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On the better side of Average.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Capcom Survival Horror games are not scary. They are tense, they are action-packed and they are fun, but scary? No. If you're looking for chills as opposed to thrills, seek out any of the Fatal Frame or Silent Hill series.

But if you've played all of those and are looking for something to tide you over until the PS2 release of Resident Evil 4, then consider the often-overlooked 'Clock Tower 3'. Set in England, you play Alyssa (what is it about that name and the Survival Horror genre??), a fifteen year-old schoolgirl on the trail of her missing mother, travelling through time and reality and evading the unwanted attacks of a number of ghosts and serial killers.

GRAPHICS: 5
Beautiful big characters, gorgeous scenery and excellent design make this one a pleasure to watch. Some of the lowlier ghosts are a bit chintzy (but after all, they can be dispersed with a "Sentimental Item", so what was I expecting??) and the overall visual impression lacks a Horror-style punch, but what the game does, it does very well.

SOUND: 3
Average music and average sound effects provide the backdrop for some of the most outlandishly bad voice acting in a video game. Ever. Remember Resident Evil 1? "It's. A. Monster. Run. ". This is worse. Cheesy and OTT with no effort given to atmosphere, this really does drag the game atmosphere right down.

PLAYABILITY: 4
There are no weapons and no means of killing your pursuers until the actual boss battle, so running and hiding and using pre-set 'Evade' points is a very fun way of keeping Alyssa alive. Also this adds to the tension like nothing I've ever seen before. Simplistic controls and a really good camera system kae this one good fun to play, even if it does get a bit repetitive later on. Nothing to upgrade and plenty of special items means that there's no real challenge, though.

LASTING FACTOR: 2
This is a very short (4 hours and sixteen minutes first play, subsequent plays are less), very easy game. The final Boss is a b*stard to beat, and you need to keep every single special arrow you find in the game to even be in with a chance - he is unfairly tough, given the game's remedial difficulty levels. Replay value is low - though there is a replay mode, but it's not that different from the actual game.

OVERALL: 3
Fun, flashy, and tense, this is a great deal if you can get it cheap. What it does, it does very well, and even though it's a total one-trick pony, the fact that it's so short means it never becomes stale. Recommended as a last resort when you've played all other Survival Horror games available.

very very irretating game!!!!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

You play as fifteen to be Alyssa. A teenager girl who unwillngly became one of the Rooders, a family swore to protect against entities who sole purpose to turn the world into a darkness. The graphics are very cool and the game play is similar to other Capcom adventure games (i.e. Resident Evil). It doesn't take lots of brain to solve the puzzles but the irretating part is you must avoid the monsters during the process. I say irretaing because you can not run away from the mosters every time you open a door you face the mosters and even with running away they would follow you. You can use hidden places or evading points to skip the monster grips but once you leave the room the moster will follow you leaving you no joy playing the game. The only thing you can do is to solve the puzzles while the monster sniffing around little Alyssa behind. Don't buy this game if you don't like running away and if you have a short tember.

Great Plot In this Horror Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After the disappointing Clock Tower 2, Clock Tower 3 is a vast improvement. This one carries a completely new plot, starring a girl named Alyssa Hamilton (not to be confused with Alyssa Hale in Clock Tower 2). Alyssa discovers that she possesses the power to destroy the evil that plans to plunge the world into darkness. To do this, Alyssa must go into the past and help the souls of victims rest in peace by finding cherished items they possessed in life. This aspect is very fascinating and successfully frightening. When you get to the end of the levels, you will see a cut movie of what killed these poor souls and how it was done. These cut-scenes are amazingly executed, and very entertaining to watch. After the cut-scene, it will be up to you to take out whatever villain slayed the innocents, using a magical bow and arrow.

Don't think that the classic "run and hide" gameplay formula from the previous Clock Tower games are lost in this one. Throughout the levels, as you look for cherished items to save the restless souls, the boss for that level will show up randomly to give you a good scare. Be prepared, because Scissorman and Ghost Head look like kittens compared to the bosses they cooked up for this new installment! When these bad guys show up, be ready to run and hide in classic Clock Tower form, however it's a bit more difficult, because the enemies are faster and smarter, to a certain degree. Also, it seems that hiding places are fewer and farther between, so memorize them quick or else you're in for some frustrating gameplay. To make things even more difficult, Alyssa reacts a bit more realistically. If she is very panicked, she'll stumble about as she runs, making her hard to control. If she becomes to frightened, she'll stand very still and shake, until her panic meter reduces. This makes parts of the game quite difficult, but not unplayable.

