REVIEW - Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode I: Legend of the Golden Witch (2007)

Visual Novels normally have some gameplay element to them in order to keep the player invested in what they're interacting with. After all, without any sort of interactivity between the player and game, how is the player going to be happy with their purchase? Well, a certain Japanese company known as 07th Expansion thrive on making a certain type of visual novel, called a sound novel. It first started in 2002 with the infamous "Higurashi When They Cry" games. Higurashi was praised by people around the world for it's intricate plot, characters and - as is the selling point of a sound novel - an amazing atmosphere. It didn't have any interactive elements, no choices no nothing. It was an appalling game to look at too, with characters having hands that resembled boxing gloves. However, what if you took the best elements of a Higurashi game, threw in Battler Ushiromiya and added some elements that are reminiscent of Kara no Shoujo?

Umineko no Naku Koro ni I: Legend of the Golden Witch would be your answer.

(Note: This is a review of the 2007 original with a Translation patch by The Witch Hunt. The graphics have not been altered and the game does not have voice work. There is a version with a voice and graphics patch available on the PS3 or as a mod for the original)

If you're familiar with the Umineko no Naku Koro ni anime, you'll be comfortable with the plot of the Visual/Sound Novel. The plot centers around the Ushiromiya family coming together for their annual family conference on the island of Rokkenjima. The first game focuses on Battler Ushiromiya and him returning to the conference for the first time in six years. If you've watched at least the first five episodes of the anime, the story to Legend of the Golden Witch should be a tad familiar to you. There are extra descriptions as to what goes on in the story, but as such, the basic plot and major scenes are the same.

October 4th, 1986 - Rokkenjima, Japan.

The Ushiromiya family gathers on Rokkenjima, a small island off the coast of Japan, for their annual family conference to discuss how the inheritance of the ailing family head, Kinzo, will be distributed among his children and their spouses. Battler, who has not attended the conference in six years, notices a new painting in the foyer of the mansion. He is told that it is a portrait of the "Golden Witch" Beatrice, who had supposedly given Kinzo all his wealth, and who Kinzo desires to see again. Battler, however, does not believe in witches or magic, and doubts she exists. A typhoon approaches the island, and Maria is left outside by her mother Rosa while searching for a wilted rose George had marked for her in the garden. When it begins to rain, Battler, Jessica, George, Kanon, and Rosa go outside to find Maria with an umbrella she did not have before, which Maria says Beatrice gave her.

During dinner, no one admits to giving Maria her umbrella, leaving them to wonder if there is a nineteenth resident in addition to the original eighteen guests. After everyone finishes eating, Maria reads a letter she claims to have received from Beatrice earlier, reading that Beatrice will take everything from the Ushiromiya family if no one can solve the witch's cryptic epitaph, much to the guests' concern. Later, George proposes to Shannon, and asks her to wordlessly give her reply the next day by wearing the ring on a finger of her choosing. The following morning, Krauss, Rudolf, Rosa, Kyrie, Shannon, and Toshiro have gone missing, and the phone lines are out. Natsuhi is informed of a strange symbol drawn on the outdoor tool shed. While the others investigate the matter, Battler, Jessica, and George follow to discover the missing people brutally murdered inside, with Shannon wearing George's ring on her left ring finger. 

While attempting to figure out what had happened, the remaining guests discover that their radio is not working, effectively leaving them stranded on the island with the culprit until the typhoon passes. They also quickly discover that Kinzo has gone missing as well. Battler and the rest of the family come up with the theory that one of the eighteen people on the island is posing as Beatrice in an attempt to claim Kinzo's inheritance. The three primary suspects are the servants, who have access to the entire mansion; Natsuhi, who was the last person seen with Kinzo; and Eva, who has the most to gain from the murders. However, after a heated argument between Natsuhi and Eva, they are unable to come to a definitive answer and return to their rooms. Later, Eva and Hideyoshi are found to have been murdered in their locked room. 

Everybody tries to determine how Eva and Hideyoshi could have been killed when an odd smell begins to fill the mansion. Kanon goes to investigate the boiler room along with Chiyo, but is mortally wounded in the process. The rest of the family and staff arrive and discover the dying Kanon, as well as Kinzo's partially incinerated body. They decide to retreat to Kinzo's study, which should be the safest room in the house. After they enter, however, a letter from Beatrice mysteriously appears. Since Genji, Terumasa, Chiyo, or Maria are the only possible suspects for planting the letter, Natsuhi forces them to leave the study. Later that night, the phone rings with Maria singing on the other end. Natsuhi, Battler, George, and Jessica rush downstairs to find Genji, Terumasa, and Chiyo murdered and Maria standing in the corner, still singing. 

Upon being pressed about the murders, Maria tells them that Beatrice is the culprit, though Battler refuses to accept this explanation. As they argue, Natsuhi bars everyone inside the room and demands Beatrice show herself. By the time everyone breaks out of the room, they see Natsuhi as she drops dead, apparently having committed suicide. Golden butterflies soon fill the room, and the remaining survivors are killed. Afterward, everyone is brought to Purgatory, revived and joking about how they should have solved the epitaph rather than determine who was committing the murders. However, everyone except Battler is convinced that the culprit is a witch. When Battler insists that everything that happened could have been carried out by human means, he is confronted by Beatrice herself, who challenges Battler to prove that the murders were not caused by magic. Later, Beatrice discusses the events she has set into motion with a rival witch, Bernkastel , who plans to lend her own powers to assist Battler.

Now as confusing as that is to some, if you follow the plot along and don't skip anything, you're in for one of the most intense plots a visual novel could ever have. Twists and turns come along every few pages, and the gore just absolutely seals it for me. Scary, intense, full of character and atmosphere. A perfect VN plot line.

Unfortunately, this "game" doesn't actually have gameplay. You're just sitting and reading what's going on in the story while occasionally looking at the menu to see if anything new has been added to the Tips, Character Profiles (which change when a character goes missing or dies) and - if you're playing the English version - the Grimoire. While it's a trademark for a sound novel to not have gameplay...I'm sorry but no gameplay is just not good enough.

Graphically speaking the original Legend of the Golden WItch surprised me heavily. Completed only a few months after the final Higurashi game, Umineko looks as though it was done by a completely different artist. It's not a great looking game by any means but as someone who came straight off of Higurashi this looks much better and it goes to show that 07th Expansion aren't afraid to improve themselves. The opening movie is well animated, even if it uses a lot of stock images. The characters are well stylized and shoe emotions well and the background, while just a bunch of posterized photo's, work well with the atmosphere of the game world.

The soundtrack that is played during Legend of the Golden Witch is actually pretty good. Sure, one or two songs get ear gradingly annoying but as a whole, the soundtrack is pretty good for the second project by 07th Expansion. The opening song isn't as good as the anime's, but it still goes well with the whole "latin bomba" thing the series seems to have.

Overall, Legend of the Golden Witch gets the Umineko ball rolling. While it's a terrible game to play due to the lack of gameplay,  it's an amazing one to experience with some decent graphics and a stellar soundtrack. If you liked Higurashi, you'll like Umineko.

JESUS, GEORGE LOOKS FUCKIN' CREEPY HERE

Story: 10

Gameplay: 1

Graphics: 7

Sound: 9

Personal Enjoyment: 7

FINAL SCORE FOR UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI I: LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN WITCH: 6.6/10