Clock Tower Ghost Head AKA Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within by Human Entertainment (horror adventure video game, 1998)
"Don't be afraid, Alyssa..."
Blurb: Teenager Alyssa Hale is trying to start over in a new city after a horrific incident at her previous school. She is haunted by someone named Bates who has been taking control of her body against her will. Things go from bad to worse upon reaching her uncle's house and finding a dead body shortly after. The reason why Bates exists will be revealed, but she must learn to accept him in order to find that truth and, most importantly, survive the night.
Why is it worth your time?: Alyssa and Bates switching is a game mechanic that can be used to solve puzzles! One can do or find something the other can't, and vice-versa. That itself is pretty cool, especially for a PS1 game. That said, the game's got a lot of issues. The English version's box claims that Alyssa has an 'evil split personality and she is thirsty for blood oh nooo' without acknowledging Bates as his own person. The Japanese version at least makes it clearer that they are two separate souls in the same body. In both versions, Bates, the so-called 'evil' one, is really more Chaotic Neutral. Spoilers for clarification: Alyssa shares a body with her deceased twin brother. Said brother forcibly switches in to protect her from danger, but he can be more violent than she wants. He talks big but doesn't indiscriminately stab people like the 'killer alter ego' stereotype goes. There is an audio drama where the story goes in that direction, but in terms of the game, Bates is just a jerk who loves his sister.
Plural Tags: spiritual, teamwork, enmity, switching, the dead, family
Content Warnings: death (child and adult), bodily mutilation, strong language, parental neglect, medical experimentation
Accessibility Notes: It is a PS1 game long out of print with two language options (Japanese and English, separate releases); the English version is prohibitively expensive to acquire secondhand. Fortunately, playthroughs can be found on YouTube and Niconico. One example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGD4dVnmsls
Misc. Notes (if any): Honestly...the game kind of sucks lol. But this system appreciates protector tropes, and Bates very much hits that trope. Plus, in the English version he's voiced by Roger L. Jackson who is so very fun to listen to!
Format: PlayStation
Is it long, medium, or short?: Short, beatable in ~5 hours with a guide (extremely recommended)
It is for kids, teens, adults, or everybody? Adults
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Date: 2024-08-28 08:56 pm (UTC)"Don't be afraid, Alyssa..."
Blurb: Teenager Alyssa Hale is trying to start over in a new city after a horrific incident at her previous school. She is haunted by someone named Bates who has been taking control of her body against her will. Things go from bad to worse upon reaching her uncle's house and finding a dead body shortly after. The reason why Bates exists will be revealed, but she must learn to accept him in order to find that truth and, most importantly, survive the night.
Why is it worth your time?: Alyssa and Bates switching is a game mechanic that can be used to solve puzzles! One can do or find something the other can't, and vice-versa. That itself is pretty cool, especially for a PS1 game.
That said, the game's got a lot of issues. The English version's box claims that Alyssa has an 'evil split personality and she is thirsty for blood oh nooo' without acknowledging Bates as his own person. The Japanese version at least makes it clearer that they are two separate souls in the same body. In both versions, Bates, the so-called 'evil' one, is really more Chaotic Neutral.
Spoilers for clarification: Alyssa shares a body with her deceased twin brother. Said brother forcibly switches in to protect her from danger, but he can be more violent than she wants. He talks big but doesn't indiscriminately stab people like the 'killer alter ego' stereotype goes. There is an audio drama where the story goes in that direction, but in terms of the game, Bates is just a jerk who loves his sister.
Plural Tags: spiritual, teamwork, enmity, switching, the dead, family
Content Warnings: death (child and adult), bodily mutilation, strong language, parental neglect, medical experimentation
Accessibility Notes: It is a PS1 game long out of print with two language options (Japanese and English, separate releases); the English version is prohibitively expensive to acquire secondhand. Fortunately, playthroughs can be found on YouTube and Niconico.
One example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGD4dVnmsls
Misc. Notes (if any): Honestly...the game kind of sucks lol. But this system appreciates protector tropes, and Bates very much hits that trope. Plus, in the English version he's voiced by Roger L. Jackson who is so very fun to listen to!
Format: PlayStation
Is it long, medium, or short?: Short, beatable in ~5 hours with a guide (extremely recommended)
It is for kids, teens, adults, or everybody? Adults