There are a total of 6 bosses in this game. They include Sledgehammer, The Corroder, Chopper, Scissorwoman & Scissorman (somewhat amusing Cockney twins...a far cry from the original), and Lord Burrough (which the battle takes place on the clock tower by the way...very cool). A few of these are very challenging, especially the last boss. I lost count of how many times I had to replay Lord Burrough's fight. However, I'd rather bosses be a little challenging, rather than too easy, or else you end up finishing a game too quickly. In my opinion, I think this game could've used a couple more levels. I really enjoyed the time travelling aspect, and the graphics (especially for the WW2 era) were simply breath-taking! The atmospheres were downright perfect for a horror game, with fog, old buildings, deserted streets, etc. As with the first two Clock Towers, expect to get an adrenaline rush as you try to evade your enemies.

The sound and music in this game are near perfect. I found it very impressive. In the first level, you get to hear a hauntingly beautiful piece by Chopin called Fantasy Impromptu. This was a superb choice of music for the first story. It almost brought me to tears. The vocal acting is pretty good, especially the enemies, whom I found rather convincing (with maybe the exception of Chopper...his laugh could drive you to the nuthouse I think). I got a real kick out the Scissor twins...I thought they were a riot. All of the characters (that I can remember), have British accents, which keeps a realistic feel to the game, since it takes place in England after all. It was sort of a nice change of pace from the typical games.

On a final note, I think what really made this game something extraordinary was the plot and the cut-scenes. Seeing the murders of all the poor souls, really geared you up for the boss battles. The plot was exciting, horrifying, and even at times heart wrenching. Alyssa's pal, Dennis, serves as some sort of comic relief, in this rather serious game. The cut-scenes could get disturbing, so if you don't like a lot of horror and gore, you should probably pick up a different game. If you can tolerate the gore, then I think you'll appreciate the story behind it and get several hours of gameplay out of Clock Tower 3. There is only one ending, so no need to play the game several times over, which I think was a wise choice for this particular Clock Tower.

Average game. Not worth $50

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: May 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Hmmm... I saw the cover and it reminded me of my favorite game (See below). So I jumped in with both feet only to be mildly disappointed and not very entertained. This game is OK to play. Very repetitive... run from monsters, hide, look, run from monsters, hide, look, run from monsters, hide, look! Imgaine my shock to find out that there really are only 4 bosses and the game is over. Even for the most basic of ammateurs, total game time is about 10 hrs which isn't worth it for me. The puzzles (can we really call them that?) are super-simple. Don't get me wrong, I like not being stumped at some stupid puzzle which prevents me from progressing through the game but here, I didn't even have to think. You can't go into the wrong place in this game... the game won't let you. If you are exploring the bottom floor of a building, all the doors will be locked except the one you are supposed to go through.

The music here is NOT frightening.. more annoying than anything else. I played this game in one day so it's not worth $. I wasn't scared. Now for a scary game, play Fatal Frame. That game scared me to death and I could not play it on my own. THAT's WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT THERE!! WHOA! I will NEVER forget the weekend I played Fatal Frame. My boyfriend had to sit next to me while I played that. Silent Hill I & II were great but Fatal Frame wiped them out easily.

I am confused by the person who said this was the best game in 2003. Please, get out more and play some other games.

Here's the problem with this game: I don't hate it but I don't love it either. It's only OK. And for the prices of games these days, it's really not worth it. If you must, rent it out but save yourself some monet and get Fatal Frame!

TOO DISTURBING

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: July 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Clock Tower 3 is the only game in the past that truly deserves it's M rating. It is the most violent game since the first Resident Evil. It figures since they are both made by horror genre maker Capcom.

Clock Tower 3 starts out with Alyssa, a 14-year-old girl who recieves an ominous and strange letter from her mother. Alyssa goes home from her boarding school, and finds that her mother is not there. That is when her troubles begin. She is defenseless in her home, being haunted by ghosts and spirits. When you get past the first ghost, you see the most gruesome and disturbing murder: An enormous serial killer brutally killing a 12-year-old girl. Alyssa is haunted by all of these serial killers, and she has to figure out how to get rid of them using Holy Water, a Magical Crossbow, and an Invisibility Band.

