Clock Tower: Rewind
WayForward/Limited Run Games/Human Entertainment
10/29/24
PC/PS/XBOX/SWITCH
Inspired by a 1985 horror film titled Phenomena starring Jennifer Connelly, Clock Tower is a point and click survival horror game that was created by Human Entertainment. It was released for the Super Famicom in 1995. For those of you familiar with the series, the mere mention of Clock Tower should bring back memories of a devilish creature with scissors chasing you around a mansion. The original Clock Tower was sadly never released outside of Japan. However, due to the game managing to achieve surprisingly decent sales in the Japanese market, the series would continue. As a side note, a slightly enhanced PlayStation version of the Super Famicom game was created years later under the title Clock Tower: The First Fear.
While Clock Tower: The First Fear released in 1997, in 1996 North American players would experience the franchise for the first time with a PlayStation release that was technically Clock Tower 2 in Japan. Adding to the confusion, it was simply titled, Clock Tower in the United States! I don’t know about you, but at the time I was completely unaware that this was an already established franchise in another part of the world. Don’t you love when the chronological order of games gets all mixed up? I’m looking at you Final Fantasy series. You can imagine my shock when I later discovered that a Clock Tower game had previously existed, and it was the sequel I had first played.
I didn’t recall the PlayStation version of Clock Tower 2…Err…Clock Tower, being a massive hit, but to my surprise while researching this video, I discovered that it managed to sell half a million copies. Its success can be somewhat attributed to the massive hype surrounding Resident Evil around that time. Unfortunately, the success of the Clock Tower franchise wouldn’t last. A sequel was released in North America without the involvement of series director Hifumi Kono, titled, Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within. In Japan, it was a spinoff title known as Clock Tower: Ghost Head which wasn’t directly connected to the original series.
Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within was a complete mess of a game, and its poor reception and sales meant that by the year 2000 Human Entertainment would be out of business. But the series wouldn’t be finished just yet as Clock Tower would eventually be purchased by Sunsoft. From there, Capcom partnered up with Sunsoft for the third, technically fourth, release in the series, once again without the original director's involvement, and you know what happened next. Clock Tower 3 was a drastically different game from previous entries, and a massive commercial flop that killed the franchise for good. Instead of relying on point and click elements, Clock Tower 3 gave players direct control over a young schoolgirl named Alyssa, one of many decisions that ultimately led to a mediocre experience which undersold.
So, there you have it, while there were 4 entirely different Clock Tower games in totality, only 2 of them managed to find success. Since Clock Tower 3’s release, the franchise has lain dormant for over 2 decades now, but in a surprising twist of fate, players outside of Japan will finally be able to purchase the original release for themselves! That’s right, Clock Tower: Rewind is here, better late than never, coming to us from WayForward! But is Clock Tower: Rewind as sharp as the Scissorman’s shears? Or is it stuck in time? Let’s find out in our full review!
While it would have been easy for Wayforward and company to rush out a cut and dry port (pun intended) of the original Clock Tower and call it a day, they’ve opted not to do so. Instead, Clock Tower: Rewind pays loving tribute to the original release while offering some fantastic bells and whistles. The story remains the same but is now brought to life through a gorgeous opening animated cutscene. You’ll play as an orphan named Jennifer, who alongside 3 other children is adopted by Simon Barrows, owner of a creepy looking mansion referred to as The Clock Tower. Things seem ordinary enough at first, until everyone within the mansion suddenly goes missing! Jennifer is now left to explore the manor on her own, only to discover the evil Scissorman wandering its corridors, killing everyone in sight.
Considering that it is a 16-bit game released in 1995, Clock Tower manages to tell a compelling story while creating a tense atmosphere. Who is the Scissorman and why is he suddenly on a killing spree? Just what is the history behind Barrow's mansion? Why am I trapping a Parrot under a blanket? Jokes aside, Clock Tower’s spooky setting and twisted characters make for an interesting world to play in. It’s surprisingly open ended too, with multiple endings that can be earned depending on various factors.
Clock Tower is best described as a point and click adventure with horror elements. The gameplay involves using an on-screen cursor to interact with items and characters. Jennifer will need to investigate and collect specific items within her environment in order to solve puzzles throughout the mansion. For example, she may need to click on a box to push it up against a wall, which will allow her to reach a bird’s nest that contains a key which unlocks a new area. Collecting an item will add it to your inventory, which is easily accessible at any time. The game doesn’t feature a ton of commands; however, Jennifer does have a stamina meter. While you’ll need to run away at times to get away from the Scissorman, doing so lowers Jennifer’s stamina which leaves her more vulnerable to getting caught. Stamina can be recharged by kneeling down when out of harm's way. You’ll be able to track Jennifer's statistics by keeping an eye on her portrait art, which changes colors depending on how stressed and tired she is.
