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Oni Review:
A
viable, though short-lived,
alternative to fisticuffs is
armed combat. Konoko can
grab one of several weapons
from an opponent and use it
strategically, such as when
she is low on health or
needs to reduce the numbers
of enemies in the distance
before charging forward.
Each weapon requires one of
two kinds of ammunition:
ballistic or energy. This
ammunition can be gathered
from fallen enemies or
obtained from non-player
characters -- and is in
short supply. In order to
further emphasize the melee
combat, Konoko carries one
weapon at a time, though
there were a couple of maps
where I was able to
effectively use guns grabbed
from different enemies to
avoid melee combat for an
extended period of time.
During the battles, Konoko
and her opponents have to
reload their weapons, and
even the enemies will
eventually run out of
ammunition and be forced to
use their fists.
Two
of the ballistic weapons are
the Campbell Equalizer and
the Hughes Black Adder, both
of which are sidearms that
recoil when shot, affecting
Konoko's aim. Another potent,
though unwieldy, ballistic
weapon is the Scram Cannon,
which shoots swarms of
homing missiles toward its
target. Konoko is unable to
run when wielding this
firearm, therefore balancing
out its powerful punch with
an inability to avoid nearby
enemies. The Mercury Bow is
another ballistic weapon; it
fires a "compressed sliver
of frozen mercury" [full
disclosure -- that
description comes from the
help screen] that can kill
its target with a single
shot. Then there's the
powerful grenade launcher,
which burns off enough
health to drop its target
with a single shot. One of
the energy-based weapons is
the Plasma Rifle, a
quick-shot gun that fires a
speeding ball of -- what
else? -- plasma. This
weapon's targeting reticule,
combined with the
unwaveringly straight-line
pursuit of most of the
enemies, ensures that Konoko
rarely misses. The VDG
Pistol, another energy-based
weapon, emits a beam that
momentarily stuns enemies,
enabling our heroine to
unleash a deadly combo; this
one is great to use when
sneaking up behind someone.
There is also the Phase
Stream Projector, which
emits a short-distance laser
beam.
 Konoko
finds herself doing a lot
more than beating people up:
She also explores 14 vast
maps, some of which rival
Unreal's
larger areas for sheer scope.
Navigating the maps entails
the same basic element we've
seen in countless 3D
shooters -- hitting computer
terminals to access new
areas. There are no true
puzzles, except when Konoko
must avoid motion detectors.
Scripted sequences such as
NPCs being shot or TCTF
agents battling alongside
Konoko liven things up
though, and the surviving
NPCs are more than glad to
offer Konoko some ammunition
or health. Some of the
attractive settings include
the requisite warehouse, a
manufacturing plant, a
bioresearch lab, an airport
terminal, a science prison,
excursions across rooftops
and more. Although
environmental detail is
minimal, Konoko will
encounter steam emanating
from moving machine parts,
rain, snow and more. The
locations are well designed
from an architectural
standpoint and contain some
nice visual features, such
as colored lights and glass
that shatters into a million
pieces.
Aiding Konoko in her quest
are two rare items -- a
force field and an
invisibility sphere. The
force field reduces the
damage Konoko suffers during
combat and is diminished as
she is hit. The invisibility
sphere is even rarer and
enables Konoko to run
through an area undetected.
In one heart-stopping
sequence, Konoko must grab
the sphere and run across an
open field patrolled by
guards. If the player’s
timing is perfect, she will
slip through the door of a
compound and into relative
safety as the shield falls.
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