Cons: Dumb A.I., clumsy controls, adaptivity to routine gameplay, Alyssa needs to run faster!
The Bottom Line: Clock Tower 3 is an underapprechiated intreging original tale about a girl, her destiny, and plenty of running and hiding from resurrected serial killers in the brink of times
NMD85's Full Review: Clock Tower 3 for PlayStation 2
Although many may not be familiar with the Clock Tower series on the original Playstation, Human Entertainment (a strictly Japanese developer) and Sunsoft (another heavily Japanese company but responsible for Batman on the original Nintendo) have been releasing a series of these non-zombie survival-horror games since the mid '90's. Unless you were part of the cult following of sleeper titles, you may have been rather befuddled to see Clock Tower 3 slapped with a Capcom logo on it and being served up seemingly out of the blue amongst such other Capcom titles. My first though was that Clock Tower 3 is nothing but a cheap, Resident Evil clone with a young girl (who does not tot around a S.T.A.R.S. Baretta, or anything lethal for that matter) on the cover to sell some cheap thrills. This is of course a natural impression one may recieve who's not familiar with the game - which has actually been contrived into a third in a series and this being the most acclaimed to date. Many may not know this but the long-running Clock Tower series is actually pretty successful in Japan - this third chapter will convince you why.
Having never played a Clock Tower game in the past (and then having done some curious research on the saga), a player as I assumed that this was nothing but a Resident Evil-esque game with a slightly different touch - that being that the antagonist does not fend off maggot-infested zombies with a rusty old 12-gauge. Luckily it came to my attention that this game is like a Final Fantasy game in that you haven't had to play any games previous to understanding this one - it's a story on it's own. I can easily say something about most survival-horror games, that being that they are all the same in the effect that you'll always be pitted against a world of mystery and be surrounded by strange creatures infected with a mysterious virus or some kind of uncurable plague - other than that there is usually a heavy amount of macabre to shroud the scenes, and make the game somewhat edgey, and eerily inviting and provocate. Well, Resident Evil already did that - about eight years ago, and this is why Clock Tower - although writen by such creators of other Capcom favorites like Onimusha and Resident Evil, is something entirely, and shockingly different and respectful in it's own, macabre-filled realm of unexplored freights of the atypical kind.
The protagonist in Clock Tower 3 is Alyssa Hamilton; a mature, intelligent, teenaged girl who is nearing the pivotal age of fifteen (pivotal in her family, not for those reasons). When the boarding school attending Alyssa recieves a somewhat cryptic, explicable note from her mother, she immediately returns home, a lavish archaic-looking hotel, in fear that something may be wrong. To her dismay, she finds a cold, empty residence where a pale-looking strange man sits awaiting for Alyssa to return. Finding that this is no ordinary man, Alyssa is warned by the man that her and her mother's life are in danger. In disbelief and plenty of freight, Alyssa searches the entire mansion following where the man scurried upstairs thus beginning her wild search where she'll soon learn the wherabouts of her mother - finding out her unknown history that has been sought to run in a bloodline through her family. As the game goes on Clock Tower 3's rather gripping, enigmatic plot grows on and captivates the player into another one of those impossible-to-drop-the-controller games that Capcom is pretty usual with delivering - with typical Capcom pros and those cons alike.
One of the games most impressive traits is that it's got to be one of the most originally produced games that has it's own way of making the player gasp around every corner. As said before, the game's main character is no S.T.A.R.S. agent, she doesn't spray bullets, she's just a yearning little girl who knows nothing of a destiny she'll uncover as the game goes on. Clock Tower 3's downright edgey gameplay filled with the "what's next" style of gameplay gives the game a surefire formula for success right off the start. The story quickly delves the player into this foreign atmosphere filled with things even the player will ask questions. What's so exciting about playing this game is that you and the protagonist will most likely always be on the same page - meaning you will basically uncover things as the character uncovers things - which makes this such a precise, and compelling story. For the most part, you won't uncover your fate until you've preformed what the game has in store for you - which is another perk about the game and it's multitude of twists and surprises. As the game goes on, the story follows a trend, a gameplay trend that becomes routine, but the story is always coming in with impressive surprises that you most likely won't be able to predict.
