Hi! I’m Mariel Kinuko Cartwright, creative lead on Clock Tower: Rewind, and today I’m excited to share some new details about the game with you. Headed to PS5 and PS4, Clock Tower: Rewind is an updated release of the classic 16-bit survival-horror game Clock Tower, which was originally released in Japan in 1995. WayForward and Limited Run have partnered with Sunsoft and Capcom to finally bring the game to a global audience, where it’s had a dedicated fan following but never had an official release outside of Japan.
The birth of a 16-bit horror classic
Before we get into the new details of Rewind Mode, let’s unpack some of the chilling game’s history.
My own journey with Clock Tower started in my early teens, where I found the game completely by accident. I immediately found the graphics and setting compelling; the game follows Jennifer Simpson, a teenage orphan who has just been adopted along with three of her friends. Little does she know that her new home, a mysterious mansion owned by the Barrows family, holds many disturbing secrets. It wasn’t too long before I met our main villain: the terrifying Scissorman, who’s relentless in his pursuit of Jennifer!
I’ve personally always loved horror, even as a child, but I found Clock Tower so scary that I could only play it for a few minutes at a time. It remains one of the scariest games I’ve ever played even today, and the story, characters, and setting have made a huge impact on the way I think about games and storytelling. Wrapped up in a point-and-click package, with only one enemy pursuing you for the entire game, it’s a really poignant tale of discovery and tragedy, with many different ways that the story can play out. It’s been one of my favorite games since I first played it, and I know it’s held a special place in the hearts of fans all over the world as well.
It’s a huge honor to be a part of Clock Tower: Rewind, where we’re finally getting the opportunity to share this special game worldwide for the first time! With this new release, we’ve included the original 16-bit game, as it was in 1995, but also added a ton of fun extras to make Clock Tower: Rewind a new package for both new and existing fans alike.
Original Mode and Rewind Mode
Clock Tower: Rewind will feature two main modes — Original and Rewind. Original mode is just what it sounds like: this is Clock Tower, ported straight from the 1995 version, with new translations in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. And then we have Rewind mode, which is an enhanced version of the original game.
Today, we’d love to reveal more details about what Rewind mode entails.
The original Clock Tower actually had two releases — the 1995 16-bit version, and an updated version called Clock Tower: The First Fear, released on the original PlayStation in 1997. Clock Tower: The First Fear added new content, such as new scares, more story, and even additional enemies. Did you know there was a room you couldn’t access in the 16-bit game? Now you’ll find another bedroom that provides another place to hide from Scissorman. A new cutscene at a pivotal moment in the game will set up events in later Clock Tower games, too. And make sure you keep an eye out, as a certain corpse or haunted doll might come to life.
For Rewind mode, we’ve taken that new content from The First Fear and added it to the original version, allowing players to experience everything Clock Tower had to offer.
We didn’t stop there, though. With Rewind mode, we’ve also included completely new features, such as an updated chase system, in which Scissorman can follow you into more rooms and hide in more places, dialing up the scares even more than before. Complementing that is better controls for Jennifer, allowing her to run on stairs, find new hiding places, and even use a few weapons. Add in a few bug fixes and quality-of-life adjustments, and we’ve made what we believe to be the ultimate version of Clock Tower for players to enjoy.
None of this would be possible without the Clock Tower fan community, who we collaborated with to bring Rewind mode to life. Much of what we achieved with Rewind mode was built upon their work, and it was a joy to work with fans who know the game inside and out.
Clock Tower: Rewind also includes additional new content outside of the game, such as new original music by Dale North (with two different vocal songs, one featuring Mary Elizabeth McGlynn of Silent Hill fame and the other featuring Emi Evans of Nier), beautifully animated motion comics with brand new VO, an animated intro directed by yours truly, and more.
Clock Tower: Rewind lands worldwide this fall on PS5 and PS4. Make sure to grab your copy to experience a classic, genre-defining survival horror title.