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PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse Game Cover
97%Game Brain Score
story, music
atmosphere, grinding
97% User Score Based on 239 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCWindows
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse Game Cover

About

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Square Enix and was released on February 19, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Will you survive the curse together this summer? A new supernatural mystery adventure begins, telling a bittersweet story of the passions of youth featuring new locations, new legends and a new cast of characters.

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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 239 reviews
story68 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions

  • Engaging and well-written story with strong mysteries and compelling characters that deepen as the game progresses.
  • Beautiful, unique art style and atmospheric music that enhance the immersive experience of the game's coastal setting.
  • Innovative gameplay elements like the diving minigame and puzzle-solving mechanics add enjoyable interactivity beyond typical visual novels.
  • The game has a slow start with heavy exposition and lore dumps that may feel tedious and affect pacing early on.
  • Some puzzles, especially the true ending puzzle, are very obscure and can be frustrating without external hints or guides.
  • The true ending's romantic subplot felt underdeveloped and forced, not resonating well emotionally, and some characters were underutilized.
  • story
    193 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of this sequel is praised for its compelling mysteries, emotional depth, and effective use of Japanese folklore, delivering a suspenseful and well-crafted narrative that many found more engaging and better paced than the first game. However, critics noted issues with pacing, some repetitive storytelling due to non-linear segments, and a controversial romance subplot that felt forced and detracted from the overall experience. While not as horror-focused as its predecessor, the game’s blend of supernatural elements, plot twists, and character development offers a rewarding story, especially for fans of the series.

    • “A visual novel that plays with meta-textual elements to make the player a part of the story, using the concepts and ideas of what makes a video game to tell a story in a direction that can only be told as a video game: it feels like a small miracle to get a title like this from a publisher like Square Enix.”
    • “The way things interweave and flow was masterfully done, and the story came together incredibly in a most rewarding fashion as it marched to its grand conclusion, and the final grand puzzle was such a mindblowing moment.”
    • “The story of 'The Mermaid's Curse' gripped me right from the start, and the characters were all very well written and interesting which made the ending all the more pleasing.”
    • “The story's pacing at the end faltered and most of story's exposition was dumped in the files.”
    • “In this one, since the game is contained to a tiny island fishing town, and they're all trying to stop this curse and the things that pop up around it, it makes us retread the same ground constantly, which in turn makes various story segments feel redundant and pointless.”
    • “While logically I'm sure the whole story was written with this in mind, in the writers' efforts to ensure this 'twist' is not spoiled, the game has made this relationship feel like a clunky last minute addition.”
  • music
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic, atmospheric, and diverse soundtrack that complements the art style and story beautifully. While some tracks from the previous title are reused, new additions are also highly appreciated, enhancing the eerie and engaging ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout aspect, often described as top-notch and a perfect accompaniment to the game’s characters and setting.

    • “The soundtrack uses a lot of the same very eerie and atmospheric tracks from the previous title, but they work perfectly in this game, and they introduce a lot of really great new tracks as well.”
    • “In regards to the music, there is plenty of track variety, ranging from the everyday, light-hearted theme to the darker, more horror-gripping one.”
    • “The art style and music remain one of my favorite aspects of this series, with appealing characters and absolutely banger music to accompany each scene.”
    • “I feel like there was a bunch of reused music, which is a shame.”
    • “And also I guess the new music isn't as good.”
    • “The soundtrack and the sound effects were really similar, and some of them were the same as the first game.”
  • gameplay
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay builds on the first game’s visual novel foundation by adding more active elements such as a fun diving minigame and light puzzles, though it remains primarily text-driven. While some players felt the mechanics were less innovative and simpler compared to its predecessor, others appreciated the enjoyable integration of story and gameplay, praising the unique systems and engaging narrative interactivity. Overall, the gameplay is accessible and enjoyable for fans of the genre, offering a fair balance between story and light, novel gameplay features.

    • “The core gameplay is still one of the most novel systems you'll find, the already perfect art direction takes on a whole new life in the new summer island setting, the enriching world-building is taken further than ever, and the all new cast and writing are on point.”
    • “Mermaid's Curse also has more active gameplay elements, with a simple but fun diving minigame and more puzzles than the first game (though the puzzles are still easy, few, and far between: Mermaid's Curse is still 99% clicking through text).”
    • “The controls are simple and natural, the music and presentation are pretty and relaxing, the gameplay loop of raising your stats to be able to harvest more fish is enjoyable, and there are enticing secrets to discover.”
    • “The reason being is that I think on the whole, the story they told here could be really compelling, but because it is trying to fit into the gameplay mold the first game established, it is actively harming its own storytelling.”
    • “The only complaints I'll give is that its mechanics are significantly worse than the 7 Mysteries - conflicts that are foreshadowed since the start are almost trivially solved, and the game does not take advantage of the fact we can control multiple characters.”
    • “For those familiar with the previous title of the series, this game still delivers a lot of tasty meta-game mechanics, though I feel like they are much more minor and don't introduce many new ones or give them as much focus as I'd hoped.”
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics feature an exceptional and unique art style praised for its vibrant, coastal visuals and cinematic variety, creating an immersive atmosphere. The character designs and occasional animations enhance the storytelling, while the overall presentation is consistently beautiful and highly regarded among visual novels. Users consistently highlight the art as one of the standout and most beloved aspects of the game.

