Clock Tower

"BAM! Straight to the bollocks..."

Well, I certainly picked this game up later than most. My Clock Tower odyssey started out with the fantastic original for SNES, and then I skipped straight ahead to the slightly more mainstream Clock Tower 3 (also a fantastic game). So for a while I searched for this game and its sidestory, The Struggle Within (which I haven't played enough to give an extensive review). For half a year my search went unrewarded, but for Christmas, a truly magical time indeed, I received both games. =) This was the first title that I played, since it WAS the 'first' in the series, and I really did have a good time with it. It isn't perfect, but it sure is a lot of fun. Read on...

Graphics:

This definitely screams 'first-gen Playstation'. The settings are drab and/or repetitive and the FMV isn't really up to par with titles of its time such as Final Fantasy 7. The characters look okay, each having an unique design, but their shadows don't look all that great or realistic, and their animations feel choppy at times (especially when running). The gore is great though; fans of blood 'n guts certainly won't be disappointed! Of course, there is an element of leniency in this judgment because not only is it quite an old game, but the gameplay also places very little emphasis on graphical flash and panache. It does all it needs to, and is content with that.

Graphics receive a 7/10.

Sound:

I had high expectations for this category, after experiencing its predecessor's wonderful ambience and sound effects. I found this to be strong at best, but pretty typical survival-horror fare at worst. The footfalls were a little annoying, which is never good, since they're the thing you hear the most throughout the game. Clock Tower's tracks are okay, and it has a good chase theme; nice and suspenseful. A solid chase theme definitely works in a game of this vein's favor, since it adds to the impending danger and horror. Likewise, when your character makes a particularly shocking or horrifying discovery, a delightfully schmaltzy 'chord of utter despair' resonates, indicating the significance of the item in question. It really helps to increase the paranoia factor of the whole Clock Tower experience. Your footsteps change with the texture you walk – or run – on, the doors creak ominously and – the best part – are the ''shink! shink!'' of Scissorman's implements of mass murder. Truly music to a Clock Tower fan's ears. The worst part about Clock Tower's audio, however, is the atrocious voice acting. It's definitely up there with Resident Evil, believe me. Some of the worst perpetrators are the hilariously monotonous Professor Barton, who sounds much like a robot or perhaps an extremely boring man (maybe that's what the voice actor was going for?), and Jennifer Simpson, whose voice actress suffers from an identity crisis between a valley girl, a half brain-dead space case, or both. The best part is listening to her diary entries; she sounds like she's struggling just to read them. XP All in all, I found Clock Tower's sound to live up to its reputation in most regards, even though the voice acting was horribly done, and it still remains a strong factor of the series.

Sound receives a 8/10.

Gameplay:

Like the game before it, Clock Tower is part of the rare point-and-click adventure game genre, one that I've grown increasingly fond of as the years rolled by. (Maybe I'm just slowing down in my old age of 15. =P) Sure, it's not the most fast-moving type of game around, but the progression of events and plot that it lends itself to really makes it shine. Anyway, this game is set up in a pseudo-sidescroller formation, as per the first Clock Tower, and you employ a mouse-like pointer to make all of the navigational commands for you. The basic elements of the gameplay, which are mainstays throughout the Clock Tower series, are existent here, of course. The first of these is your panic meter; your mouse pointer will change colors based on the fear your character is feeling, from white to orange to red, and when Scissorman attacks you or you are put in a dangerous situation the pointer will flash red and blue. At this point, you must tap the Square button rapidly to avoid your most-likely…pointy fate. This keeps the gameplay intense, as the player is constantly looking for ways to avoid the creepy Scissorman. The second facet is the unique Evade/Hide System, which is used to…well, evade or hide from Scissorman. See, many of the items in your environment can be used to fend off Scissorman, but most often these items will be expended after one use. Likewise, you can attempt to hide from Scissorman as many times as you want, but will it always be successful? Clock Tower's gameplay, in this aspect, has always been strong.

Some enhancements have definitely been made in this installment, but there are also some new pitfalls as well. Let's start with the pros; for one, your running pace is now much faster, and unlike in the first game your panic meter (another facet of the gameplay) is not penalized for it. This makes it a lot easier to explore the game's various locales at a quicker pace, which is a boon for slightly impatient people like me. =P Another improvement is that the environments are a lot more interactive. You can investigate more areas of your current death-trap, pick up more items, hide from your stalker in more places, and find more clues to help you solve the Scissorman Murders. This makes the experience seem all the more personal, which lends a lot to the gameplay.

There are some points which can be taken as good or bad in the game as well. For one, there's a LOT of dialogue in the game, spoken or otherwise. You'll be reading quite a bit. This causes the pacing to feel a little slow, but it also makes the game seem a lot more realistic since, unlike the first one, you actually have some form of human contact that isn't with the corpse of one of your friends. Also, though you can play five different characters, they all play the exact same way. It would have been a good opportunity to change the gameplay around a little with the switching of the characters, but of course, too many cooks DO spoil the broth...

Unfortunately, there are problems too. When arriving at a destination, your character takes an extra two stationary steps before opening the door, investigating an item, etc. It may not seem like a huge deal, but eventually it gets to be a pain in the ass, because the whole process takes at least three seconds. Also, some of the puzzles can be a little farfetched at times, with solutions that I probably never would have thought of on my own. Usually, though, the characters manage to provide you with some sort of hints on what to do, but there's always the occasion where you're left utterly confused and at a loss for what to do. It can be a little unenjoyable at times. Also, there's a huge cast of characters, which isn't too bad, but they just seem like they're cannon fodder for Scissorman's murderous rampage. Don't get me wrong, some have fantastic death scenes, but a lot of them probably could have gone without even existing in the game.

All around, Clock Tower is still a great deal of fun to play, as it always has been.

Gameplay receives a 9/10.

Plot:

The horrific Scissorman Murders that ripped through the Barrows Castle quickly became an international sensation. The story of a deformed little boy with scissors slaying all that stood in his way quickly became oversensationalized throughout the globe, and the 'Scissorman' quickly became something of a pop horror culture symbol. Jennifer Simpson, one of only two survivors of the incident, believes differently. She knows that a Scissorman did exist. After the incident, young Jennifer is taken in by Helen Maxwell, an assistant to professor of psychology Samuel Barton. A year passes and no leads have developed in this case. However, Helen is resolved to find out the truth behind this horrible Scissorman...and just in time. As she visits her office at the University Building, she is attacked by a man with a pair of giant scissors...

Sounds like pretty standard horror fare, right? It's a lot more complex than it sounds. It's revealed at a very good pace, and continues with the first Clock Tower (which I recommend playing for full understanding) very well. It's an excellent continuation of the first game.

Plot receives a 9/10.

Replay Value:

There are ten accessible endings, five for Jennifer's path and five for Helen's. With this much content to unlock, I'm sure that anyone will be able to replay this game and still enjoy it. Also note that this game is a lot longer than the first, which could be completed in under 15 minutes if one was fast. Perhaps it will also prolong your enjoyment of the game as well. =)

Overall:

Clock Tower is a fantastic, gory, scary exercise in survival horror, mystery and adventure. Though I didn't find it as scary as the first installment, this is certainly quite a shocking game in its own right, and a very enjoyable one at that.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the tagline, then just play as Helen Maxwell for a scenario or two. XP

Overall, Clock Tower receives a 9/10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/04