You find yourself in control of the Clockwinder’s Gloves – an incredible invention that lets you record anything you do with your hands and turn that action into a robot clone that repeats exactly what you did in a loop. These clones are called Gardeners, and you’re going to need their help to save your childhood home. Use the clones to harvest plants, operate machinery, and even throw things to yourself and catch them across the room. There’s no single solution to any challenge: you can create marvels of precision efficiency or hare-brained Rube Goldberg machines. The only limit is your own creativity.
The Last Clockwinder is a unique mix of automation and puzzle gameplay. 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, Hardcore Gamer’s Best VR Game of 2022, and Finalist at the DICE Awards in both VR categories. We’re thrilled to bring The Last Clockwinder to PlayStation VR2 on February 22.
A mechanic made for VR
We’re big fans of automation games, but our least favorite part about automation is putting in the instructions for the things you want to automate. Selecting, dragging, moving timelines around – it can get very fiddly! This is where automation with clones is different.
In The Last Clockwinder, the way that you tell a clone what to do is by simply doing it yourself. With the press of a button you start recording yourself. Your hands, head, and all your inputs are recorded for a short time. While recording, you can grab objects, throw and catch, use tools – pretty much anything. When the recording is finished, a clone appears where you were and starts repeating the actions that you just did on a loop. Clones can be created with 2, 4, or 8 second loops, and the recording system ensures that clones will stay synchronized. No fiddling required!
Creating an interface this expressive and easy to use was only possible with VR. With precise tracking and free 3D movement there’s zero friction between thinking something and doing it. This is a game mechanic that is truly unique to VR.
Exploration and optimization
To progress in the game, you’ll need to make teams of clones working together to harvest resources from plants. You’ll use these resources for many things: powering machinery, creating new plant seeds, and unlocking rooms within the Clocktower.
When you leave a room your clones stay, and resource production and harvesting continues while you’re away. You can return to the room later to plant new seeds or try a new clone layout to make them even more efficient.
Challenges for the clever
A bit of dexterity and problem solving is required to get through the main storyline of The Last Clockwinder. But for players who want more, there are optional challenges in most of the puzzle rooms. You’ll face increasingly strict limits on the number of clones you can use – think hard about where to record your clones and how to make each of them as efficient as possible!
Narrative at your own pace
The story in The Last Clockwinder is delivered by a cast of incredible voice actors including Cissy Jones (Firewatch, Life Is Strange) and Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV). Throughout the Clocktower 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.
A world of clocks and flowers
As a child, Jules lived in the Clocktower – a structure built into a colossal tree that houses rare plants from around the galaxy. The only other resident of the Clocktower was the Clockwinder Edea, caretaker of the tree and its plants. Many years have passed since Jules left the Clocktower when she receives a distress signal: Edea is missing and the Clocktower is sinking into the ocean. With the help of her pilot and business partner Levi, Jules sets off to the Clocktower, determined to save her childhood home.
The Clocktower is a unique place, ancient and full of history. Generations of Clockwinders have built upon the work of their predecessors, creating technology that seems to interface with the tree itself, organically flowing in and out of the trunk. As it has fallen into disrepair, the line between nature and technology has grown even more blurred. Moss, barnacles, and rust are turning the Clocktower into a tapestry of both life and decay.
The Last Clockwinder is a launch title for PS VR 2, and will be available on February 22.
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