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Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎‎ ‎‎‎ ‎‎‎ 1, 2, 3, 4 - TURN THE BEAT BACK

The year is 1987, and due to the success of Technōs Japan’s Double Dragon (1987), the beat ‘em up genre started to make its biggest waves; a Golden Age was born. As a reaction towards that success, Capcom responded with the erection of a pillar in what we now know as the Street Fighter universe: the creation of Capcom’s Final Fight (1989).

Originally conceived as a sequel to Street Fighter under the working title Street Fighter '89, Final Fight underwent a title change before its release. It went on to be regarded as a big step within the genre. In contrast to the relatively basic combo attacks found in Double Dragon, Final Fight introduced a more dynamic way to gameplay, accompanied by much larger and detailed sprites for enhanced visual impact. With it later being used as a fundamental building block for beat ‘em ups that followed, most notably Streets of Rage (1991). But why did it work? Why was this such a big hit? Well for that, we need to put this piece within its chronological context.

You see, during 1988, the biggest Capcom figures at the time, Akira "Akiman" Yasuda and Akira Nishitani, went on a trip over to the U.S. and decided to check up on the arcade scene over there. What they saw were beat ‘em ups like the aforementioned Double Dragon and SNK’s P.O.W.: Prisoners of War (1988) being in the absolute limelight. With aesthetical inspirations from movies with a pronounced urban setting, ones in which the fist was the ultimate problem solver like Streets of Fire (1984) and Hard Times (1975), both directed by Walter Hill, they had one task in mind – they needed to make their next game as appealing to the West as possible.[1]

Final Fight lends a lot from its predecessor within its genre. Its levels nod a belt-scroll format that are continuous – an aspect originally from Double Dragon, which expanded on its spiritual father Renegade (1986) (known as Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun in Japan) and its area-based level design. The ability to pick up items that have been dropped by enemies is also one such aspect from Double Dragon that has been put to use, with great success I might add. Although as opposed to its 3-button layout, Final Fight decided to remove the kick button in its entirety in favor for 2-buttoned gameplay; one for Jump, the other for Punch. Its combo system compensates for this greatly: by rapidly pressing the attack button against an enemy or multiple you can execute a combo, delivering a series of consecutive strikes. However, if the player swiftly moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing the final blow of the combo, it can be transformed into a throw maneuver. Additionally, the player has the ability to perform jump attacks. Combining simultaneous presses of the attack and jump buttons initiates a special attack, effectively hitting all nearby enemies, but at the cost of a minor hit against the player's health. Engaging with enemies is as easy as walking into them too, allowing the player to grab hold of them. Once an enemy is in your grasp, you can execute a grab attack by pressing the attack button or opt for a throw by tilting the joystick either left or right. Throwing an enemy presents the opportunity to inflict extra damage by launching them towards another adversary.

But that kind of sounds like a small jump up from what we know about the genre at this point, no? It sort of paints an image of Capcom running behind trends that were already proven to work, and only slightly improving them. Well, here’s the kicker; the gameplay can be interacted with a grand variety of three iconic characters who made the basis for their own archetypes – three characters that all contain their own whole and unique movesets. This was a new take on selectable characters within the genre, with previous games having mere clones. There’s the quick and nimble ninja Guy (no, not “ninja guy”, but “the ninja named Guy”); the slow grappler and heavy hitter Mike Haggar; and the lead protagonist and all-rounder Cody. Such a wide selection with each having their own way to fight was essentially a new feature, new ways to interact with the game, and definitely a reason as to why Final Fight became such a hit – which consequently leads into the fact that not only these characters, but the entire cast, are still revered and commemorated in 2023. They continue to make contemporary appearances in Capcom games, thus solidifying their enduring presence and relevance within their shared universe.

