
At the fourth twilight, gouge the Steam wallet and kill.
At the fifth twilight, gouge the Paypal and kill.
At the sixth twilight, gouge the Paysafe card and kill.
At the seventh twilight, gouge the debit card and kill.
At the eighth twilight, gouge the credit card and kill.
At the ninth twilight, the game shall revive and the download shall complete.
At the tenth twilight, the installation shall end and you should reach the Golden Land.

The game will praise the buyer, and should bestow four treasures.
One shall be, all four chapters of the question arc.
One shall be, an improved English translation.
One shall be, Steam achievements and trading cards.
One shall be, to enjoy the game for all time.

Be enjoyed peacefully, my most beloved game, Umineko.

"Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart?"

No.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni, "When the Seagulls Cry," is a Japanese visual (or "Sound," rather) novel written and illustrated by Ryukishi07, i.e. the Higurashi guy. If you don't like visual novels and think they're just clogging up Steam's new releases, this game probably won't do much to change your mind. If you've even a little patience for or interest in the medium, however, you're in store for something special.

Umineko is a murder mystery, one the reader is actually expected to solve, or rather is capable of solving should they put their mind to it. In this sense, it is much more a game than one might initially give it credit for. Many authors during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction considered their works to be "Games," long-form logic puzzles in prose form complete with rules and regulations governing what was and wasn't fair to expect from the average reader. Umineko takes this sentiment to heart, earnestly wearing its inspiration on its sleeves. The murder mystery provided in Umineko is not an easy one – and you’re not yet able to check your answers in the back with this release alone – but the experience of trying to crack it is still worthwhile. If possible, I'd recommend playing though it alongside a friend to compare notes and observations. I'd also advise keeping a notebook and pencil handy, but that's just me.

Even if you've no mind for mysteries, however, the core story and characters are still quite compelling. Some will find the game to be a slow starter, but hey: you bought a visual novel. Them's the breaks. There's a lot more to say here but I'll let the game keep some secrets.

Instead I'll comment on the music, the glue that holds Umineko together. As I mentioned at the start of this review, Umineko's more of a "Sound" novel than it is a "Visual" novel, and was even marketed as such in Japan. I'll not mince words: Umineko's OST is fantastic. The tracks themselves are excellent and memorable on their own merits, but when paired up with the game they really elevate the experience. Umineko's writing is fairly on-point in terms of telling the story it wants to tell, but the exact wording and phrasing of things is sometimes a little clunky. It is then the music which compensates, adjusting the tone and shaping the reader's mood. It is absolutely my favorite video game soundtrack, and anyone who turns it off or down or replaces it or tries to play with broken speakers is doing themselves a huge disservice.

On the artsy end of things, this release comes packed with Ryukishi07's own original art alongside some updated character portraits stripped from a pachinko machine. The new art is uneven and not nearly as good as the PS3 release's - there'll probably be a fan patch for that at some point. The old art is, putting it politely, "Crude," but full of personality and its own homespun charm. It's certainly how I'll be replaying the game.

Finally, it should probably be be noted that this is only the first half of Umineko, but it still constitutes a full-bodied game well worth the price of admission.

I might not be able to give an objective opinion, but for me, Umineko is one of those stories that only comes around once in a decade. The kind of story that changes the way you think, that challenges your perceptions of reality in all sorts of ways. What is real, what is truth? Are our perceptions and beliefs reliable? And what is the importance of the human heart in the pursuit of truth? You'll come out after reading it a different person that you were before, and I wish so much that I could just erase my memory of Umineko so I could experience it for the first time all over again. But that won't stop me from replaying it 2, or 5 times, because with the amount of depth hidden behind every line, there's something new to uncover, so you'll never really be done with it.

Umineko presents itself first and foremost as a traditional murder mystery inspired by the likes of Agatha Chritie's 'And Then There Were None'. And as a murder mystery, it's already successful. It's full of very memorable characters that the story will give you adequate time to get to know, again and again. You'll have your first impressions of the 18 original cast, then those impressions will be overturned once you see their ugly sides, and they'll be turned over again a couple more times as the story continues to present you with different perspectives and interpretations, leaving it up to the reader to decide who to empathise with and who to pass judgement upon. Being a visual novel, the story itself is accompanied by an amazing soundtrack; one of the best soundtracks in the history of gaming, filled with an eclectic array of compositions to match all the differing atmospheres the story presents, but I'll let the OST speak for itself. Because there's more to Umineko than just a cool mystery novel. The real majesty of Umineko starts showing it's face around Episode 2, after the initial premise has had time to sink in.

Suddenly, the story ends up taking a unique turn, diving into the realm of metafiction as the philosophical undertones take center stage as you're suddenly tossed into a battle of twisted logic to determine the truth behind the murder mysteries on the island. It's hard to explain without spoiling too much, but the story provides a very unique tool to both challenge readers and assist them in uncovering the truth behind the events. This particular 'red' device is a huge hook for the series for me, and something which always keeps me coming back, turning debates of logic into something really exciting to watch (and participate in).

Make no mistake; this is a game, a game that you the reader are invited to participate in. There may be no interactivity and no choices, but it would be a mistake to assume that this is the kind of media you just consume and let go. When you read Umineko, bring a notepad, make Battler's mission your own. And don't forget to share your thoughts and theories with others as you read, it's a lot more fun to bounce speculations off others as you read. On Rokkenjima we have an entire forum dedicated to discussing this; joining a community to discuss the story is a great way to enhance your enjoyment.

Seeing Umineko released on Steam after all these years is a miracle come true. Umineko is a cult classic for a reason. It may be slow to start and it may have some writing or art that might be considered a bit rough for some people, but give it a chance. If it impacts you even half as much as it did me, it's the kind of story you'll be thinking about for years, and will be raving about to all your friends that they HAVE to take the time to read. If you don't believe me, just look at all the other reviews.

Also, to all those complaining about the new art, give it a shot! You might end up loving it more than any of the alternatives.