Cryo launch "GIFT"
The Hot New Arcade-action Adventure Hero who Parodies the World of Computer Games.
French games publisher Cryo is putting the finishing touches on one of their biggest launches of the year, the stunning new 3D-action adventure game GIFT released on PC and Game Boy in November, and PlayStation 2 in early 2001. The project is the brainchild of Cryo's Creative Director Philippe Ulrich (creator of Dune on PC) and France's leading comic illustrators/author, Régis Loisel.
Gift is a breathtakingly innovative and altogether different kind of 3D-arcade action/adventure game that breaks the mould and depicts the adventures of a new affectionate and mischievous hero, Gift. Developed by Cryo's new in-house development team Eko Software, plans are afoot to exploit GIFT as a global brand, synonymous with video gaming.
Set in eight different worlds, each accompanied with unique and visually stunning graphic environments, GIFT reinvents the 3D-arcade action/adventure genre as a challenging and controversial tour de force that satirises computer game characters and films. As players gradually familiarise themselves with subtle background details, they will inevitably discover traces of Lara Croft's round sunglasses and shorts, Rayman's distinctive gloves, Darth Vader's light-sabre, the Matrix mobile phone, Quake's machine gun and combat uniform, and Mario's dungarees.
PLOT
A new game currently being tested has exhausted all the heroes who have already been assigned to rescue the beautiful princess Lolita Globo. Gift, a sneaky, overweight slob with a big mouth is the latest hero to volunteer for the job. Armed with a magic staff, his mission is to conquer The Shadow of the Black Deep Dark Night (the enemy's leader). In doing so, he must lead seven dwarves to our heroine (who suffers from Snow White delusions) in seven totally mad worlds crammed with parodies of famous games and films.
Each of the seven worlds is inhabited by unsuspecting danger. Our relentless hero must do battle, solve puzzles, be resourceful and constantly test his abilities to survive and ultimately conquer the opposing dark forces. The seven worlds are Tiptanic, Alcatraz, Star Stress, Drakuland, Iceland, Paztec and Mine of Horror. Each world is led by one of the seven dwarves, who each have their own idiosyncratic personalities - from lust, envy, anger, laziness, miser, greed and vanity. The dwarfs provide clues as to where Gift can find the lovely Lolita. The objective is to collect the seven dwarfs from the seven different worlds and surround them around the lovely princess in the eight and final world. In so doing, Gift will be able to rescue his true love from the clutches of The Shadow of the Black Deep Dark Night.
Says Cryo UK's MD, Stuart Furnival, "We've taken some of the elements from Crash Bandicoot and Tomb Raider, and developed a hybrid of the platform and action adventure genres to create a contemporary, sophisticated and unique game."
SPECIAL FEATURES
As a character Gift has special talents that can be manipulated throughout the game including the ability to fly, swim, climb, jump and even undertake death-defying leaps. In addition to arming himself with a special energy-powered staff, water jets, cannons and a vast collection of imaginative weapons, the game is jam-packed with challenging real-time puzzle solving situations set against elaborately illustrated and stunning 3D environments.
A unique feature is how light is used to impact on the gameplay. Throughout the game Gift must fend off a host of enemies including 'the Little Clears' and 'the Little Darks'. Because the Little Clears are afraid of the dark, it's important for him to remain in the light. By doing this, the Little Clears will not be able to detect Gift. In order to eliminate the Little Darks, Gift must launch a fireball to illuminate an area so he can see the little foes. The gameplay is never predictable, and therefore requires players to constantly make decisions by working with the unfolding story by picking up power-ups and clues along the way.
The game enables players to change from third person perspective to first person view. This gives the game a lot more edge and variety, particularly when using arsenal of weapons. Gift employs some of the same elements as the game Heart of Darkness, in the sense that it's also a massive game that includes plenty of characters, interaction and fluid playability.
Due to the sophisticated gameplay and humorous narrative, Gift's mass appeal is destined to attract older gamers who think 3D arcade action/adventure games like Rayman and Sonic are targeted at a young audience. Gift is not a game just for kids. It's for everyone who wants to be challenged. Utilising the latest in computer game technology, Gift pushes the 3D-action adventure game genre to the point where no 3D-action game has gone before.