With that said, Final Fight is also very notorious for its difficulty, and deliberately so. It’s frankly impossible to clear this game without using any continues. With the aforementioned emphasis on trying to make this successful in the West, Akira Nishitani, who was the co-designer for the game, noticed that American people in Arcades weren’t as bothered about dumping their tokens in a single cabinet – as opposed to Japanese arcade culture where players inserted 100 yen of actual money per play, trying to make the most with it.[1] It serves to logic that the absolute state of Final Fight’s difficulty rests on that statement’s shoulders; Americans weren’t really as bothered to dying, hell, on the contrary, they loved watching an Andore family member pummel them to the ground! And even when they did have the notion of quitting, a borderline traumatic continue screen welcomes them. Forced to watch their roped character be met with a dynamite; inspired by continue screens like in Ninja Gaiden (1988), ones that pressure the player into spending. All of which taps into that part of the brain that wants to keep going.

It's pretty clear how this game made its strides in the arcades. Especially over in the U.S.A. Its American-themed setting and urban aesthetic derived from Walter Hill-directed Hollywood hits; its slew of technical and visual improvements from the beat ‘em ups that preceded it; the fact you get to play three characters that are radically different compared to rivaling cabinets; all topped off by its intentional difficulty that compliments America’s spending habits. There’s also a point to be made that, while Final Fight’s story takes from “the urban hero saving his girlfriend” trope the genre has ridden on prior; Cody somewhat subverts it by explicitly stating that the act of rescuing his lover and damsel in distress, Jessica, holds no priority over the fact that he’s using this opportunity as a way to just use his good old knuckles. Fight on.

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[1] Final Fight Developer's Interview

Language: English
Platform: Steam, played the Arcade Rom through Street Fighter 6 in World Tour, back-alleys of Metro City
Runtime: around an hour
Completion: Played through the entirety using the three characters
Favorite Track: Opening Theme
Favorite Character: Cody

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎‎ ‎‎‎ ‎‎‎ "A samurai fears not death, struggles to triumph over evil, and lives for one purpose: TO DESTROY ALL ENEMIES."

An emphasis on strategic footsies, weapon-based combat and Japanese Edo 江戸-era (1603-1867) atmosphere are all aspects the Samurai Shodown series, known as Samurai Spirits 『サムライスピリッツ』 in Japan, is extremely famous for. But despite being known for the aforementioned facets, the series itself wasn't actually in charge of those contributions to the genre: it's not necessarily the first weapon-based fighter, nor is it the first fighting game to heavily feature a pre-modern Japanese setting – that would be Kaneko's Shogun Warriors (1992); but it is a series produced by arcade giant SNK, who held the budget, talent and acclaim that elevated the series to be what it is today. But yet to understand the standing of something today, we have to understand how it got its footing first. In the face of the reality where most people know the series for Samurai Shodown 2 (1994) through Samurai Shodown 5 (2003) and its newest entry Samurai Shodown (2019), the franchise first saw its debut in 1993 with the original Samurai Shodown for Arcades and the Neo Geo AES, among many other platforms ported by various companies in later years.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎__The Fighting Game Landscape in 1993__

The hectic year of 1993 was a competitively turbulent one for arcade fighting games, no doubt. For the third year in a row, Street Fighter II (1991) domineered the market as it was the year's highest-grossing video game worldwide yet again – mostly thanks to its release of Street Fighter II Turbo (1992). Ironically enough, there was inner competition within companies as well. Most notoriously SNK, who had multiple teams in charge of different series: Fatal Fury 2 saw its arcade release in December 1992 to rival Street Fighter II Turbo, and its release for Neo Geo AES later in March of 1993; Art of Fighting released in late 1992 as well; World Heroes 2 in April 1993; with Samurai Shodown following in July and Fatal Fury Special releasing 2 months later. The rest of the year proved to be stimulating in terms of competition as well, especially with Virtua Fighter (1993) and Mortal Kombat II (1993) releasing closer to the end of the year, the latter being a huge success in the West.

