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Horror thats short but effective

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 19 / 19
Date: December 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The first two Clock Tower games (on PS1) didn't reach many gamers due to several reasons (the first was one of the very earliest games and its "point and click" gameplay style didn't capture the public imagination. The second one sank pretty quickly too (not even released in Europe, so I never played it). Lets hope the same does not happen to the 3rd, because it's by far the best. Playing as a young schoolgirl Alyssa, you return to your family home to find it deserted and before you know it you are being chased through time and supernatural dimensions by crazed killers! First let me say that the graphics and animations throughout the game are superb. Its also one of the grisliest survival horror games I have played, I certainly didn't expect to see a little girl bludgeoned to death by a sledgehammer, or a sweet old lady drowned in an acid bath, but nothing is left to the imagination here. The big feature of playing the game is that Alyssa cannot attack any of the foes that chase her around the various levels, instead she must merely run away, or utilise various one-off escape manouveres that can only be actioned in specific few and far between locations. It sounds frustrating, but it actually works pretty well, and the panic of solving a puzzle whilst a maniac with an acid spray or giant scissors is breaking down the door to your room always provided plenty of entertainment for me!
Gamers who like a fighting challenge are also catered for however, as at the end of each level, Alyssa has to fight each maniac (a different serial killer is after her in each level) to the death. And it's here that the games difficulty suddenly shoots up. Much to my approval, the boss battles take a fair amount of strategy and keen reflexes, as opposed to the constant running and hiding of the main levels. And just when you think you've got the boss system down, if you make it through to the last stage, be ready for a pretty serious challenge in the final battle. The voice acting is very good (Alyssa and her family actually sound genuinely British!), and the locations and mad maniacs are all suitably horrific.
Sadly the game seems very short, and the areas that Alyssa explores are all quite small, although there are several stages to keep the player amused including a cemetary, a hospital, and an ornate castle.
The spirit of the first game has been kept intact, especially the sudden surprises of the killer leaping out unexpectedly at you, but everything is improved, although sadly there are no multiple endings like in the first game (only one here). I would certainly recommend this game, but it's not really a game for children due to the graphic murders on display. But for the rest of us, its good gruesome fun!

Best Game Of 2003!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: April 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Clock Tower 3 attempts to scare you with jumps and creepy settings, let me tell you , it does. The games' scare factor is way up there. I've played the Silent Hill games. Tower 3 is 10x scarier. The Silent Hill games tell you when the monsters are coming and they're slow. But Tower 3, you don't know when to expect something, and the monsters will chase you down like they're track-runners.

Some of the puzzles are quite hard, mind teasing, or just plain simple. Like helping the ghosts, the things they need are usually right in front of where they're standing. They could just go and pick it up themselves. But some require a little bit of thinking. Spoiler Alert~ On one of the puzzles you find a slip of paper that tells you "BAD". Then Babe "1014" and Dead "3403". B is 1. A is 0. D is 3. Which is the combination for a locked box.

The graphics surpast that of the PS2 capabilities. Some can look realistic. Only here and there are some glitches. No slow-downs though. It goes right up there with Silent Hill 2 graphics.

The difficulty level isn't to bad. Some boss battles can take a while to beat, but not forever. Not more than 5 tries mostly. It's still fun to fight the boss even if you die, unlike most games where you get bored.

This right now is my favorite game. I suggest, if you looking for action,suspense,survivor,and horror gaming. This is your game.

A game for the true survival horror fan!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: December 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you truly are a survival horror fan, you will definitely appreciate this game 100%. I just read so many reviews which said they were hoping for a Resident Evil or Silent Hill; if you are expecting this... you will be left unsatisfied. As for myself and so many others who love this genre of video games, this game still has so much to offer after playing it multiple times. I think many people are missing the point and are expecting blood and guts splattered all over the screen and a strong protagonist character, but in this case... it is more strategic than that and all you have is a young female character desperately trying to stay alive.

The story is excellent and one of the most complete for the PS2 console. I have never played a game where the story was so thought out and integrated into the gameplay. Pointless missions, characters and items do not exist as everything has a purpose and only contributes to the advancement of the plot. You actually learn to sympathize with Alyssa and feel like you ARE her by the end of the game. For this aspect alone... this game deserves better ratings than found here!

Character movements are easily executed and you will not be disappointed with the controls as there is no awkwardness. Running, using items, hiding and fighting are all easy to accomplish. You will not wish that the protagonist ran faster, because this is the key to many of the boss fights and the development of Alyssa. Boss battles are very strategic as you will have to learn when to strike and when to flee from the villain. You will also discover how to balance these two aspects of gameplay along with figuring out tricky puzzles and executing the necessary plot catalysts all at the same time! No one will tell you that this is easy, because the game is challenging in its own right.

