Gift is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Moonstone and released on May 27, 2005 for Windows. The original game was a collaboration project where the company Circus helped to produce it, though Moonstone did the majority of the work involved. Gift is Moonstone's fourth title, and was followed up with an adult fan disc called Gift Rainbow-colored Stories released on January 27, 2006 for Windows. It was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The gameplay in Gift follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the five female main characters. The story revolves around Haruhiko Amami, a male high school student living in a town where a rainbow is always seen in the sky.
A set of five drama CDs, one for each heroine, was released by Lantis between September 2005 and February 2006. There have been five light novels written, two Internet radio shows produced, along with a manga series serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen magazine Comptiq between January 2006 and February 2007. A 12-episode anime adaptation, produced by Oriental Light and Magic, aired in Japan between October and December 2006.
The gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most of the duration of the game is spent on simply reading the text that will appear on the screen; this text represents either dialogue between the various characters, or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. Every so often, the player will come to a "decision point" where he or she is given the chance to choose from options that are displayed on the screen, typically two to three at a time. During these times, gameplay pauses until a choice is made that furthers the plot in a specific direction, depending on which choice the player makes.
There are five main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. In order to view the five plot lines to their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different choices during the decision points in order to further the plot in an alternate direction.
PLOT:
Gift is a story that revolves around high school student Haruhiko Amami and his strong connection to Gift's mysterious power. The town of Narasakicho, where Gift's story takes place, has two distinguishing characteristics: a rainbow that seems permanently fixed in the sky no matter the weather, and an ability known as Gift possessed by all its inhabitants. Gift's power can only be evoked by each person once in a lifetime, and is able to grant a single miracle. To be successful, a Gift must reflect the shared feelings of both the giver and the receiver. If the feelings are not mutual, the Gift is distorted and has the ability to wreak havoc on the surrounding area. When this happens, a black streak appears in the rainbow above town until Gift is used correctly. The story begins as Haruhiko's younger sister, Riko Fukimine, returns home after several years away. Beginning with her appearance, Haruhiko's life starts to change very quickly and feelings of the past begin to surface once more.
There's childhood friend Kirino Konosaka, a loner named Rinka Hokazono, Chisa Fujimiya, Yukari Kamishiro, Sena Asakawa, Nene Himekura, and Miyu Akihara. A supporting cast of 14 characters which include Mr. Fukamine, father of the protagonist, also provide interaction sequences and help to massage the story along.
RELEASES:
Gift was first introduced to the public in Japan as a limited edition version on May 27, 2005 as a DVD playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. The regular edition was released on June 10, 2005, also as a DVD, and then another version was released on December 16, 2005 as a CD-ROM. A fandisc called Gift Rainbow-colored Stories was released on January 27, 2006 as a CD-ROM. A version for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) with adult content removed, called Gift: Prism, was developed by Sweets and released in Japan on October 19, 2006 in limited and regular editions. This PS2 version has added CGs to replace the adult scenes and also has added three additional heroines that the protagonist can pursue in addition to the original five. The PS2 game was re-released on August 9, 2007 at a lower price. An iOS edition of the PS2 version was released on April 16, 2009. A PlayStation Portable version by CyberFront was released on February 2, 2012.
The limited edition of Gift Prism includes the following bonus items which are packaged in a colorful slipcase along with the game DVD:
» Original Drama CD which contains a completely new voice acted episode where the cast of the game participate. The CD drama runs for about 60 minutes and features the vocal talents of well known voice actresses.
» Gift Prism illustration booklet whose pages are made up of thick cardboard cards with glossy faces and colorful artwork. A total of 20 card pages are enclosed inside the booklet.
MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION:
The transplant romance adventure game that was released as a PC game "Gift"! Town rainbow that will not disappear never took, boy living in Narasaki town, hero Amami Haruhiko. One day, my sister was supposed to get separated in Shima field Gakuen Haruhiko attend comes to changing schools. I met with the reunion, their story begins ... movement.
FEATURES:
- First person perspective.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- Romance & Anime themes.
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