Clock Tower 3

Cheat Code Central

The graphic violence is shocking. The story is captivating and the disturbing scenes are sure to make even hardcore gamers a little queasy.

Game Informer

If you like the genre or really graphic material (the first three hours are especially disturbing), Clock Tower 3 is a no-brainer. [May 2003, p.82]

GameNow

Other than the lame enemy A.I. and the sometimes wacky camera, the major downside to Clock Tower 3 is its short playtime. But it's very fun while it lasts. [May 2003, p.46]

GameZone

A relatively short but enjoyable game that has its share of rough areas here and there, but do not let that keep you away from a game that is a ghastly good time.

Yahoo! Games

It utterly breaks the subdued mold of the series.

GamePro

The strong story and voice acting make the game a must play, but the skimpy replay value leaves something to be desired.

Four Fat Chicks

As breathtaking as Clock Tower 3 is to look at, the gameplay is somewhat ... blah. I think it was the sameness of it all—find an item, return said item to its owner, watch incredibly gorgeous cutscene, meet up with mentally unbalanced mini-boss, destroy him/her ... lather, rinse, repeat.

IGN

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.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Short, confusing, ugly to handle and curious, but still has an undeniable eerie charm that will get under your skin. [GamesMaster]

Gamezilla!

Even at the later stages of the game, it seemed quite easy to progress, offering little challenge.

GamingWorld X

The Capcom/Resident Evil influences are obvious (right down to the "woman fetching water" statue found in the Art Gallery of the original RE), and it may sound like it's shallow, but Clock Tower 3 is yet original enough to hold it's own against the competition, thanks to the original set of play mechanics and a vibe all it's own.

Electric Playground

I must say the game's emotional impact is undeniable, and it kept me filled with terror every time I turned on my PS2... Oh, and something else. This game has the most appallingly violent cutscenes you will ever see.

GameSpot

Clock Tower 3's movie portions are stronger than the gameplay that underpins them, and the result is a game that you'll probably want to finish more for its storyline than for the fun you'll have actually playing it.

TotalGames.net

But the puzzles are rarely that puzzling, the enemies aren’t frightening in either their appearance or their behaviour and only the game’s novel use of the ancient lock/key conundrum makes it stand out.

PSM Magazine

A good attempt to innovate the survival horror genre that doesn't deliver nearly enough depth to wholly satisfy. [May 2003, p.33]

PSX Nation

Too short, its puzzles are laughably easy, it's too expensive for the limited replay value it offers and it doesn't break any new ground for the survival horror genre.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

With its hokey, R.L. Stein thrills, much of the game feels like survival-horror lite for the campfire storytelling set. [May 2003, p.114]

GameCritics

While the game starts off on the right foot with a dark tale of schoolgirls, slaughter, and restless spirits, it immediately trips over the other foot with a range of directorial issues an overall lack of focus.

GameSpy

Another problem with the gameplay is the surprising simplicity of it. Sure, there are puzzles to solve, but they rarely require any sort of deep thinking.

G4 TV

The length of the game is a bit short as it only takes around six hours to complete, but the strong story and cinematic sequences make sure that it's an unforgettable six hours.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Though Clock Tower 3 includes a little more action than the previous games, and remains a decent core adventure game as other horror titles, it fails where it really counts: the scare factor. [May 2003, p.90]

Eurogamer

The wonderfully directed cut scenes from Kinji Fukasaku combined with the decent plot without doubt give players plenty of incentive to keep plugging away, but despite the obvious quality on display the real meat of the game seems to lack that something extra to demand a glowing recommendation.

Play Magazine

As an experience of mood and horror - the villain delivers scenes of shocking violence - CT III works. [May 2003, p.62]

GMR Magazine

These brief spurts of action are entertaining, but between them lie only painfully simple puzzles and, as previously mentioned, lots of running around, avoiding your idiotic pursuers with the same tricks over and over again. [June 2003, p.71]

Into Liquid Sky

The biggest complaint I have with the controls is that the button responses seem to lag at times, especially during the boss fights, where hitting the button to charge an arrow may not work right away, costing you precious seconds.

Game Revolution

Ultimately one of those games whose cinemas are more interesting than the actual gameplay and from a gamer's standpoint, that's never a good thing. If I want to watch a movie, I'll watch a movie - but I came to play.

Gaming Age

Manages to scare with its gruesome plot and eerie settings. But the lacking gameplay fails to make the experience any more than a “search and run” title.

Edge Magazine

Clock Tower 3 is never scary: rather it's unwitting proof of the banality of evil. [June 2003, p.101]