Hayarigami 3 (Officially known as 流行り神3警視庁怪異事件ファイル - Hayarigami 3 Keishicho Kaii Jiken Fairu — Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Strange Case Files 3) is a Survival Horror Visual Novel game released by Nippon Ichi as the last game in the main Hayarigami trilogy before the eventual release of Shin Hayarigami in 2014 for the PS3 and PS Vita.
The game is only released on the Playstation Portable with a physical releases on August 6, 2009 with a rerelease via "Best Price" release and digital release on August 5, 2010. All of them are rated C by CERO due to the game's mild violent content.
It takes place one year after the events of Hayarigami 2. The MPD's Historical Archives Section has been informed by their superiors that a new department head will take command of the section as they proceed to investigate the Greater Tokyo Area to resolve criminal cases that arise from urban legends. They were also informed that they'll be joined by a new recruit, who is scheduled to be transferred to the section from the MPD's Criminal Investigation Bureau, the same bureau where Assistant Inspector Kazami last worked a few years ago.
Like Hayarigami 2, the gameplay mechanics are still intact. But this time, the game comes with an additional downloadable scenario that concentrates on new HAS officer Kaoru Haguro, one of the section's new recruits, as he investigate a potential murder in the confines of an elementary school that may have ties to the Hanako-san toilet urban legend. This scenario was released for free as of 2015.
Hayarigami 3 contains examples of:
- Anti-Frustration Features: The game include the option to skip text and a path flowchart to keep track of your progress if you replay a case again. However, the path flowchart is fixed so that you can where a path will eventually take you to which ending.
- All There in the Manual: The official website gives the characters their bios, including their age and background. In addition, some of the game articles released by Famitsu and Dengeki give more additional info on their bios as well.
- Bloody Horror: A private elementary school makes the HAS's case files when reports were made that lots of blood were found inside the female toilet. This leads to an investigation on whether the Hanako-san urban legend was involved.
- Gameplay Grading: The ranks (From good to worse) consist of S, A, B, C and D. Getting a good score allows you to get more unlockables.
- Guide Dang It!: A guide is needed if you're trying to get a 100% rating on a case.
- Jump Scare: The possible appearance of Hanako-san when Kaoru investigates the possibility of the "Hanako-san of the Toilet" urban legend existing in an elementary school.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: How the police treats cases that are seemingly paranormal in nature.
- Real After All: If the police conclude a case for having supernatural origins.
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: In most cases, this will be the answer for solving the cases.
- Another Side, Another Story: But if you want to get the entire case story and background, playing both angles are needed.
- Real After All: If the police conclude a case for having supernatural origins.
- Mythology Gag: The transfer of Kaoru to the HAS is a reminder of Kazami's transfer in the first Hayarigami game.
- Nothing Is Scarier: When the MPD pursues a case that has the paranormal as the only reasonable answer, this can happen.
- Omniscient Database: The Friend of a Friend database or FOAF returns again as a gameplay mechanic.
- Paranormal Investigation: The HAS' investigation gets into this if Kazami or Kaoru believes in the possibility of paranormal involvement.
- Police Are Useless: Averted. The MPD summons the HAS to covertly investigate cases that have supernatural angles in it.
- Seeking the Missing, Finding the Dead: During the investigation on the rumors of an alligator in the sewers, HAS received missing person's reports that several residents from an elderly housing complex had gone missing.
- Sewer Gator: In one case, the HAS is deployed to the sewers of the GTA to investigate rumors of a white albino alligator roaming inside, its last location underneath a housing complex for the elderly.
- Shown Their Work: Most of the game FMVs show the entire MPD building in design, including the roof. Justified that it's suppose to be a game portraying the MPD itself.
- Sound Test: The game's sound test mode can be accessed, allowing players to listen to the background music without playing the game.
- Survival Horror: The game's environment. Since it's a visual novel, the players need to carefully need to make the appropriate choice when a case delves into the paranormal.
- Urban Legend: You'd know this by now if you're playing it.
- Who You Gonna Call?: The MPD HAS, though Inspector Inudo may not call all the shots with a new department head appointed to run the section.
