Oni (Mac)

by Gathering of Developers

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004ZB7O
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: January 30, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,953 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Imagine if you could marry the adventure and acrobatics of the Tomb Raider games to the martial-arts action found in pure fighting games like Tekken. If you have a clear picture of what that would be like, you've got a handle on Oni from Bungie Studios. It's a third-person-perspective action-adventure fighting game, but with a distinct Japanese animation (anime) flavor.

The story concerns the TCTF (Technology Crimes Task Force) police sometime in the future. Konoko is an operative with a cybernetic uplink to a little girl android named Shintama. She becomes embroiled in the hunt for a criminal named Muro and his hulking bodyguard, and her battles with his thugs rage through office buildings, chemical plants, an airport, and even the TCTF headquarters itself.

It's a simplistic story--high on the melodrama, but perfectly in keeping with its anime intent. Like the story, the action serves that goal as well. Oversized rifles, bizarre rocket launchers, plasma cannons, and freeze guns make up the arsenal, and, should those run out of ammo or get knocked from one's hand, fists and feet complete the set. Konoko can execute a multitude of fairly easy-to-perform flips, combos, and devastating punches and kicks. Combat is fierce and always challenging, yet never dull. And the animations are flawless and fun to watch, while never being overly gory or tasteless. Think of the jaw-dropping combat in The Matrix and you've got a taste of the action in Oni.

The only real flaw is the save-point system used in the game. The game is divvied up into bite-sized chapters, and it automatically saves at the beginning of each one. However, there's little reason not to allow one to save anywhere, and a few of the save points are too far apart. Repeating large sections of the game multiple times becomes a chore and detracts from the game's pace.

If you can get past the repetition, you'll find Oni a refreshing kung-fu alternative to the typical run-and-gun action gaming fare. And you'll find Konoko herself a fascinating protagonist to boot (pun intended). --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Excellent control system
• Great level design
• Stylish graphics

Cons:

• High difficulty
• Bad game-saving system

Amazon.com Product Description

Set in the year 2032, Oni is the story of Konoko, an elite agent of the Tech Crimes Task Force who is on a quest to infiltrate and destroy a ruthless crime syndicate. The game puts the player in a world that can be imagined as a blend of action thrillers, such as La Femme Nikita, and classic anime, such as Ghost in the Shell. As the game progresses, Konoko wrestles with the terrible secrets of the underworld, confronts the frailty of her own identity, and discovers that she can trust no one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oni is a gem... flawed in places, but still breathtaking, January 30, 2001

By 

William Dean Gilliland - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oni (Mac) (CD-ROM)

Oni is a fusion of two genres, a 'street fighter' game like Tekken or SoulCalibur, combined with third-person shooter games like Tomb Raider. The action is furious, fast paced, and EXTREMELY fun. This is a truly unique game, and nothing released before this comes as close as this to a no-holds-barred brawl. It also has an excellent Anime feel to it, and the game is wrapped around an engaging storyline. The environments are extremely realistic, since they were designed by real architects, and the ambience of the game is excellent. The balance between gunplay and martial arts couldn't be better, with the emphasis on hand to hand combat.

Oni also has its disappointments. Many features are missing from the game. No multiplayer, the graphics are somewhat dated (no shadows, lighting, fairly simple textures...) and no recordings to play back later (this was a huge disappointment for me.) The save feature is also ham-handed, with the game autosaving at certain locations in the game, even if you are almost dead and want to not save.

While the levels are realistic, they are also very empty, with indestructible, immovable contents and hardly any interactivity. (It would have been fantastic to have Jackie Chan-like sequences, alternating between using furniture as weapons, shields and objects to flip over!) Much of the action is repetitive, alternating runs through the landscape with fights against one or two individuals. And some of the levels are extremely hard, and might frustrate people who aren't good with the fighting.

