The survival horror genre has a long and fascinating history. It takes notes from H. P. Lovecraft and slasher movies. It developed from the incomprehensible nightmares of the Atari 2600 to the horror-tinged platformers and action titles of the NES. Human Entertainment’sClock Towerwasn’t the first example, but it set the tone for classics likeResident EvilandSilent Hill.Clock Towerwas inspired by an enjoyably bizarre Italian horror film calledPhenomena.
Giallo is a unique horror subgenre that covers murder mysteries and frequently includes elements of slasher films or supernatural fiction.Italian horror tends tobe exceptionally unusual, with many theoretically straightforward serial killer stories evolving into psychic duels for victims' souls. Dario Argento is one of the most iconic voices in the movement, with classics likeSuspiria,Inferno, andPhenomenaunder his belt.
What isPhenomena/Creepersabout?
New Line Cinema handled the distribution ofPhenomenain North America. The studio retitled the filmCreepers, as if it were a straight-to-videoGremlinsripoff, and cut more than 20 minutes. Critics hated it, and fansagree that the originalPhenomenais superior.Phenomenafollows Jennifer Corvino, the daughter of a famous American actor, as she arrives at a Swiss boarding school. A local serial murderer targets young girls, eluding the authorities. Jennifer witnesses the killer executing a classmate and becomes his new target. The investigation recognizes a link in the case. A specific species of maggot seems to follow the killer. Jennifer discovers she has a psychic connection with insects. Her powers become chaotic when students bully and taunt her, labeling her a freak. Jennifer must listen to the flies to stop the killing spree before she becomes the killer’s new victim.
What video game didPhenomena/Creepersinspire?
Argento’sPhenomenainspiredClock Tower. Hifumi Kono directed the classic 1995 point-and-click survival horror game. All Argento’s work inspired Kono, butPhenomenaprovided much of the narrative. The game follows Jennifer Simpson, an orphan adopted by a reclusive aristocrat to live in his mansion. Jennifer is named after Jennifer Corvino, who is named afterher portrayer, Jennifer Connelly. The character is also designed to look much like Jennifer Connelly. She and her new adoptive siblings discover a dangerous serial killer hunting them. The murderer is the game’s most iconic feature. He’s an emaciated child with a skeletal face and a gigantic pair of garden shears.Clock Towerhas point-and-click adventure gameplay in a survival horror setting. The game holds a fascinating position in the history of the venerable subgenre.
The term “survival horror” was coined in this context as part of the marketing for the 1996 Japanese release ofResident Evil. There are many predecessors for the genre’s current direction. Survival horror’s most common inception points are Capcom’sSweet HomeandFrederick Raynal’sAlone in the Dark. Those two games also represent the two divergent paths of survival game design. American-inspired examples trend toward action media, with games likeResident Evil 4becoming flawless shooters with a few scares attached. Japanese iterations of the concept focus more on avoiding combat and solving puzzles.Clock Toweris firmly in the second camp. The game’s atmosphere was borrowed from Argento but inspiredthe likes ofSilent HillandSiren. Fans of the survival horror genre have a long heritage of creators to thank for what it would eventually become.
How manyClock Towergames are there?
Clock Towerenjoyed three sequels, two spiritual successors, and an upcoming enhanced port. The numbers in the original tetralogy are a frustrating disaster.Clock Tower(1995) sold well enough to prompt a sequel entitledClock Tower(1996). Director Hifumi Konowasn’t interested in a sequel, but the advanced technology of the PlayStation changed his mind. In 1998, Human Entertainment released the third entry,Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within. It was the first game without Kono in the director’s chair. Critics hated it, and it was seen as a spin-off in Japan. Capcom and Sunsoft published the fourth title,Clock Tower 3, in 2002. It was the first and only video game project byBattle Royaledirector Kinji Fukasaku. Capcom’s 2005 title,Haunting Ground, was seen as a spiritual successor toClock Tower’s gameplay. Finally, Hifumi Kono returned to the concept, if not the franchise.Kono’sNightCryis apoint-and-click survival horror game in which the player must avoid and investigate a serial killer who wields a giant pair of scissors. Beloved developers WayForward will be updatingClock Towerfor modern consoles next year.
PhenomenaandClock Towerhave much in common, but not enough to make them interchangeable. Their similarities are less in narrativeand more in presentation. The broad strokes of the stories are similar, but they each carry the flavor of their cultural background and chosen medium. BothClock TowerandPhenomenaare worth seeking out. They’re both links in the chain that would eventually give the worldResident Evil 4andSilent Hill 2.