Within this certain rivalrous landscape, Samurai Shodown (1993) needed something to set it self apart – especially against the stronghold that is Capcom's Street Fighter II. Their answer to Capcom's and their own takes (see: Fatal Fury (1991) and Art of Fighting (1992)) on a multinational and predominantly Western cast became the series' most identifying aspect. SNK opted for a more isolated setting, literally. You see, Samurai Shodown takes place during the time known as sakoku 鎖国 (1639-1853) of Japanese history, which is a time of national isolation during the Edo period. This aspect further snowballed the game's focus on that Japanese element – with its history and their tropes being incorporated and slightly exaggerated. To put it simple, in this narrative the ruling Samurai class consists of honored men with a distinct "Samurai Spirit" who are always in search of training and stand up for justice, with bushidō 武士道 being a strong code of honor all those Samurai abide by. Which admittedly makes the entry feel somewhat Hollywood-inspired when it comes to its own tropes. Although, of course, Samurai Shodown (1993) is a fighting game wherein the narrative experience takes a backseat in favor of action and its characters. It's not supposed to be a story that contains strong criticisms on Japanese history and the lens that people use when looking back on it. With that being said, this magnifying glass on Japan naturally leads to most of the cast being of Japanese origin – with a few exceptions.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __Sakoku Japan and its Representation Through Characters__

The backdrop surrounding our cast is quite unique, albeit simple. While Samurai Shodown (1993) is the first mainline entry, it is the third chronological entry of the series; directly following its latest installment, Samurai Shodown (2019). The story centers around a villain, Amakusa Shirō Tokisada 天草 四郎 時貞 , a character based on an actual historical figure who was deemed a heretic and slain in Japan in 1638 by the Tokugawa Shogunate for his part in the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638). Now being resurrected more than hundred years later in 1787, thanks to a deal with the evil god Ambrosia, he is driven by hate for both the Shogunate and the world itself; and along with his newly acquired dark powers, he's ready to bring chaos to all of existence in 1788. Unfortunately for him, a diverse set of 12 warriors — some historic like him, and some fictional — are all headed towards the source of the chaos, each driven by their own reasons.

The seemingly lack of cultural diversity that feels void when compared games with heavy themes of cross-culturalism like Street Fighter and even other SNK titles is something that the franchise has been remedying with each and every entry – Darli Dagger in Samurai Shodown (2019) as a recent and notable example. With that being said, even in the first entry, no two people in our cast of characters are the same in both background and personality. Our easy-going protagonist rōnin 浪人 – a swordsman with no loyalties to any lord – Haohmaru 覇王丸 for example is very much your average romanticized samurai 侍. He's based on Miyamoto Musashi 宮本 武蔵 (1584-1645), a character popularized by tons of other media – most prominently the Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956) by Inagaki Hiroshi 稲垣 浩 – and one of the most idolized rōnin in history as someone who's been told to have never lost a match once. Miyamoto Musashi was also present during the Shimabara Rebellion, aiding the Tokugawa Shogunate against the real Amakusa, which ties the connection between him and Haohmaru significantly further. Then there's Nakoruru ナコルル, a young Ainu priestess who fights to protect nature who is aided by her trusty hawk companion, Mamahaha ママハハ, who can lift her into the air and can even be used as a projectile. Nakoruru swiftly became somewhat of a deuteragonist and mascot of the franchise right after this entry, which makes her inclusion as an Ainu character feel all the more important. It's not often that you come by a property of the early 90's that puts a spotlight on a representative of a group of people who have historically suffered from economic and social discrimination, an unfortunate aspect of Japanese society that continues to this day.

