PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse Reviews
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a masterclass in atmospheric horror storytelling. Smartly written, beautifully presented, and unafraid to play with the boundaries of the visual-novel form. It doesn’t rely on spectacle. It cultivates dread through pacing, folklore, visual subtlety, and impeccable sound. Square Enix once again delivers a small-scale horror gem that outshines many bigger productions in creativity and emotional resonance.
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
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is just as interesting a game as its predecessor, and the island setting and its folklore is fantastic.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is not a game you rush through. It doesn’t hand you the ending, it invites you to dive for it, piece by piece, like a diver searching for a lost pearl. Its pacing can be deliberate, its story demanding, and its branches sometimes unfurl more slowly than players might expect, but there’s elegance in that patience. This is a game that doesn’t rely on cheap scares or gimmicks. It leans into mythic depth, human emotion, and story mechanics that respect the player’s intelligence. It draws you into a world that feels real, yet steeped in the uncanny, and it stays with you long after the ending, gently urging you back for another dive. And please, search for the True Ending. It’s so worth looking into the mechanics behind it. Trust me.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is a wonderful follow-up to the The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. You won’t need to have played the first game to understand this one, but there are a few references to characters and events from that game that will give fans of the first an extra layer of appreciation. The pacing is can be rough, especially during the opening hour or so, but beyond that is a game that has plenty of twists, turns, and thought-provoking themes.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is a masterclass in atmosphere, successfully blending Japanese folklore with a "summer horror" aesthetic that keeps you uneasy from beginning to end. While the lack of voice acting and slow opening hours may prevent some players from truly enjoying this game, The Mermaid's Curse is a great visual novel that honors its predecessor’s legacy while offering something new.
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Review in Italian | Read full review
As you progress through Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse, you are pushed to fully immerse yourself in the mindset of an investigator. Studying becomes a ritual in this game. In the same way that the best aspects of the genre are satisfying, discovering its final truths is just as satisfying.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is a fantastic story that may even make you wish the game was slightly longer. For those who want a mystery that transcends a lifetime set in a beautiful fishing village backdrop, this is for you. While not puzzle heavy, when they appear, they are well thought out and clever. When focused on the narrative, the story is well paced. The writing is smart enough to reiterate the things you need to know without feeling too repetitive. After this entry into the series, I hope Square Enix knows they have something precious in their hands and continues to revisit this series in the future.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a masterclass in how to do a mystery visual novel right. Gameplay-wise, it doesn’t change up too much from the original game, but why fix what isn’t broken? Its alluring gameplay loop of investigative work and puzzling will keep you completely engrossed, and by asking you to think outside of the box and embrace failure to find the truth, it leaves a unique lasting impression that’ll stay with you long after you put the controller down. It really does prove that the brilliance of the first game wasn’t a one-off, and fingers crossed, this won’t be the last mystery that we experience in the world of Paranormasight.
The Mermaid’s Curse doesn’t beg for attention. It remains quiet, focused, and at times unsettling. It trusts me to read, to think, to fail, and to try again. That trust makes it one of the strongest adventure games I’ve played in recent times. It’s bold, innovative, and channels the spirit of Square Enix’s golden era in the late 1990s.
Review in German | Read full review
While it lacks the jaw-dropping twists of its predecessor, Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is an excellent supernatural story that weaves historical and mythological tales into an intriguing and often deadly mystery. If Square Enix continues to put such effort and care into these games, I hope Paranormasight can become a new long-running series.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse delivers a much more intimate mystery by focusing on personal emotional arcs and a cast of characters that feel really well-developed. The experience, though, is occasionally weighed down by a lot of expository lore dumps. Nevertheless, it is a clever mystery game that manages to stay interesting until the very end.
Swapping J-horror for maritime mystery, The Mermaid’s Curse remains a cerebral treat with its clever encyclopedia-led puzzles and atmospheric 1980s setting. While clunky docked navigation and the loss of its predecessor’s chilling edge dampen the experience, the intriguing lore ensures this budget-friendly visual novel still hooks its audience.
A gem of a game with quirky characters and an intriguing plot that's hard to put down, Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is a game that I believe everyone should experience. A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on Switch 2.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a tense, thoughtful sequel that builds on Square Enix’s cult mystery with a more intimate setting and a culturally grounded curse rooted in Ise-Shima folklore. Through timeline manipulation, bad endings, and careful deduction, it challenges players to rethink assumptions while exploring grief, guilt, and tradition. Though fairly linear, its layered narrative, strong character work, and confident reliance on text over voice acting create a deeply immersive experience that lingers long after the credits.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is an appealing and unique thriller visual novel that, despite some minor drawbacks, provides an enjoyable experience. As such, It’s a visual novel thriller and mystery fans shouldn’t miss.
I was straight away addicted to the storyline and the mix of real-world Japanese history and fantasy. The graphics and music complement each other, fully immersing you in the story
Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse might not be the scariest follow-up, but it doubles down on effective storytelling, better writing, and better characters. What you end up experiencing is a crafted story that will linger in your thoughts as you play. My mind would drift to The Mermaid's Curse when I was in public, getting groceries or in the car on the way home, and it was because of the incredible writing that I'd scramble home to pick up and continue uncovering clues to learn the truth.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is an entry that more than meets the stratospheric standards its predecessor set and shows the full power of Takanari Ishiyama and his team, now free to do whatever they see fit, without the clear restraints seen on the first game, thanks to fan support. Long, long live one of the best mystery series in the visual novel genre!
Review in Portuguese | Read full review