Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse Review: Square Enix's Best Hidden Gem Returns

Back in 2023, when I played Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo for the first time, I remember feeling that it was a truly special experience right from the opening minutes. It was one of those rare games that caught everyone off guard, proving that Square Enix still had the creative spark to deliver experimental, high-quality narratives outside their massive, triple-A projects.

I soon found myself deeply craving for it to become a full-fledged franchise with more chapters to explore, and I wasn't alone in that. Like myself, the gaming community quickly embraced its unique blend of antique aesthetics and mind-bending meta-puzzles, turning it into a modern cult classic that earned widespread critical acclaim and glowing player reviews alike. Since then, fans have lived in a state of hushed speculation, wondering if we would ever return to that haunting world or if the developers had one more macabre tale left to share.

Now, here we are in 2026, and destiny (and Square Enix, of course) has finally granted that wish with The Mermaid’s Curse. This is a brand-new entry that continues the haunting Paranormasight saga, which brings an experience even more refined to the table, but without losing its roots and what made the first title so special.

After playing it for about 25 hours (yes, I got a bit obsessed with it, could you tell?), I can affirm that it not only delivers a marvelous new mystery for us to solve, with many distinct characters and twists, but it has also just consecrated Paranormasight as one of the best visual novel IPs out there at the moment.

More Japanese Legends and Originality

The Storyteller is back, but this time, the focus shifts to old Japanese legends about mermaids – though these are some twisted tales about the mystical creatures, far removed from the Little Mermaid tropes we know.

But before we dive (quite literally) into The Mermaid’s Curse, it is important to provide some brief context on what the franchise is all about, in case you forgot or haven’t played the first title yet.

Developed and published by Square Enix, the Paranormasight series is a visual novel that blends horror and mystery, immersing the player in an investigation of Japanese urban legends while presenting a 4th-wall-breaking atmosphere. Basically, you are loosely guided by a figure known as the Storyteller, who talks directly to you (the player) and acts as an omnipresent entity that understands that all of this is a game.

Because of this, you must explore the story through the perspectives of different characters in a non-linear fashion; it is as if the entire narrative is one massive jigsaw puzzle, and it is up to you to piece it all together.

Now that the context is set, I can properly begin my analysis by saying that The Mermaid’s Curse lives up to the brilliance of the first game as it handles its mystery in an extremely creative (and I dare say, quite genius) way by constantly breaking the fourth wall and making the player an active, self-aware participant in the narrative.

A Web of Curses and Story Charts

As I previously mentioned, the legends this time revolve around mermaids, but the game maintains the signature style of its predecessor. This means you can expect a heavy focus on narrative – yes, there is a lot of text, and you must enjoy reading – paired with simple gameplay. Its brilliance, however, relies on how perfectly everything is put together.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse uses the inherent limitations of the visual novel genre to its advantage, building a somber and unsettling atmosphere that keeps the player tense and curious at all times. For instance, the sensation of being watched while having to scan your surroundings with limited camera movement never fails to give you those classic goosebumps!

The gameplay boils down to point-and-click exploration, dialogue choices, and puzzles. You progress through the story one chapter at a time, and depending on your choices or the information gathered, you unlock the next segment, which might take place after the current event or even jump back in time. This forces you to exercise your memory, as the story unfolds non-linearly, and you will find yourself constantly navigating the Story Chart, jumping between chapters to collect clues or make different decisions to push the narrative forward.

It might sound overwhelming at first, but the game’s structure is masterfully balanced, so it gives you just enough to make you scratch your head without ever becoming stressful. And the culprit for that is its quality-of-life features: you can fast-forward through dialogue, jump to specific moments in a chapter without replaying the whole thing, and a clear indicator tells you when a chapter is fully cleared. Plus, there is a “Files” system that serves as a digital detective board for characters, locations, and lore, so you can consult them at any time you need.

An important gameplay mechanic, which is introduced about halfway through the story, is the ability to use curses. In a very Death Note kind of way, it acts as a temporary 'superpower' that allows the bearer to kill specific targets if certain requirements are met. This, again, forces the player to remain alert at all times to identify potential curse-bearers, as one wrong move can lead to the death of your characters. Because, yes, there are multiple endings ranging from extremely tragic to triumphant, and they all depend entirely on your choices and actions.

It is also fascinating how the meta-elements tie everything together so seamlessly. I mean, while many games try to simulate computer HUDs to make you feel like a detective, The Mermaid’s Curse does it so effortlessly that it feels entirely organic, refining this aspect even more than the first game.

If I had to nitpick, the pacing can feel quite slow at times (especially in the opening hours), and a search bar in the “Files” system would make digging for specific clues a lot faster. I also felt that the tone leaned much more into suspense than horror this time – and I personally missed the raw scares of the first game. But, even so, it remains a gripping mystery with puzzles that make you feel like a genius once you solve them.

Last but not least, I also simply love how The Mermaid’s Curse maintains the retro aesthetic that features some film-grain effects reminiscent of vintage horror movies, just like the original. This, combined with a color palette focused on deep, dark tones, results in a striking visual style that perfectly complements the narrative.

In Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse, everything feels familiar if you played The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. It cultivates the same structure, tone, and even soundtrack, but with some fine-tuning to the gameplay and a narrative that doubles down on psychological suspense. It has no direct ties to the first game, so you can jump right into the sequel and enjoy it to the fullest without the previous experience. Square Enix continues this visual novel series with immense personality. 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.