The graphics are cartoonish and not very realistic, but this only adds to the story and the imagination that Alyssa shares with her audience. No bad programming and no choppy sequences are found throughout the game. Your character will not become stuck in random places for no apparent reason as the environments are beautifully sculpted and rendered. My favorites are the cutscenes because they are very relevant and meticulously done.

There is a lot running around while being chased by subordinates which only helps keep you on your toes and makes you think a lot faster. If you do not like games that push you to your limits, this may not be the game for you as if forces you to come up with solutions to stay ahead of these monsters so you have time to figure puzzles and paths out. Please remember that you are controlling a young girl and she does what any young girl would do under stress and that also forces you to have more advanced planning. Alyssa has a panic meter that can send her running beyond the players control and the only thing you can do is hope she calms down fast enough in order to run and hide. The game even supplies you with a calming lavender elixir that facilitates this relaxation.

The boss battles are fun and rewarding and always give the players a challenge. I look forward to the boss battles because this is the only time in the game where you get to use Rooder arrows and other items you collect! I am sure that you will find all of these subordinates interesting and unique, and these beings give you a more and more complex fight as you proceed through the game.

As far as a scary game goes, this has a lot to offer. Creepy music and a very enticing storyline add very much to the survival horror flavor. Unsettling chases and the persistence of the subordinates keep you locked on the edge of your seat!

I highly suggest this game to anyone who enjoys a good storyline and unique gameplay. You will not be disappointed and will definitely pop this one in again and again! Don't listen to the negative reviews and try this out for yourself!

Game play and graphics are better than Silent Hill 3.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: May 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Clock Tower 3 has turned out to be everything that Silent Hill 3 was not. While Silent Hill 3 is certainly the scariest of the survival horror games around it lacked a cohesive story and did not seem to fit in with the series. CT3 for all intensive purposes is actually the game that SH3 was not. Why?

First of all CT3 boasts the best graphics seen on the PS2 to date. While Heather in SH3 had some great moves, your eyes will pop out of your head when you see Alyssa's PANIC mode in full swing. Basically the game is a reminder of what was on offer with the original SH series or Resident Evil when you first played it, and follows the story of a young girl, Alyssa, who learns that something is going to happen on her birthday. She returns home and discovers something supernatural about herself and her new objective is to find her lost mother by discovering murdered corpses and returning items to the bodies before the ghost of the corpse can kill her. Killing Alyssa is not easy. She must first be shocked into a state of panic and then into a state of petrifaction before the final blow can be inflicted. This means that you must try and keep Alyssa calm as much as you can... and this is not easy when you visit places out of 19th century London in the dead of night or 17th century English castles populated with ghosts. So like most survival games Alyssa transverses various maps, picking up pieces, solving puzzles and trying to keep herself from being shocked into a blind panic (the screen goes crazy and Alyssa starts falling about the place making her a very easy target). However there is one thing that takes this game to the next level and that is the quality of the psycho bosses.

On every level a serial killer appears to hamper you in your journey. They all look insane and you must avoid their attacks by running, hiding or finding trigger spots that do something to them. At the end of every level there is a "Boss Fight" mode where you wield a bow and must bind the boss with electrical lighting bolts. These fight sequences are tough and unreal because the quality of the graphics is up there with the likes of Devil May Cry and Metal Gear Solid... but what more could we expect from great Capcom?

The cut sequences set a new standard for PS2 games, being the best around at the moment. Also the story is good but has some very shocking sequences that will blow your mind from time to time (Don't be so surprised if you see a kid getting a mallet to the head). The reason why I give CT3 an extra star over SH3 is simply because Capcom got the story and game play right. Although CT3 is certainly not as scary as SH3 and the sound is not quite as good as SH3, the graphics surpass it, the characters animations are sublime, the puzzles well done and most importantly, the game play was a lot of fun! Just avoiding the serial killers and running about the place was a hoot before finally taking the bad guys on at the end of every level. It is a scream of a game and totally whacked out in parts. I loved it!

Is this a five star game? Absolutely and this is definitely your thing IF you like survival horror. CT3 is a must have for any collection. It surpasses nearly every other survival horror game out there.

Pros:
(1)Excellent gameplay.
(2)Longer than most survival horrors.
(3)Best cut sequences to date.
(4)PANIC MODE!
(5)Graphics quality is unreal.
(6)BOSS FIGHTS!

