PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo Reviews
Overall, Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a fun little visual novel that doesn't quite hit all the marks but is still a breezy and enjoyable romp with some creative use of gameplay mechanics. I had a difficult time getting past the fact that it wasn't the game I was had expected based on the first couple of hours, but once I did, I was able to enjoy it for what it was. The setting is clearly built up to potentially allow for more games in the same universe in the future, and I hope the next game in the series is willing to be a bit more daring.
If playing in handheld mode you can get around this by using touch controls, which I found worked just fine for the game's purposes. The "horror mystery" also seems to steer away from the horror part at certain points, which might disappoint those hoping to see a lot of curse action, but the plot during these moments is just as interesting as when those curses are involved. I am happy my eye was pointed in Paranormasight's direction, as I think it may already be one of my favorite experiences of the year, and if this kind of game sounds like it appeals to you, it just might be one of yours, too.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo certainly won't be on most people's most-played games of the year list, but those who do will find a very well-written and immersive experience. The game is undoubtedly one of the great surprises of 2023 and I hope Square Enix continues to bet on more titles like this, as they are the breath of fresh air we need in this industry.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
"Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo" has a story that leaps off the page, letting players be God while challenging the morality of right and wrong.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is one of the best visual novels that I’ve played in a long time. It draws you in at the beginning, feeding you the vaguest pieces of the overarching story to keep you interested before opening to a wide-ranging mystery. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, it’s worth putting up with to understand what’s really happening in this small Tokyo ward.
An ingenious visual novel that conveys Japanese terror through Edo-era legends to perfection, and later adds a great intrigue of detective series, investigation and thriller. Its proposal to get the player into this adventure is almost perfect.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While very well written and highlighted by some excellent fourth-wall breaking horror, Paranormasight far outstays its welcome with hours of unskippable rehashed and replayed text.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a great example of the visual novel genre and an immense step up from many other versions of this style of gameplay. It has a great story, although there is some weaker characterization in the early game, and it’s just fun to figure out how to use your curses on others while doing your best to avoid theirs. It’s a great game for lovers of the genre and mystery stories in general.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is an excellent visual novel game that blends Japanese mythology and fiction to create a compelling story, with a unique art style and fascinating lore, making it worth the price for fans of the genre.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a superb visual novel that blends together gripping storytelling with some really clever gameplay mechanics. I was completely hooked in from start to end, so much so that I found it hard to stop thinking about the game each time I stopped playing… it’s THAT good. I’d love to go into depth about all the things that make the game so damn good, but I don’t want to spoil anything here. Just trust me when I say it’s a fantastic experience and one that I’d recommend to both visual novel veterans and those who’ve been itching to dip their toes into the genre.
It doesn’t take someone with spirit sense to see that Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is something special. A horror visual novel game that blurs the role between character and player, Paranormasight is unique in its ability to give horror fans a new brain-teasing experience while allowing those who normally chicken out over this genre the ability to finally play a scary game by themselves. Paranormasight manages to blend familiar elements from beloved genres into something innovative, inventive, and altogether new; it is my hope this becomes a continuing franchise for Square Enix, who is on the cusp of further greatness. Grab Paranormasight or be forever cursed to remain outside its sinister, alluring shadow.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is one of the most interesting games of its genre, standing out especially for its clever use of camera framing and for playing with the player's perception through multiple perspectives and metalinguistic elements. This title is an easy recommendation for any player interested in narrative works and shows how many ingenious ways to rethink the concept of adventure and, more specifically, visual novels.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a pleasant surprise from Squire Enix, a brilliant work of art that sets the genre's standard even higher. The game's dialogue-heavy design, challenging puzzles, and unexpected turns demand players' full focus. It's a must-play for fans of both horror and visual novels and games that use multiple perspectives to tell a gripping story.
Paranormasight is a well-crafted mystery-horror that leans more into the mystery while keeping things light with a snappy script.
Sumida and its urban legends come to life in PARANORMASIGHT in a way I didn’t expect from a 2D visual novel. I expected something artistic, yes, but I got something that engaged me, sent a shiver down my spine, and that I ultimately couldn’t put down.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is more of a gift than a curse, turning into another must-play for 2023
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo is a gripping and horrific adventure that branches outside of what genre fans would expect. It plays with your intuition and tests your deduction skills as you piece together each puzzle. Unfortunately, the narrative intermission brings gameplay to a crawl, but you'll want to stick through until the end to experience everything this twisted adventure offers.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is an absorbing romp that leaves you dumbfounded. You could say there’s not nearly enough banter, and indeed a character or two that are forgettable, but those that get attention surely shine. If you’re someone that thinks reading in video games is lame, the Visual Novel genre isn’t for you. I won’t sugarcoat it; that’s the bread of butter and why these titles enamour me and so many.
The way the mysteries work with each other, the cast, and the atmospheric direction and presentation creates an enthralling tale that keeps players ready to unravel the next twist.
Square Enix seems to have taken to releasing smaller-scale games in between their big-name releases, and I couldn't be happier. If you enjoy horror visual novels and games with branching viewpoints that come together to tell a single narrative, Paranormasight is one you shouldn't miss. It's short, but it's a creepy delight from start to finish with a lot of little details that make it a unique experience.