This is a review of the entire question arcs, i made one for each chapter so if you want my screaming individual opinions go there.

Higurashi When They Cry Question Arcs is a new experience for me, even if i did play some VN before, nothing was like these. To me, the first 4 arcs are basically horror stories, but after advancing through the series, they are not scary because of the horror elements (even though it's pretty amazing how much of an immersive experience they are), it's in the title: question arcs. Humans like do racionalize things, when you can't you will be scared. It's impossible for me to experience the story again with the same feelings, because i now know everything, so they are at the very core a big maze of mysteries for the author to challenge you with, and that's where the game is.

The story itself is made of a lot of pretty high moments and very bad lows, the slice of life it's important so you can care about the characters but i do think it's too much sometimes.

There is not much to talk without spoilers, so what i can say is that if you like mystery stories, to have an immersive experience enviroment, read it. Ryukishi did a very good job and you will not left dissapointed, just be aware that your finger will hurt a lot.

great story overall but i want to draw attention to the fact that this is like the best atmosphere i've seen in any work of ficiton period, it's really hard to describe other than just saying "Higurashi atmosphere" cause of how unique its blend of horror and small town life is. Ryukishi doing this with poorly drawn sprites that clash with their stock photo backgrounds makes it even more impressive. There are so many times where I'll be doing something and I'll just think "wow this reminds me of something in Higurashi" cause of just how wide this game spreads its net and how well it manages to preserve its unique atmosphere the entire time. It definitely has some dips and peaks here and there but the entire journey of Higurashi as a whole is a masterpiece.

Since this entry contains Chapters 1 to 4, I'm gonna review them individually (with as little spoilers as possible) and add a summary for the bundle itself after all of them to sum up my thoughts on it as a whole.
Note: you can also find these reviews submitted individually in the respective chapters' pages.

---[Higurashi Ch. 1 ~ Onikakushi]---
Score: 9/10
Considering this chapter is free on Steam, if I didn't have the rest of Higurashi in my possession already this would have sold me on the entire thing. Great start, great presentation of the whole premise, I love the characters and the SoL content. After the first half finishes this turns into one of the best experiences I've had in this medium so that really means something. Overall, a really good experience and a great start, setting the mysteries you'll want to unravel from here onwards.

---[Higurashi Ch. 2 ~ Watanagashi]---
Score: 9/10
Even though it's still a really enjoyable chapter, it didn't hit nearly as hard as Chapter 1 did. The Slice of Life content is still really good and entertaining and so is the more serious and eerie stuff, but it lacked impact compared to Chapter 1 (it may not be fair to compare it as much but oh well). Considering giving it a 8 due to the weird pacing at times and the lack of impact, but it still deserves a 9. Still great with the introduction of new characters and setting up the mystery even further.

---[Higurashi Ch. 3 ~ Tatarigoroshi]---
Score: 10/10
This is so far the peak of Higurashi, this whole chapter is amazing from start to finish, Satoko went from being my least favourite main character to one of my favourite characters overall. A specific optional tip in Day 7 made me die inside a bit, which is the only time this game had this kind of impact on me. The second half of this chapter is just perfectly written and crafted, Keiichi really shows how good of a MC he can be, and the entire ending of this left me in awe. If it does get better than this, I'm in for a ride.

---[Higurashi Ch. 4 ~ Himatsubushi]---
Score: 8/10
I don't really have much to say about this, to be completely honest. It gave more mystery to some existing unknowns and it was a nice change of pace from the previous three chapters. Ooishi and the MC really shine here, but as much as I like this chapter, giving it a 9/10 would be unfair to the other three, as this one really shows it's a bonus chapter at times (plus it's quite short compared to the rest). Still worth it and a great time regardless.

---[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Question Arcs)]---
Score: 9/10
Definitely a solid read that has captured my attention completely, as I love both sides/natures of what it has to offer. If it gets better than this, sign me in for the Answers Arcs (which I'm probably starting soon enough).

"Friends are nothing more than the people who you spend the fun, yet meaningless times with. When those times get rough, they aren't there to support you." - Rena

The lengths of the visual novels might be daunting, occasionally feeling drawn-out, but once you're immersed in the captivating world of Hinamizawa or Rokkenjima, there's no turning back. Sometimes, the story can feel
like a character study but on the other hand the plot of the story itself is intriguing as well, making us ponder about the true nature of the worlds, resulting in countless fan theories.

The cherry on the top is definitely the music and the sound direction. Not only it helps in creating an immersive and vibrant world, but also tugs at our heartstrings with its instrumental tracks. The atmosphere can go from haunting to mysterious in seconds, excelling at both.

