Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 3 out of 24

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  1. simonnei
    May 15, 2023
    7
    It was fine. A lot of intriduced concepts were not reused. The choices don't matter most of the time. The curses are predetermined. I bit too long for a not so interesting lore. It's fine if you get it on discount.
  2. guiletheguiles
    Aug 16, 2023
    5
    I've had my eyes on this for a while and I finally decided to check what's all the praise about. Turns out that Paranormasight is the type of game that comes close to being good... but no cigar.

    Paranormasight is a creepy visual novel. A very well written one, in fact. Those are the game's biggest strenghts, from top to bottom. The setting looks spooky, characters are weird and mystery    I've had my eyes on this for a while and I finally decided to check what's all the praise about. Turns out that Paranormasight is the type of game that comes close to being good... but no cigar.

    Paranormasight is a creepy visual novel. A very well written one, in fact. Those are the game's biggest strenghts, from top to bottom. The setting looks spooky, characters are weird and mystery prowls around the whole story. The presentation is quite nice, which helps you to put up with some rather long expositions and slow moments, at times.

    Because, truth be told, Paranormasight is a massive slow burn. Don't get me wrong, the story is very well put together and I actually cared for *some* of its characters (mostly Tsutsumi, Harue and Richter), but it took a *long* while to get there. There are some shocking twists here and there and some TENSE conversations, with reveals that I was actually not expecting. But in order to get to those moments, you have to go through lots of redundant dialogues.

    Two things that I loved about this game, that kept me constantly piecing the story together, were how meticulous the files were organized for you to keep up to date with what was happening, and the "Story Chart". It's a nice structure, leading you through different timelines, optional scenes and more.

    But while Paranormalsight got me hooked at first, it just kept dropping the ball. It mostly feels fine... just never great. I liked the characters - but they don't stand out, the story is good - but not immersive, well written - but insipid. Took me longer than it should to finish it because it never kept a good momentum going.

    I was also disappointed by the use of curses in this game. I know it's a VN, but I expected a bit more interactivity from this. At first, it feels like it's going to be a big deal whether you use them or not, but you can barely use them, and when you do, it hardly lets you go with it. Decisions matter very little as well. Not to mention the soundtrack, which is bland as hell. At least the endings were cool. All of them but the "true one", to be honest.

    I do not recommend Paranormasight. There are better visual novels out there and way better creepy stories to experience.

    It's a game that has the elements to reach acclaim, but it's never quite there.    … Expand
  3. AndrewQ
    Jul 6, 2023
    9
    It is a great visual novel, you need to jump out of the script to find the answer.
  4. WellEvil
    Aug 5, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game with a huge focus on story, characters, and world-building. I don't remember the last time when the story absorbed me so much. Yes, there are a few bugs here are there, but nothing game-breaking. Usually minor visual glitches.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Best PC Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. RPG Fan
    May 11, 2023
    82
    Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is that kind of magical realism that makes me feel like something like this could actually happen and maybe ghosts, sorcery, and mediums exist. At its core, it’s a story about urban legends that are not only true, but begin to have a material impact on real people’s lives. While not the most sterling example of a visual novel murder mystery, Paranormasight is well worth anyone’s time, especially those with a fascination for the occult.
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  2. Digital Spy
    Apr 6, 2023
    90
    Disturbing, thrilling, and absorbing at the same time, Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is much more than your average horror game. Square Enix has delivered a fantastic tale that deserves to be getting more attention than it currently has.
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  3. Eurogamer Germany
    Mar 29, 2023
    70
    Paranormasight features a multi-layered story with interesting insights into Japanese myths, even though it promises more than it delivers in terms of content and gameplay.
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