Should I buy Higurashi on PS4?

[bakauchuujin]

Currently Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Hou is up for pre order for PS4 and I wonder if that is an edition of Higurashi that fans of Higurashi recommend. Other than it being a non eroge horror mystery that has gore in it I don't really know anything about it but due to its high rating and popularity I figure it is worth picking up. So since I have decided that I plan to get it some point in time I wonder what edition is recommended? Should I go for the PS4 version which to my knowledge is the same as the switch version or the same as the PS3 version with some extras introduced on the switch or should I go for the PC version? Btw I know it is in japanese and I know enough japanese that reading it probably won't be too difficult for me.

[Yuuko]

Do not get it at all because reading all contents of it will take more than 300 hours

[Dreamysyu]

Well, even if you get the PS4 version, I definitely don't recommend to read all the arcs in it. I didn't read the console exclusive arcs myself, but I've seen some comments about them of Fuwa (by people who aren't active anymore), and pretty much all of them said that these arcs are worse than the original ones. I recommend reading:

1. Original arcs from Higurashi and Higurashi Kai, obviously.
2. Saikoroshi-hen, the main story of the fanfisc, Higurashi Rei.
3. Two arcs based on Onisarashi-hen manga. I didn't read them, but the manga itself is pretty good, unlike all other original Higurashi manga I tried to read. Edit. Or you can read the manga itself, of course.

All the other arcs that aren't completely comedic in nature seem to be ranging from below average to outright bad, so I recommend skipping them.

OR you can go with the NEW English PC version, but note that even though it uses improved character graphics (and the original PC graphics in Higurashi look like shit), it doesn't have voices, unless you apply unofficial patches. Just note that not all the translated arcs are released at the moment, so if you go with this version, you can't read it to the end right now (only 6 of 8 arcs of the main story are released right now).

Edited October 4, 2018 by Dreamysyu

[bakauchuujin]

Ye I already know about the voices thing, which is one of the things pushing me towards getting the PS4 edition instead, generally I would want to support companies like MG by buying it in english, but it just seems like the japanese version is superior. Also there is the fact that MG have yet to confirm a physical edition so not even sure that they are going to release it physically in the future. Pretty much what I want to figure out is if there is any sizeable advantages with the New PC version over the console version that would make me consider not buying it. If not I will likely buy the PS4 edition.

Edited October 4, 2018 by bakauchuujin

[Dreamysyu]

Well, I'm not sure if the PS4 edition is going to be the same, but, unlike the original game, the PS3 version has routes. The original Higurashi is a kinetic novel where each new chapter serves as something similar to a new route. To be honest, I really don't think that making Higurashi into a multiple-route VN was a good idea, because a) the order of chapters in Higurashi is very important, a lot of important things wouldn't work at all if you read them out of order. Though, I don't know, if you follow the recommended route order, it probably isn't going to matter that much. b) Unlike it usually is in VN, in Higurashi you don't have to reread the whole common route before you enter the main meat of the story. Each new arc only gives you small portions of what would normally be the common route, and you only read it all when you reach the 6th chapter. If you make it all into one giant route, then the pacing will definitely suffer. So, I don't know, the PS4 version is definitely going to have a lot better production values, but I'm really not sure that reading it first would be a very good idea.

Also, I actually found a post by a person who read it, and he recommends to follow the PC version:

 

[bakauchuujin]

39 minutes ago, Dreamysyu said:

Well, I'm not sure if the PS4 edition is going to be the same, but, unlike the original game, the PS3 version has routes. The original Higurashi is a kinetic novel where each new chapter serves as something similar to a new route. To be honest, I really don't think that making Higurashi into a multiple-route VN was a good idea, because a) the order of chapters in Higurashi is very important, a lot of important things wouldn't work at all if you read them out of order. Though, I don't know, if you follow the recommended route order, it probably isn't going to matter that much. b) Unlike it usually is in VN, in Higurashi you don't have to reread the whole common route before you enter the main meat of the story. Each new arc only gives you small portions of what would normally be the common route, and you only read it all when you reach the 6th chapter. If you make it all into one giant route, then the pacing will definitely suffer. So, I don't know, the PS4 version is definitely going to have a lot better production values, but I'm really not sure that reading it first would be a very good idea.

Taking that into consideration I definitely have to think a bit more before I decide to buy it. Thanks for the info.

[Funyarinpa]

It's a 200+ hour game. A portable version might be worth it (Vita, hint hint nudge nudge) but I'd recommend you to think long and hard on if you really want to spend 200 hours reading Japanese text on your PS4.

[bakauchuujin]

Considering the length of it and that it has a multi route system where it shouldn't I have now decided not to pick it up. I originally thought that it was about 100 hours long, but 200 or 300 hours seems a bit too long for me since I have other things to read in japanese.