by Jay "THE FLEA" Wade
The run and hide, click and point horror returns in Clock Tower 2 The Struggle within. In the first Clock Tower you played 2 characters running from Scissorman. (a hunched over man with giant scissors killing anyone he came across) you'd be searching some where, then hear "ching, ching, ching" then you run and hide or be killed.
In Clock Tower 2, you have several killers after you. A slow Killer in Samurai Armor, A little girl with a big butcher knife, Zombies and a devil masked psycho. Plus against evil spirits. (I do miss ol' Scissorman though)
You only play one character "Alssa Hale" with she has multiple personalities. Her dark alternate ego named "Bates" (No not Norman) Has the voice of a man and a cold heart.
If you think the gameplay is going to be like Resident Evil you'll be in for some disappointment, This a point and click game. You move a cursor around the screen and click to items and where to walk. In the game you search for items and solving clues. Some clues can only be solved by Bates others only by Alssa. And you'll never know when you'll have to run and hide from a psycho with a knife.
The story really pulls you in but at times you'll feel it gets a little over the top. The Graphics are not the greatest but Clock Tower 1 wasn't that great ether.
Although the first Clock Tower had a creepy dark washed out look that really made the game feel more scary.
Although this time you'll fell how scared Alssa is through the Dual Shock Controller.
The Translation and Dialog is also done vary poor. (again) The dialog most of the time doesn't mach the words on the screen.
Clock Tower 2 still has the multiple endings, 13 endings this time around.
Overall I like Clock Tower 2 but I liked the single psycho killer chasing you all over the city with giant scissors more then multiple psychos that are possessed by evil spirits. But the character with multiple personalities is a nice touch.
PUBLISHER:
AGETEC
GRAPHICS: 6 MUSIC & SOUND: 7 CONTROL: 7.5
SECRETS: 9 ORIGINALITY: 9 FUN & REPLAY: 8
OVERALL: 7.5