Cult horror classic Clock Tower is getting a remaster next year
The original hide and seeker
Cult classic horror Clock Tower is getting a remaster next year and releasing outside of Japan for the first time since its 1995 debut. Announced at last night’s Limited Run Games showcase, the remaster retains the point-and-clicking bones of the original (16-bit art and creepy child monster) while adding some new meat onto the skeleton (translations, animated cutscenes, and an art gallery.)
Clock Tower casts you as Jennifer, an orphan who arrives at the spooky titular mansion along with some other recently adopted children. Some occult goings on mean things quickly go south, people die, and Jennifer gets chased constantly by a little posh boy who’s always holding a giant pair of scissors. His name’s Scissorman, a worthy rival to Pyramid Head I think.
The game was almost a precursor to the survival horror machinations you see in your modern Amnesias, Outlasts, or Alien Isolations. That Scissorman is a persistent threat, meaning he’ll almost always be chasing you through corridors in a Mr. X or Xenomorph type of way. And your only form of protection is to hide, use traps, and run. Should those modern hide-and-seekers be called Clock Tower-likes, then?
Clock Tower has some randomised elements when it comes to item locations, and there are multiple endings to be found as well, so multiple playthroughs might be needed to untangle every supernatural secret in the game. That may lead to some tears though, as the above video teases a “heartbreaking story.” Mix that with some Giallo influences, and my interest is definitely piqued.
Clock Tower’s creator Kono Hifumi took a stab at recreating that original magic with NightCry a few years ago. NightCry carried the point and clicking tension over to three dimensions, and you can find the spiritual successor on Steam if you’re in the mood for some spoofy voices.