H2O: Footprints in the Sand is a Japanese adult visual novel by Makura that was released on June 23, 2006 for the PC as a DVD; a version playable on the PlayStation 2 under the title H2O + followed on April 24, 2008 with adult content removed, but in its place will be additional scenarios and graphics not seen in the original release. H2O is Makura's first game; a sequel named vafter and another was later produced in October 2007. The gameplay in H2O follows a plot line that offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the three female main characters. There are two modes of gameplay, the Blindness Effect and Normal Effect, where the former plays on the fact that the protagonist is blind, and the latter mode removes the added element of gameplay the Blindness Effect has. The story is broken into three parts: the original introduction and meeting, following by a separation and reunion, and finally ending with the protagonist choosing one of the girls and spending the rest of the game with her.
A manga adaptation, drawn by Kira Inugami, was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace between 2007 and 2008. A 12-episode anime by the animation studio Zexcs aired in Japan between January and March 2008 on the Fukui TV television network. Several music albums have also been released.
GAMEPLAY:
The gameplay requires almost no interaction from the player as nearly the entire 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. A single choice the player makes determines which girl the protagonist chooses. There are three main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. To view the three plot lines to their entirety, the player must replay the game multiple times and choose a different choice at the single decision point to further the plot in an alternate direction.
PLOT:
H2O's story revolves around Takuma Hirose, a blind young male junior-high school student, though the cause for his blindness is undetermined. After his mother died unexpectedly, it left a deep emotional scar on him, which caused him to become very lonely and reserved. Due to this, Takuma and his uncle move from the city out into a rural area and Takuma is enrolled into a new junior-high school. At his new school, he meets several new girls, though three of whom he gets to know the most out of anyone else. They are, the firm and obstinate Hayami Kohinata, the kind and obliging Hinata Kagura, and the cheerful and mysterious Otoha. As Takuma interacts with these girls, his medical condition gradually begins to heal.
CHARACTERS:
- Takuma Hirose: Takuma is the main protagonist of the story. He has a moderately quiet personality partly because he suffers from blindness and for his condition, he carries around a white cane he named "Tomodachi sa", a pun on the word tomodachi. His mother committed suicide, which left a deep emotional scar on Takuma. To rectify this, he moves to the countryside to live with his uncle. Takuma is naturally friendly and likes to befriend everyone he meets in his new town. There is a rift between the rich and the poor, with Takuma being on the former end of the divide.
- Hayami Kohinata: Hayami is a girl in Takuma's class who sits next to him. She has an unsociable personality and a sharp attitude towards others, not wanting to become friends with others, due to her accepting her own status as an outcast. Hayami's family was rich once because her parents are doctors. Since they charged high prices in medical examinations and were unwilling to take any patients in without the fees, the village people revolted against them, burned their house and kicked them out of the village with the exception of Hayami.
- Hinata Kagura: Hinata is the granddaughter of the village headman, and is one of the rich members of town. She is in Takuma's class and is the council president for her class. She has a kind of obliging personality, and is popular in her school. She is clumsy and tends to fall down, and once she even fell down a flight of stairs at school, though luckily Takuma was there to break her fall.
- Otoha: Otoha appears to be a normal girl, but she is in fact a spirit, and only Takuma can hear or see her. She is always cheerful, and will appear out of nowhere, clinging suddenly to Takuma. She refers to herself with the masculine pronoun boku, meaning "I". She refers to Takuma as the "Promised Person".
- Yui Tabata: Yui is a girl in Takuma's class. She has a self-aggrandizing personality and always has two male henchmen tagging along. She is very rich and often uses formal speech so as to distinguish herself from the "commoners". She is very proud and condescending, but that does not actually mean she is unkind to others. In fact, she gets along quite well with Takuma and the others, with the sole exception of Hayami. Yui's grandfather died because they were poor back then, and Hayami's parents would not give him a medical examination without the fees. This led to the village's revolt against the Kohinata family, and Yui's hatred for Hayami.
- Hamaji Yakumo: Hamaji is one of Takuma's classmates. Despite his feminine appearance and voice, he is in fact a boy who crossdresses like a girl. He has an optimistic personality, and likes to play innocent when he plays bad jokes on others. He has a little sister named Yukiji, and his family owns a convenience store. He appears to be bisexual, and has flirted with Takuma occasionally, but ultimately marries his best friend Maki.
- Rin Misakura: Rin, like Takuma, is an exchange student from the city. She has a kind and gentle personality, and is a hard worker, but is rather clumsy. Rin is the main heroine in Makura's third game Sakura no Uta.
The Deluxe Pack version contains original drama cd, H2O+ visual book "memories of summer", and a heroine collection poster set.
MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION:
The PC version of romance novel game that story and fascinating characters who full of sadness weave evolved to adventure and ported to PS2! Of course the new scenario, new graphics add! Blind boy who has moved to the rural town. Encounter with a variety of girls, in the touching, continue to overcome the loneliness which is not visible, but lose at the same time something important ....
FEATURES:
- First person perspective.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- Romance & Anime themes.
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