Clock Tower (1996 video game)

Clock Tower

North American cover art
Developer(s) Human Entertainment
Publisher(s) JP Human Entertainment NA/EU ASCII Entertainment
Director(s) Hifumi Kono
Series Clock Tower
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release date(s)
  • JP December 13, 1996
  • NA October 1, 1997
  • EU February, 1998
Genre(s) Survival horror, point-and-click adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution CD-ROM

Clock Tower, known in Japan as Clock Tower 2 (クロックタワー2), is a survival horror point-and-click adventure game developed by Human Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Clock Tower, which was only released in Japan for the Super Famicom. Two novels and a radio drama based on the game were created, but were not released outside of Japan. Plans were made for the game to be ported to the Sega Saturn or the Nintendo 64, but eventually it was decided to port it on the Sony PlayStation.

The game was released on the same day as Enemy Zero, another survival horror game. According to Hifumi Kono, vendors displayed the two games side by side as if they were competing.

Gameplay

In Clock Tower the player controls a cursor to direct and give commands, such as investigating objects, to a character. The interface is akin to 90s era computer adventure games, but simplified to work better with a gamepad.

The game is separated into three scenarios, including a prologue, where the main character for the rest of the game is decided. In the prologue, the player controls character Samuel Barton. In the first scenario, the player either plays as character Jennifer Simpson or Helen Maxwell. The playable character for the second scenario can either be Nolan, Stan, or Helen. Between each scenario, there is an intermission, where the player can explore the town and gather clues using a "world map", before moving on to the next level.

The Japanese version of the game contains a secret mode that can be unlocked by playing all 10 endings, called "Buyo Buyo Mode." If the mode is turned on during the game, all of the characters change size and width repeatedly.

Scissorman

Main article: Scissorman

The first Clock Tower game was unique amongst adventure games of the era, having a sole stalker pursuing the main character. The stalker hampered puzzle-solving, and forced the player to flee, finding hiding places or ways to temporarily fend off the attacker. The stalker was a typical slasher villain wielding a large pair of scissors, called Bobby Barrows, better known as "Scissorman."

In the sequel however, if directly confronted by the Scissorman, the player engages in a "panic" mode and must repeatedly use the "panic button" to struggle with the attacker. If the character is low on health or the player has not tapped the panic button quickly enough, Scissorman kills the character. Scissorman can appear at various points in the scenario, randomly being encountered in the hallways or emerging in response to the player's interactions with an object. He can also be found in hiding places that the player would normally use. Scissorman cannot be defeated by normal means and must constantly be evaded.

Plot

In the mountains of Romsdalen stood the Barrows Mansion, owned by Mary and Simon Barrows. Here, in 1986, Mary Barrows gave birth to deformed, malicious twins named Bobby and Dan. In 1995, four girls from the Granite Orphanage were adopted by Mary Barrows and brought to the mansion, but were soon attacked by both Mary and the first Scissorman, Bobby Barrows, However, Jennifer is able to kill them. Of those attacked, the only survivors were Jennifer Simpson, and her friend, Laura Herrington .

One year after the incident, Jennifer Simpson is adopted by Helen Maxwell (Laura decides its best if she stays at the orphanage, not wanting to get adopted again, so she bids farewell to Jennifer, who have become friends over the past 12 months), the assistant of a renowned psychiatrist, and had undergone treatment in Oslo to help her cope with her experiences in the Clock Tower case and possibly shed some light on the mystery that was the Scissorman.

The plot revolves around a third unknown survivor of the murders who was never heard of named Edward, and the sudden emergence of a new Scissorman.

Endings

Depending on the player's actions, the ending may change from favorable to unfavorable. There are 5 different endings for characters Helen and Jennifer.

