Clock Tower is one of the founding fathers(mothers?) of the horror gaming genre.
While it freely borrows inspiration from Dario Argento's Phenomena(the game stars "Jennifer", a wayward orphan adopted into a strange mansion), it still managed to bring a swath of innovations all its own, and content that remains unpredictably creepy to this day(including multiple endings).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3maNqcDaPhw
By some miracle, not only are we finally getting an official localization nearly 30(!) years later, it's also been lovingly handled by the 2D gurus at Wayforward, keeping the aesthetics and gameplay of the SNES original almost completely intact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6B3kbnyoi4
To the unfamiliar, Clock Tower largely plays like a classic point'n'click PC adventure, at a slow, often agonizingly methodical pace:
Jennifer has to not only try and solve the mysteries of the mansion, but also, maybe, somehow escape alive.
For those who've never experienced Jennifer's insane adventure, this is a perfect time(and the perfect season).
Included is a brand new opening, extensive bonus content like art galleries, motion comics, scans of the original manuals, and new music by the inimitable songstresses of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Emi Evans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcFzwWdVbEQ
Also,
it's only $20.
($15 on Steam!)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2794770/Clock_Tower_Rewind/
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Picked it up on Steam and initial early impressions:
- Death by horrible scissor boy still feels v random but can now be quick rewound and/or reloaded to an auto save on each room entry so is much more acceptable.
- Walking speed is still either very deliberate or excruciating depending on your point of view.
- Works great on Steam Deck despite not being verified yet.
- I need to break out the old paper and pencil and make myself a map.
I've only found one safe way shake a chase so far,
Am I missing some consistency in approach or is it just random whether scissor boy instantly knocks you over for the kill or if you get to button mash to escape?
Also, wow, is this game bloody.
It was fun to watch the interviews and find the director was inspired by Suspiria, because boy does it show.