Solid gameplay. Compelling story. Cool cross of third-person shooter with a 3D fighting game. Two words: under-rated!
User Rating: 9.4 | Oni PC
First time I saw Oni, I had come across the demo of it, along with the bonus level 2 demo, on the original Oni website. I was instantly hooked. While the graphics weren't the greatest, this game had lots of other unique qualities: an intriguing, believable story; solid gameplay; cool animations; and a near-flawless combination of a 3D fighter with a 3rd person shooter. After playing the demo... A year after in fact (this game is hard to find) I finally bought the thing. Those of you who don't get the story, read the manual? It definitely explains many elements you won't find out about in the game. For those of you who have no idea what this game is about, here's a brief synopsis: You play Konoko, an agent of the TCTF, the para-military organization that monitors the manufacturing and usage of illegal technology. You have been called out onto your first big case: to stop the Syndicate, the main thorn in the TCTF's backside, from using a local warehouse as a funnel point for illegal weapon smuggling. Things turn ugly, however, when you are lead on a wild-goose chase to a manufacturing plant, a government research building, an airport under siege, and other various locales as you seek to stop the Syndicate's leader, Boss Muro, while at the same time delving into your own dark, forgotten past. The levels in the game are HUGE. The textures are a little dull, but the gameplay itself is where the game really shines: there are two basic martial arts moves: punch and kick. You can also run, jump, roll, cartwheel, slide, throw enemies, and duck. Combining these with the punch and kick, you can perform a wide variety of moves (which are unlocked at regular intervals throughout the game). You can also use a multitude of weapons, including a standard pistol, a plasma rifle, an uzi-like submachine gun, a rocket launcher, and even an anti-tank weapon. Personally, this game feels like a drastically toned-down third-person version of Halo (same company, even). Now, I've heard a lot of people complain about the control scheme, but you actually CAN reset it: just change the config file in the Oni directory (forgot which one it is, but it IS editable in Notepad). The sound effects are really cool, from the weapon loading, to the shattering glass, to the explosions... And especially the SCREAM CANNON. The music is likewise cool, but comes at sporadic moments where it sometimes doesn't belong, and doesn't last long enough. Want to hear a sample of it? Go to the official Oni website: oni.bungie.org. Click on downloads, and check it out: half the soundtrack is there. So, now comes the part where I'm supposed to wrap up this review, because I really don't have anything more to say. Personally, I like this game... A LOT. And it really erks me to know that there are really only two places that still sell it: eBay, and Fry's outpost.com. If you've played the demo, and want more, good luck finding it. You will not be sorry. Oni is a game that fell short in the eyes of many game critics, and there were a lot of things that could've been added... C'MON, Splinter Cell would've benefited from eight more XBox Live levels, right? And while it's no Jedi Outcast, this game is sure to please those who like a change from the standard fighter/shooter games. 