It feels like the developers didn't get done with the game... like they had already been working on it for too long and needed to ship what they could. But the core of the game -- a free-form, fully 3-D version of Street Fighter -- is all there and it shines. The action is what counts, and Oni has tons of it. I really hope that Take Two comes out with a sequel or an expansion pack, and brings this idea to its full potential, with completely up to date graphics, a more feature-rich environment, and multiplayer. The original concept behind Oni is so strong it just screams to be given the full treatment.

Even though there is no blood or gore in this game, it still is an extremely violent game. One of the most devastating moves is the aptly-named Backbreaker, the sound of which (first a surprised exclamation from the victim, followed by a loud crunch) is absolutely chilling. I wouldn't recommend this one for the kids, especially if they're prone to imitation.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, my POOR mouse!, March 11, 2001

By 

HLB (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oni (Mac) (CD-ROM)

Let me make a few things clear from the start. For me, as for most people, computer games are a matter of perspective--and I usually prefer mine to be the 'first-person' view, like in Quake and Unreal, or isometric, in the time-proven manner of most Blizzard titles. I tried Tomb Raider, but the 'over-the-shoulder' perspective wasn't to my liking at all. Also, all my life I've been quite indifferent to the whole Anime genre. Then I tried the Oni demo to see what all the 'hype' was about.

Oh Mama.

Two days later I carried the shining box home in my hot little hands, and ever since I have been worrying just how much longer my keyboard and mouse will withstand the frantic battering. Because Oni rocks. The heroine's combat moves (and she's got quite a few of those) are fluid and lifelike, and the punches resound nice and juicy like in a Bruce Lee movie. The game features a pretty interesting arsenal of ranged weapons, but I doubt that the guns are what brings you to this game.

Mastering all the combat moves--especially in the heat of battle--is tough, and you will need to practice unless flailing about in panic (and ruining your input devices) is your idea of a cool fight. If you get good at it, you'll make some amazing stuff happen. It's the closest thing to playing an movie I've seen so far. The environments in Oni aren't as dazzling as in UT or Quake--some may find them bland, but I think that's because they're fairly realistic. Some of the cut scenes are a tad weak, lacking in character animation as they are, but the voice acting is pretty good. If you miss clues from the narrative, you can check your mission objectives and other useful info (including how-to's for new moves you learn as you progress) in a handy data pad.

The game is challenging (and sometimes a bit frustrating, especially since saves are limited to specific points in the levels), and there's a lot of key combos to learn--you'll have a hard time if you don't bring at least a two-button mouse, by the way. Well, I never anticipated to be hooked on this one, but here I am. It's a helluva ride--don't forget the Dramamine.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Good and The Bad, April 10, 2001

By 

Kevin Calvert (DC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oni (Mac) (CD-ROM)

One of the games that I truly couldn't wait for. It is a little taxing on any of the older Macs, but it isn't as bad as Quake 3. I'm an avide Quake addict, yet I was getting much better frame rates from Oni than from Q3 and still enjoying highrez graphics.

The worst part of the game is the fact that there is no multiplayer modes--not even LAN, which they had working before releasing the product. I could not wait to play this against my friends and show off some hot martial arts. Alas, multiplayer was taken out of the scene late last year.

A huge plus was the story line. It starts out with some hints and foreshadowing and keeps you going. That's a big plux when there is nothing else but single player. The bad thing is that after stage 10, there are very few entries in her journal, leaving you only one reason to continue: to beat the game.

The action and graphics are very good. The weapon system is unique, featuring energy and ballistic weapons. The combat system is pretty good, lacking a little in variety. The blocking is a bit hard to get used to at first.

Last, I don't see why so many reviewers point this out: they say the backgrounds and buildings are empty and uninteresting. Agreed, but the buildings were extraordinarily realistic: architects had designed them. The problem was that they were not filled in. Where were the furnishings to make it interesting?

I seriously suggest getting Oni, the single player is well worth playing. Perhaps if enough of us continue to pelt G.O.D. about putting in a multiplayer mode, they may release a patch. That would make it all the more worth it.