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Oni
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Graphics & Sound:
After trying the PlayStation 2 version of Oni first and feeling let down, I was gun-shy sitting down at my Mac to play the first time. Here was a game that I'd been looking forward to for the better part of a year, only to find that it fell short on the big, bad PS2. Well much to my surprise, Oni was at least as enjoyable, if not more so, on the desktop. If you own a Mac and don't live in a van down by the river, Oni is something you were aware of a long time ago. The amount of exciting games - much less action titles - is limited on Mac, so it doesn't take much to get us excited. Ported PC titles and some Shareware riff-raff make up most of the field, with the outstanding exceptions being in the FPS genre. If you're not a huge FPS fan, but like the close-up visuals and fast action of titles like Unreal Tournament or Quake, Oni just might fit your bill.
It's very nice to look at, and ran smoothly in full-screen on my system up to 800x600 (32 bit). There are two higher resolution levels beyond that, and a quality slider to boot, for those with the 36-inch plasma monitors... ;) While the level-design leaves much to be desired, the real action is Konoko, the lead character. Her animations, plus the AI opponents constantly swarming you, provide great eye-candy. The sound is marginal, mostly because the light techno beat that comes in infrequently doesn't add much to the mood. Although the anime cut-scenes have okay music, Bungie's in-game soundtrack is as spare and empty as the big, deserted levels where all the action takes place. |
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Gameplay:
Somehow, reading reviews of Oni can still leave you guessing as to what the game really is. I've seen it called everything from action to adventure to shooter to RPG, and I can see justification for all those labels. The intent, to build a game that delivers high-octane action gameplay without just being a mindless shooter or fighting game, was partly realized. In the very nice body of a not-so-human policewoman named Konoko, we're thrown in not knowing the whole story. The development of Konoko's back-story and the story of her crazy world works just fine. Character building happens in fighting, where Konoko can learn new moves, pick up more powerful weapons and even read her diary. Where some people will part ways with Oni is at the point they realize all this great story and character growth is built on beating up scads of guys, and running for your life against electric shocks, rocket launchers and poison gas. Saying 'difficult' just scratches the surface, and although you learn to pick your battles, avoiding battle altogether is just not an option. So, you punch and kick and shoot to win, and maybe solve a few puzzles along the way.
Oni blends all the action with some good puzzles that mostly will remind you of Tomb Raider gameplay. Doors locked by switches, enemies guarding switches, enemies guarding doors that lead to switches that unlock other doors... Most of the puzzle is navigating huge levels and trying to make the most of your own firepower against mobs of bad-guys. Because Konoko is on the police force, corrupt as it may be, she sometimes has backup, but I only wished my cop friends could have fought as hard as the enemy AI. Sneaking or not, AI baddies can spot you from a long ways away, and they not only shoot well, but they grab any loose guns in the event they're unarmed. Boss fights are intense, but Konoko is certainly up to the task, and armed to the teeth if you like it that way. |
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Difficulty:
Partly because of more physical space for controls, and also the fact that even the best console controller won't take the place of a good mouse or trackball for aiming guns, Oni felt easier to manage on Mac than it did on PS2. It is still a tough game, without much of a 'gimme' factor even on the easiest difficulty setting. If you find comfort in the FPS genre, Oni shouldn't seem daunting, but don't expect this to be like slipping into a warm bath unless you've really got your gaming skills together. Weapons, ammo and health don't come easy, and enemies can take many hits or shots before going down. Trying to play Zorro will get Konoko plastered quick, but too often the enemies don't give you a chance to pick them off one-by-one. If you're ready for a serious challenge, Oni doesn't disappoint. But if you find yourself weeping on the keyboard because you got slaughtered and had to play a level over, I did warn you.
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Game Mechanics:
Learning Oni's controls is aided by a good Training sequence that walks you through basic movement, fighting and weapons. Each lesson is set in a closed environment, so you don't have to move on unless you want to. First covered is movement, handled by grouped keys defaulting to left-hand control. Other keys do things like crouch, roll, draw weapons and grab items. Fighting and shooting live in the mouse by default, but you can assign keys if needed. I'd strongly suggest at least having a 2-button mouse. Reason being, punch-kick work with the two mouse buttons, and aiming guns or turning Konoko happen by moving the mouse. I actually prefer a trackball many times over, mostly for how well it works in aiming weapons. But, getting the two-handed control may not be everybody's cup of tea. Part of the challenge is by understanding that Konoko has movement in eight compass directions on the keyboard, but the only fine adjustments (up, down, smooth turns, etc.) are available on the mouse. The up-down part becomes very important when aiming weapons at enemies. Fighting is just plain tough, and although Konoko has incredible moves, she's not much use against two or three guys with guns. Learning to disarm enemies or snipe them is essential. The 'stealth' component is more about Konoko luring guards away to dispatch them one at a time, which doesn't really feel like stealth at all. But, learning to hold your own in battles comes quickly, especially when you realize that Konoko can attack in all directions standing perfectly still. So, although it takes an initial leap of faith, if you knock a guy down and run past him to blitz another guy, try throwing an elbow or leg behind you in anticipation that the guy you just knocked down is back up and coming at you. It works.
Oni works as an action game, but the adventure tag may be stretching things a little too far. Solving basic puzzles and picking up moves or items may constitute adventure for some, but most will see Oni as an evolution of the free-roaming 3D Fighting Game. Sure, it has visual panache and loads of mood, not to mention a good back-story and character design. But, as much fun as the first 1/3 of the game provides, hanging around until the credits roll doesn't feel that appealing when each level starts feeling too much like the one before it, and fist-fighting your way to the next save point is more work than fun. It's nice to see a different approach to the genre, and I hope Oni spurs some clones that improve on problem areas, but most of all, we should all thank Bungie for offering up a woman character who doesn't have to wear a Z-Cup to get our attention. |
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-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock |
Minimum System Requirements:
OS: Mac OS 8, CPU: 300MHz PowerPC, RAM: 64MB, Disk Space: 800MB, CD ROM Drive, 2MB Hardware Accelerated 3D Graphics Card (OpenGL Compatible)
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Test System:
OS: Mac OS 9.0.4, CPU: 350MHz G4 PowerPC, RAM: 128MB, Disk Space: 16GB, DVD Ram Drive,
16MB Hardware Accelerated ATI Rage Graphics Card |
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