Clock Tower series by fans and critics. The gameplay has been compared heavily to Clock Tower 3, but distinguishes itself by providing the player character with a dog companion which can attack enemies and solve puzzles. Haunting Ground was generally found to be average survival horror fare for the era, but the sexual objectification of the main character, Fiona, has been repeatedly highlighted as one of the game's strongest elements. Critics felt that the game's voyeuristic presentation and gameplay make Fiona appear more fragile, building a disturbing atmosphere. Kono created his own spiritual successor, NightCry (2016), which features similar gameplay to the original Clock Tower games that he directed. The game was crowdfunded through Kickstarter with a $300,000 budget. It received mixed reviews, being cited for bugs and dated gameplay. Reception The Clock Tower series has received mixed critical reception across its history. In retrospective reviews, the first title, Clock Tower (1995), received praise for its haunting atmosphere but was criticized for tedious puzzles and exploration. Despite these criticisms, it is considered instrumental in establishing the survival horror genre and a creating a model for future horror games to follow. Its sequel, Clock Tower (1996), was met with mixed reception as well. The horror themes and atmosphere were well-received, but the game's point-and-click gameplay and slow pace were found to be inferior to the growing landscape of action games on the PlayStation, especially Capcom's first Resident Evil title, which was released the same year. The third title, Clock Tower II, was met with unfavorable reviews. Critics heavily criticized the slow point-and-click interface and the flawed trial-and-error gameplay. Clock Tower 3 received similar reviews to the first two titles. The graphics, atmosphere and storyline received positive reviews, but again, the gameplay was a point of criticism. Critics believed the boss fights and repetitive hiding and chasing gameplay mechanics were weak. Scissorman is often compared to Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 because he stalks his victims and disappears and reappears at various intervals throughout the games. He is also often identified as one of the scariest characters in video games because of his unrelenting nature and the difficulty to escape him. Film adaptation A film adaption of the Clock Tower series was first announced in June 2006. The film was to be directed by Chilean director Jorge Olguin. Todd Farmer, Jake Wade Wall, and David Coggeshall were set to write the script.