Outside of our two big mascots, there are 10 more interesting faces to meet in that character select screen. Tachibana Ukyō 橘 右京 is a romantic ill Samurai – inspired by the likes of Sasaki Kojiro 佐々木 小次郎 (1575-1612) and Okita Sōji 沖田 総司 (1842-1868) – who fights in the swift style of iaidō 居合道 and practices haiku, searching for the ultimate flower for his beloved woman. Galford D. Weller, a bright Californian sailor who trained in the arts of ninjutsu 忍術 and became a "hero of justice", involves his pet dog, Poppy, in not only his travels but combat as well. Charlotte Christine de Colde is a French noblewoman who travels to Japan, believing Amakusa the source to be of the dark power that is infiltrating her home country. She fights in the art of fencing, and uses an épée in combat. Yagyū Jūbei 柳生 十兵衞 is a seasoned samurai, providing a stark contrast to the youthful samurai in our cast. He is heavily inspired by the historical figure of the same name (1607–1650). Fighting with dual katana, he has multiple sword-based techniques: including a ground projectile, a series of rapid strikes, and a forward-charge into an uppercut. Earthquake is a Texan leader of a gang of American bandits searching for treasure and fights with a large kusarigama 鎖鎌. Funnily enough, due to his size, he's unavailable in the Genesis, Sega CD, and Game Gear versions of the game. Nonetheless, his body can be a positive considering it allows him to bounce himself towards foes or rush himself as a spinning blade ball.

Senryō Kyōshirō 千両 狂死郎 is a Japanese kabuki 歌舞伎 actor who fights with a large naginata 薙刀, all the while performing traditional kabuki dance style; emblematic of Japan's most popular form of entertainment and storytelling during the Edo period. He also has a variety of fire-based skills at his disposal. Tam Tam is a masked Mayan warrior from "Green Hell" who travels to Japan to retrieve the sacred artifact, the Palenke Stone, which was stolen by Amakusa to bolster Ambrosia's resurrection. Wan-Fu 王虎 is a Chinese general from the Great Qing 大清 Dynasty (1644-1911) seeking to recruit powerful warriors for his army in hopes for the unification of his country. Armed with a large dāo 刀, he has the unique ability to disarm himself and throw his weapon as a projectile, which creates a powerful explosion on impact. The green gremlin Shiranui Gen'an 不知火 幻庵 is a small monstrous creature from the Japanese island Kikoku-tō 鬼哭島, who fights with his signature scissor hands – very much based on Adachi Yasushi's アダチヤスシ fascination with Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990). On the surface, Gen'an is a weird inclusion in our cast of human figures, but he's actually a remnant of the early developments of a project that was originally planned as a side-scrolling beat 'em up featuring monsters as protagonists – a concept that unexpectedly evolved into Samurai Shodown (1993) during its development. Last but not least, we have the Japanese Ninja Hattori Hanzō 服部 半蔵, who is based on the famous historical figure of the same name (1542-1597) and fights using ninjutsu – very much like his Western counterpart Galford. All of these characters somewhat suitably fit into a roster focused on a Japan within the middle of its isolationist Edo period; a bit ironic considering the notable four non-Asian characters, which all somewhat organically piece together within the given timeframe and their ability to enter Japan – especially the sailor, and noblewoman.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __A Rough Cutting Edge__

There are other ways to express a character besides their personality, lore and design however. In fighting games, one could argue that the characters, along with everything that encompasses them, are ideal manifestations and representation of the moveset they hold. The moves at a character disposal are key elements of character expression - one instantaneously thinks of Ryu when his shōryūken 昇龍拳 or hadōken 波動拳 gets brought up for example. Releasing about 5 to 7 months later after Art of Fighting's (September 1992) and Street Fighter II Turbo's (December 1992) invention of supers – and in the former's case: desperation moves – it's a bit of a letdown to acknowledge that the original Samurai Shodown (1993) has none of those. Meter management comes in the form of your Rage Gauge, which fills up the more you receive damage and once full, the gauge flashes POW and for a limited time, all your character's attacks inflict critical damage – with their skin's redness signifying their rage.

