Clock Tower

"The creepy misunderstood sequel."

Though it's just called ''Clock Tower'' in the U.S., many people don't realize that this game is actually Clock Tower 2, its prequel part of 1994's line-up for the Super Famicom in Japan, later to be ported to the PlayStation, WonderSwan, and even Windows. And for those of you who've played the American Clock Tower, that probably answers a LOT of questions.

Though Clock Tower emerged from its American release with a respectable level of notoriety, it never quite got the respect it deserved -- and part of the reason for that may in fact be because its story, though intricate and well-told, is incomplete and seemingly nonsensical when taken by itself. Truly, our ''Clock Tower'' is the second half of a much larger, more disturbing story, centered around a young girl named Jennifer Simpson and an evil family that goes by the name Barrows. Though our ''Clock Tower'' stands by itself well enough, knowledge of its prequel makes it all the more fascinating, all the more intimidating, and all the more... frightening.

Clock Tower is the sequel to what may have been the world's first true survival horror game. Like the movies ''Scream'' or ''I Know What You Did Last Summer,'' there is only one villain in this game, and he's gone out on a killing rampage -- and you're next. How to identify your assailant, so as to remain safe? Simple: just look for the limp. And if that doesn't give it away, maybe the insanely huge pair of garden shears will.

Presenting, the being known by the simple, yet unquestionably fitting, name of Scissorman.

And Scissorman isn't just your average mass-murderer. He's been perfectly (lovingly?) designed to appeal to the human psyche in such a way as to induce fear in almost anyone. Unlike most killers, he doesn't chase you down to kill you in an instant. Instead, Scissorman seems to enjoy toying with you: announcing his presence with the constant ''shing! shing!'' of his scissors (accompanied by a heart-pounding techno theme), walking slowly and methodically toward you as you cower against a wall, sending you threatening faxes from somewhere else in the building, and jumping out at you from seemingly impossible hiding places. Sometimes, you won't see Scissorman for a good 45 minutes... then BAM, he'll jump out from a locker, or behind a painting, and narrowly miss impaling you -- and your on-screen character will most certainly not be the only one screaming!

The game designers seem to be toying with you in this game, too, filling Clock Tower's multiple locales with Scissorman's other, less fortunate victims, or with noises, movements, or items that seem slightly... out of place. And when your character encounters something truly scary, one solitary background chord of Scissorman's trademark theme will begin looping until you leave the room, instantly putting you on edge. Is Scissorman nearby? DID HE HEAR YOU SCREAM??

Perhaps the most frightening trait that Scissorman possesses -- one of the many traits that Capcom neglected to carry over into their lackluster PS2 sequel -- is the fact that he cannot be killed. Fighting back isn't an option. If you want to survive, your only course of action is to get out. And Scissorman doesn't plan on making that easy. Escaping from the building he's trapped you in is a matter of pure ingenuity: you need to find a way out. And if there is none... you need to make one. And if he's on your tail, your only possible course of action is to hide... and pray.

The game is split into three stages, each of which varies depending on your decisions. The first and third take place in a set location, though whether you control Jennifer Simpson or Helen Maxwell is up to you -- each girl has her own very distinct personality, and may take a radically different approach to escaping than her counterpart would. The second stage takes place in one of two possible locations, with several potential protagonists. As you might imagine, with so many different paths you can take through the game, Clock Tower has multiple endings. Who will die by Scissorman's blade, and who will live to tell the tale, is completely up to you. Even Helen and Jennifer themselves are potential daisy-pushers!

Each stage is preceded by a rather lengthy introduction, in which you have the ability to travel around and question the game's surprisingly large cast of characters, gathering clues to Scissorman's identity and, perhaps, a way to defeat him once and for all. For those who have never before played the Japanese-only prequel, these introductory scenes may seem pointless, and many players have been known to get impatient with them -- who cares about the story, after all? But if you already know about the Barrows family, the Clock Tower murders, and Jennifer Simpson's narrow escape from an underground beast, then you most certainly have many unanswered questions, and are just as curious to get to the bottom of the whole Scissorman situation as the police chief Gotts, the psychologist Mr. Barton, or the reporter Nolan. Truly, this game is more a ''part two'' than a mere ''two,'' a continuation rather than a sequel, and watching its story unfold sheds new light on the shroud of darkness put forth by its predecessor. And with virtually identical gameplay (plus more speed, better dexterity, and quite a few other tweaks), this game is a guaranteed success with anyone who loved the original -- and a likely success with anyone else who, as the title screen suggests, finds fear fascinating.

In general, ''Clock Tower'' is a niche game, perhaps meant for the same general audience as Konami's ''Shadow of Destiny.'' If you're looking for zombie-shooting survival horror, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a game that'll mess with your mind and haunt your dreams... then look no further. But if you can, try playing its prequel first, as the whole is most assuredly greater than its parts.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/20/03, Updated 02/20/03