Oni First Look

Bungie's programmers have done an excellent job here. Although I couldn't customize the keys (Update: I later discovered you can modify the key_config.txt file, and set your keys any way you like), I found the default layout to be more than sufficient to accommodate this specific style of gameplay. The demo starts with this training mission where you'll learn all the basic and advanced moves available in the game. There's no manual switching between the armed and unarmed modes. The interface is designed so that it seamlessly switches between different control modes depending on the situation Konoko is in. Here's how Bungie programmers explain it -- and from what I could gather by playing the demo, they're right on the money with this statement:

"Oni uses standard 'shooter' keys that all action fans are familiar with, and the player can switch between unarmed and armed modes at will. When holding a gun, the left mouse button will fire like in any shooting game, and the right mouse kicks. When unarmed, the left mouse punches and the right kicks."

Instead of including more keys than in the usual WASD, SPACE, and left mouse button setup, programmers made the interface in such a way that it utilizes different combinations, or double taps of the aforementioned standard action keys. Certainly nice to know that one of the integral parts of fun in a beat-em-up game works like a charm. Luckily for us PC gamers, Oni does a great job of utilizing the PC peripherals (just as good, and even better than in many PC-only third person action games), and there's no trace of those ridiculous Resident Evil joypad-stricken controls that PC gamers have grown tired of over the years. Even the shooting mode is much better than in some of the recently released third person action games. The weapons are not very accurate if fired while running, and they have a nice kick, so the shooting action won't simply revolve around automatic aim option, like it is the case with so many other third person games out there. Bungie's programmers have thrown in some counter-strike-like weapon properties in Oni, which make shooting an interesting affair, and not just this trivial process, which gets you through to the next level. Oni, unlike many other 'action games' on the market doesn't suffer from 'identity crisis.' When they say action, they mean ACTION. And not like those damn Blair Witch games (especially Vol. 2, and 3), and their tedious left-mouse clicking, which the publishers advertise as "shooting action sequences."

For an action title that focuses on martial arts combat and gun fighting, Oni sure delivers, but what troubled me in the demo was the at times dodgy AI -- some opponents just fail to realize you're there, and considering the game dictates a sneaky approach in certain situations, this certainly makes the whole need for stealth a bit apsurd.

What also bothered me was the linear and simple design of the levels, as well as the "hit CTRL when you get to the console to open the door" types of puzzles. I realize I played just a tiny fraction of the game, but I sure hope Bungie has some more interesting puzzles in store for us, and some more complex levels ... and that epic Final Fantasy like storyline would really come in handy, too.

Oh yeah, one more thing concerning the visuals, and then I'll wrap this thing up. Although the characters look colorful and rather anime-like (in a lack of a better word), the levels, I mean the interiors and the outdoor environments in the demo are just too damn gloomy for an anime game, which really doesn't go well with the vibrant models. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I was expecting to see some LSD shiny, bright environments in a Japanese style beat-em-up game. I wonder if that will indeed be the case in the final product.