Hello everyone! I always wanted to tackle the Umineko games since visual novels are one of my favorite genres especially since it is said to be one of the best visual novels ever. After playing and loving games such as the House in Fata Morgana and 13 sentinels I have very high expectations even though the game is a huge undertaking considering it is around 150 hours. I went in as blind as possible with the only information being that the game is a murder mystery a la Agatha Christie.
I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions with you all since I personally love to see discussions about games that I love from people that are experiencing the game for the first time. This will also serve as some sort of chronicles of my experience with the game.
SPOILERS BELOW for episode 1 of the game.
I have been playing the game using the Umineko Project and I am glad I made that decision since the voice acting has enhanced the game for me and has definitely helped with the less interesting parts. Kenzo's voice and his ramblings about Beatrice in particular were a highlight of the chapter. I have seen that finding the game not very interesting until around the talk between the siblings with regards to Krauss' embezzlement of the fortune. It felt very much like I was watching an episode of succession. While the beginning was not too boring and I appreciated the good job it did in introducing the characters, the fight between the siblings was when the game griped me and did not let me go.
I truly did not expect six people to die right out of the gate, especially such important characters such as Krauss, Rudolf, and Rosa which did make me miss seeing the characters interact with others and develop. I was also very shocked at how brutal their deaths turned out to be. I am familiar with darker stories, Fata Morgana tackles some very heavy issues, however I did not expect this game to get so dark so fast. As soon as the first murder occur, the game does not stop and I really enjoyed how creepy the tone and atmosphere of the story is.
The isolation of the island combined with the constant sound of rain and thunder reminded me of The Lighthouse and its fog horn which when the noise goes missing it only adds to the dread of the scene. Anytime the story moved towards the discovery of the new set of dead bodies, I was on the edge of my seat filled with dread especially since I did not think that all of the characters were going to be dead by the end of the first chapter. The section between Kannon and Genji discovering Eva and Hideyoshi's bodies until his eventual murder in the boiler room was exhilarating. I especially enjoyed the raw emotion that we got to see whenever the murders were discovered. Going through the episode felt like reading a full novel which makes sense with how long the episode is.
Onto the characters, I found them to be very enjoyable and I am excited to learn about them more and see how they developed. I found all of the adults and the servants to be entertaining and gripping from the beginning with especial mention going to Genji's never breaking composure which makes me believe that he is hiding something but at the same time feeling sorry for the humiliation that he suffers at the end of the episode and Natsuhi's growth of going from a very passive character to one of the most important and with the most personality. Any talk that involved the adult of the family or the servants was never boring and truly enjoyable.
I appreciated Hideyoshi's attempt to deflate the situation whenever Eva and her passive-aggressiveness began as well as how easy it was for him to get along with the children. I felt extremely bad for poor Kumasawa who seemed to be terrified more than anyone else and my heart broke when she was crying and pleading to stay in the study after being blamed for poor Kannon's death. While Krauss just seems like an asshole that only cares about himself and his business, I enjoyed how he turned his predicament around to his siblings. I am excited to learn more about Rudolf but I really like his character nonetheless since his voice actor also voices Yoshikage Kira in All Star Battle so I picture Kira speaking every time. I feel also very bad for poor Kyrie who as not allowed to join the conversation at all while also having to endure all of it. She is a character that I wanted to be with during the story when others were acting irrational. Rosa just seemed like a mother who is dissatisfied with her life and who hates her daughter. The scene where she abuses Maria was especially difficult to read and hear even though one can understand her frustration. While I understand that a difference in culture dictates that the characters should not do anything while she was abusing her daughter, it was nonetheless very difficult to not get angry with the other them as they just leave Maria to get physically abused by her mother.
I am still not the biggest fan of the cousins and almost all of the slow and less interesting parts of the story occurred when they were talking between each other. I like George the most for now, especially his relationship with Shannon although the imbalance of power between the two of them makes the relationship seem less romantic than it is. Battler and Jessica are just fine for now although I did feel very bad for them given all they had to go through. I admire Battler's tenacity to oppose and not believe that Beatrice exists. I am, however, very excited to see how they develop throughout the story. When it comes to Maria though, I was not a fan at all, the voice acting and the constant uu is insufferable and while I understand why her character behaves the way that she does, a part of me wanted the others to get rid of her as soon as she started supporting and welcoming Beatrice and the murders that were occurring. I hope her character improves in the future.
The tea party and the ??? sections really helped in getting the player excited for the next episodes to come so they were welcomed additions although I did not know you had to do the in order to unlock the next chapter. I know that the game tells you to not believe everything that is shown to you and what the witch is saying, however, I am not very good with theory crafting and I simply want to enjoy the ride as it goes so I cannot tell whether magic did or did not happen when the murders occurred. For Kannon's death especially I am finding it difficult to come up with an explanation that has to do with human tricks. In the end I am not trying too hard to play detective and use logic to solve the riddles before I have more information. I truly am looking forward to seeing how the story continues and if I will be able to solve the mystery myself!
Below are some questions that I have come up with after the end of the chapter which the answer may or not may be available at this time.
i. Is Beatrice only just a witch or was she a real person?
ii. Why did Maria make the charms?
iii. Is there a hidden reason that Battler is so adamant to believe that Beatrice is real?
iv. What is the Golden Land?
v. What is Beatrice’s goal?
vi. Why did Rudolf know he was going to die?
vii. Did Eva and Hideyoshi know they were going to die?
viii. Is Genji hiding something?
ix. How did the six people get to the storage area?
x. How did Beatrice get Kenzo out of the study room?
xi. Why did Natsuhi commit suicide?
xii. Did I hear seagulls right before Eva and Hideyoshi’s death?
xiii. Why is exist in parenthesis when some characters such as Kanon talk about Beatrice? Is it because she doesn’t have a human form?
xiv. Is there a connection between the seven deadly sins daggers and the people that got killed with them?

