Review: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

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Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo seems to have snuck up on all of us. When my editor passed it over to me and asked if I’d be interested, I had trouble figuring out what it was supposed to be from the press materials, trailer, and even store pages that had sprung up. Square Enix is one of the few monolithic publishers that doesn’t shy away from mid-budget releases, but Paranormasight seems like such a small project that it’s surprising to see it outside of the indie sphere.

It’s a visual novel. The staff on Paranormasight aren’t huge; not in the AAA industry, and not in terms of Square Enix veterans, at least. Most notably, the writer, Takanari Ishiyama, worked on the Tantei Kibukawa Ryōsuke Jikentan series, which remains Japan-only.

Whatever led to Paranormasight being greenlit, we need it to happen more often. The world could use more visual novels as stylish and captivating as Paranormasight.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (PC, Switch [Reviewed])Developer: Square EnixPublisher: Square EnixReleased: March 8, 2023MSRP: $19.99

The story kicks off by sending you on a killing spree. As Shogo Okiie, you find yourself in possession of a “curse stone.” The Feast of Shadows has kicked off, and anyone with a curse stone that collects enough “soul dregs” by killing others will be granted the rite of resurrection. The entire prologue of the game has you piloting Shogo as he treks around the Sumida borough of Tokyo, killing people with his curse.

But that’s just one possible outcome used to teach you what Paranormasight is all about. After this prologue, you’re introduced to the storyboard, where you navigate the tales of multiple protagonists as they experience the Feast of Shadows. There’s grieving