Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi

This time the 5 protagonists (plus a new supporting role) the history of the 3 leading families of Hinamizawa, lead by the Sonozaki family whose heiress is Mion. It's set at the same time as Chapter 1, with Keiichi having just moved to the village and the Festival coming up. As in Chapter 1, things get messy during and right after the Festival. Really messy this time. And by saying that, I mean really, really, really messy. The story is even better this time, the characters better worked out, and there's much more suspense, much more horror, many more questions. As in Ch.1, the first act is slow, mostly in school, setting the stage. It's shorter this time, and that's good. The third act might shake up what came to know and love in Ch.1 quite a lot. Enough said, any more would be a major spoiler. Just so much: I shed quite a lot of tears in Ch.3. Anyway, as in the previous chapter, once you finished, the Extra unlocks, which discusses the events from the view of the actors playing Mion and everyone else (that's what they say they are and what's reasonable considering it's a different story and the dead have risen) who get together to read the scipt for Ch.3. Of course, many questions remain unanswered to tease Ch.3, which I will buy right now. Strong suggestion! But if haven't yet, play Ch.1 before starting this one.

If you read the free chapter 1 and you wonder what could come next, I assure you'll like this. This is a different story, longer and deeper into some characters and let's say it have a fair share of surprises, twists, and psychological impact. This "game" has no gameplay. But to solve the mystery, you will have to patch the clues together and make your own theory. Like reading a good mystery book. It's fun! PS: use the fan patch for better graphics, interface, and voice acting.

It was surprising to see how Watanagashi followed the exact same structure as Onikakushi, but still, it seemed like a whole different story. Onikakushi was so tense that it became suffocating, but a bit predictable as Keiichi's fate could be seen from miles. Watanagashi is different, though. I didn't feel the previous tension, but the plot was much sadder. You aren't worrying just about Keiichi. You're concerned about a group of characters being destroyed. Yet, there's still a chance to save someone, so you keep holding that hope until the ending (and its endless plot twists). I can't wait to read the next one.

Mion was already my favorite after Ch.1, and her being on the cover of this one had me looking forward to more of her awesomeness. Well, in more ways than one it is here. In short, the warning about the difficulty being rather high is quite fair.