If you were hoping to pull up an old walkthrough to achieve endings, you're in for a surprise. The mansion is randomized, meaning rooms don’t always appear in set locations. This means that thorough exploration while surviving the Scissorman’s pursuit is essential to your success. Speaking of Scissorman, running into him doesn’t necessarily mean game over. While your character may begin to trip over herself out of fear, you still have a chance for survival. Certain areas throughout the manor function as hiding spots. You may be able to lock a bathroom door to get Scissorman to leave you alone as one example. On the flipside, he also might start chopping the door down. Should you get tangled up with Scissorman, you still have a chance for escape by mashing an action button to push him down temporarily.
The mansion also has traps that you can use against Scissorman such as falling chandeliers, and items such as a shovel that can be used as a weapon to bash him over his head. Overall, I found each Scissorman encounter delightfully tense, even if the game’s puzzles are nothing to write home about. The biggest challenge you’ll face comes from figuring out the map layout of the mansion while trying to move the on-screen cursor effectively with a controller. Thankfully, this version of the game features mouse support, and it makes all of the difference. All told, despite its age I still found Clock Tower’s gameplay entertaining even if it sometimes feels illogical, clunky, and painfully slow. Yes, Jennifer moves at a snail’s pace whether walking or running, so be prepared to direct such phrases as, “Move faster you fucking idiot!” towards your TV or monitor.
That said, Wayforward has at least tried to alleviate some of the original title's shortcomings. This version of the game features two modes of play, original and rewind. The original mode is exactly what you would expect, a direct port of the original game with new translations for languages including French, English, Italian, traditional Chinese, and more. Rewind mode features the first fear content from the PlayStation version, alongside new refinements over the original. Players will be able to rewind their gameplay a few steps back should they make a crucial mistake and save state slots are also available. Chase sequences are a bit more refined, Scissorman is a bit smarter, and a few bug fixes are also implemented. These tweaks help to make the experience a bit more enjoyable by modern day standards.
That’s not all, as Wayforward have also included new unlockable motion comics that include voice work, incredible interviews with creator Hifumi Kono, and the ability to enjoy all of the music via a music player. Other fun bonuses include a new room that couldn’t be accessed in the 16-bit original, a brand new cutscene that ties the game into the overall series, and additional fun haunts and new tweaks to the game that I won’t spoil here. The entire package is beautifully put together and pays great respect to the original release while expanding upon it, making this the definitive way to experience Clock Tower.
Visually, Clock Tower: Rewind features solid pixel art and lovely animations that remain accurate to the original release. The 16-bit visuals hold up very well, and don’t feel all that old or out of place even in 2024. The major visual difference between this release and the original would be that players now have the option of using custom borders. Custom borders aren’t my thing, but it's nice to have options.
The mansion is as well detailed as ever, with each room having its own distinct feel. Scissorman himself looks haunting, and the sound design as I alluded to previously, is excellent. The soundtrack does a great job of creeping in at the right moments, while intensifying as you are relentlessly pursued. A mix of eerie moody synths and bombastic orchestral explosions bring the world to life beautifully and wouldn’t feel out of place in any number of 80s horror movies. A few new tracks are now available, including a vocal track from Mary McGlynn, best known for her work on the Silent Hill franchise. She’s as awesome as ever and while the lyrics are a little cheesy, they fit the 80’s horror vibe of Clock Tower quite well. Good news on the performance front too, as I didn’t encounter any major issues or crashes during my time with the PC version.
Clock Tower: Rewind is a thoughtful re-release of a game that took far too long to arrive in North America. While playing it today means still dealing with plenty of retro jankiness, you might be surprised at how charming it remains all of these years later. The fact that the game feels significantly more playable than before thanks to the new rewind mode is the cherry on top. Assuming you can tolerate its slower pace, in Clock Tower: Rewind you’ll find a unique horror experience, one that’s influence can still be felt in many releases today. This version of the game goes above and beyond in terms of offering bonus features, making it a no-brainer purchase for both fans of the Clock Tower series and retro horror enthusiasts alike.
GREAT
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