Essential Web Link: www.cryo-interactive.com
Gift is a breathtakingly innovative and altogether different kind of 3D-arcade action/adventure game that breaks the mould and depicts the adventures of a new affectionate and mischievous hero, Gift. Developed by Cryo's new in-house development team Eko Software, plans are afoot to exploit GIFT as a global brand, synonymous with video gaming.
Set in eight different worlds, each accompanied with unique and visually stunning graphic environments, GIFT reinvents the 3D-arcade action/adventure genre as a challenging and controversial tour de force that satirises computer game characters and films. As players gradually familiarise themselves with subtle background details, they will inevitably discover traces of Lara Croft's round sunglasses and shorts, Rayman's distinctive gloves, Darth Vader's light-sabre, the Matrix mobile phone, Quake's machine gun and combat uniform, and Mario's dungarees.
PLOT
A new game currently being tested has exhausted all the heroes who have already been assigned to rescue the beautiful princess Lolita Globo. Gift, a sneaky, overweight slob with a big mouth is the latest hero to volunteer for the job. Armed with a magic staff, his mission is to conquer The Shadow of the Black Deep Dark Night (the enemy's leader). In doing so, he must lead seven dwarves to our heroine (who suffers from Snow White delusions) in seven totally mad worlds crammed with parodies of famous games and films.
Each of the seven worlds is inhabited by unsuspecting danger. Our relentless hero must do battle, solve puzzles, be resourceful and constantly test his abilities to survive and ultimately conquer the opposing dark forces. The seven worlds are Tiptanic, Alcatraz, Star Stress, Drakuland, Iceland, Paztec and Mine of Horror. Each world is led by one of the seven dwarves, who each have their own idiosyncratic personalities - from lust, envy, anger, laziness, miser, greed and vanity. The dwarfs provide clues as to where Gift can find the lovely Lolita. The objective is to collect the seven dwarfs from the seven different worlds and surround them around the lovely princess in the eight and final world. In so doing, Gift will be able to rescue his true love from the clutches of The Shadow of the Black Deep Dark Night.
Says Cryo UK's MD, Stuart Furnival, "We've taken some of the elements from Crash Bandicoot and Tomb Raider, and developed a hybrid of the platform and action adventure genres to create a contemporary, sophisticated and unique game."
SPECIAL FEATURES
As a character Gift has special talents that can be manipulated throughout the game including the ability to fly, swim, climb, jump and even undertake death-defying leaps. In addition to arming himself with a special energy-powered staff, water jets, cannons and a vast collection of imaginative weapons, the game is jam-packed with challenging real-time puzzle solving situations set against elaborately illustrated and stunning 3D environments.
A unique feature is how light is used to impact on the gameplay. Throughout the game Gift must fend off a host of enemies including 'the Little Clears' and 'the Little Darks'. Because the Little Clears are afraid of the dark, it's important for him to remain in the light. By doing this, the Little Clears will not be able to detect Gift. In order to eliminate the Little Darks, Gift must launch a fireball to illuminate an area so he can see the little foes. The gameplay is never predictable, and therefore requires players to constantly make decisions by working with the unfolding story by picking up power-ups and clues along the way.
The game enables players to change from third person perspective to first person view. This gives the game a lot more edge and variety, particularly when using arsenal of weapons. Gift employs some of the same elements as the game Heart of Darkness, in the sense that it's also a massive game that includes plenty of characters, interaction and fluid playability.
Due to the sophisticated gameplay and humorous narrative, Gift's mass appeal is destined to attract older gamers who think 3D arcade action/adventure games like Rayman and Sonic are targeted at a young audience. Gift is not a game just for kids. It's for everyone who wants to be challenged. Utilising the latest in computer game technology, Gift pushes the 3D-action adventure game genre to the point where no 3D-action game has gone before.
Essential Web Link: www.cryo-interactive.com