Jennifer Simpson

After finding out that Edward (who also turns out to be Dan Barrows) was Scissorman, she draws him into the vortex by the Door Spell and escapes his grasp by stabbing him with a dagger. She and Nolan are trapped in the wreckage after it collapses. After a romantic conversation, they are rescued by Helen. In a post-credits scene, a news reporter outside reports the Barrows Mansion wreckage incident, stating that unidentified corpses from the mansion crisis a year ago from the first game are also yet to be found. The rescue team behind her then announces they have found a survivor, who they wheel on a stretcher. The survivor turns out to be Lotte, another orphan from the previous game, believed to be dead. Lotte opens her eyes and smiles.

Jennifer opens the vortex with the Door Spell and Edward is pulled in. However, unable to get out of his grasp, she is pulled into the vortex as well. Helen and Nolan visiting her grave, with Helen stating that Jennifer might be alive.

Jennifer finds Scissorman in the cavern and recognizes him when he calls her. Before she has the chance, she is stabbed by Kay.

Under the fountain in the courtyard, Jennifer finds Edward who tells her he has found a way out. She walks past him to the door, but before she can get to it, he stabs her, and his reflection is shown in blood.

Jennifer is in her room writing in her diary about how the Demon idol was never found. She then hears a familiar metallic clanging outside her window and gasps.

Helen Maxwell

Helen shoots Scissorman before he can kill Jennifer, only to find out he is Professor Barton. After the professor tells her why he dressed as Scissorman, Helen informs Gotts and Jennifer of what happened. Gotts asks if the case is closed, but Helen can tell that Scissorman is still alive. She finds Scissorman (who is really Edward but not recognized as Dan) under the fountain and traps him in a vortex using the Door Spell. Though Edward manages to grab Helen, he is shot by Gotts before he can pull Helen in. She helps Jennifer out of the Barrows Mansion wreckage.

After the vortex is opened, Scissorman is pulled in, but he manages to pull in Helen as well. After it shows the reporter covering the incident. It then pans to a familiar pair of scissors lying on top of the rubble and Scissorman's hand rising from the wreckage.

After going under the fountain, Helen finds Professor Barton. He tells her that he has found something behind him that helps solve the case, but after Helen walks past him, he hits her over the head with a rock and kills her. The FMV that follows shows Gotts visiting her grave.

Helen shoots and kills Scissorman before he can kill Jennifer, only to find out that he is Professor Barton. After the professor tells her why he dressed up as Scissorman, Helen informs Gotts and Jennifer of what happened. They conclude that Professor Barton was the real Scissorman this whole time, and the game ends.

Helen comes in to check on Jennifer before she goes to bed, only to find the girl with a small pair of scissors stabbed to her back. She runs to Jennifer, not noticing Scissorman hiding behind the door. The screen then fades.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings71.72%[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[2]
Electronic Gaming Monthly7.6/10[3]
GamePro[4]
GameSpot5.8/10[5]
IGN5.5/10[6]
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)[7]

Clock Tower is viewed as a cult classic. The game received mixed to good reviews from various publications. Reviewers from sources such as Absolute PlayStation, Gamezilla, and NowGamer praised the game for its atmosphere, story, and gameplay, also calling Scissorman the "Michael Myers Of Video Games". However, IGN and GameSpot marked the game down for its dialogue-heavy portions of the game, their scores ranging from 5.5[6] to a 5.8.[5] The game so far has a score of 71.72% from GameRankings.[1] In 2006 GameTrailers named Clock Tower #10 on the "Top Ten Horror Games".[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Clock Tower for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ House, Michael L. "Clock Tower (PS) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ EGM Staff (September 1997). "Clock Tower". Electronic Gaming Monthly (99).
  4. ↑ "Clock Tower". GamePro. October 1997.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rubenstein, Glenn (December 30, 1997 [mislabeled as "1998"]). "Clock Tower Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 12, 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rignall, Jaz (October 13, 1997). "Clock Tower". IGN. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Clock Tower". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1997.
  8. ↑ "GT Countdown Video - Top Ten Scariest Games | GameTrailers." GameTrailers. N.p., 27 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

External links

Official sites

Other resources and information