Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse Review

When Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo quietly launched in 2023, it felt like one of those rare releases that only a handful of people were talking about, even though it absolutely deserved more attention. It was eerie, smartly written, and surprisingly experimental for a visual novel. But it never quite broke into the mainstream conversation. It was an underappreciated gem that flew under the radar for a lot of players.

So when Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse was announced during a recent Nintendo Direct and then released just a couple of weeks later, I was thrilled. No drawn-out marketing cycle. No months of slow drip trailers. Just a sharp reveal and then launch. I genuinely love that approach. It keeps the surprise intact and lets the game speak for itself.

Now we have a brand-new entry in the Paranormasight series, and this time the mystery moves from urban legends and yokai to something a little more aquatic.

As the title suggests, The Mermaid’s Curse centers around rumors of mermaids and an alleged curse haunting a small island community. It’s not the first time the series has blended grounded human drama with the supernatural. The previous game leaned heavily into yokai and restless spirits. Here, the folklore shifts, but the core idea remains the same. Ordinary people caught in the web of something strange and possibly otherworldly.

What really hooked me, though, was the setting. The entire story takes place on a small, close-knit island community. For whatever reason, I’ve always loved small island settings in mysteries. There’s something about the isolation that naturally raises tension. Everyone knows everyone. Secrets are harder to keep, yet somehow easier to bury. You’re cut off from the wider world, and that claustrophobic atmosphere feeds the drama beautifully.

The story follows Yuza, a young man whose life was shattered five years ago when his parents disappeared during a diving expedition. They weren’t the only ones. Several others died around that time under murky circumstances, and rumors quickly spread that a curse had been unleashed. Yuza was the sole survivor of that diving incident, and instead of being treated with sympathy, he’s looked down upon by much of the town. People whisper. Some blame him outright. Others just avoid him.

That social tension gives the story a strong emotional anchor. Yuza isn’t just chasing a ghost story. He’s trying to reclaim his reputation and understand why he lived when others didn’t. Why was he the only one who made it back? Was it luck? Fate? Or something darker?

The game takes its time answering those questions. This is very much a slow burn. The stakes start low. You spend hours simply getting to know Yuza and his small circle of friends. You learn their quirks, their awkward jokes, their everyday routines. There are scenes that feel almost slice-of-life in tone, with light teasing and warm banter that make these characters feel real.

I know that won’t be for everyone. If you’re expecting constant twists or immediate horror, you might find the pacing deliberate. But as someone who enjoys visual novels and character-driven stories, I appreciated that breathing room. It makes the eventual escalation of the mystery hit harder because you care more about the people involved.

One of the biggest additions this time around is the diving mini game. At certain points, you’ll suit up and dive into the ocean depths to collect sea creatures and items. These materials contribute to your Diver Rank, which you can level up to improve skills like swimming efficiency, gathering, and searching ability. It’s not overly complex, but I genuinely liked having something interactive to break up long reading sessions.

Visual novels can sometimes risk feeling static, especially over extended play sessions. Injecting light gameplay elements helps refresh the experience. The diving sections also tie neatly into the narrative. You’re not just reading about the ocean and its mysteries. You’re actively exploring it. That connection between story and mechanics makes the curse feel more tangible.

The storyteller from the first game returns as well, once again acting as a kind of master of ceremonies. The vibe is similar to the Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt or the Curator from The Dark Pictures Anthology. He frames the narrative, occasionally addressing the player directly, giving the whole experience a theatrical edge. It’s a stylistic flourish I really enjoy. It reminds you that this is a story being told, even as you’re shaping its outcome.

Another feature I spent more time with than I expected was the in-game journal. It’s detailed and surprisingly thorough. You can flip through notes on characters, island history, folklore, and collected evidence. It genuinely deepens the worldbuilding and sometimes offers subtle hints about how events connect. For a mystery heavy game with branching timelines, having that resource is essential.

Speaking of timelines, The Mermaid’s Curse leans heavily into multiple endings and branching narrative threads. And as you might expect from a Paranormasight game, not all endings are happy ones. You’ll gather intel from different timeline branches, sometimes reaching a dead end or tragic conclusion. But those failed outcomes still give you information. Armed with new knowledge, you can revisit earlier decisions and piece together the bigger picture.

I loved that structure. It turns the act of failure into progress. Instead of feeling punished for getting a bad ending, I felt motivated to dig deeper. The game trusts you to pay attention, to connect clues, and to think logically about how events interlock. Some puzzles genuinely made me stop and reconsider everything I’d learned so far. You have to use every clue in your arsenal.

Presentation-wise, the game is strong. The character animations and scene framing give conversations a cinematic quality. Characters shift their posture, expressions change subtly, and camera angles adjust to emphasize tension or intimacy. It’s not flashy in a blockbuster sense, but it’s carefully directed.

The visual art style stands out in particular. Character designs are eye-catching, with bold features and thick outlines that give everyone a distinct silhouette. On the Nintendo Switch, whether I was playing docked on a big screen or in handheld mode, the art popped beautifully. It has a clean, stylized look that feels modern while still fitting the eerie tone of the series.

And the story itself? It’s the kind that lingers. I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn’t playing. Speculating about motives. Questioning what was real. Wondering if the curse was metaphorical, supernatural, or something in between. Even after reaching an ending, the themes stuck with me.

That said, there are areas where I think the game could improve. The biggest one for me is voice acting. While there are sound effects and music cues, the game isn’t fully voiced. I would have loved complete voice performances for dialogue scenes. Strong voice acting could have added another layer of immersion and polish, especially during emotionally charged confrontations.

I also found the ending a bit abrupt. Without spoiling anything, it wraps up the central mystery, but I was left wanting a bit more breathing room. Maybe even a short post-game sequence showing how the island changes after the truth comes out. It’s possible that different routes expand on this, and I do plan to replay it to see how alternate paths shift the conclusion. Still, my first completion left me wishing for a few extra scenes.

Even with those criticisms, I walked away very impressed. Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse builds confidently on the foundation of its predecessor. It keeps the series’ signature blend of folklore and psychological tension while carving out its own identity through its island setting and diving mechanics. It respects the player’s intelligence, embraces a slower pace, and delivers a mystery that feels layered and emotionally grounded.

Most of all, I’m excited about what this means for the future of the series. If this is how Paranormasight evolves, I’d love to see where it goes next. Maybe another region. Another piece of folklore. Another community hiding uncomfortable truths beneath the surface. For now, though, The Mermaid’s Curse stands as a compelling, thoughtful follow-up that proves the first game wasn’t a fluke. If you enjoy narrative-heavy experiences, layered mysteries, and a touch of the supernatural, this is absolutely worth diving into.

A Nintendo Switch review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

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