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Oni is a third-person 3D action adventure that blends hand-to-hand combat and gunplay into a single action experience. One of the primary goals of Oni is to deliver, for the first time, a third-person game where the action is smooth and instantaneous without being simplistic.

Here is what Doug Zartman, of Bungie, gave to Adrenaline Vault as his best summation of what this new title is about:

"The main character's name is Konoko -- she works for the TCTF (Technology Crimes Task Force). The core idea behind the game, and behind the phrase 'full-contact action', is that the action is balanced: half martial arts, half weapons combat, with the same control scheme for both. Think of the controls for a first-person shooter, but with a punch button and a kick button. All sorts of different combos are possible by using key combinations and chords. So, with her fists and feet and all kinds of guns and explosives Konoko is busting up this crime syndicate. It's purely an action game, not an action/adventure hybrid."

The gameplay is divided 50-50 between hand-to-hand and weapons combat. While Konoko will have an arsenal of weapons at her disposal, from pistols to rocket launchers, realistic quantities and placement of ammo in the environment means that the player won't be able to tear through the game with guns blazing. Instead, Konoko's punches throws and kicks will be critical for attacking silently, saving ammo, and simply enjoying the visceral satisfaction of "hands-on" punishment.

Enemies will communicate, work together, move objects to block your path, hide behind furniture, even behind moving objects. Rather than retreat an overmatched enemy group might call for backup. If you retreat they will hunt you through doorways, up elevators, and into different buildings. Not only are the enemies smart and reactive, so is the world you play in. If the doors aren't open you might break it down or perhaps sneak in through an open passageway. In combat the world around you becomes your weapons as well as your defenses. You'll be able to use objects within your environment to your advantage, such as throwing a chair at an oncoming enemy, or pushing a bookcase over to block a pursuer.