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Japanese folklore and mystery make for a compelling combination, and PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse leans into that pairing with confidence. This second entry in the PARANORMASIGHT series carries over the occult-heavy, urban legend-driven DNA from the 2023 original, The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, while planting itself in entirely new territory. In our review, we’ll explore the new setting, new characters, new legend and fresh ideas if it’s enough to make it worth the time.
Setting and Story
The game takes place on Kameshima, a remote island in Ise Bay, and centers on the legend of the Mermaids of Ise with a tale that has long been buried by history. Players follow Yuza Minakuchi, a young pearl diver who spends his days gathering pearls underwater alongside his best friend Azami Kumoi. Things take a turn when Yuza has a strange supernatural encounter with another version of himself while diving on the ocean floor, which sets off a chain of curses that begin spreading across the island.
The story builds outward from there. A body that looks like a mermaid washes up on shore, and the mystery pulls in a handful of other characters, a girl whose origins are unclear, a treasure hunter from a foreign land, and a housewife quietly investigating a drowning incident. Their paths cross and intertwine as they all edge closer to the truth behind the Mermaids of Ise.
Without going deep into spoilers, the narrative does a good job of keeping players hooked. It throws out strong story hooks early and keeps the intrigue going as new details surface. The multiple character perspectives are one of its better qualities, since seeing the same events through different eyes adds real depth to the mystery and helps paint a fuller picture of what is actually happening on the island.
Gameplay and Presentation
At its core, this is a visual novel. Players click on objects in scenes and pick dialogue options, with choices leading to different outcomes depending on what you select. It is a straightforward format, but the game builds some interesting systems on top of it.
Navigation between story segments is handled through a Story Chart, which lays out chapters as connected nodes, each with an image representing a key moment from that part of the story. It is a clean and visual way to show how different paths relate to each other and where you are in the overall structure. Chapters that have not been fully completed are shown dimmed, making it easy to track what still needs exploring. Players return to this chart at natural breaks in the story and use it to pick their next path.
One of the more creative features is the Recollection system. During gameplay, a Recollection button occasionally pops up when certain words or phrases trigger a memory. Pressing it takes players into a Past Recollection Chapter — a look at past events that fills in context for the current story. These chapters get added to the Story Chart as they are unlocked. A Storyteller character in the game even acknowledges that the story will not unfold in chronological order, which ties this mechanic naturally into the experience. It is a clever way to deliver backstory without just front-loading it all at the beginning.
The game also includes a diving minigame early on that does a nice job of introducing Yuza’s world and setting up the underwater atmosphere the story is rooted in. There is also a file and profile system that logs all the information players come across — characters, locations, events — which is genuinely useful given how much detail the narrative packs in.
Visually, the game has an eye-catching art style that fits both the supernatural themes and the Showa-era Japan setting well. It blends real-world locations with authentic folklore in a way that makes the world feel grounded even when the story goes into stranger territory. The overall look and feel supports the mystery tone without feeling overdone.
Where It Falls Short
The biggest missed opportunity here is the lack of voice acting. For a story that lives and dies on its characters and their interactions, the absence of voice performances is noticeable. It does affect how immersive the experience feels, especially during emotionally charged or tense moments.
The other issue is with how the profile system delivers its updates. Whenever new information is added to a file or profile, a notification automatically pops up in the center of the screen, blocking the view. Players have to manually close it before anything continues. There is no way to move these notifications to a less disruptive spot or turn them off entirely. This becomes a real pacing problem during moments when the story is building momentum, because the interruptions keep cutting in at the wrong time.
Verdict
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is a solid entry in the series that brings a fresh story, a new cast, and a genuinely interesting setting to the table. Its strongest points are the multi-perspective storytelling, the creative Recollection mechanic, and the profile system that helps players keep track of a complex narrative. The art style and added gameplay variety round out a package that fans of mystery visual novels will find worthwhile.
The lack of voice acting and the disruptive profile notifications are real drawbacks, and both affect the experience in ways that are hard to ignore. But for players who enjoy Japanese folklore, supernatural mystery, and the kind of layered storytelling the first game was known for, The Mermaid’s Curse has enough going for it to be worth the dive.
Played on PC
The Review
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse
PROS
- Well-executed visual novel with engaging story and intrigue.
- Multiple character perspectives add depth and allow players to piece together the mystery.
- New minigames and mechanics keep gameplay varied.
- Eye-catching art style that fits the supernatural themes.
- Profile/file system helps track large amounts of information about characters, locations, and events.
CONS
- Lacks voice acting, which reduces immersion in this story-driven experience.
- Profile update notifications appear in the center of the screen and must be manually closed, interrupting immersion and pacing with no option to move or disable them.
