10.5 hours played
Written 14 days ago
Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 116:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10)
[i]PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo[/i] is one of the most clever visual novels I’ve ever played—but also one of the most emotionally detached. It's a game about curses, death, time loops, and the supernatural. It starts out gripping, with a perfect premise: a “curse game” set in 1980s Japan, where a group of seemingly unrelated people come into possession of deadly supernatural powers. To bring someone back from the dead, you must kill using your curse, but only under specific conditions. The twist? Everyone else has a curse too.
In the beginning, this works incredibly well. You’re navigating shifting POVs, trying to stay alive while uncovering just enough truth to act first. The logic puzzles are sharp. The UI is slick. The pacing is snappy. And the meta elements (like using the chapter select as a timeline manipulation tool, or dying and being told not to open a certain file) feel fresh and surprising without being gimmicky.
But then ... the curse game just ends. Not narratively—just structurally. The tension never escalates, and most characters quietly opt out of the life-or-death premise they were introduced with. The big supernatural showdown you're waiting for? It never happens. Instead, the game pivots into a more traditional supernatural mystery—and not a particularly layered or emotional one. It becomes about solving a mystery, not surviving one. And that subtle shift takes a huge toll.
[i]PARANORMASIGHT[/i] is a fascinating but frustrating experience. It’s so close to being something special: the visuals are arresting, the premise is excellent, and the puzzle structure is tight. But the emotional core just isn’t there. The characters flatten out, the tension leaks away, and the game loses the nerve to follow through on its own rules. It’s still worth playing, especially if you like your mysteries neat, your mechanics clever, and your VNs low on fluff. But you may walk away thinking: "there should have been more." And the worst part is, the first half proves the game was capable of it.
🔮 [b]Pros: [/b]
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[*] A compelling death game structure ... at first. The “curse bearers” concept is an excellent twist on both murder mystery and horror tropes. The fact that each curse can only activate under specific, hidden conditions gives each encounter tension and texture. You’re not just dodging attacks; you’re puzzling out how to avoid being eligible for murder. That moment where you realize you’ve met the condition and someone is about to use their curse on you? Genuinely chilling.
[*] Gorgeous visual presentation. The grainy photo backgrounds, VHS filter, and soft lighting effects give Honjo a unique aesthetic. It’s retro without being kitschy and grounded enough to make the supernatural elements pop. The 1980s Tokyo setting adds texture, and the UI is clean and easy to navigate.
[*] Snappy structure. Chapters are short and digestible. There’s almost no filler. You’re always uncovering new info or progressing a plotline. It’s tightly edited and knows how to keep momentum up—at least in the first half.
[*] Solid localization. The writing is clean, natural, and localized with care. Jokes land. Emotional beats are readable, if not always moving. Character voice is preserved, even if some of those voices are a bit flat.
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🤐 [b]Cons: [/b]
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[*] The game drops its best mechanic. The “curse game” setup—the entire reason this VN works so well in the first place—is quietly abandoned after the first night. You’re led to believe it’s building toward a second clash of curse bearers, and instead it becomes a more conventional mystery story. This is jarring, unsatisfying, and disappointing because it feels like half a game was cut.
[*] No one wants to win. This is the biggest narrative misstep. Once you switch to other protagonists, the stakes collapse. One doesn’t want to use their curse. Another explicitly wants to end the game peacefully. This completely undermines the tension of a game supposedly about survival. It’s hard to care about solving mysteries when none of the characters are really at risk anymore.
[*] Mysteries without motivation. Once the death game tension evaporates, all that's left is the mystery plot—and it’s just not strong enough to carry the second half. You're no longer unraveling a web of desperate people with hidden motives. You're reading a story where everyone becomes oddly cooperative and patient, and every obstacle feels like a step-by-step logic problem. Interesting? Sure. But compelling? Not really.
[*] Emotionally cold. The game is cerebral, not personal. The plot is smart, but the characters aren’t memorable, and their relationships lack depth. There’s little warmth, little heartbreak, and little catharsis. It’s hard to feel like anything is at stake when everyone is either calm, helpful, or removed.
[*] Meta tricks feel hollow. Yes, the 4th-wall-breaking is fun. But by the end, it lacks thematic weight. There's no *reason* for the meta-ness beyond “we thought it was cool.” The meta layer isn’t tied to the narrative’s meaning or character arcs. It’s clever, but superficial.
[*] Abrupt pacing drop. The second half slows dramatically. There’s a noticeable shift from “oh my god, what happens next?” to “okay… which chapter do I need to unlock the true ending?” There’s no momentum. No race to the finish. It just peters out.
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