Clock Tower

The Good
Clock Tower basically revolves around the mayhem caused by the mass murdering butcher known only as Scissorman. A horror game about a serial killer is sure to send shivers up the spine and at its most frantic moments Clock Tower is as pulse pounding as they come. The first scenario in a university is pure terror. You run down the dark corridors and claustrophobic rooms all the while listening for the mashing sound of scissormans relentless murder weapon which he opens and shuts with every step he takes. You have no weapons so all you can do is run and hide. The puzzles in parts are quite well done and the multiple pathways through the game really enhance the replay value. Sound is decent and there are 10 endings to discover.

The Bad
The game is very short and can be finished in under 2 hours if you know what you're doing. While the first scenario was good, the others get progressively worse until the game loses its scare factor. Clock tower has a feature which stops you from stuffing the whole game up but unfortunately this is poorly implemented. If there is something in a room you need to (or in some cases don't need to) look at then you will not be allowed to leave the room until you look at it. This is plain annoying. As for the endings, 10 may be a lot but around half of them involve you dying so the point is defeated somewhat.

The Bottom Line
Clock Tower is at times thrilling but overall tiresome. Big fans of horror games should take a look but that's it really. A game with immense potential but lacking in most vital areas. Clock Tower 3 is on the way for PS2 and is being done by Capcom. Hopefully they'll make something really special.