On the topic of moves in general, the game does feature a 4-button layout, but it very much plays like a 6-button fighter with the use of macros; with the implementation of a light, medium and heavy version for both slash and kick moves. Normally, to execute the heavy version of a move you'd have to simultaneously press the light and medium buttons for that type of move, which isn't really a problem when using macros on a controller that has more than 4 buttons – which you normally would have outside of playing on a Neo Geo AES or the arcades. However despite having an amount of normal moves that rival Street Fighter's quantity-wise, they all feel redundant, with some medium moves looking exactly the same as lighter versions besides their speed and power. In the case of special moves, a lot of the characters feel underworked relative to some others. Take the example of Haohmaru and Nakoruru. Haohmaru only has 2 special moves in this installment: a grounded projectile that when hit, elevates the opponent within a twister; and a traditional Dragon Punch – a short-coming 2/3rd of your average shōtō 松濤 moveset. Meanwhile, Nakoruru comprises a moveset that feels more fleshed out, which includes moves with her hawk Mamahaha in a multitude of ways: one that launches Mamahaha to the opponent; and one that makes her hang on Mamahaha, with two possible follow ups where she can either launch vertically right beneath her or diagonally; among others. The characters' kits all feel a bit oddly proportioned in relation to each other.

The game has elements of randomness to its gameplay as well. For example, when starting a fight or if both characters attack in a precise way, you have the chance to run into a Sword Clash where both characters will lock their weapons. Each player must then rapidly smash buttons to win the standstill; the loser drops their weapon which they will then have to pick up, while a tie results in both players losing their weapons. When playing against the computer, you can safely bet that you'll lose considering the AI pretty much presses the button per-frame, or so it feels. Its arcade mode is quite gruesome as well, with one having to go through the entire cast, including the character you play as, to then have a chance at Amakusa – who he himself is indeed a fine example of the old SNK Boss Syndrome trope. The entirety feels like a rather big grind. On top of that, unlike other fighters, the game features items. These include treasure (which will increase points), food (which will heal), and bombs (which deal damage to any close players). A running character in the background who is said to work for Amakusa tosses them into the arena at random intervals - he is based on the pre-modern Japanese courier, named hikyaku 飛脚. These are men who would need to run mile-long marathons to and from places for the Shogunate to deliver information and letters.

With that said and done, the aforementioned gripes are naturally aspects that have been fixed as the series went on: with the latest entries utilizing three slash and one kick button which feels more aptly condensed compared to this entry's more convoluted take on a control scheme for example, on top of the cast's moveset getting more fleshed out by the entry; but it all leads to this entry feeling riddled with that experimental first-entry-ism, with it not dedicating itself to what it really wants to do besides laying a foundational base for its successors to build upon by merely introducing ideas. With that in mind, in retrospect, it becomes increasingly clear why the fanbase either opts for the other Samurai Shodown games when interacting with the franchise.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __The Search of Japanese Spirit__

To accompany our dominantly Japanese cast, Samurai Shodown (1993) features an appropriate Japanese atmosphere as well. The music in the game is aptly inspired by Edo Japan, dominantly featuring the shamisen 三味線 and the shakuhachi 尺八 in most tracks. A lot of tracks are atmospheric, with most not really having an energetic melody. There are some interesting tracks to note however. Ukyō's theme, Honor's Melody "Night" 『男節 月』, plays shamisen samples on two channels, for the left and right ear respectively, one with a very slight delay relative to the other; all of which makes the strumming intensely realistic and solemn – SNK was always known for being relatively revolutionary when it came to their adaptation of music in their games. After all, one of their most well-known music tracks, Psycho Soldier Theme, is noteworthy for being the first ever full vocal track implemented in a video game. When it concerns the Japanese tracks, there are some others that stick out. Most notably, Kyōshirō's theme Magatama 『勾玉』, which is funnily one of the more livelier tracks of the bunch, all in sake for referencing his kabuki profession; there's also Nakoruru's theme Banquet of Nature 『自然の宴』 which distinctly emphasizes her association with nature through its harmonious melody – this track got so popular that it eventually became one of the franchise's unofficial main themes, with it being either remastered or remixed in most subsequent entries to coincide with Nakoruru's appearances, it even received a remixed by Ōkami's 大神 composer, Ueda Masami 上田雅美, which greatly enhanced its Japanese flair all the more for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

There are some outliers to the the OST being distinctly Japanese-inspired, mainly in the case of the foreign characters of the game. Charlotte's theme Exotic Lady 『舶来女』 feels appropriately aristocratic and European, as it features an organ playing a Baroque melody. A violin tags along in the official arranged version of the track, with drum beats to notify her dominant aristocratic presence. It honestly feels like it's a song that could organically fit within the Castlevania franchise of all places. There's also Galford's theme Tuna 『鮪』, which even made its way in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Terry's inclusion. This Hard Rock track features Electric Guitar, which albeit not a thing in the 18th century, accentuates Galford's foreign quality as an American surfer-turned-sailor ninja.

