| Clock Tower | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Human Entertainment[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Human Entertainment[b] |
| Director(s) | Hifumi Kono |
| Producer(s) | Hiroyasu Ichizaki |
| Programmer(s) |
|
| Artist(s) | Akiyoshi Iijima |
| Composer(s) | Kōji Niikura |
| Series | Clock Tower |
| Platform(s) |
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| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror, point-and-click adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Clock Tower[c] is a point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Human Entertainment for the Super Famicom in 1995. It is the first installment in the Clock Tower series. The story follows orphan Jennifer Simpson soon after she is adopted by the Barrows family along with other orphaned girls. Shortly after arriving at the Barrows family manor, one of the other children is killed by a stalker called Scissorman. Jennifer must then explore the Barrows Mansion to find a way to escape while evading Scissorman, leading to one of the game's multiple endings. Clock Tower utilizes a point and click interface with the player controlling a cursor to direct Jennifer's actions.
Much of Clock Tower's plot and artistic style are inspired by the works of Italian horror film director Dario Argento, most notably Phenomena (1985). Director Hifumi Kono loved horror films like this and wanted the game to feel like one. Many of the game's character graphics were digitized from photos of real people. Jennifer's movements were constructed from a woman in Human's planning division acting out the scenes. Her design was inspired by Jennifer Connelly's character in Phenomena.
The game sold well upon release. In retrospective reviews, Clock Tower has been praised for its haunting atmosphere, but the puzzles and exploration have drawn criticism for being tedious. It is considered an influence on horror games and a pioneer of the survival horror genre.
An updated version, titled Clock Tower: The First Fear, was ported to the PlayStation, WonderSwan, and Windows in 1997. In the early 2010s, it was re-released again on the PlayStation Network, as well as the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console. An enhanced port of the game, Clock Tower: Rewind, was released on October 29, 2024 for eighth and ninth-generation consoles, as well as PC. The game had previously never been officially released outside Japan, although fan translations existed.
- ^ Tailby, Stephen (August 29, 2024). "Clock Tower: Rewind Lands Halloween Launch in Asia, No Western Release Date Yet". Push Square. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
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