Sunday, August 9, 2015

Clock Tower 3 for PlayStation 2 (2003)

Original ad published in the June 2003 issue of EGM 2 (no. 167).

Press to enlarge or download in higher resolution.

Graphic survival horror literature


Clock Tower 3 holds a special place in old-school video game horror fanatics. Its roots go all the way back to the SNES. And although the series would later jump to the PS1 for its sequel, I believe it was finally given credit with its third itineration, a sort of cult hit for the PS2. Capcom didn't skimp on the advert, as you can see above. It gives the potential buyer a complete image of what to expect from this demented game.

The PS2 shroud be considered the best console for survival-horro games. There's the compelling Silente Hill series (2, 3 and 4, also called "The Room" ) and the likes of Haunting Ground and Rule of Rose. Clock Tower 3 is firmly in the latter group, where you are placed in the shoes of a defenseless teenage girl being persecuted by homicidal maniacs. Unlike Haunting Ground (another Capcom game, a sort of spin-off to Clock Tower) and Rule of Rose (Atlus) you actually have some sort of control over your character, even when entering "adrenaline mode". Other than that, the game features superb graphics and sound effects. The whole atmosphere of the game is well executed, just as you would expect from the same company that publishes the Resident Evil series.








The printed advert if very well made. It was featured in the back-cover of the popular EGM magazine, a sign of the confidence Capcom had in this game. It's a classic "Z" pattern style editorial layout, where the middle part of the "Z" concentrates the important aspects of the message. The upper and lower parts of the "Z" are limited to the game's copy. What's really interesting is that the protagonist and main antagonist are facing potential buyers front and center and all the secondary characters are placed on their circumference in different layers. This gives a 2D product a 3D feel and heightens the overall quality of the advertisement. 



Clock Tower 3 for PlayStation 2 print ad copy


There's no place like hell

Summon your nerve. Control the fate of Alissa, an ordinary girl, as she fights the forces of evil and unlocks the mystery of her ancestry in this ceiling excursion into terror! You've never played like this before!

Clock Tower 3
Capcom

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