Clock Tower (SNES, 1995)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-8 Control-5.5 Challenge-7? Story-6?
Level Design-4.5 Frustration-9 Fun-5 Originality-7
Overall Score-5.5?
+
Early survival horror/horror themed P&C game for consoles
Some elements were later used in Resident Evil (mansion setting, unkillable enemy character)
Fast text when examining things, can use L/R to quickly go left or right without using the pointer
Can run (double tap the move button) but there's a stamina mechanic and resting is slow
Fairly unique premise (you're one of a group of orphans moving to a new house, your foster parent goes to get the caretaker and shit goes wrong)
Uses music/sfx and facial expressions for your avatar effectively to increase tension at certain points (normally there's no BGM playing - starts playing when finding the bad guy and his giant scissors also tend to make a noise when he's in the same room)
Some nice cutscenes
Multiple endings (9 in total)
Regenerating health (slow though)
The main enemy can open doors and follow you through several rooms
Some unexpected object interactivity (can knock over bookcases and lay planks over pits to cross them, more?)
+/-
Pre-rendered characters in cutscenes (mostly still shots but there is some animation, doesn't quite blend with the rest)
Female protagonist
Can't examine things without walking up to them
Can't skip the walk or run animation when moving up to something - makes sense when chased but not in "exploration mode"
-
Various control/interface issues (no mouse support!, can't press a button to highlight interactive objects, very loose scrolling - makes it harder to see what's ahead (probably intentional but feels cheap), have to "click" the right spot to interact with something and the game can be a bit picky about it, can't run towards stairs or other interactive points when selecting them as the movement goal, can't run up/down stairs, can't cancel moving after your avatar starts moving on the z-plane/turns in or outwards from the camera, some delay before you can start running in some situations - when scissor guy is appearing and when your a vatar is moving on the z-plane (your button presses don't even register), can't speed up dialogue - not that much of it though and your avatar's comments about things you examine are fast, no option for pointer-free controls, )
Unforgiving trial & error (the bad guy's scissors don't make a noise if you're running towards him in a corridor and you'll easily die if you run into him - have to mash B which isn't explained in-game, if you look in the bedroom mirror you die, hidden floor trap which kills you on the second floor of the west wing, if you set the bird free it kills you - have to use the cover on the bed to trap it which isn't particularly intuitive, how the scissor guy chases you makes no sense at times such as after he appears from within the box - if you go outside the room then he doesn't follow but if you go back then he can suddenly come into the room via the door as if he went around you somehow and then kill you immediately (wtf?), more?)
Some invisible walls (on the second floor of the main hall you can't move on the z-plane to the right)
No in-game maps
No save or password features (the game is pretty short but very slow paced and you die quickly from hazards)
Level Design-4.5 Frustration-9 Fun-5 Originality-7
Overall Score-5.5?
+
Early survival horror/horror themed P&C game for consoles
Some elements were later used in Resident Evil (mansion setting, unkillable enemy character)
Fast text when examining things, can use L/R to quickly go left or right without using the pointer
Can run (double tap the move button) but there's a stamina mechanic and resting is slow
Fairly unique premise (you're one of a group of orphans moving to a new house, your foster parent goes to get the caretaker and shit goes wrong)
Uses music/sfx and facial expressions for your avatar effectively to increase tension at certain points (normally there's no BGM playing - starts playing when finding the bad guy and his giant scissors also tend to make a noise when he's in the same room)
Some nice cutscenes
Multiple endings (9 in total)
Regenerating health (slow though)
The main enemy can open doors and follow you through several rooms
Some unexpected object interactivity (can knock over bookcases and lay planks over pits to cross them, more?)
+/-
Pre-rendered characters in cutscenes (mostly still shots but there is some animation, doesn't quite blend with the rest)
Female protagonist
Can't examine things without walking up to them
Can't skip the walk or run animation when moving up to something - makes sense when chased but not in "exploration mode"
-
Various control/interface issues (no mouse support!, can't press a button to highlight interactive objects, very loose scrolling - makes it harder to see what's ahead (probably intentional but feels cheap), have to "click" the right spot to interact with something and the game can be a bit picky about it, can't run towards stairs or other interactive points when selecting them as the movement goal, can't run up/down stairs, can't cancel moving after your avatar starts moving on the z-plane/turns in or outwards from the camera, some delay before you can start running in some situations - when scissor guy is appearing and when your a vatar is moving on the z-plane (your button presses don't even register), can't speed up dialogue - not that much of it though and your avatar's comments about things you examine are fast, no option for pointer-free controls, )
Unforgiving trial & error (the bad guy's scissors don't make a noise if you're running towards him in a corridor and you'll easily die if you run into him - have to mash B which isn't explained in-game, if you look in the bedroom mirror you die, hidden floor trap which kills you on the second floor of the west wing, if you set the bird free it kills you - have to use the cover on the bed to trap it which isn't particularly intuitive, how the scissor guy chases you makes no sense at times such as after he appears from within the box - if you go outside the room then he doesn't follow but if you go back then he can suddenly come into the room via the door as if he went around you somehow and then kill you immediately (wtf?), more?)
Some invisible walls (on the second floor of the main hall you can't move on the z-plane to the right)
No in-game maps
No save or password features (the game is pretty short but very slow paced and you die quickly from hazards)