Clock Tower

"There's something about being chased by a scissor-wielding hunchback that fascinates me..."

Intro
I don't think there are a whole lot of people who actually like this game. Soon as it hit $20, I figured, ''Why not? I'll give it a try.'' One of my friends bought it for me for a birthday present. It is a worthy gift in my view. However, it's definitely not flawless.

Nice Scissors!
In Clock Tower, you play the role of one of two women: Jennifer or Helen. Jennifer was a witness to an event of grisly murders in which she claims a monster of some kind killed everyone but her and a little boy named Edward. Police and psychologists investigate the whole incident and find that there is some strange link between the murders and a statue that was found. While investigating, the monster, who they refer to as Scissorman (because he carries a huge pair of scissors) appears again. Now, Jennifer, Helen, and everyone else look for a way to defeat Scissorman.

This Ain't Resident Evil!
Don't expect anything too much like Resident Evil here. The way this game works is quite unusual. Your character is on the screen and can move freely. However, you also have a cursor on the screen which you can use to move your character by clicking in a certain area. Doing this can also cause you to pick up any items or investigate areas. One aspect of the game that makes this a bit helpful is that the cursor locks on to any areas that can be investigated.

Can't... Stop... Shaking/Laughing!
The game is pretty creepy in its own little way. The sound effects and the music really help build a good atmosphere in this game. Sometimes, you'll just be walking along (there usually isn't any music) and then you'll start hearing a shing... shing... shing..., meaning that Scissorman is after you. That's when the music starts up. When this happens, you have to find someway of getting rid of Scissorman, either by knocking him out or hiding.

Game Element
I think the graphics could've used some help. I thought they were a bit pixilated and blocky, two things which really aren't a good combination. One thing that I found funny is that I never noticed Scissorman had hair until I plugged this game into my PS2, thanks to its ability to clear up some pixilation.

FINAL JUDGMENT
Graphics: Needs a major makeover 4/10
Sounds: Good sound effects and music help to build a good atmosphere to the game. The only downside would be the bad voice acting. 8/10
Controls: Considering that you're controlling a cursor throughout the entire game, there really isn't much too complex to work with. This is actually quite relieving for me since most Survival/Horror games are hard to control. Some people really don't like the cursor, but it doesn't bother me. 10/10
Plot/Storyline: 10 different endings, 5 for each character. All the endings are pretty cool in their own little way. Another thing I like is the twists to the game's storyline. 8/10
Gameplay: It's fun the first couple of times you've played it through. The only thing that angers me about this game is the fact that you go through and get those 10 endings for basically nothing really special. Let me tell you, after a while, playing toward those endings gets very repetitive. 7/10
All Together: 7/10

Recommendations
Honestly, not for everyone. Give it a play before purchasing.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/01, Updated 04/16/01