Oni

Oni is a curious project that combines anime stylistics and cyberpunk elements, which was not so common in the early 2000s. The game catches the eye with its original visual style, and its plot plunges into a dystopian world where technology, corruption and the struggle for freedom are intertwined in one dramatic story.

The game tells the story of Konoko, an agent working for a government that controls the world through high technology. As the game progresses, the player is immersed in conspiracies, mysteries and unexpected twists that open up new facets of the world and the personality of the main character. Despite the fact that the plot does not become a revelation, it keeps the intrigue and allows you to better understand the gloomy atmosphere of the game.

The game's artwork is one of the things that made the game memorable. The anime aesthetic gives Konoko and other characters memorable features, and the futuristic locations enhance the feeling of a dark but stylish cyberpunk world. The animation of the heroine's movements looks good, especially in the action scenes.

One of the most notable elements of the game is its unique combat system. Here, the player is given access to punches, kicks and their combinations, which allows them to create impressive combos. Melee combat looks good and sometimes even dynamic, adding adrenaline. However, shooting turned out to be more difficult to master - alternating weapons and hand-to-hand combat sometimes seemed uncomfortable, especially in intense fights. I remember that in general, there were not very positive impressions of the character management. The heroine was too clumsy in her maneuvers.

The atmosphere of the game seemed twofold: the world feels empty, although it seems to correspond to futuristic locations, where it is required. But it's too monotonous. Music and sounds complement the gloomy surroundings, and the aesthetics of the levels help immerse you in the story.

"Oni" has become a project for me that is difficult to call pleasant, but at the same time it cannot be written off. It was an ambitious experiment with a good plot, good stylistics and good mechanics, which, unfortunately, could not reach its full potential. Bungie West Studio made its only project, and it stopped there. A controversial experience. It was difficult to play at times, and even boring in some places, but I still wouldn't have recorded the project in something passing. The value of this game lies in its unique approach and the courage to experiment. A one-off project for me personally, but it deserves attention as a vivid representative of its time.

6 out of 10.

one of the best 3rd person fighting/shooter games ever!!!!!! very complex plot line well made levels, tons of powerful weaponry, interactive npcs

Among the multiple noteworthy things in this is how thoroughly and well-achieved the Manga/Animé aspect of it is. Everything in this is defined by that. The style is just plain *cool*. There are some bugs/glitches, but no show-stoppers... most of them are limited to something that is not entirely aligned, and they aren't that plentiful. This starts off with brief training which goes at your pace, that teaches you just about every function in this(the last couple are covered right after), and you can return to it at any time. This doesn't let you change which keys you use(well, not from the menu). On the other hand, there really aren't that many to remember, and it's set up with the popular WASD configuration(besides, if you ever have trouble remembering what does this or that, learning it is a press of a key, and a click with the mouse, away). Oni is third-person adventure and action, and the latter is an awful lot of fun(which is not at all to say that the former isn't, if it isn't as advanced or as dominant in this as elsewhere). You can shoot as well as fight, and they are both extremely well-integrated(and this is the best game featuring the twain alongside each other that I know), though there is perhaps more use for the latter... that doesn't mean that there hasn't been put strong focus on the weapons as well. The different kinds are... very much so. They're almost always unique, and fit in with the rest of this remarkably well. You can never carry more than one, and only a couple, literally, of ammo types are used for them. The martial arts... astounding, and entertaining, not to mention *awesome*. The system behind is intuitive and you get into it basically immediately. There is a nice wide array of moves, and they're simple enough to activate... and that is also true of your enemies, part of why battling them is not a matter of phoning it in. The other reason? The AI. It's of marvelous quality, with quite few exceptions. The boss matches are excellent, and no two of them are too alike. While there are three difficulty settings, even on the lowest this is challenging, and some may not be able to complete it, and this can be a source of frustration. This has a great sense of humor, and whenever(not so often that this loses it serious tone) it goes for making you laugh, it does so, no joke or gag is forced or tries arduously. This saves at certain points, rather than allowing you to do so anytime... these are usually placed well, and not overly far apart(obviously it can still prove to be annoying). Dialog tends to be very well-written, and equally well-delivered. Taunts, at least those of the foes... not always. They can be silly. Voice acting is in the favorable end of the spectrum. Sound on the whole is commendable. The music is divided into groups, the instrumental score for the emotional impact, and the techno for whenever the situation calls for something more sweet... and no, by that I do not mean love songs, or any tune revolving around lollipops, rainbows or bright colors. Story is interesting, and develops well, and there isn't any of it that is downright poor. The cyberpunk of it is good. It's told well, and with a continuous nod to the comic book nature of the Japanese type. There is an opening and an ending cut-scene, done in 2D cartoon(instead of the 3D of the rest), of course in the manner of films of the sort. In-game cinematics are in-engine, well-scripted(and major props to whoever programmed the cameras). Levels are fairly vast, and built well, however, they largely seem strikingly "empty" as far as objects in them go, interior and exterior. Design is a considerable plus in this. Every gun, attack, opponent, all things in this, well-done all-round. Futuristic, dystopian and threatening. This doesn't have multi-player... whether that's bad or not is subjective, but it's pretty clear that the efforts were fully directed towards single-player, and it pays off, big time. There could be more re-playability... no scores or ranking, not anything but the aforementioned option of choosing between Easy, Normal or Hard. Animation is varied, and it's attractive, as well. Visuals in general are well-done in this. That brings me to the graphics... they're magnificent. Sure, outdone by later releases, when isn't that case? The game-play marries distinct forms of engaging excitement, firearms and meleé with such expertise that you'd otherwise have to watch movies for. Stealth is possible, and can turn out to be worthwhile. Strategy is a must. Missions are somewhat imaginative, not reinventing the genre, nor utilizing or relying upon the stand-bys of it until creativity is a mere memory. You'll infiltrate(not the spy way) bases, give chase, defend, sabotage, and all along undermine the plans of those you are up against. The rating on this is open... something that's welcome and they manage to not downplay it, it's effective and masterfully done all the same(OK, granted, the first of those has a bit to do with the second). Almost anyone, regardless of age, could really play this thing. Sexuality is not an issue, there isn't any. All it amounts to is the clothing, and save for a single, nudity-free drawing, it's all sober. No language that I could tell herein. Violence is PG, PG-13, not a drop of blood or any gore whatsoever. There is disturbing stuff, and don't get me wrong, children should perhaps stay away from this, unless they possess skin of inordinate thickness. For anyone wondering, as far as I know, this is only available for the PC. If you are at all up for this kind of thing, you'd have a tough time of finding any that are better than this. I recommend this warmly to every single fan of the Asian form of expression that I have already mentioned and/or VG's. 8/10

