Clock Tower 3 - Reception

Reception

Clock Tower 3 received mixed reviews. The game currently holds an average score of 69/100 based on 27 reviews at Metacritic.

In its review of the game, IGN criticised the camera, the poorly implemented use of "hiding spots" and the boss battles, but praised the graphics and atmosphere; "successfully capturing the dirty, musty look of England's serial killer underworld, the environments are populated with objects and a variety of moving parts. Whether it's the sudden scurrying of a horde of hungry insects or the subtle tapping of growing rainfall, Clock Tower 3 is straight out of a Mary Shelley novel." They also lauded the game's use of sound effects and silence. The review concluded with "Clock Tower 3 comes across as a surprisingly enjoyable survival horror game. Rough around the edges in terms of gameplay (especially when fighting against bosses) and a little on the short side, it's still one of the scariest things we've played in quite some time." The game was awarded a score of 7.7 out of 10.

Game Revolution gave the game a C. Like IGN, they also praised the graphics and atmosphere, but criticised the length of the game, the general gameplay mechanics and the use of hiding places. GameSpot gave the game 7.3 out of 10, arguing that "Clock Tower 3 is mostly a welcome change of pace from the typical survival horror formula. It's interesting to play a game in this genre where your character basically can't fight back--you have to hide and use your wits to win instead of gaining an increasingly heavy arsenal of weapons. This powerless feeling as you flee from a pursuer adds a good bit to the scariness of the game--it's just a shame that the gameplay parts don't come together in a less awkward fashion." As with many other reviews, they also criticised the implementation of the hiding places.