Psychological horror game Higurashi When They Cry Hou is expected for the Nintendo Switch in late July 2018, although U.S. fans won’t be receiving the game in the eShop any time soon.
Psychological horror series When They Cry is headed over to a brand new console this summer for Japanese gamers. Higurashi When They Cry Hou launches on the Nintendo Switch in July 2018.
Higurashi When They Cry Hou is the 2014 updated remaster of the original Higurashi When They Cry, which launched on PC in 2002. The Higurashi series follows a group of students in rural Hinamizawa, Japan, as newcomer Keiichi Maebara finds one of his new friends murdered after the Watanagashi Festival. The series has gone on to inspire both visual novel and horror creators alike, regularly showing up on VN recommendation lists (albeit, with warnings not to play the game in the dark).
Higurashi’s Nintendo Switch release displays in HD while docked and comes with 19 chapters from the game as well three new scenarios: Outbreak, Outbreak Kami Kashimashi, and Teiryujo. The Switch release even includes a “Quiz Oyashiro Ver. 2018” mode, along with theme songs and music from the game’s original console releases.
Porting Higurashi When They Cry Hou over to the Nintendo Switch certainly raises some eyebrows. The game is known for its unsettling content and graphic imagery, clashing with Nintendo’s family-friendly image. On the other hand, developer Wolfgang Wozniak previously told The OP that Nintendo of Japan is generally much more flexible about accepting indie game pitches, which could explain for the title’s appearance on the console.
Either way, Japanese Switch owners can pick up Higurashi When They Cry Hou on July 26. No other regions have been announced yet.
H/T Siliconera