This game has an extremely interesting concept, yet it falls in gameplay. While it is hard to play the game and remember the controls, the monsters and killers appear to often and kills you fast. Also, Alyssa's panic meter was a cool idea, if it didn't always go up when she sees a monster. If you like the Clock Tower series, buy the game. But if you have no clue about this series, either rent it or leave it alone.

Disappointing!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: September 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I can't believe this game was rated so high by others. I think it's an awful game, totally boring, and I regret purchasing it. It failed to hold my interest. I quit playing after the first boss. A horror/mystery fan, I bought it hoping it would be similar to Resident Evil 4, but it's not even close. A young girl goes around and gets attacked by ghosts. She has no weapon other than holy water and quickly gets panicked into death. Her movements are awkward. The battles are awkward. The graphics aren't very good and the game is not challenging. I feel that the game wasn't developed as well as it could have been, and overall, I'd say it was disappointing. I suggest that you rent it before you buy it.

It's OK But Nothing to Write Home About

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I for one do not like "boss battles," so I was happy that they were very easy in this game. Other than holy water, your character is not equipped with any weapons, (except during boss battles where she gets a bow and arrow). While it was not difficult to beat the Final Boss, it did take a long time to do so, so you'll find your patience wearing down and boredom setting in.

There were times when the "hide from the bad guy" scenario of the game was more *annoying* than spooky, cool, or novel.

The "hide from the bad guy" game play is an interesting concept to be sure, but once you've hidden your character -- having to wait for the baddie to show up and make his rounds and disappear so that you can continue to search about and hunt down keys and other objects -- becomes monotonous, and seems pointless after awhile.

I have since beaten the game once, and so far the only rewards that are unlocked have been a 'theater,' in which you can review any of the game's cut scenes, and a ward robe in the game from which you can dress the main character in other outfits.

What I was really hoping for after beating the game once through was a weapon to use on 'regular' baddies, but no such luck. Especially frustrating is that one new outfit (that you gain after beating the game once) comes with a knife, but you cannot use it -- it's merely for looks!

I was also annoyed at how this game took elements from other movies and games. I saw things from the games 'Silent Hill' and 'Eternal Darkness'. One bad guy looked suspiciously like 'Darth Maul' from the Star Wars film.

I've played many survival horror games over the past 2 -3 years, and I wouldn't say that Clock Tower 3 is a bad game. You may enjoy it at least once through. However, I'd say that this game was a little on the boring side.

I will never play it again.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: April 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I absolutely hate this game. I gave it 4 stars because there's no denying that it's a good game, the graphics are astounding, and I give the makers props for doing something origional. I just don't like it. It's not really scary, just graphic. You see a child's head smashed in by a murderer right on the screen, which wouldn't bother me except that it's a child. They usually either don't kill children or turn the camera away at the moment it actually happens. Not in this game. The game gives you a severe adreneline rush. It's scary to have a huge man with a sledgehammer chasing after you in a house that you don't know and your only defense is a stupid little bottle of water and a single hiding space. I have two major gripes about the game. One: once a guy is chasing you, you go hide and he goes away. Fine. But then you have to go out and do something, you have absolutely no idea what you're supposed to do (I had to go online and find a walk-through or I never would have known what I was doing), and you don't know your way around the place, so you're frantically searching, while knowing that at any second the bad guy's gonna pop out and chase you back to your hiding place. It's annoying, and personally I don't like that tense, heart pounding feeling that it gives you. Second: It's just boring. It's kind of neat to see the different places and people and find things for the ghosts, but not that neat. And I thought it would be cool trying to piece together the mystery of how everything's connected, but I got over that real quick.
This is definitely a personal opinion, and the game is absolutely well made. But think carefully, cuz it's not like other games.

5 Stars Is Not Enough

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: October 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Awesome from the first frame of the opening cinematic to the very end of the game, "Clock Tower 3" proves that in the modern format of 'storyline-intensive' games, one need not sacrifice exciting play for great storytelling, nor great storytelling for exciting gameplay. As great a game as chess or the original "Super Mario Bros." and as potent a vehicle for storytelling as a movie or book, with the 2 elements complimenting each other rather than crowding each other out (in some recent RPGs, for example, the 'cinematic' storytelling scenes are awesome, but they're so omnipresent that it almost seems like they forgot to put a complete game in).

