Many gamers know that the Clock Tower series single-handedly inspired many of the greatest horror games ever. In the interest of game preservation, Clock Tower: Rewind is here to offer a modern way to play the original 16-bit classic that was never released outside of Japan, so this is a win on multiple fronts.
After almost 30 years, players can experience the Original Mode or the Rewind Mode and all manner of extras like motion comics, interviews, a music player, and more. Should fans of the original series and newcomers alike check out this revitalization of a horror classic? Let’s find out!
An Impressive Package That Shows its Age
As a massive horror gaming fan, I was excited for the chance to check out Clock Tower: Rewind. I had seen some gameplay of the series over the years and even played a few hours of the Clock Tower 3 PS2 entry, but I’ve never sat down to try the original.
This is partly because it was never released outside of Japan but also because I was far too young to know how to import a copy when it was originally released. However, neither of these things is an issue now because Clock Tower: Rewind is widely available on both digital storefronts and in physical form from Limited Run Games.
The story stars Jennifer Simpson and a group of orphan girls who the Barrows family has adopted. You arrive at an impressive mansion at the beginning of the game, but things quickly devolve from there. A stalker named Scissorman begins hunting the girls, and it’s up to Jennifer to find a way to escape, leading to one of several endings.
The gameplay here is classic point-and-click adventure for better and worse. Clock Tower: Rewind features several new quality-of-life features like a rewind mechanic, the ability to run up and down stairs, and the capacity for Scissorman to actually chase you from room to room (though that’s really more of a benefit for him, I’d argue).
These additions help the game flow a little faster, but Jennifer’s movement speed is still fairly slow regardless of whether you’re sprinting or not. Her health is also tied to her stamina, so you’ll need to take breaks if you don’t want to get caught off-guard and instantly killed by Scissorman.
The controls translate fairly well to console, though the cursor movement can be a little finicky when you’re trying to select something specific in the environment. Given that the game plays in a 4:3 aspect ratio with either black bars or customizable borders, the somewhat unreliable cursor is even more frustrating since everything is smaller as a result.
You can use both the analog stick or the d-pad to move the cursor, but instead of the d-pad warping you to clickable elements like other similar games on console, it just moves the cursor a set distance in every direction.
This is all well and good for solving puzzles or trying to use items in the environment, but when you’re getting chased by Scissorman, the last thing you need is to be wrestling with the cursor. It’s not all bad though, Jennifer will automatically open doors when she reaches them, for example, so in most cases you can still flee relatively quickly.
The first couple chases involving Scissorman and his ability to randomly pop up were thrilling. The game’s detailed and lifelike animations do a great job of selling the fear as Jennifer runs for her life.
Special mention must also go to the new motion comics with VO that have been added to this version. These cut scenes do a great job of adding some atmosphere and detail to the set pieces. Like any other point-and-click adventure, the puzzles can be a little obtuse, and you’ll often find yourself just taking items and clicking on things to see if they stick, but I’ve seen far more esoteric puzzles in my time.
Given that this is a mix of horror and adventure, another issue you’ll run into is Scissorman showing up when you’re just about to make progress. This leads to a chase and hiding before you have to backtrack to the last location. In these moments, the mixture of puzzles and survival horror can start to clash because nothing is more annoying than having to backtrack because the enemy showed up at an inopportune time.
All of that being said, Clock Tower: Rewind is still a major victory for game preservation. The option to play the Rewind Version or the Original Version is there for purists, and the new version does enough to make itself perfectly playable for those curious to see a piece of horror history.
Games have come a long way since Clock Tower’s original release, and that results in some elements being more oudated than others, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s amazing we have widespread access to a title like this on modern hardware.
A Time Capsule of Horror Gaming
Clock Tower: Rewind looks excellent on a modern television screen. The portraits, motion comics, and animated intro preserve the original art style while adding a dash of modern flair. Fans of the series will also find plenty of bonuses to dive into as well, which is great to see.
A music player, art gallery, and several interviews with the series’ creator are all accessible from the menu, which I really appreciated. The ability to Rewind your gameplay or save whenever you’d like are also incredibly welcome in an era where many people don’t have time to play until a save point or to the game’s conclusion in a single sitting.
Overall, Clock Tower: Rewind is a superb time capsule of horror gaming. It’s a phenomenal way for fans of the original to experience the game in a modern light, while also a huge victory for game preservation as a whole. It may be a little rough around the edge by today’s standards, but if you enjoyed the original, this is an easy recommendation for me based on the behind the scenes extras alone.
Final Score: 7.0/10
Review code provided by the publisher
Article by – Bradley Ramsey
Insert date – 11/1/2024