Cons:
(1)Maybe a little more attack moves from Alyssa would not have gone amiss.
(2)Could have pushed the boundaries a little more in terms of HORROR.
(3)Not really a rental game because these survival horrors take awhile to get into.
(4)Silent Hill 2 may still be just as good as this one bar the quality of the graphics.

So my preference at this point in time in terms of Survival Horror is SH2 and CT3.
Now to try that new Resident Evil Outbreak to see how that pans out...

Enjoy.

Decent Fright Factor, But Not on Resident Evil's Level

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Clock Tower 3 is the only Clock Tower game I have played, but this was recommended to me by a co-worker so I thought I would give it a go. The game starts off really strong, with Alyssa battling Sledgehammer, and as you race around finding clues to a child prodigy's murder and solving puzzles, the Hammerman killer is genuinely creepy. The game will make your pulse pound, and your fingers ache. The next villain, Corroder, is almost as intense as Sledgehammer, chasing you through an abandonded water-works, with hiding places more sparing, again leads to great, exciting game play. But then you get to level 3 and Chopper...a very annoying, feminine slasher that just gets on the nerves and doesn't do much to keep you jumping. The same goes for the bizarro ballerina's turned slashers on level 4, Scissorman and Scissorwoman. Neither character produced chills, and the high pitched taunts issued by both would-be killers get more annoying than frightening as the game progresses. The final boss, Lord Borroughs, is also a disappointment. After making your way through four pretty tough levels, your left facing off against...an English Gentleman??? The gameplay is quite fun, and I enjoyed the concept of running and hiding from killer spirits, armed only with holy water, but the fright factor drops considerably after the first two levels. The graphics and sound are really good, and the eerie music rivals that of Silent Hill in setting the mood. I would recommend this game to fans of survival games, but be sure to get the Resident Evil series first.

A good game, flawed, but good.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I wasn't too fond of the Clock Tower series until I picked this game up. It definately caught my attention with impressive CG, the music is pretty moody for the situation.
Overall, for gameplay, expect the 3-d look your used to seeing in Resident Evil. Run around, find items, solve puzzles, avoid enemies, and the like. But this game does have moments that will give you a good jump. And since you can't just blow them away with a gun like other Survival Horror games, it brings a new kind of feel to it. Plus it puts a little more strategy into your movements.
This game isn't perfect though, some may find the puzzles too easy, the game is fairly short, and after time, being chased by the subordinates can get more annoying than scary. However, it is worth a look, if not a purchase, then at least rent it.

Capcom's new nightmare

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: January 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Survival Horror is taken another step in this game and this time it is really trying to survive.

Instead of using weapons like the resident evil series, clock tower throws you into the same type of situations, without guns and ammo.

You use holy water as a weapon but it won't kill, it just stuns them giving you a little time to run away.

This game scared me at certain points with it's eerie music, the sound of an enemy nearby, hiding in lockers. I hated it when an enemy jumped out of the corner and attacked.

The cinema scenes can also be creepy and at times disturbing. I really don't recommend this for those who hate watching horror flicks or suspense movies with killings.

It's storyline is another plus, it keeps you going, with it's suspense. That's what kept me playing anyway.

So why did i give it 4 stars?

Well the game is just too short, it's only 4 levels long and there are 5 bosses. Another feature is the camera, you can't control it, sometimes that's good (for enemies jumping out corners) and bad.

If you like being scared this is a great game for you. But only buy it if you really enjoy the genre, because some may be disappointed for the shortness of this game.

Great graphics but fun only once.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game last year while I was at the end of my pregnancy and needed something to distract me in the final weeks. I love survival horror games. My husband and I play all the Resident Evil games (we also have the gamecube so we can get as many titles as possible) and Im a Silent Hill freak. Well all I can say is that this game left a lot to be desired.

First off Ill say what I did like about it. For one the graphics are beautiful. They did a great job with the backgrounds and the main charachters. I also really liked the idea of being a teenage girl with no machine guns but just the ability to hide and use some limited ammount of Holy water.

