Clock Tower (1996 video game)
Clock Tower | |
---|---|
Point-and-click adventure, survival horror | |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Clock Tower, known in Japan as Clock Tower 2,
Director
Clock Tower was commercially successful, selling close to half a million copies. Kono attributed some of this success to Resident Evil generating interest in horror games and the success of the PlayStation. Critical reviews of Clock Tower were mixed. The game's horror atmosphere and storyline were praised, although most other aspects were found to be mediocre. Most of the negative critique was directed towards the game's slow pace, which was compared unfavorably to other PlayStation games of the era, particularly the more action-oriented and fast-paced Resident Evil. These factors influenced some critics to recommend Clock Tower purely for point-and-click adventure fans.
Gameplay
Clock Tower is a
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d4/Clock_Tower_1996_screenshot.png/220px-Clock_Tower_1996_screenshot.png)
The player character has three levels of strength. The strength level is indicated by the cursor which will either be white, flashing yellow, or red. Strength will decrease after extreme actions or being attacked by the game's enemy, Scissorman, and recovers with time.[6] When the character's life is being threatened, the cursor will blink red, indicating panic mode. If the character is being chased, click points are only effective on objects that will make Scissorman retreat.[5] In escape mode, actions do not lower strength and recovery is suspended.[6] This mode stays active until Scissorman is somehow forced to retreat.[5] If the player's strength reaches zero, then it is game over and the player must continue from the last room they entered with one level of strength.[6]
The game features four scenarios including the prologue. The actions during the prologue determine who will be the central character in the story, either Jennifer Simpson or Helen Maxwell. The scenarios and player characters that follow are determined by the player's actions. There are five different endings per heroine depending on how the scenarios progress. After each scenario is a save screen and an intermission mode that allows the player to explore without the threat of Scissorman. During the intermission, the player can have conversations with various characters. The next scenario begins after the required conditions of the intermission are met.[7]
Plot
After the events of the original Clock Tower, central protagonist Jennifer Simpson was adopted by Helen Maxwell, an assistant professor of criminal psychology in Oslo, Norway. She begins undergoing treatment at a university research building in order to learn more about the Scissorman murder case at Barrows Mansion and help her cope with her trauma. Over a year has passed, and now a series of brutal murders have made headline news. It appears that the Scissorman has returned. Having heard the details of Jennifer's original encounters with the Scissorman, Helen begins searching for information that could put an end to the seemingly immortal killer.[8] The scenarios that follow, including the player characters and settings, are vastly different depending on player actions throughout the game.[7]
The first chapter places the player in control of either Jennifer or Helen, escaping from Scissorman within the university research building. The second chapter will have the player retrieve the Demon Idol, a clue to the murder investigation. The scenario in which the idol is retrieved can change depending on choices made by the player earlier. Helen may search for it within the city library, or reporter Nolan Campbell or detective Stan Gotts will search for it in the home of a Barrows family butler. The final chapter occurs at Barrows Castle, putting the player in control of the same character they controlled in chapter one. Jennifer or Helen must use the Demon Idol to open a vortex in the castle basement and destroy Scissorman. Depending on the narrative followed and choices made along the way, 10 different endings can be seen.
