I'll admit it, I have more than once been tempted by fancy eye candy box and promo art, and Oni was one real temptation. I am a fan of comic book art in general, and anything from X-Men, to Lady Death, to Anime is prone to catch my eye here and there. I really liked the look of Oni, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to play a straight action game at the time. Well, as we all know, sometimes curiosity gets the best of us: I wouldn't be disappointed.

Oni, an anime action/adventure title, developed by Bungie and published on PS2 by Rockstar Games, is precisely what it markets itself to be. From the awesome arsenal-endowed Konoko cardboard standees used to promote the title, to the shiny iridescent box, this game promises tough futuristic action. And action it delivers; enough for even the hardest of the hard core action/fighting fans. With realistic ammo supplies, a multitude of killer moves, and a heroine who breaks the mold when it comes to female action leads, I felt Oni fulfilled its marketing promise and delivered a game that sits proudly on my shelf of prized games.

You start out learning that you, Konoko, are part of the TCTF (Tech Crimes Task Force) and your goal is to investigate and expose the plots of a crime ring referred to as the "syndicate." You will gradually unearth twisted plots of experimentation, environmental destruction, and exploitation, as well as Konoko's own past which she barely remembers. The game unravels the plot as you move along in this fast paced adventure title - stopping briefly for a few puzzles here and there.

Oni has a tough control scheme, but this is more the result of the infinite possibilities you are presented with in order to fight - not the result of careless programming. Only one move seemed a bit awkward to manipulate (double clicking is much easier on a computer than on a console), but I didn't find the learning curve unreasonable for an action intensive game. Let's face it: We're years beyond the just "hit a button and aim" systems that were the framework of games of 10 years ago. Combos are going to have to be practiced, otherwise your enemies are going to get too many hits on you before you render them gone.

What did make the game difficult was the few and far between save points. There is nothing worse that having to play through the same 5 minutes of game to get to that same point where you're quickly and succinctly decimated. Even on the easy level, there's no sitting back and cruising through the whole game. I couldn't imagine playing the game on the hard level… I almost (okay maybe I did) screamed several times and swore I'd never play again. Yet I returned again and again (Determination or masochism? Still not sure)

This game forces you to learn good resource management. Guns are extremely limited, there's no strange "gifts of fate" so to speak, in the form of guns and ammo just waiting for you to pick them up. I would say that was to preserve realism until they go one step farther and cause unused weapons to mysteriously disappear after a short period of time. Since you can only carry one weapon at a time, this can seriously dampen any ideas you had of picking off all your enemies from a distance. Usually you will have to wrestle the guns away from your enemies, while friendly NPC's you help protect will present you with hypos (life) and ammo clips.

Graphically, I felt that Oni was well rendered with some cool looks and moves to add to back up her image. The levels themselves and enemies were done equally well, but the variety was limited. The in-game anime was somewhat less impressive than the marketing illustrations - Yet I've seen this occur in the comic book industry so I wasn't too let down.

I felt the sound quality on the PS2 version was somewhat diminished compared to the PC - I picked up the soundtrack for the game after playing the PC version and it's been a staple part of my CD collection in my car stereo system. When I played the PS2 version the sounds weren't quite as clear and crisp. However, the Power of Seven, the group behind the soundtrack, really deserve credit for a job well done... The sharp techno sound matches the futuristic game to a tee.

Altogether, Oni for my was an unforgettable break-away from the standard run around and kill stuff game. I did feel that Oni was a real character, not fabricated just enough to compose a plot for the game, and the creators of the game wanted some substance to this all-out action fest. Other than a few tiny glitches (like being able to hit enemies through walls), I felt the team who produced Oni were very thorough and careful to make the game an overall great gaming experience. While I preferred the PC version slightly, the PS2 version is still well worth the experience if you are up to a challenge. The real appeal of the game was its unique and appealing concept and its seamless integration of martial arts to weapons gaming. Personally, I really liked Konoko and in some ways identified with her... “A Dark Future. An Uncertain Past. No One Left to Trust"

Game Play (7.5): The action comes fast and furious in Oni. No action fan can say they will be at a loss for a challenge during this game. The control scheme is not for the faint of heart, but it wasn't easy on the PC either. The moves look cool and there are plenty of them to master.

Graphics (7): I felt the promotional art and Oni herself were far above par in appearance - this is essential since Oni was geared to appeal to the anime crowd. The actual levels and enemies were on scale with graphical standards, although the variety was limited. The internal anime was disappointing compared to the marketing anime - but this type of deviation occurs in other fields, such as, appropriately, the comic book industry.

Sound (9): I felt the sound quality on the PS2 version was somewhat diminished compared to the PC; which is a real loss since the soundtrack for Oni is a magnificent piece of work. The music itself is usually reserved for key fields/scenes in the game and most of the time the game is quiet. The voice overs were cast well, they have a smooth quality and are not bland.

Difficulty (6.5): This is a tough game, make no mistake. Although it might be due to controller issues in some instances, I found that this game was extremely challenging (sometimes frustrating to almost the point of no return) in both the PC and PS2 versions. This real frustration was in the save game system and this could have been alleviated a bit by more frequent save points or an open option for saving.

Concept (9.5): The artwork of Lorraine Reyes was immaculate in portraying the fact that Oni was very much an anime founded game. Oni was a refreshing change from the standard pixel vixen (not that there's anything wrong with that), coming across tough, capable, and ready for anything. The storyline, while following some familiar concepts (no spoilers, I promise), didn't come across as tacky or overdone. I personally really loved the look and feel of this game (enough to play it on two platforms!).

Overall (8): Slick looking, sharply packaged, and a heroine who really packs a punch with a razor edge style: Oni is a game in its own realm when it comes to looks. While gameplay issues caused me to lower the rating, I personally value the game as one of my most prized possessions.