It's also very difficult to make an overview of an SNK game without mentioning its stages. SNK stages have always been one of the most iconic aspects of their games. Following Fatal Fury 2 in terms of in-house SNK releases and the slew of popular stages it brought to the table - think of Terry's stage West Albuquerque, Andy's Venice and Krauser's diegetic Mittelgebilde; Samurai Shodown (1993) offers beautiful stages that feel more aptly atmospheric compared to Fatal Fury 2's more charmingly chaotic and mostly urban settings. As an example, in this entry we have both a noon and night counterpart for the Gairyūjima 骸流島 stage, which are Haohmaru's and Ukyō's stages respectively, signifying their contrasting rivalry (albeit short-lived, as their rivalry got dropped in favor of Kibagami Genjurō's 牙神 幻十郎 inclusion as Haohmaru's rival in the following entry). Gairyūjima is also the most iconic stage of the series, it's the first stage a player sees when playing this entry, being the one featured in the tutorial – its now iconic quality only being elevated by the fact that it has evolved over time with it being featured in subsequent entries, and even in SoulCalibur VI (2018) with Haohmaru's inclusion. Its atmosphere is very simple – its a cove surrounded by rocky waters with a tall mountain reminiscent of Mt. Fuji 富士山 looming in the distance, surrounded by clouds. All of it brings up a certain feeling of an epic samurai duel, very evocative of jidaigeki 時代劇 movies. This is practically the atmosphere Samurai Shodown (1993) wants to evoke through its stages. With most of them being deceptively simple in their composition, complemented by beautiful sprite-work, which make the duels feel upmost personal – which are only being witnessed by the referee.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __Closing Note__

And there we have it. The first entry, Samurai Shodown (1993), might look as an odd piece in its contemporary landscape filled with urban-focused fighting games on the surface; but in retrospect everything makes sense if you frame it as a reaction to its competitors. From its evolution from a monster-focused beat-em-up to a strategic fighting game through development, to its focus on a pre-modern Japanese setting, and its incorporation of an appropriate Edo and more solemn atmosphere – even its incorporation of some of its elements like items; they all feel like elements meticulously put there to set itself apart from its notable contemporaries as a pioneering weapon-based 2D fighter. It's also an entry riddled with first-entry-ism, with it not feeling as polished as it should be. Leaving the task to its successors to pick up the slack and keep building on its basic groundwork.

----

Language: English & Japanese
Platform: Steam, MVS version through the Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection
Runtime: 12:30
Completion: Played through half of the cast's arcade mode on varying degrees of difficulty (ranging 2-4)
Favorite Track: Banquet of Nature
Favorite Character: Ukyo Tachibana

Pleased to make your acquaintance, dear reader, and welcome to a review of Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo inscribed by yours truly. Now then, before we begin, there are several things I must bring to your attention. As a first preliminary note, I'd first like to explain that Paranormasight is a story that is first best experienced blind. You see, the game makes throughout use of its medium to inhabit some well-ordered surprises that are laying await for you. It would truly be a shame for some of that work and care the development team put in their creation to be for naught. On top of being an interactable narrative that makes part of the Mystery genre, it fully depends on your unspoiled innate tool of reasoning. I trust you to make use of your wits, within the best of your capabilities that is. As a second but albeit similar note, my commentary on the game will contain spoilers. So if you haven't experienced the game yet, I would advise to steer clear. As a third and final note, oh dear, I want to make clear that Paranormasight tackles comfortless subjects like crimes, murder and suicide. With that out of the way, let's proceed.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __To Re-be or not to Re-be? That is the Question__

The moment you first start up the story, and right after the formalities are out of the way, Paranormasight and its Storyteller probe an important question to us, the player:

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ >"Is there someone you wish to bring back from the dead?"
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ >"Yes, if you had the power to bring someone back to life, one time and one time only...!"