Development
Clock Tower was developed by a team of about 30 people and was the first game at
Capcom's Resident Evil (1996) was announced during development. Since it was also a horror game and the visuals were impressive, the team challenged themselves to develop higher quality graphics and outshine Resident Evil.[9][11] According to Kono, Clock Tower was developed with a "material comes first" mindset, as opposed to the "game system" given priority with the "material" superimposed on top. The team used 3D graphics and extensive animation as they sought to portray murders as real as possible in both normal and surreal settings.[12] Kono was pleased with their 3D engine, as it allowed him to use camera angles effectively.[9] The music was composed with a theme of "noise and silence", placing sounds in obscure places and not playing sound when there should be some.[12]
Release
ASCII Entertainment marketed Clock Tower as one of the first "true" horror games for the PlayStation console, and claimed it had the most terrifying story ever in a video game.[13] It was released in Japan on December 13, 1996, North America on October 10, 1997, and finally in Europe in February 1998.[14][15][16] Since the release date was close to that of the horror game Enemy Zero (1996) for the Sega Saturn, video game stores in Japan laid out their racks as if a rivalry existed between the two horror games.[11]
The game sold close to half a million copies and was successful enough for Human that each staff member received a ¥100,000 bonus.[9][10] Kono attributed some of this success to Resident Evil generating interest in horror games and the success of the PlayStation console.[9][11] In Japan, Clock Tower 2 sold well enough to get a discounted release under "The Best" banner on March 19, 1998.[17] Clock Tower was also re-released digitally on the PlayStation Network on February 22, 2012 exclusively in Japan.[18][16]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.6/10[21][b] |
Famitsu | 30/40[22][16] |
GameSpot | 5.8/10[1] |
IGN | 5.5/10[2] |
Next Generation | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Gamezilla | 84/100[25] |
Clock Tower holds a score of 72% on rating aggregator GameRankings.[19] The atmosphere, storyline, and full-motion video cinematics were generally well received.[21][1][2][23][26] The game's horror themes were praised, with GameSpot's Glenn Rubenstein stating that it "truly feels like an interactive horror film."[1] Mark Skorupa of Gamezilla compared Scissorman favorably to slasher film villains such as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, and declared Clock Tower's atmosphere to rival that of any horror movie ever made.[25] Critics particularly credited the game's strong tension to the appearance of a musical theme whenever Scissorman approaches.[1][2][23][26]
Although the point-and-click interface was well received,
In 2006,
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rubenstein, Glenn (December 30, 1997). "Clock Tower Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rignall, Jaz (October 13, 1997). "Clock Tower". IGN. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 1-2 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ "Clock Tower: Now That's What I Call One Mean Barber". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. September 1997. p. 121.
- ^ a b c Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 4-5 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ a b c Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 11 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ a b Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 6-7 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 3 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ a b c d e Kemps, Heidi (February 16, 2015). "Interview: Hifumi Kono of Nude Maker and Project Scissors/NightCry - Gaming.moe". gaming.moe. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ a b Szczepaniak, John (November 2015). The Untold History of Japanese Video Game Developers Vol. 2. SMG Szczepaniak. p. 295.
- ^ a b c d "NUDE MAKER | Hifumi Kono's Biography". www.nudemaker.jp. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ a b Clock Tower instruction manual, pg. 16-17 (US, PlayStation)
- ^ "Clock Tower". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 97. August 1997. pp. 41–44.
- ^ "クロックタワー2 | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". www.jp.playstation.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "Sony PlayStation Available Software sorted by Release Date @ www.vidgames.com". June 11, 1998. Archived from the original on June 11, 1998. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c "クロックタワー2 [PS] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "クロックタワー2 PlayStation the Best | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". www.jp.playstation.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "CLOCK TOWER 2 | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". www.jp.playstation.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ a b "Clock Tower for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ Allgame. Archived from the originalon November 15, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Clock Tower". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. September 1997. p. 54.
- ^ "クロックタワー2". Weekly Famitsu (418): 35. December 20, 1996.
- ^ a b c d e f "Finals". Next Generation. No. 37. Imagine Media. January 1998. pp. 147, 150.
- ^ "Clock Tower". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1997.
- ^ a b Skorup, Mark. "Clock Tower". Gamezilla. Archived from the original on February 6, 2002. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Dr. Zombie (October 1997). "PlayStation ProReview: Clock Tower". GamePro. No. 109. p. 144.
- ^ "GT Countdown Video - Top Ten Scariest Games | GameTrailers." GameTrailers. N.p., October 27, 2006. Web. November 10, 2014.
- G4TV. Archived from the originalon March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
External links
- Clock Tower at Agetec (official site)
- Clock Tower at MobyGames