The player assumes the role of Alyssa Hamilton, who quickly establishes herself as one of video gamedom's great (and most endearing) protagonists, a young teenage girl who's just about to learn of her true nature as a 'Rooder', Rooders being magical females who are at the forefront of Earth's defence against an ancient evil that draws power from the souls of victims its minions murder. Alyssa must solve various mysteries and confront various obstacles to set the souls free from the limbo-like ghost existance they're trapped in.

One way "Clock Tower 3" differs from a lot of other great games in this genre like "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill", is that in the typical game you're confronted with this vast, virtually unstoppable evil force, but a single character ends up taking down the enemy by the busload using just firearms, chainsaws, and the like. Here, Alyssa doesn't have access to much in the way of conventional weaponry, but does discover her own paranormal abilities and how to use things like holy water and mystical items to her advantage, allowing this lone girl to plausibly go up against adversaries who could conceivably take down entire Swat teams easily.

As for the enemies - they're outstanding; not legions of drone-like zombies but distinct creations, many of whom whole horror movies could be built around. Although there are several climatic battles with these characters, they don't fit into the conventional mode of 'level boss' either, as they play major roles throughout the game and aren't just there to fight after you've blasted/hacked your way through a stage of lesser enemies.

Random thoughts - the unique 'panic mode' is a genius innovation, generating both great empathy for the Alyssa character and real tension for the player. The cinematic scenes, though not used as frequently as in many other games, are among the best ever done, with superb work on things like facial expressions, voice acting, and use of shadows. The good characters, and not just Alyssa, have real personalities and are uncommonly quickly likable. The villains are on par with horror movie icons like Pinhead, Freddy Krueger and The Creeper, but not specifically derivative of any one such character. The music is probably the best I've ever heard in a video game.

My only complaint is that it's a bit too short. I mean, it's not something you're liable to beat overnight, but I wish it had gone on longer. Then again, it could have been 3 times as long and I would have wanted more. I never wanted this game to be over. Here's hoping there'll be a Clock Tower 4, preferably continuing on with both Alyssa and some of her supporting cast.

Not too scary.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The game starts out eerie... "Alyssa" in the original Japanese games!!) comes home after her mother's phone call is cut off at boarding school where she is supposed to remain until age 15. Mother is missing, there's a creepy man, clues lead to portals. It keeps suspense and terror right up until you realize that you're doing the same things over again in a way.
- it's not on the horror level with Fatal Frame. The characters weren't grotesque and nightmare enhancing enough. From the beginning in the house, on to the Sledgehammer killer in past London -back into the house to uncover more clues to the Hamilton family secrets - which include the female teen's role as a demon killer -kind of like Buffy! to coverups... it's all new and exciting. The first killer is by far the scariest, in appearence and vocally... Then it just sends you back after a different Entity killer, and another, until you're fighting a teleporting clown girl and then her drag-queen brother! All boss fights are at a distance and involve the stick and 1 or 2 other buttons. The final boss is so far above the rest powerwise that it's frusterating. I think the levels were long enough, boss fights plenty long, but there should have been something extra in between to make the GAME longer. I did enjoy matching stones and pushing buttons to achieve clues... Length of the game- too short is why I took off half a star. The other half was because the killers weren't consistantly frightening-looking/repeating patern. Total 4 stars because I genuinely enjoyed this game, it was original, and starred a girl - yay Yutaka!, with some fright thrown in.

Why I got this game and how i feel it relates to others:
I bought this game very inexpensive,choosing the 3rd American game: Clocktower 3, because it was PS2, and because I had read a review that the previous ones were (unrelated) "point and click" type games which didn't seem too modern. So thanks to all of you who included that! I was looking for a game somewhat similar to Fatal Frame which I rented on impulse a while ago because I love Asian horror movies. III out soon.... I don't understand why this or the Fatal Frame series(terrifying) is compared to Resident Evil - I played one of them- don't ask which - and running around killing zombie things bored me! I have yet to play Silent Hill, and I did briefly play another survival/horror with mutant beasts in a mansion with an old women(what WAS that?)

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