Again within the day, Clock Tower was a recreation you’d solely hear about in whispers and rumors. Unique to Japan, and launched throughout the 16-bit period earlier than the web had actually taken off, it was nearly like an city legend: “Did you hear about this horror recreation?” “It’s like a slasher film, and also you’re the sufferer!” “The killer has this big pair of scissors, and he can come at you from wherever, and if you happen to don’t escape he’ll chop your head off!” “There’s this different man in a cell, and also you don’t wanna know what occurs if you happen to don’t have meals for him!”
Launched in 1995 by Human Leisure, Clock Tower was one of many pioneers of the survival-horror style — with a powerful, nearly unparalleled emphasis on survival — and although its 32-bit sequels made their approach to the West, the unique Clock Tower recreation remained out of attain for many gamers. However that didn’t cease it from changing into a cult favourite with a big fan following, particularly because the years handed and streamers and fan translations launched the sport to a brand new, ever-growing viewers. Nonetheless, an official North American or European launch for the primary Clock Tower was nowhere to be discovered.
Which is why, when the chance got here up, these of us right here at WayForward leapt on the probability to crew up with the IP holders at Sunsoft and Capcom to deliver the sport again from the past, add some shiny new options, give it an official translation into English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and different languages, and at last deliver the sport to a world viewers with Clock Tower: Rewind on Xbox Collection. Working on Restricted Run Video games’ Carbon Engine, Clock Tower: Rewind is at the start a chance to expertise a misplaced basic, lastly obtainable to play with the classic graphics, sound, and gameplay that Western audiences have been lacking out on for many years.
At its core, Clock Tower is a pixel-art point-and-click horror journey recreation. Forged as teenage orphan Jennifer, gamers discover themselves trapped within the Barrows household mansion, together with their trainer and some pals, the place they need to discover the abode for a manner out — and maybe extra importantly, keep away from the psychotic, relentless, shears-wielding Scissorman, who will mercilessly homicide anybody who crosses his path. You’ll discover objects, uncover secrets and techniques, clear up puzzles, and in the end work your manner towards a wide range of attainable endings in Clock Tower: Rewind’s Authentic Mode.
Nevertheless, there’s extra to the sport than that. The sport’s Rewind Mode retains the identical important 16-bit expertise as Authentic Mode, however provides in further content material from Clock Tower’s 32-bit port, together with extra enemy encounters and a brand new room to discover. It additionally provides extra locations for Jennifer to cover, extra locations for Scissorman to assault from, quality-of-life enhancements like having the ability to run up or down stairs or relaxation on the contact of a button (to get well Jennifer’s panic meter), in addition to a wide range of smaller tweaks and changes. Moreover, each Authentic and Rewind Mode embrace the choice to make use of save states and a rewind perform.
On prime of that, Clock Tower: Rewind consists of quite a few bells and whistles, not the least of which is a gorgeously drawn animated intro, which comes full with a gap theme music with music by composer Dale North and vocals by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (identified for her work on the Silent Hill sequence). To not be outdone, the credit additionally characteristic a brand new vocal music carried out by Emi Evans (of NieR fame). Different options embrace unlockable movement comics sourced from unique Japanese “Clock Tower” manga (with English voiceovers by Cat Protano, Jenny Yokobori, Suzi Hunter, and Gab Smolders), an artwork gallery, a music participant, a playable Japanese demo model of Clock Tower, and even a brand new behind-the-scenes interview with sequence creator Hifumi Kono.
It might have taken practically 30 years, however everybody at WayForward is proud to lastly deliver this groundbreaking survival-horror title to Western audiences, and — hopefully you agree — in an final bundle befitting such a legendary recreation, simply in time for Halloween, no much less! We hope you take pleasure in experiencing this lacking piece of horror-gaming historical past on Xbox Collection, and if you happen to discover the man within the cell, we hope you will have a snack for him. It seems the rumors have been true: you actually don’t wish to know what occurs in any other case!
Clock Tower: Rewind
WayForward
$19.99
Flip again the clock for one of many pioneers of the survival-horror style. Translated and launched exterior of Japan for the primary time, Clock Tower: Rewind is a revival of the terror-inducing 16-bit basic that dares you to discover the haunting confines of the Barrows household manor. As teenage orphan Jennifer, you could search each disturbing nook to seek out objects, reveal secrets and techniques, and uncover methods to evade Scissorman, a murderous, unstoppable, shears-wielding psychopath.
Play Authentic mode to expertise Clock Tower because it was when initially launched in 1995, or play Rewind mode with further content material and enhancements. Extra options embrace a brand new animated intro, opening and ending vocal theme songs, movement comics, creator interview, artwork gallery, border paintings, save states, and a music participant. The clock is ticking…are you able to survive?
Key Options:
• The survival-horror basic, Clock Tower, formally translated and introduced out of Japan for the primary time
• Select from Authentic mode or Rewind mode, which options quite a few gameplay additions and quality-of-life refinements
• Run, conceal, and survive as you try and evade the psychotic Scissorman
• Atmospheric 2D artwork, detailed animations, and haunting sound results increase the tense point-and-click gameplay
• A number of endings and randomized gameplay parts maximize replayability (and bounce scares)
• New animated opening, movement comics with VO, and vocal theme songs carried out by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Emi Evans
• That includes an artwork gallery, music participant, behind-the-scenes creator interview, save states, and different trendy inclusions