Seen all the “success” stories for 35 so I thought I’d share my experience.
Submitted application on 5/4 for a travel date of 6/9; paid for expedited process and 1-2 day shipping.
Began processing on 5/5.
Still in process as of last Tuesday 5/30, so I contacted Senator’s office and began calling NPIC.
FINALLY was able to get through to NPIC and they flagged it as urgent and Senator’s office provided me with privacy release.
Continued contacting NPIC with no help (on 5/3 at 10:45 am was offered an appointment in El Paso at 11:00am—I’m in North Alabama).
Reached back out to Senator’s office this morning and they confirmed they set up an appointment for me at 11:00am Wednesday in New Orleans.
Will be driving to New Orleans tomorrow afternoon and will update on Wednesday.

New Orleans, LA: 6/10
My birthplace. The city is teeming with culture and history that spans over 300 years. Most of the touristy parts of the city are pretty walkable, with added street cars. The French Quarter is full of tourists, but fun, and Uptown, and the Marigny is more laid back, truly something for everyone. The food is amazing and having Mardi Gras off is always a bonus. On the flip side, the crime. It’s never been good but since 2020 it’s been really fucking bad. Carjackings and homicide make the nightly news every day. The streets are also always buckled or full of potholes on account of the city being below sea level. Also the city sits in one of the most hurricane vulnerable areas in existence. Katrina displaced us for a year, and every time we’re in the cone for a storm, everyone that remembers Katrina has PTSD flashbacks.
Gulfport/Biloxi, MS: 7.5/10
This is the closest metro area to New Orleans on the gulf. A lot of people from NOLA have beach houses here, especially in Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian. It’s much more laid back than NOLA and everything here revolves around the water: Fishing, boating, sailing, seafood, etc. Biloxi also has the most casinos between Vegas and Atlantic City. Mardi Gras is a thing here too. The beaches on the mainland are alright, (free, parking everywhere). The water is kinda murky, but there are undeveloped barrier islands 10-ish miles offshore that you can get to by ferry or private boat (which most people here have) and the water there rivals Florida’s. Hurricanes are a problem here too. Katrina absolutely fucked this area up, like worse than New Orleans.
Mobile, AL: 4.5/10
Where I go to college. The city is a big port destination. The downtown area is reminiscent of New Orleans but not nearly as cool. They claim to be home to the oldest Mardi Gras Parade, but it’s much more low budget and less fun than NOLA’s. Local cuisine is good. Crime is pretty bad but could be worse. Outside of the downtown core is basic American suburban hell. Terrible traffic, 6 lane roads lined with strip malls, fast food, and storage facilities. The city is not walkable whatsoever. I got hit on my bike here. Pretty good beaches are an hour away in Gulf Shores with a shit ton of touristy things to do.
Jackson, MS 2/10
This city is basically the Detroit of the South. It’s basically New Orleans if you took everything away except crime and rap music. There’s nothing to do here. The city is economically crippled bc all the white flight gravitated investment to the suburbs, which are a world difference from the city itself. You always play Russian roulette when showering, washing dishes, or drinking tap water bc you never know if it’s contaminated. From 2010 to 2020 the city shrunk more than anywhere else in America with a population over 100k. Nothing redeemable about Jackson.
Atlanta, GA: 5/10
I don’t personally like Atlanta as a sports city that much being a Saints fan an everything, but there’s a shit ton of things to do here. Six flags, aquarium, coke world, Stone Mountain, sports games, you name it. The city does not deserve to be called southern though. Nothing about this city is southern. It’s full of northern liberals that know nothing about Georgia outside of their little bubble. There’s also some pretty rough ghettos on the south side of town too. Traffic is abysmal at best, and stuck for days in the snow on the interstate at the worst. It takes 2 hours to cross the city. Atlanta is close to the mountains though, which is pretty nice.
Nashville, TN: 7/10
I haven’t been to Nashville in a while but I can’t remember a bad trip any time I’ve visited. The downtown is pretty hip. If you like country music, this is Mecca for you. The Cumberland River runs right through the heart of the city, which I’ve rowed with my crew team. Nissan Stadium, where the Titans play, is right across the river from Broadway and is connected by a pedestrian bridge. Outside of the city there’s a lot of lakes and low mountains to explore, but it’s being ever encroached by suburban sprawl.
Baton Rouge, LA: 4/10
I lived in BTR for a year after Katrina. The only things to do here revolve around LSU. No disrespect to LSU tho, games in Tiger Stadium are electric. Joe Burrow is basically Jesus here. There’s a crime problem here but not the same level as NOLA. There’s also a lot of chemical plants around, being on the Mississippi River and all. Traffic is really fucking bad since there’s only one bridge crossing the river so it all gets bottlenecked at rush hour. The city is 90 minutes from NOLA if you get too bored, which you will eventually.
I might do more cities outside of the south, idk yet.