Now to what I didnt like about it. The controls were completely ackward. Im used to "Resident Evil" style controls, where pressing upward on the joystick always means forward no matter what. This you actually have to press in the direction of forward depending on the camera angle. Its important and frustrating especially when your out of your precious holy water and running away from a bad guy and the camera angle changes every few seconds while your running. The game is rediculously short. I believe I finished it at around 5 hours. Sorry but Im used to spending a good 20 plus hours on a game. Also there are only 5 bosses and that includes the last and final boss.While the graphics of the main charachters and backgrounds were great the graphics for the spirits were really bad. They were the same and had no creepiness to them. Now to the bosses. The first two are creepy while the rest of them were more cartoonish and they loose any freakiness that the first two have. One more issue I had with this game was the use of small ledges. There are about three places in this game where you are supposed to go out on a ledge or something similar. Since there is no tutorial or even a short movie explaining this I totally missed it and ran around like an idiot trying to figure our "what do I do next". Thank goodness for gamefaqs and all the wonderful people that spend hours making walkthroughs. I just think this was a great way to explore but needed to have some kind of warning that its what you needed to do. Say make the ledge glow or have the charachter stop and say "Looks like I can just make it out on that ledge". If this was a tactic that was used more in the game than Im sure I wouldnt have had an issue. But as I said it was only used maybe 3 times and two of the three I was clueless.

The last thing Ill have to say about this game is that it doesnt have any replay value. Once you win you get a "bonus" which is pretty cheesy.You get 5 different outfits for you to choose from. Why the programers think this is so fantistic is beyond me. Also the only thing that changes is the bosses are faster and harder to kill, oh boy.

This was a fun game to pass the time over the two days I played it but I definately would not reccomend buying it. You could easily rent it and play it maybe 3 times.

Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game-scary? It made me jump from time to time, when a 10 foot serial killer suddenly leapt out from nowhere screaming my name. But jumping as anyone would to a loud unexpected sound does not mean you are afraid. It just means you are alive and have reflexes. A clock buzzer can make someone do that.

No, it's a cool game. Fun. But not scary. First, the serial killers you find yourself eluding from in each level, is much too cartoonish to be anything scary. They looked like they came right out from a comic book strip. And their voices! I don't think I've heard voice-acting as laughable as the ones used in this game. They reminded me of the wicked witch of the east, "I'll get'chu my pretty, and yer little dog too." This didn't scare me-it more or less (made me mad). "Yeah, you wait you little ...," I found myself saying more than just a few times. Especially after working tirelessly trying to figure out some puzzle, and having my concentration disturbed by some clumsy idiot that sounds like he's been getting high on nitro helium for the better part of his life who just WILL NOT! leave me alone. Oomph, there goes ANOTHER controller against the wall.

Totally different platform from the first 2 Clock Towers. This game is like a little girl's dreamy bedtime story told by her aunt. The world of Clock Tower 3...is like the words of a fairytale erupting from it's parched pages, animating right before your eyes on the television screen. Even the music glitters: it makes one think of spiral staircases running the darkening depths of a Donjon tower. Or...a clock tower in this case.

The first level is widely appreciated: how the snow gently alights upon the scattered remains of a city that felt the full destructive effect of war, alive with the cries of the dead. And you, the sweet innocent girl from boarding school, are caught in the middle, walking the inactive streets, with only the sound of a piano calling you to. The hard key pounding notes is of a restless spirit too distraught to accept redemption, that you must alleviate before level completion.

The second level starts out really good too. But the rest of the game just got ridiculous. I'd let a kid play it.

The graphics have much improved since the previous 2 Clock Towers, and it entertains the viewer with scenes of a huge clock erupting from the roof of an old English Manor, parting the clouds as it rises; scenes that excites the heart with violent encounters with mass murderers, that will attack and open wide the flesh with their implements of torture; scenes that will dampen your mood as you see into peoples past lives-from a father at war to a young man tending to the needs of his blinded mother-in your search to alleviate the spirits that still cling to this earth, staggering the sphere that separates our world from the next, and reliving again the memory of the blade whence they were killed.

I bought the game because I collect anything pertaining to the horror genre, but for someone who isn't as fanatical as I am, who wants to experience genuine fear, then I suggest to you to rent this game. It's so short, anyway. If you want to experience genuine fear then Silent Hill 1 or 2 should benefit you better. Clock Tower 1 or 2, also, had it's moments. But this game here isn't scary at all (I guess it could be to some ladies out there; unfortunately, it takes more than this to scare a guy). But Silent Hill 2 made me hesitant to leave the house, which I wish I could say for Silent Hill 3. What is it with third games being the loose end in the chain, anyway? If it works in the first place, why change it?

Clock Tower 3: a fun, but unfortunately, not a horrific game.

Horror gaming at it's best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

CLOCK TOWER 3 is one of the freakiest games I have ever played. I am a horror fan, and games don't scare me, but this one gave me nightmares. Compared to this, SILENT HILL looks like Blue's Clues. The gameplay is superb, story awesome, characters interesting, and areas highly interactive. This is a must-buy for any horror buff, like me.

Final grade: 10 out of 10
Rent or buy: BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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