I just grabbed the newest copy of Maximum PC magazine today, and was pleasantly surprised to find an Oni review towards the back! Maximum PC reviews very few games, mainly because it focuses upon hardware... so those games tend to be at either extreme of the suck/kick-ass spectrum. Maximum PC gives Oni doubled nines for technology and gameplay scores. Here are some quotes:

Of course, flinty-eyed shooter fanatics (like most of our staff) may bristle at the thought of not having a rocket launcher to gun down opponents, but answer this question: Which is more fun, (a) shooting an unwitting opponent dead from 20 feet away, or (b) jumping over him while catching his neck between your ankles and slamming him onto the ground as you snap his spine like a twig?

This game isn't a Tekken ripoff; it's an elaborate, story-driven adventure that's truly awe-inspiring in scope and design.

Another twist is that you are unable to save your game. Instead, the game auto-saves at predetermined intervals, which is frustrating, yet forces you to rely on skill to advance.

Although Oni isn't as pretty to look at as games based on the Quake III engine, the lack of visual grandeur is made up for with levels that are absolutely gigantic and increadibly realistic.

Enemy AI is also sublimely lifelike.

Oni is the sleeper hit of the year. If the gripping story doesn't suck you in, pile-driving a baddie's head into the ground with your thighs surely will.

Any score of 9 means that MaxPC is handing the product a Kick Ass! award, and kicking two at once seems to just be Konoko's style. Good job, Bungie... you just sold your product to one of the most demanding, critical computer magazines in the industry!