    • “The art style and presentation is one of my favourite visual novel formats with lots of variety and cinematic shots, and the story and characters are a lot of fun to unravel.”
    • “Beautiful artstyle, great set-pieces, it's all amazing and I'm blown away every time I look at a game like this.”
    • “The occasional animated graphics add just the perfect touch to the art, truly enhancing the story's atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, blending suspense, charm, and heartfelt storytelling that resonates strongly with players, often evoking tears and laughter. While some find it less emotionally impactful than its predecessor, the focused narrative and well-developed characters culminate in a touching and satisfying conclusion. Its unique combination of visual novel elements and plot-driven puzzles enhances the emotional depth, making it a standout in the genre.

    • “The true ending was not only a delightfully fun little easter egg to obtain, but also made me cry.”
    • “It is lighter on outright horror elements than the first one, but makes up for it with a much more suspenseful, focused story that hits way harder emotionally.”
    • “This one is heavier on the setup than the first game (expect to do lots of reading) but everything ramps up and comes together by the end for another satisfying and quite emotional story, with another cast of charming characters to love.”
  • atmosphere
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in this game shifts from the intense, spooky horror of its predecessor to a more balanced blend of mystery, story, and mood, featuring eerie yet fitting soundtrack additions and occasional animated graphics. While it lacks the dark, paranoid horror vibe of the first game’s grungy Tokyo setting, it offers a compelling tone that enhances the narrative and maintains suspense in key moments. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for complementing the story and characters, even if it’s less overtly terrifying.

    • “The soundtrack uses a lot of very eerie and atmospheric tracks from the previous title, but they work perfectly in this game, and they introduce a lot of really great new tracks as well.”
    • “The occasional animated graphics add just the perfect touch to the art, truly enhancing the story's atmosphere.”
    • “Great game, with a great story, great characters, and a fitting atmosphere.”
    • “Mermaid's Curse lacks the spooky, paranoid horror atmosphere of the first game, going for a different tone instead.”
    • “The setting, though interesting and well presented, was not quite as suited to building a spooky atmosphere as the ultra-grungy Tokyo of the first game.”
    • “Although it's a shame they've toned down the horror atmosphere and vibes of the original, I quite enjoyed it but think the change was honestly worth it.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is often tedious, particularly in Avi’s route where repetitive information makes progression feel like a slog. The diving minigame, despite evident effort and potential for extended play, is underutilized and largely inconsequential to the overall experience.

    • “It became especially tedious in Avi’s route where the game regurgitated the information at you constantly in the first half of his story, making it a slog to get through.”
    • “Diving minigame is kinda underutilized, which was a shame since I was ready to spend countless hours grinding it from the start but alas.”
    • “Aside from the opening section, you're only required to play the diving minigame once in the story, and it feels like a lot of energy went into a largely inconsequential portion of the game, especially with all the work put into it—the notes about 'barren' and 'lush' areas didn't impact much, and I only ever caught my foot on something 3 times while grinding to max diving stats.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is charming and character-driven, with adorable, funny characters and amusing expressions that add lightness. Despite some dark and horrific elements, a subtle, consistent humor is maintained throughout the experience.

    • “The characters are all adorable and funny in their own way, really wish we could read more about them outside the main story.”
    • “The characters constantly make funny faces ( o3o ).”
    • “Dark, horrific at times, but has a hint of humor throughout.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users praise the game’s character development for its distinctive, ink-like art style and intriguing designs. The characters effectively enhance the story’s depth, combining aesthetic appeal with compelling, sometimes unsettling elements that engage players intellectually.

    • “I adore the character designs and artstyle as well, this game has so much going for it and the story so far is so intriguing.”
    • “I really like the character design and ink-like aesthetics.”
    • “It just scratches the brain in the most perfect way, whether it be the character designs or the horrific curses they pride themselves in showing.”
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15h Median play time
13h Average play time
8-17h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is a role playing game.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is available on Nintendo Switch, PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse was released on February 19, 2026.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse was developed by Square Enix.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its atmosphere.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is a single player game.

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