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Oni
List Price: $39.99Price: $24.95 You Save: $15.04 (38%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Amazon Minimum Age: 144 months
Binding: CD-ROM
Brand: Gathering of Developers
EAN: 0663593210081
ESRB Age Rating: Teen
Format: CD-ROM
Label: Gathering of Developers
Manufacturer: Gathering of Developers
Platform: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95
Publisher: Gathering of Developers
Release Date: January 30, 2001
Studio: Gathering of Developers
Accessories:
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Editorial 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. 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 Oni's action.
The only real flaw is the save-point system used in the game. The game is divvied up into bite-sized chapters, and the game automatically saves at the beginning of each one. There's little reason not to allow one to save anywhere, but our main gripe is that 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 system for saving games
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
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Superb Action/Adventure Game
Oni is an extremely fun anime style action/adventure game featuring great music, colorful graphics, amusing dialog/sound effects, and the ability to fight martial arts style or with futuristic weapons. Stealth and agility are useful in this game, as well as good aim and strategy. Highly recommended!
Rating: - Very Nice
Most of the third person action games I've played have been one or the other: hand-to-hand or guns. Oni is very much different in that you do both (granted, guns are pretty weak, but more on that later). I was pretty impressed by how deep the fighting is. You could of course just bang away at the attack buttons and eventually wear down your enemies, but that would take forever, and it wouldn't look very impressive (Coolest move ever: Running Lariat--Ring their neck as you dash on by) One thing I've ... Read More
Rating: - sweet
This game is one of the best i have played in a long time. The grafx are dated, yes and the levels tend to look the same but the game plays like a dream. Being chased by three guys over catwalks, sliding to dodge heat-seeking rockets, and watching ase the rockets you dodged hit your attackers never gets old. I love friendly fire! The storyline is cool, i care about the charachters and the final decision of chapter 13 is one of the coolest things in a video game to date. ...
Rating: - Best 3rd person game I've ever played (all genres included)
This game has it all: passable graphics (for its time), good voice acting, engaging plot, and addictive gameplay. The only drawback that I have detected is the "Save Point" system it uses...it is not always fun to have to replay almost an entire level because you took your eye off the screen for a moment and fell to your death. But it is a minor obstacle and does not diminish the coolness of this game. Innovative, addictive, and FUN, Oni is a must-have!
**Side Note: If I have been properly informed, ... Read More
Rating:  - Great fun--some flaws
This is the first game that has every attempted having hand-to-hand combat as well as shooting. So far, the product is amazing. The fighting is awesome, there are tons of combos and power moves, and it's very, very easy to learn. That said, there were a few flaws for this game. First, because this game was released on both consoles and the PC, there are fixed save points. That in itself is not that bad, but the save points are very spread out. Another thing is the game is told in anime form. This means ... Read More
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