Bungie Studios' Oni is a gloriously entertaining mish-mash of anime, martial arts, modern violence and dystopian science fiction. It is a game that is bathed in atmospheric tension, taking the form of dazzling settings and fascinating soundtracks. Great emphasis is placed on technology, and the game approaches this theme in an interesting way. Think Equilibrium, where the state uses technology to control its citizens.

Oni zooms right into the basic training of our main character Konoko and instructs us how to do basic acrobatics, punches, kicks, combos and how to wield standard weapons before we begin. Konoko is a female agent for the TCTF -- a kind of secret police operating for the totalitarian government, serving to rid the world of opposition. What is so endlessly refreshing about Konoko is that she does not rely on huge breasts Lara Croft-style to kick some ass, but she is a very real character. Except, she has purple hair.

The story of Konoko and the secrets of the government gradually unfold the more missions you complete and it spirals into a complex conspiracy, adding a surprising amount of depth. Constantly on the edge of startling new revelations, I remember being thoroughly engrossed in the storyline and the wide variety of enigmatic character that Konoko encounters as a secret agent.

I can't say I know an awful lot about PC animation and suchlike, but the graphics of Oni never struck me as mind-blowing, even for 2001. That said, they are completely satisfactory and I appreciate the fact that this game does not solely rely on special effects to be entertaining. Oni has a story to tell and offers dimensional characters to facilitate its storytelling.

But the single greatest aspect to Oni is not its story, but its fighting style. The technique is dizzyingly good and there are so many combos you can learn to use to fight your opponents. It truly offers the best set of fighting skills I have ever seen in a game--fluent, creative, professional. The guns are creative too, but Oni is primarily fighting mode-driven, and I have endless affection for that.

8/10

Certainly, I did not think I would ever write a comment to a video game on IMDb, but this one has really gotten me amazed. It is an impressive futuristic anime that can be played through. An active anime, so to say.

Even now, in 2007, I am playing it with pleasure and don't need any 2007 highly sophisticated PC action title (that will require "Geforce 9" or whatever to run properly, I guess).

What I like about this game is beautiful simplicity. Everything is to the point. Every weapon is useful. Every character is neat. Every outfit is cool. Every fighting move is groovy. Every gadget is slick. Every animation sequence is great. Every landscape is "cyberpunky". And every piece of music is catchy. It's a kind of game that will look good no matter how many years pass. Quality at its best.

Even some minor graphics drawbacks (the enemies' dead bodies that occasionally get through the walls and sometimes tend to disappear, the info consoles which look too microscopic when high resolution is chosen, and occasional flickering that happens in certain places of the environment) cannot spoil the overall brilliance.

I don't know if the English version of this game is cool, but the Russian-speaking localization is ultra-cool with perfect voice selection and incredibly funny taunts all through the game.

It's very sad that another version of this game never appeared (with mature audience material). I would surely play both versions then.

10 out of 10. Thank you for attention.