You find yourself in control of the Clockwinder’s Gloves – an incredible invention that allows you to record anything you do by hand and turn that action into a robotic replica that repeats exactly what you did in a loop. These clones are called Gardeners and you will need their help to save your childhood home. Use the clones to harvest plants, operate machines, and even throw objects to yourself and catch them in the room. There is no single solution to any challenge: you can create wonders of precision efficiency or clever Rube Goldberg machines. The only limit is your own creativity.
The Last Clockwinder is a unique combination of puzzle gameplay and automation. Since its launch, the game has been widely recognized for its innovative design, receiving several awards including Road To VR’s Best PC VR Game of 2022, and Road To VR’s Best VR Game of 2022. Hardcore Gamer and Finalist at the DICE Awards in both VR categories. We’re excited to bring The Last Clockwinder to PlayStation VR2 on February 22nd.
We’re big fans of automation games, but our least favorite part about automation is including instructions for the things you want to automate. Select, drag, move the timelines around – this can get very unwieldy! This is the difference between automation and replication.
In The Last Clockwinder, the way you tell a clone what to do is to do it yourself. With the push of a button, you start recording yourself. Your hand, head and all input are recorded in a short time. While spinning, you can grab objects, throw and catch, use tools – almost anything. When the recording is over, a copy will appear in your place and start repeating the actions you just performed on a loop. Duplicates can be made using 2, 4 or 8 second loops, and the recording system ensures that the copies will stay in sync. No need to be naughty!
Creating a meaningful and easy-to-use interface like this is only possible with VR. With precise tracking and free 3D movement, there’s no obstacle between thinking and doing it. This is a game mechanic that is really unique to VR.
To progress in the game, you’ll need to form groups of clones that work together to harvest resources from plants. You’ll use these resources for many things: powering machines, creating new plant seeds, and unlocking rooms in the Clock Tower.
When you leave the room, your clones will stay, production and resource harvesting will continue while you are away. You can return to the back room to plant new seeds or try out a new clone layout to make them more effective.
A little ingenuity and problem-solving are needed to get through the main plot of The Last Clockwinder. But for players who want more, there are optional challenges in most puzzle rooms. You will face increasingly strict limits on the number of copies you can use – think hard about where to record your copies and how to make each of them work best maybe!
The story in The Last Clockwinder is handled by an incredible voice cast that includes Cissy Jones (Firewatch, Life Is Strange) and Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV). Throughout the Clock Tower you’ll find recordings that can be paused or replayed, allowing you to experience the story at your own pace – and without interrupting your puzzle solving.
As a child, Jules lived in the Clock Tower – a structure built into a giant tree containing rare plants from across the galaxy. The only other resident of the Clock Tower is the Clockwinder Edea, the caretaker of its trees and plants. Years have passed since Jules left the Clock Tower when she received a distress signal: Edea was missing and the Clock Tower was sinking into the sea. With the help of pilot and business partner Levi, Jules sets out for the Clock Tower, determined to save her childhood home.
The Clock Tower is a unique place, ancient and full of history. Generations of Clockwinders have built on the work of their predecessors, creating technology that seems to communicate with the tree itself, flowing in and out of the trunk organically. As it falls into disrepair, the line between nature and technology becomes even more blurred. Moss, oysters and rust are turning the Clock Tower into a carpet of both living and rotting.
The Last Clockwinder is the launch title for PS VR 2 and will be available on February 22nd.
