PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse Reviews
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is a sequel that is firing on all cylinders. While not as overtly horrific as the first game, it nonetheless shows that the developers have a clear understanding of what did and didn't work in The Seven Mysteries and still have plenty of ideas about how to make things compelling. An excellent game for those who've played the original and those who are new to the series, The Mermaid's Curse is well worth a shot.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is a strong follow-up to the first title, continuing the gorgeous art style and unique gameplay system, and cementing the series as the peak when it comes to supernatural puzzle visual novels. While the puzzles could have been more balanced throughout, the narrative and characters outshine those of the previous game and make for a deliciously moreish game that kept me captivated from beginning to end.
Truly, I never thought we'd see a second Paranormasight; its predecessor felt like a one-off flight-of-fancy for Square Enix, destined to be a fond oddity for genre aficionados. Now, I can only hope there's more in store.
It’s still well worth your time, though, even if it doesn’t match up to the original. As for performance, everything runs perfectly fine on the Switch, with some lovely DS-inspired static images throughout along with excellent, mysterious music. Similarly, I experienced no hitches on the Switch 2, so if that’s your platform of choice, you’ll be fine there.
It delivers a complex, layered story filled with twists, supported by a simple yet efficient game design. The meta-narrative touches remain the star of the show, binding story and gameplay into a creative and immersive package that is simply hard to put down.
It’s spooky rather than scary but with a great script and characters, and some smart puzzles, this is a must-play for anyone who enjoys the kind of stories only video games can tell.
The stylistic visuals mask Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse’s low budget, and the music is constantly phenomenal. I’m not sure if the first game has been patched, but Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is enough of an improvement that I might give it another try.
I have a few qualms with how its story comes together in a few spots, but it is a minor blemish in an otherwise extremely great entry in the Paranormasight series again, and I hope they continue to make more in the future.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse may not quite be as strong as its predecessor due to a less eerie atmosphere and slower narrative burn, but it’s a quality return that’s worth celebrating nevertheless.
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PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is yet another fantastic horror visual novel that even exceeds the first in some ways.
Fans of the first will feel right at home on the shores of The Mermaid's Curse as it cements the Paranormasight formula.
Another satisfying supernatural mystery that's well worth plumbing the depths for.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a confident, atmospheric sequel that builds on the strengths of the original while introducing a chilling new legend to unravel. Its blend of branching choices, investigative depth, interactive flashbacks, and understated supernatural tension creates an experience that feels both familiar and freshly refined for Switch 2. It is a tightly woven mystery that leaves a lasting impression.
I’m so very impressed that Square Enix has seen the value of these visual novels, and happy that they’ve been such creative successes. With any luck, this one is also enough of a creative success to earn a third, because there are a lot of ghost stories right across Japan that this series could go places.
Solid mystery adventure sequel on Nintendo Switch
Paranormasight is back, and The Mermaid's Curse has another supernatural tale to tell that's full of twists, turns and horrifying events. The non-linear format here makes piecing together the story ever so rewarding, and once again it's a title that's not afraid of breaking the fourth wall to great effect.
I really cannot ask for much more than that. Well maybe aside from another entry in the PARANORMASIGHT series that is. Consider me a fan now!.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is an interesting sequel to The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, as it sacrifices some of the horror to enhance its investigative aspect. This ends up giving the game greater variety, as well as a distinctive tone within the series. However, there are also some gameplay rough edges that need smoothing out, and the lack of a Spanish translation makes it inaccessible to a large part of the audience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is an above-average visual novel game. It will certainly appeal to those interested in Japanese folklore, but horror fans will find the experience lacking.
Review in Finnish | Read full review