Extraordinary Vision: Honjo’s Seven Mysteries The game captivates you from the moment you turn it on; it’s seamless, layered, and gets under your skin. This horror-suspense game from Square Enix almost caught my attention, but man, I’m glad it didn’t.
This captivating visual novel, with a focus on the paranormal and the mystical, invites you to learn about Honjo’s seven mysteries. Some of these are dire fates you never want to meet, while others seem more like tall tales than mystical. Either way, these are real urban legends and myths you’ll be exploring.
The first you’ll encounter is The Whispering Canal, which tells the story of fishermen who disappear after ghostly voices lead them to their deaths. Grim, right? Not all mysteries are as devious as this one, and the intentions of some remain unknown. While my preview only saw me take part in the first chapter of the game, I’m sure we’ll find out more about these mysteries and how they tie into the Ritual of Resurrection.
The strangely named resurrection ritual is at the heart of Paranormasight. A mystical ritual that, if performed successfully, can bring your loved one back from the dead. Paranormasight has made it clear from the beginning that the Ritual of Resurrection is extremely important to the story, and Paranormasight will periodically ask you how far you have to go to bring someone back from the dead. A big problem, and one that could have big consequences.
You’ll explore these consequences in beautifully diverse contexts. With the support of the Sumida Tourism Bureau, home of Paranormasight, there are over 300 backgrounds for you to investigate and explore, all taken directly from real-life cities. The Showa era scenes are only enhanced by our narrator, Storyteller, who immediately draws us to this old color TV, allowing us to experience the story he’s telling. It’s a specialized aesthetic choice, and it works.
The storyteller pops in from time to time, but he doesn’t intrude or break your immersion. As the player, you’re in this ultra-scary and mysterious world, and the storyteller is just there to help drive your experience. After all, Paranormasight is very challenging, but you never die… never die, that is. Our Storyteller will pick you up right where you left off, sometimes with a helpful hint or two so you don’t meet the same fate or find yourself in a bind. It’s a smart and non-intrusive way to keep you engaged without getting too gripped.
Combine this attractive, immersive interface with the fact that the character designer is General Kobayashi from the legendary Doomsday With You, and you have engaging, well-rounded characters that make them Like (or be afraid of). Ultimately, Paranormasight is a recipe for success with its thoughtful gameplay and immersive storytelling, and I was even more impressed when I spent some time playing the game.
My time in Paranormasight was played from the comfort of my bed, right after Professor Layton and Curious Village spent time with my Nintendo DS, dimmed for atmosphere and optimum comfort. I was so enthralled by the mysterious and treacherous characters that my body often begged me to go to bed early and I couldn’t help but keep my eyes on the screen. With automatic reading, I could sit back and watch the story unfold as I explored it, which made for a chilling yet relaxing experience.
I sincerely look forward to unraveling more mysteries at play in paranormal visions and learning more about Honjo’s Seven Mysteries.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo will release on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on March 8.