Each character within the story is fleshed out with their own motivations, whom we can't help but love because of their charming personalities and their stories. Each character, from Keiichi to Oishi, is impeccably crafted, embodying a sense of humanity. Their stories are meticulously explored and developed throughout the extensive duration of the visual novels.

For quite some time, I have been a fan of Whey They Cry franchise. It's been a good number of years, yet it still remains the story closest to my heart. In a sense, this is a perfect story for me, encapsulating everything I cherish in a story, from its profound themes to its atmospheric allure. While it may be a bit flawed in certain aspects, its excellence in other areas seems to compensate for those imperfections. The stories resonated with me more deeply than any other story ever could. They provide a feeling of comfort and hope, akin to a warm hug after a long day. As a result, it has remained my favourite story.

One of my favourite tracks - https://youtu.be/4utMMuBEnjs?si=TCxpSUSH2cePI0lU

What starts as a mystery thriller with fun and dumb little characters and situations ends as a beautiful story that tackles themes like communication, trust, and belief.
It manages to be really unnerving and interesting in the first arcs, and gets really emotional towards the end.
I don't think I really like it as a murder mystery game, it felt like it broke some of the promises it made making it impossible to reach the solution. Also once it all unravels at the end it loses a lot of its weight, mainly with how easy to solve the main conflict becomes from an outside perspective. That plus the constant repetition of concepts and situations streching the game over 80 hours makes it a slog to go through sometimes.
Outside of that, I loved most of the characters and I think that's what carries the game. I recommend it a lot if you've got the time to play it.

I love Higurashi When They Cry so much, even with it's flaws it's still the most emotional piece of media i ever read.

"Everyone is entitled to happiness.
The difficult part is accepting that.
Everyone is entitled to happiness.
The difficult part is fulfilling that.
I, am, too entitled to happiness.
The difficult part is working out a compromise.
Because from now on, i'm going to live a much happier life.
I'm not going to compromise with just this.
We'll retrieve all the happiness that we missed.

100 years worth for me, 1000 years worth for you."

Escrevi e reescrevi essa review mais do que posso lembrar pôs não há palavras em minha mente que consigam expressar o que senti ao jogar essa pérola, mas depois de tanto refletir cheguei a conclusão de que Higurashi é mais sobre a jornada do que sobre a solução, tudo que passamos, tudo que construímos, tudo que aprendemos foram executados de forma espetacular, Ryukishi07 conseguiu não só criar um universo maravilhoso, mas também personagens impecáveis ao ponto que me falta palavras para expressar meus sentimentos, Higurashi não só me acolheu como jogador, mas sim como membro do clube onde eu me senti livre para aproveitar cada gota de liberdade, cada gota da infância, cada pequena gota de inocência pôs todos os jogos que jogamos juntos, todas as punições que sofremos juntos, todos os momentos que rimos, choramos, nos divertimos, brigamos e sorrimos, todos foram tão especiais para mim que estarão guardados dentro do meu coração para todo
sempre.

I need to go back to this game (Midway through CH2), but nothing can really compare to the wonderful writing, ambient soundtrack, the unique art style posed by Ryukishi07, and the descent into the drama and madness of Higurashi. I have never been immersed in a world that tells a story so creatively, it feels like I'm reading a great novelist who worked with a game designer to have you feeling like you're living wherever the characters are.

No visual novel has put me into a space as great as Higurashi. When I read it, I'm in Hinamizawa, and the world around me is quiet. I love it so, so much, and I need to get back on it.

It was Ryukishi's first work, so of course it's a bit rough around the edges. But beneath its tropey silliness is substantial and emotional writing, with a solid message about relying on others that ties it all together. Higurashi is excellent at exploring the intricacies of abusive situations and how people stuck in them react. Even though the abusers themselves are portrayed a bit too one-dimensionally evil for my tastes, the victims' characterization more than makes up for it. Satoko, Satoshi, and Shion are each incredible depictions of the way these different toxic mindsets manifest in people's lives, and the amount of moral complexity that the latter two have makes it consistently a joy to watch their development. Keiichi is quite the engaging protagonist. Usually I feel like a lot of media makes 'average guy' protagonists such blank slates that it prevents interesting characterization, but Keiichi isn't weighed down at all by this problem, standing as his own fully-explored person. Seeing his internal moral debates with himself over the events of Onikakushi and especially Tatarigoroshi is really engaging, particularly in how he applies his own paranoia-filled rationale to the people around him. The story's also surprisingly good at tying this together by exploring the ideological throughline between all of their situations as well as the unique one Rika is in, even if trying to tie so many complex situations together means some things get a bit oversimplified. Ultimately, Higurashi is a story that simply explores a lot of complicated situations in life with a great amount of nuance, somewhat awkwardly but still decently managing to craft a coherent whole out of them. And despite the ways it stumbles, I can't help but respect it.