Now, unquestionably, this is a personal question with no conceivable right answer to it. I very much doubt you and me have the exact same experience with losing loved ones, and even then, processed the same potential sorrow, deprivation and other emotions linked with bereavement. The desire of resurrection isn't inherently tied to loved or closed ones either. Perhaps there's an artist, historical figure or simply enough a person you've never even met that you desire to bring back to life? There are a lot of angles one could consider when composing an answer to the question. As for my own? I had answered that I'd use it even if it came to my own sacrifice. Now, of course, I have my reasons - none of which I'd want to get into right at this moment - but Paranormasight itself already considered 4 possible answers for any chance of personalization. Which is why it came to my surprise that right at the end when the Storyteller asked that same question again, it was revealed that an extra choice was purposefully missing, seeing if any resolve had changed in us after meeting and experiencing a notable amount of characters and their fates for that same desire of resurrection. Now of course, when I was prompted with the question, whilst having take-away with what I've learned from the game and especially from one certain character which I'll be getting into shortly, I punctually answered with the option that was initially hidden from me in the beginning:

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ >"I wouldn't want it. I would destroy it."

...I would be lying if I said that I didn't answer the question within the frame of Seimei Tsuchimikado's reasoning, as it was revealed within the grande plot twist that we, the player, are in fact his awakened spirit; but I answered the question with genuine intent on top of that as well. It's very odd how an experience like this made me swing from one extreme choice to the other, from beginning to end. I'd like to believe the game's intent was to initially accept that resurrection is desired, and whilst exploring the cast and their tales, we slowly come to the realization that revival is not the real answer we look for. Let me explain.

Truly, Paranormasight really explores as many perspectives a person could have for the desire of resurrection within an interesting narrative. Because you see, in this narrative, resurrection is only possible through the means of a curse stone and soul dregs, which are collected by taking the lives of others. The game does surprisingly well with exploring its themes within that particular frame. During the prologue, you have the prime example of Shogo Okiie, who simply wants to revive his friend and love interest who mysteriously died right before his eyes during the night where it all began. Meanwhile Yakko Sakazaki, one of the main characters, has a similar resolve in which she pursues the truth behind her long-time friend Michiyo Shiraishi's death, which she denies to be a case of suicide. There's another odd and surprising angle that got explored as well in the form of Ayame Tono, who simply wanted to resurrect the most famous ukiyo-e artist, namely Hokusai, hailing from 200 years ago. The game inspects many facets of the prevailing theme of loss, and doesn't hold back any curiosities in doing so, all the while treating the subject with courtesy. Enough characters for you to connect and see yourself in depending on your circumstances, that's for certain.

Harue Shigima is one of the protagonists of the game, and one whose arc is entirely centered around overcoming her need to resurrect her son. Initially starting out as a mother who hires a private investigator to breathe life into a cold case by wanting to unravel the identity of the killer who kidnapped her child. Right when her hands got on a curse stone which seemingly is able to make her son's return to the earthly possible, she swiftly transferred her determination to bringing her son back. At the finale of the story, as more time had passed and possibilities reduced, she is faced with the blunt realization that if she were to succeed, she would be putting the burden of putting all the lives she has taken on his little shoulders. The same thought ended her arc on an emotional note, knowing that the desire for resurrection is at last a selfish one. No matter the reasoning - just as Harue's pursuit to fill in a void of her life - the desire for someone wanting to live again is inherently selfish. At the end of the day, you are still making the choice for another. As you may suspect, it was this character that made me rethink the question from the beginning; and when pertaining to this facet, to self-reflect through connection with one of the character's fates was truly the intention of this story to begin with. Paranormasight ends with the gripping moral that, while death is one of the inevitable experiences every human will face, it only comes once. The dead are dead after all, and the only ones to have memories and emotions linked to them, are the living.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __Honjo, a bygone age of Sumida__