Much like Resident Evil, the story is filled with questions, answers, and simple little puzzles that anyone in the prime of elementary school ages can most likely figure out. Clock Tower 3's specialty is the directing, storytelling, and the depth it goes into - making the game difficult may just slow the graceful process that Capcom is trying to bring fourth here. Much of Capcom's trademarked Resident Evil-style gameplay is incorporated here - and that is basically what strips Clock Tower 3 of it's complete originality. Basically, controlling your character is a somewhat frustrating bout at times, and you can expect to pick up a scattered bunch of clues, and their consequences through a number of dim-witted puzzles. The most original aspect of Clock Tower 3 is Alyssa's "Panic Meter" - when she feels threatened, she'll get increasingly frightened. When Alyssa begins to panic, she'll become vulnerable to the evil - which is when a "Pyscho" shower-scene theme plays and Alyssa stumbles and bumbles all over the place to increase the frantic effect. Basically, this is Capcom's more original solution to the good old health bar - which is admirably a fine touch that adds only more originality to a unique playing experience relative to Nintendo's Eternal Darkness and the insanity gauge. As Alyssa's only defense, she is armed with Holy Water which is used to fend off the evil entities that attack her. Sadly, this is basically it, everything else you'll have to run, and hide like any untrained school girl might just do in defense. Those thinking that Alyssa is a complete chump will be wronged - until boss battles come into play, she is armed (quite eccentrically) with a mystical bow and arrow to dispell magic on evil. Admittingly, there are times were you'll be running and hiding from the dumb A.I. too frequently, which does keep you on your feet and focused, but starts to get to an annoying height when they hardly ever leave you alone.
Visually, Clock Tower 3's visuals are quite a showpiece for the Playstation 2. Nothing's overly impressive but it does capture impressive amounts of detail in the intricate-filled atmospheres. Comparing the game's overall look with Resident Evil is typical, but easily describable since the two game share quite a bit in common. One of the most important differences is that Clock Tower 3 is more like Devil May Cry in the effect that the visuals are not pre-rendered like Resident Evil's but entirely created around a polygonal atmosphere. The game includes the same static-esque camera angles as Devil May Cry but really never manages to annoy like tha game did at times since there's really no intense fighting as there is in both Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. The camera does a fine job of portraying the style it needs to to keep players at a somewhat mysterious distance from ordinary cameras that let you freely view everything in site. Clock Tower 3 does an excellent job of showing off a horrifying and inviting story while keeping such distances to maintain being mysterious and thought-provoking. Also have to give plenty of kudos for creating articulate-moving characters in the cinematics - even the ones that swing sledgehammers to the ones that run for their lives. Typically, during gameplay, Alyssa moves somewhat frigid and stiff - like the Resident Evil games - and most recently the Gamecube re-renditions. Without a doubt, Clock Tower 3 puts fourth an admirably fright-filled setting with plenty of chills to make the player immersed in such a captivating atmosphere. Surprisingly enough, the game packs in enough gore and disturbing footage that is well deserving of that warning label before you see the game's opening cutscene. And of course, being that Alyssa wears a schoolgirl uniform, the game will tease you now and then as Alyssa wears a skirt that is quite pleasing to a male audience.
Aside from the graphics, the most important aspect of Clock Tower 3 is undoubtably the intense audio presentation. Honestly, this is the finest survival-horror soundtrack with a mixed bag of Resident Evil inspired tunes, and some seemingly RPG-sounding tracks that only lighten up the package. The sounds are respectfully fitting even if the voice acting will still be criticized, it's pretty much on par with the GameCube Resident Evil's voice work. Since the entirety of the game is filled with British accents, it makes listening to the characters speak a little more classy compared to the more dominate American dialect - in my opinion at least. For the most part, the game is pretty silent, with tunes popping up at frantic times or when things are obviously going wrong - but it all fits into the mix rather nicely. Chances are when you hear a song being played, you can expect something to go wrong - which is when you tense up and for the most part you begin asking questions. If you're not playing the game with the lights off and the sound system jacked, you're not getting the full intended experience.
Finally I'd have to say that Clock Tower 3 defies the typical survival horror throwing most typical elements out the door. It blew me away, I really underestimated what this game would be all about. This is basically what takes you into the unpredictable world of Capcom's time-revolving quest - the fact that the game manages to have you gripped behind every moment of gameplay. Sadly, the game spans around 7 hours of gameplay - which is a little short but acceptable. Unlike Resident Evil, the game rarely gets boring or sluggish - even though there will be times were you may have to do some things over if you should die or screw-up, but the game will keep the player hooked until the very end as the game reveals enigmatic story pieces throughout the entirety of the game. What I'm a little disappointed by is the marketing for the game - surely it will be a title that will be overlooked due to it's Resident Evil-looking complexion and the fact that it came out rather silently. This could very well be Capcom's newest, greatest cult-following classic that deserves all five-stars for proving me wrong.Clock Tower 3 is an incredible game that is surely a must-have for all Playstation 2 owners - especially since it's only around $30 now.
FINAL DECISION
(on a basis of Epinions' stars ratings)
Behind every shadow lie your darkest fears Alyssa Hamilton is an ordinary girl with ordinary dreams who is about to discover a side of herself that sh...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
This is for Clock Tower 3 FOR PLAYSTATION 2. This game is brand new, factory sealed. Please e-mail me for any questions. I DO NOT COMBINE SHIPPING Pay...More at eBay
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