This supernatural visual novel is the latest Square Enix gem flying under the radar

Paranormasight
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is the latest gem from Square Enix to release with little promotion, and fans are starting to spot a trend.

The new horror visual novel launched earlier this week across PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, though not following a great deal of enthusiasm from its publisher, so you'd be hard-pressed to know that.

As the tweet below points out, Square Enix hasn't just done this with Paranormasight. The likes of Neo: The World Ends With You and Theaterhythm are certified bangers, though they also released with little push. That's not even to mention hidden gems like Dungeon Encounters or Harvestella.

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As Eurogamer reporter Liv Ngan points out in the tweet below, Paranormasight's soundtrack and visuals are popping. Two features that could help the game find an audience among dedicated visual novel/horror fans.

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On top of that, as YouTuber Bowl of Lentils points out across several tweets below, Paranormasight marks the return of visual novel genre veteran Takanari Ishiyama. If you weren't already familiar with Ishiyama's work, he also previously worked on Metal Gear Solid as a sound designer before working on a Final Fantasy 12 spin-off.

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Ishiyama has a boatload of visual novel credits under his belt. With the tweet above, it's hard to see why Square Enix didn't lean into this angle when promoting Paranormasight, touting it as the grand return of a visual novel master (or, you know, just promoted it at all).

It's hard not to be critical of Square Enix's marketing for some of its smaller games. The company released what felt like a generous helping of gems towards the end of 2022 in particular, including the likes of Harvestella, Dragon Quest Treasures, and Valkyrie Elysium, all of which received barely any promotion before launch. Paranormasight could end up finding its way into the hands of fans who'll appreciate it, though it looks like that happen through word of mouth rather than marketing.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look at all the other games that Square Enix and other publishers have lined up for the coming year.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.