As I said, I have been to New Orleans, explored the city and loved it. My next visit to Louisiana, I would love to stay in a Louisiana town that I can rent a car and just get lost in nature and the swamps. I am picturing driving to the most remote swampish area and just walking around, bring a portable grill for an evening dinner, ya know. Is this a thing?
It would also be amazing if there was such a place that I could just get into a john boat with an outboard motor and just tool around a bit. I am not a fish eater so fishing tours don't sound good. I would totally just love to rent a boat in backwoods Louisiana and chill.
I realize my question may not be possible, I literally have only been to NOLA and taken swamp tours. So be gentle haha

Hi Guys,
So, my boyfriend and I will fly into NOLA this summer on a Thursday night and leave Sunday. I built a detailed itinerary for Friday and Saturday. The time is all loosely planned except for the tours and voodoo museum. I don't expect us to be on schedule, we may have to skip a thing or two, but here's what I got:
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Coffee and Beignet at Cafe Du Monde
8:15 AM - 9:40 AM Breakfast at Cafe Beignet on Royal Street
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Louis Cemetery Tour (approx 2 hrs)
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch by Jackson Square (Stanley? Napoleon House? Killer Po'Boys?)
2:30 PM - 5:30 PM Voodoo Museum
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Dinner near Frenchmen Street (Recommendations?)
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Stroll through Frenchmen Art Bazaar
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM Jazz Club on Frenchmen Street (Recommendations?)
9:30 PM - 11:30PM Bar Crawl and Wrap the night up at Dragon's Den
Saturday:
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Mammoth Espresso Coffee
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Brunch at Surrey's or Birdy's Behind the Bouwer
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Garden District Mansion Stoll
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch (Juan's Flying Burrito? Gris-Gris?)
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM Paddlewheel Riverboat Tour (approx 2.5 hours)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Dinner at Cochon
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Walk through Magazine Street, Canal Street, and Bourbon Street
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Ghost Tour
10:00 PM - 10:30 PM Drinks at Lafitte's (oldest bar in New Orleans)
Let me know what you guys think!

I will be driving to New Orleans from San Diego via the 10. On the way back I plan on taking the 49 up to the 20, back down to the 10. Is there any recommendations for restaurants, places, or towns to check out? Thank you in advance.

Any New Orleans residents on here? Will be visiting soon. LA does accept my ccw permit. Other than the obvious gun free zones, are there any other places that would be off limits? We'll be walking, so it won't be easy to disarm if necessarily. It looks like the WWII museum has a metal detector. Any other places to be aware of?
We don't drink, so not worried about bars. We will mostly do history stuff.

I feel like Ye is moving away from that sound and more towards the James Blake/Always, We did it Kid, 530, etc type of sound. Or whatever New Orleans bounce is lol like the last info dump said he was.
I mean nobody knows what he’ll do, but I wonder if we see Pablo, Happy, Security, Mr Miyagi, etc get given away to Future, Carti or other artists. I would rather that than them get scrapped, because those songs go hard. Or maybe they become singles.
Like Fivio could put Mr Miyagi on his album 😂😂
Idk what do we think my goons

There's usually alot of misconceptions about hurricane Katrina. I was about 14 when it happened and remember seeing a poll once (around 2008) that 60% of Americans still thought new orleans was under water 🤣 here to clear up any curiosity if I can!