Again within the day, Clock Tower was a sport you’d solely hear about in whispers and rumors. Unique to Japan, and launched through 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 sport?” “It’s like a slasher film, and also you’re the sufferer!” “The killer has this large pair of scissors, and he can come at you from wherever, and for those who 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 for those who 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 method to the West, the unique Clock Tower sport remained out of attain for many gamers. However that didn’t cease it from turning 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 group up with the IP holders at Sunsoft and Capcom to convey 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 eventually convey the sport to a world viewers with Clock Tower: Rewind on Xbox Sequence. Operating on Restricted Run Video games’ Carbon Engine, Clock Tower: Rewind is at first a chance to expertise a misplaced traditional, lastly accessible 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 sport. Solid as teenage orphan Jennifer, gamers discover themselves trapped within the Barrows household mansion, together with their instructor and some buddies, the place they have 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 gadgets, 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 Unique Mode.
Nonetheless, there’s extra to the sport than that. The sport’s Rewind Mode retains the identical important 16-bit expertise as Unique Mode, however provides in further content material from Clock Tower’s 32-bit port, together with further 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 with the ability to run up or down stairs or relaxation on the contact of a button (to recuperate Jennifer’s panic meter), in addition to a wide range of smaller tweaks and changes. Moreover, each Unique and Rewind Mode embody the choice to make use of save states and a rewind operate.
On high of that, Clock Tower: Rewind contains numerous 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 function a brand new vocal music carried out by Emi Evans (of NieR fame). Different options embody unlockable movement comics sourced from authentic 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 could have taken practically 30 years, however everybody at WayForward is proud to lastly convey this groundbreaking survival-horror title to Western audiences, and — hopefully you agree — in an final package deal befitting such a legendary sport, simply in time for Halloween, no much less! We hope you get pleasure from experiencing this lacking piece of horror-gaming historical past on Xbox Sequence, and for those who discover the man within the cell, we hope you’ve gotten 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 traditional that dares you to discover the haunting confines of the Barrows household manor. As teenage orphan Jennifer, you need to search each disturbing nook to seek out gadgets, reveal secrets and techniques, and uncover methods to evade Scissorman, a murderous, unstoppable, shears-wielding psychopath.
Play Unique mode to expertise Clock Tower because it was when initially launched in 1995, or play Rewind mode with further content material and enhancements. Further options embody a brand new animated intro, opening and ending vocal theme songs, movement comics, creator interview, artwork gallery, border art work, save states, and a music participant. The clock is ticking…are you able to survive?
Key Options:
• The survival-horror traditional, Clock Tower, formally translated and introduced out of Japan for the primary time
• Select from Unique mode or Rewind mode, which options quite a few gameplay additions and quality-of-life refinements
• Run, cover, 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 leap 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 fashionable inclusions
