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Iwaihime Game by Higurashi's Ryukishi07 Gets International Edition on October 23

Publisher ShiraVN announced on Friday that it will release a new international edition of Ryukishi07's horror visual novel Iwahime in English on October 23. The demo of the game featuring full English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese translations is available now on Steam.

ShiraVN describes the international edition:

"I envy you the privilege of dying. Curse your powerlessness, and leave us." From the pen of hit writer Ryukishi07, the creator of Higurashi and the rest of the When They Cry series, comes a story on the theme of "curses." Characters brought to life with delicate skill by manga artist and illustrator Kazuharu Kina are set against atmospheric backgrounds from the fantastic mind of environment artist mocha. This supernatural horror visual novel—a tale of sin, retribution, and penance—will soon be available for the first time outside Japan. This new international release includes scenario adjustments and CG improvements from the prior console re-releases, bringing to PC the writer's preferred rendition of the tale.

The game debuted in Japan in January 2016 for PC. Nippon Ichi Software released PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita ports for the game in September 2017.

The game's cast includes:

Makoto Furukawa as Suzumu Susuhara
Chinatsu Akasaki as Toé Kurokami
Mariko Honda as Tsubakiko Harumiya
Yuka Ōtsubo as Kanae Minobe
Sarah Emi Bridcutt as Riria. Nunokawa
Ryōko Tanaka as Mayu Hinagata
Yūki Tai as Natsuya Atsuta

Freelance illustrator Kina Kazuharu provides the character art for the "Japanese style romance novel game," and mocha provides the background art. Rinne Yoshida performs the theme song "Chitose Tsuzuri."

In the story, for generations the men of the Susuhara family have, upon reaching a certain age, left home and gone their own way, living alone with no one to depend on until they are acknowledged. The protagonist is a high school student who has left home and is comfortable at his new school. But there's a strange girl named Toe Kurokami. She carries what appears to be Japanese doll, and he's sure its hair grows and it whispers things. Meeting her might be his destiny.

Ryukishi07 said in June 2015 when he announced the game that he had kept the game under wraps for two years.

Tomo Tanaka also serialized a manga adaptation of the game in Square Enix's Big Gangan magazine. The manga launched in September 2015, and ended in September 2016. Square Enix published two compiled book volumes for the manga. Tanaka drew the manga, while Ryukishi07 wrote the manga's scripts. Kina Kazuhara was credited with the original character designs, and DMM.com handled the editorial supervision.

Source: Press release