Umineko When They Cry (Question Arc) reviews

Sometimes there are things you experience-in the realm of reality as in the realm of fiction-that cannot be translated into words. By thinking about it, you lose yourself in an immense and limitless universe; but when you talk about it, the words you pronounce are ridiculously small, and don't reflect the sensations you felt compared to that experience, no matter how much you try. Umineko is one of those things. Firstly, what is "Umineko no Naku Koro NI", or "the Sanglot of the gulls", if we wanted to rely on the French translation of his sister work, "the Sanglot des Cigales"? It is a sound novel, particularly long, with a duration of eight volumes. Entirely linear, that is, without any scriptical choices left to the reader, this game contains the first four volumes of the series. As for the flaws of the game, there is first of all no French translation. It takes a certain level to be able to read it; the translation was done by the witch-hunt team, who would probably deserve a medal for having had the courage to translate a VN as long (more than 150 hours if we count the eight volumes). But if we already have a certain level in English, this cannot be considered a real flaw. Then the drawings: the steam version contains new sprites, which are far from having the merit of the originals (often judged "ugly", but which have the advantage of tremendously show the feeling of the characters) or the PS3 sprites, much more cared for. And that stops there. There is no more defect from here than one could mention. (EDIT: in the end, the original sprites were added to the VN, in addition to new ones! They are therefore available for the nostalgic and the curious.) This Visual novel-or rather, sound novel-is a masterpiece of writing. Clearly inspired by Agatha Christie's "ten little Negroes", the reader is invited to follow the noble and wealthy family of the Ushiromiya on the island of Rokkenjima, a private island that was bought by the eldest of the family, an old man named Kinzo. This one does not have much time to live. As the adults discuss the inheritance, the younger ones have fun with each other. But many legends are hovering on the island: the witch Beatrice, whose portrait rests in the entrance to the Manor, would once have given ten tons of gold to the eldest of the family. The epitaph, built under the portrait, would be the object of an Enigma that could lead to this richness. Are these ten tons of gold real? Is Beatrice a mere legend, or does she really exist? What is the answer to the Enigma of the epitaph? But, soon, it is no longer the debates about inheritance, nor the questions concerning the legends of the island that are at the Centre of attention; as the storm arrives and catches our eighteen protagonists on Rokkenjima, the misfortune seems to happen at the same time as the scathing rain... One could think of a simple detective novel, a simple remake of the "ten little Negroes"; but Umineko offers much more than that. Umineko is a detective novel and a wonderful novel at the same time, involving beings who transcend human understanding; Yet the mystery of the police in time remains intact. What is the truth? What is an illusion? Can several truths coexist? Without ever separating from the mystery of Rokkenjima, the author illustrates answers to many questions, about the very nature of truth and illusion, but also about human nature, thus seeking to paint characters to which the whole humanity can identify themselves. It is also a story that questions how stories should be told. I look good, I know no story similar to that of Umineko in its form of extraordinary writing: the author manages to master every facet of the scenario as a conductor would manage to lead a hundred musicians at once, not leaving a single stray. The complexity of the form of writing itself is sufficient to speak of a masterpiece. Finally, the music; as it is a sound novel more than a Visual novel, we find a large number of OSTs inside the game, all more successful than the others, reflecting perfectly such a sensation that the reader must experience with such a scene. In short: If you are able to read in English and you like the Visual novels, take a look at this masterwork. In fact, even if you don't like Visual novels in General, maybe Umineko can make you change your mind; for, before even being a masterpiece of writing, Umineko is a universal reflection on human nature and the perception of the world around us, which will be able to touch whoever reads it, for little that it is human.