New Square Enix Release Is Quietly The Second Best Game of 2026

A new Square Enix game is quietly the second-best game of 2026, or at least it is tied with a few other games as the second-highest-rated game of the year. That said, the Square Enix game is a smaller release, and consquently flying under the radar of many, and while it is by no means a mainstream product, its reviews among critics and consumers alike suggest more should check it out. That said, not everyone is going to be able to check it out because it is only available on Nintendo Switch and PC.

The new Square Enix game in question has an 86 on Metacritic, which isn’t a score that will likely land it among the highest-rated games come the end of the year, but it’s a strong enough score for the start of the year. And judging by its user reviews, the score for Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is deserved.

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Square Enix Sequel Flying Under the Radar

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse, for those that do not know, is a sequel to 2023’s Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. While both games are published by Square Enix, they are actually developed by Xeen, a studio also located in Japan. The first game was released for mobile devices, PC, and Nintendo Switch. So, it was also a Nintendo Switch console exclusive, which never changed. This obviously is not great for the prospects of the sequel coming to PS5 or Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, the first game also earned a similar Metacritic score of 85.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a standalone sequel, which means it can be enjoyed without playing the first game, though playing the first game certainly enhances the experience of playing the second.

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Strong Reviews for the Visual Novel

Like its predecessor, Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a mystery visual novel, and apparently quite good. Not only does it have an 86 on Metacritic, but strong user reviews. The Nintendo eShop does not allow for user reviews, so there is no insight from users on Nintendo Switch, but Steam has them. And since the game’s release on February 19, it has 569 user reviews with a 95% approval rating. This is enough to earn the game an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, the highest-rating a PC game can earn on the platform.

Those interested in checking out the Square Enix game should expect to hand over $25 for the game, which is about 15 hours long to beat. As for the game itself, it takes you to the Ise-Shima region of Japan, known for its mermaid legends. You join a large cast of characters, and you have to unravel the mysteries of the region using all of the characters’ different perspectives.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.