There's something I'd like to touch upon, that a lot of players seemed to already appreciate fully. The setting and backdrop of the game is the industrialized locale of Honjo during the early 80's. The post-war late Showa-era is a period that's not only often reminisced with nostalgic greed, as a time associated with the abundance of money and the peak of city nightlife; but it's not rare to look back on it with grim dread, as horrific murder cases seemed all the more rampant within a country divided by contrasting politics, which the overlap between both definitely happened - look at the assassination of Inejiro Asanuma for example. The emphasis on the latter is something that Paranormasight executes splendidly. By the use of a washed up palette, with a prominent blue tint, the game visualizes that industrialized late Showa-era atmosphere masterfully; on top of a more soft realistic approach to character design by Gen Kobayashi, compared to his usual work. The appreciable soundtrack by veteran composer Hidenori Iwasaki is something I want to remark on as well: from the meticulously chilling Main Theme that sweeps in your conscience during the ending as you figure out the truth; to even the more groovy tones like the 80's Lupin-esque Crime Busting With a Smile! that skillfully changes the mood from an atmospheric horror-based experience to a fun thriller with our lovable detective duo; Paranormasight's music alleviates the atmosphere to create that Horror-Thriller 80's mix the game needs.

You quickly come to terms with the fact that anxious fear isn't only subtly visualized; as within the prologue it's already established that murders and passing interest within the paranormal are not a rare sight. Which feels all the more befitting of that specific time period, especially considering '70's Japan saw its big Occult Boom which lasted till the late 80's - think of the more prominent ITAKO mass culture for example. All of the aforementioned elements blend a skillful depiction of the looming overhanging dread that follows you throughout the experience; all while having a somewhat modern critical look on that bygone era, as characters tend to comment on societal issues that are linked with that late-Showa period in Tokyo - as any human equipped with a critical lens would while living in that era.

The locale itself, Honjo, is a genuine neighborhood in Tokyo and now part of Sumida Ward. It's a place not dissociated with the otherworldly since, as you may have noticed, the Seven Mysteries of Honjo are indeed genuine legends. With modern-day Honjo even priding upon that fact, now being largely used as tourist attractions within the locale. Walking tours with tourist maps and sign posts where you can read about them, and even sweets taking the form of the seven mysteries, are all present throughout Sumida. Paranormasight does exceedingly well with the locale, with the map, the curses' locations and areas you can visit corresponding with reality - which the game obviously is proud of, looking at its Twitter page. It's a narrative-based tourism experience, which makes the game all the more special.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ __Thoughts and Conclusion__

On top of all, Paranormasight feels a bit avant-garde with its mechanics. It's an adventure point-and-click game set in various 2D and panoramic 3D environments that feel natural and complementary to each other. The perspectives switch from first-person to third depending on the scene, with the latter making it feel very theatrical-inspired with the various shots it includes. After all, the anxiety doesn't come from the fact that something scary could happen in front of you at any time, but the possibility that there might be something awful waiting behind you as you're freely able to look around. With that being said, it feels very inspired by late 90's J-Horror - most notably Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure (1997), with how it organically handles the supernatural within a thriller and shakai-ha narrative, on top of the bleak aesthetics.

I hope from the little tidbits I've commented on, a grander understanding and appreciation of the game may follow. As you may notice, it's an experience that is most likely going to stick with me due to the masterfully woven themes and narrative, and the genuineness of everything that surrounds it. Paranormasight is first and foremost a story that finds connection with the player, and second of all a tourism attraction into an interesting locale full with mysteries, all enhanced by unique mechanics that are sure to evolve the genre even further. Everything offered feels so carefully genuine, which makes that humanity brim through.

Now it is time to bring things to a close. Thank you, truly, and farewell.

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Language: English
Platform: Steam
Runtime: 18:42
Completion: 100%
Favorite Track: Crime Busting With a Smile!
Favorite Character: Private Investigator Richter