Oni

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.

From Bungie, the makers of the excellent 'Marathon' sci-fi shooter series comes Oni. A unique fighting game that mixes futuristic anime with bouts of gunplay. The story won't win any awards, but it's serviceable in it's straight forward nature. While the graphic's are good - they don't come close to some of the other entries we've seen in the gaming universe this past year.

No this game works because it does one thing really well - fighting. It's fluent, exciting and modeled well. It does an exceptional job crossing anime and modern game fighting mechanics. There's a nice range of possible kicks and punches and they look strikingly realistic while the flow and style of the game keeps things running at a exciting pace with a cut scene placed here and there throughout the action to keep things moving forward.

Personally it's nice to be able to control a butt kicking female game character that doesn't rely on her bust size to draw rave reviews and sales too. Don't get me wrong Lara Croft is fine, but Konoko is the real deal. Not that the weapons in Oni shouldn't get a mention. A nice mix of the old and the new. Not overbearing on the brute fighting drive of the game.

Sometimes nothing is better than just sitting back as a Striker or a Tanker enemy runs towards you and dropping him with a frozen mercury bolt a split second before he's within melee reach. Oh the happiness.

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

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