Witch-Hunt also has a full demo version
here - includes complete 1st arc ("episode 1"), though I'm not sure if you need to have the game installed already to install the demo.
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anime - 26 episodes
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manga series
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Umineko no Naku Koro Ni --> mystery/detective/mild horror/gore/suspense/drama
The plot is based on a closed circle/detective mystery premise - the characters ("guests") are all members of the Ushiromiya. A storm traps them during a reunion at the island of their family home, upon which time odd things begin to happen, and people begin to turn up mysteriously dead.
The murders puzzle and terrify the guests, until a woman named "Beatrice" appears who claims to be a witch - apparently she made a deal with the guests' father, Kinzo, many years ago, for 10 tons of gold to restore his fortune.
Beatrice left a riddle (epitaph, what you will) - the one who solves it receives the gold and becomes the next head of the family. Until the riddle is solved, people will continue to die in accordance to the riddle itself...if the riddle comes to an end without being solved, Beatrice will fully revive.
However one character, Battler, believes that there's no way magic can be causing the murders, and because of this the riddle cannot be completed. He seeks to defeat Beatrice in a game of logic, reviewing the events of the island to show that a human was behind all the strange events, and prove that neither witches nor magic exist.
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Someone I knew previously told me the anime series was VERY different from the game, because it takes a different track from the original game plot. I've only ever watched a few episodes into the anime, but from the wiki articles and the info floating around the web, there's major plot differences.
Personally I've never yet played the game (or any visual novel game, tbh) but I hope to once I have time. Fyi to the visual/artfart sort, the anime is BEAUTIFULLY done; the game's art is...well you can see the art comparison above - the three characters center on the game art are the same three featured in the magazine clip for the anime.
But the storyline's what matters!
Be warned though: there's a lot of time jumping and flashbacks/forwards (in the most LITERAL sense of the word) involved.
Plotwise, Umineko is highly convoluted and will almost definitely give you a headache trying to keep up. Not to say that the plottwists and reveals aren't well worth that.
The anime's somewhat gory and mildy creepy, but nothing to keep you up at night. I'm not sure about the game. Though from the clips I watched on Youtube - the derpy art actually makes it rather creepy for some reason...the characters' expressions especially.
If anyone's played the game and watched the anime, or has a pretty good knowledge/experience of both, leave a comment please - I'd like to hear!
I'll either update this or make a new post as I finish the anime, and later the game. c:
UPDATE 2012-August-19: I added the link to the manga series - I didn't know there was one, but it looks so far to be like the anime~
UPDATE 2012-August-20: Stipulation of the game links - as mentioned above, you need to have the original Japanese version of the game installed in order for the patches to work. You won't be able to play by just having those downloads. Sorry folksies, I was disappointed too. :c
UPDATE 2012-August-21: I just watched again from the beginning - I didn't remember anymore so nothing made sense until I started over. :I
The plot is very much the type where you best not blink or look away, but not because you'll necessarily miss a visual detail - you'll just be extremely confused later on if you don't keep track of the lines of both Beatrice's and Battler's arguments. That being said, poor Battler. Well, poor everybody really, even poor Beatrice. You'll probably end up just feeling generally bad for everyone
except Bernkastel and Lambdadelta but YMMV.
I still have somewhat iffy feelings about the anime though - after the last ep, I tried to go online and find out if it was like the game. I found various forum discussions saying NOT SO, and especially of the last ep. The story's still very intriguing, and personally I'd like to see the real thing. So I wish to play the game, if I can find a free download for it someplace. Expect a link up top if I do. c:
P.S. don't miss the epilogue at the end of the last ep. I quit at the ED credits and then found out and went back to watch it.
EDIT: Sorry guys, took the links down because of copyright issues. :c They're very easily found through Google though, don't worry.
