Cryo's Gift Unveiled

French publisher Cryo Interactive has informed GameSpot that it is developing a brand-new game for the Sony PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, and PC platforms. The game is simply called Gift, and according to Cryo, it is a 3D action-adventure game with a hero who parodies the world of computer games. Gift is set in eight 3D worlds, and the characters roaming these environments mock characters from existing games, cartoons, and films.

The game's diminutive lead character, who shares his name with the title, must leave his own world to gather seven dwarfs from seven different worlds to rescue the beautiful princess Lolita Globo. The objective is to find the dwarves in the worlds of Tiptanic, Alcatraz, Star Stress, Drakuland, Iceland, Paztec, and Mine of Horror and bring them to the princess in the eighth and final world. In doing so, Gift will be able to rescue her from the clutches of the evil Shadow of the Black Deep Dark Night.

Gift's special talents in the game include the ability to fly, swim, climb, jump, and undertake death-defying leaps. He is also equipped with a multipurpose staff, which he can use to attack his enemies. The game also demands strategy from the player. For example, enemies known as the Little Darks camouflage themselves in the shadows, and Gift must shoot fireballs to illuminate an area so he can see the little creatures. Additionally, the game can be played from either a first- or third-person perspective, and according to Cryo Interactive this gives it a lot more edge and variety, particularly when players use the arsenal of weapons.

"Gift is the quintessential antihero. He is lazy, funny, and openly admits that he never would have made the slightest effort to succeed if the damsel in distress had not been so generously endowed," explains Phillipe Ulrich, the game's designer. "The Gift project had been on the back burner of my mind for almost ten years. Gift is more than a platform game. It is a parody of video games, Internet, cinema special effects, and the real world."

Gift is being developed by Cryo's new in-house development team Eko Software. It is on schedule to be released for the PC and Game Boy Color in November. The PlayStation 2 version will be released in early 2001.

Take a look at renders of the game's characters and environmental sketches by clicking the image above.