Paranoia Site FILE23: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo - Introduction and Impressions | Estimated Completion Time

I bought and played "Paranomasite FILE23: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo," a horror mystery adventure game by Square Enix.
I'd been interested in this game for a while, and since it's not too long and is reasonably priced, I decided to give it a try.

My completion time was approximately 8 hours (the official completion time is said to be approximately 10 hours).

Game Overview

When you start the game, it begins with an introduction that guides you through a brutal battle for survival centered around the "secret art of resurrection."

The story begins with a scene where company employee Shogo Okiie and the mysterious girl Yoko Fukunaga are meeting in a park at night.
Yoko had summoned Koya to the park under the pretense of investigating the "Seven Mysteries of Honjo," a collection of ghost stories related to the secret art of resurrection, in order to bring her beloved dog, Ogopogo, back to life.

Koka watched Yoko begin her exploration with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity, but then Yoko started acting strangely.
He points his finger behind the Xing family, his face showing astonishment.
When Kōka turned around, there he saw...

So, the initial stages of the game unfold in this manner.

The game is a horror mystery adventure where you primarily progress by clicking on the screen and selecting options.
Similar to the "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" series, you explore by pointing a pointer at suspicious areas on the screen.
During exploration, you'll need to rotate your viewpoint to look around, which can sometimes cause sudden changes on screen that will surprise you (just like the scene where Yoko is surprised, mentioned earlier).
The film cleverly utilizes the fear of the unseen and the resulting changes when they are revealed, showcasing ingenuity in its horror elements.

Also, since it's labeled as a mystery, there are puzzle-solving elements within the story.
You must deduce the answer from the materials and other resources available in the game and provide the solution to proceed.
While hints are given within the story, some of the puzzles involve unexpected types of mechanisms, requiring a certain degree of ingenuity and flexibility.

Once you complete the introductory episode, the story chart is unlocked, as if to say, "This is where the main story begins."
The story chart shows each character's episode in chronological order, scene by scene.
The choices made by one protagonist can affect those of other protagonists, giving the gameplay a zapping system similar to that found in sound novel games like "Machi" or "428."
You can see at a glance how far you've read, and scenes you haven't finished will remain highlighted, which will be helpful for your progress.

Incidentally, the title "Paranoma" is an abbreviation of "paranormal" (supernatural, psychic), and together with "sight" (place, landmark), it means something like "a supernatural place."
The game's feature, which allows for a 360-degree rotation of the field of view, seems to be a play on words, perhaps referencing "panoramic sight" (a wide field of view).

Review (no spoilers)

The stories of multiple protagonists intertwine in a well-balanced way, and each story is engaging enough to make you want to know what happens next.
The introductory chapters, especially before the story chart is unlocked, are a whirlwind of events like a rollercoaster ride, and are sure to captivate anyone who starts playing.
While there were some exciting moments from the middle of the game onward, the pace was relatively calm, allowing me to fully enjoy the fun of an exploration adventure game.

The scenery designs for each location depict slightly retro streetscapes, creating a gameplay experience that allows you to immerse yourself comfortably in the Showa era setting.
I could sense that the characters, rendered with toon shading, truly existed with the rich expressions of the illustrations.

The background music is excellent; in addition to the horror-themed tracks, the melancholic melodies played during exploration are particularly memorable.
The sound effects and noises have a sense of depth, so if possible, playing in a quiet environment or with headphones will allow you to immerse yourself more.

The puzzles and gimmicks that are occasionally inserted may be a little challenging for some players.
There are always hints in the story, and it's easy to start over even if you make a mistake.
You'll get more hints each time you make a mistake, but if it's too difficult, don't insist on solving it on your own. It's perfectly fine to get walkthroughs online.
I found some of the puzzles towards the end difficult, so I consulted a walkthrough.

In the exploration part, you're required to investigate specific locations, but sometimes you might get stuck because you don't know where you're supposed to investigate.
I feel like there are quite a few hard-to-find spots, so a certain level of attention is required in that regard.

In any case, I felt that being able to play a high-quality horror mystery adventure at this low price was quite a bargain.
If you're hesitating about playing it, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Thoughts and screenshots included (contains spoilers)

This section contains spoilers, so it is recommended that only those who have completed the game continue reading.
I'll be writing freely about my thoughts and impressions, focusing on scenes that left a strong impression on me in the story.

I liked Yoko because she was a cute character, but it was a shame she hardly appeared.
Ultimately, he was an important character, even though he didn't get much screen time.
I thought it was interesting how he made threatening remarks towards the Xing family right from the start.

A scene where a player who knows an alternate ending somehow causes the Koka family to throw away the lighter.
After having Rihita tail him and confirming he had a lighter, and having made thorough preparations, it's understandable that he'd make this face when his plan is ruined by a simple "I just felt like it."
Poor thing.

Mio, an important character who usually has a serious expression, looked so cute when she was embarrassed after being praised (even though she wasn't), so I took a screenshot.
At first, I suspected him of being the mastermind, but he turned out to be just a highly skilled psychic investigator.

Oh my~
From the beginning, Yakuko had a dignified, almost masculine image, so I was a little concerned that she became quieter after the Ouija board game.
Later, when I learned that she had been influenced by Shiraishi-san, it all made sense.

The term "big sister" suits Chozawa-san perfectly.
With characters like Yakuko and Okuda Hitomi, there are many characters with delinquent girl elements, making this a unique work.

The detective duo of Tsutsume and Erio were the characters that best suited this type of adventure game and fit the story perfectly.
I enjoyed the comedic banter, especially Tsutsumi's witty retorts.
Following the classic trope of "Yasu is the culprit," I suspected Erio, but he wasn't the mastermind.
As an aside, since Erio is in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division at such a young age, I feel that he's actually on quite an elite career path.

The final battle between the women in Madame.
This atmosphere of quiet probing and tense standoff was indescribably good; it created a wonderful ambiance.
They both have such happy expressions; it's one of my favorite scenes.

Perhaps because he doesn't want Madam to kill anyone, Rihita doesn't actively try to help her, but that probably makes him seem like a coward to Madam.
Of course, it's probably true that they don't want to die.
He's capable of balancing his desire to keep Madame alive, his reluctance to commit murder, his own death, and his unwillingness to help with murder, all while somehow steering the conversation in the direction he most wants to go.

The ability to kill someone almost unconditionally if they are a curse user is indeed a cheat-level ability.
If the goal is simply to win, it seems like I could dominate the competition.
This game features quite a few powerful abilities, but I think this level of strength was ultimately for the best, as otherwise the battles would have dragged on and the pacing would have been poor.

As mentioned earlier, Tsutsumi's retorts are often hilarious, and there are many scenes that make you want to take screenshots.
He looks like a tough, stern veteran detective, but he has many charming sides to him, such as his ability to nonchalantly evade questioning and his surprising knowledge of strange things.

This work, "Paranomasite," is a story within a story, and since it's labeled as FILE23, there's a possibility that other series will be created in the future.
However, unless it incorporates a powerful element like the curse-based death game ability battle found in this game, it could easily end up being just another typical exploration adventure game.
I'm looking forward to seeing what elements they'll use to attract and surprise players next.