A glimmer of hope for Nintendo’s third-party lineup?
Posted By: Ryan Murtha Posted On: 11/18/08 (Viewed 1067 times)
The Conduit
Published By: TBA Developed By: High Voltage Software Release Date: Q1 2009 Genre: Sci-Fi First Person Shooter Players: TBA ESRB Rating: RP more product info »
Everyone knows that the Wii is a totally unique system – a gamble that definitely paid off for the big N. But as original as the concept for the console is, it can, or should we say should, be a perfect fit for that most popular (and somewhat overdone) of video game genres: the first-person shooter. But even with the perfect-for-aiming Wii-mote, and separate nunchuk attachment for moving, why are there still flops like Red Steel and shoddy ports of other FPSes on store shelves? Developer High Voltage Software hopes to turn things around with their new Sega-published Wii FPS, The Conduit.
Just like the recently released Fallout 3, The Conduit takes place in the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. And like most other successful first-person shooters, the game’s hero – an ex-Secret Service agent codenamed “Mr. Ford” – is tasked with stopping a (wait for it) hostile alien force invading the city. Yeah, so it’s not terribly original in concept, but we’ll take what we can get at this point.
The Conduit doesn’t stray from the usual control setup for Wii FPSes; point with the remote and move Mr. Ford with the Nunchuk’s analog stick. But High Voltage has seen fit to allow us to customize the controls to our liking. Wii-mote sensitivity can be adjusted as well as the size of the “deadzone”, which determines how far you move your cursor before the screen shifts with you. And to make super sure that it doesn’t control like complete, ahem, excrement, the game will even support the new Wii Motion Plus remote add-on to help make it a little more accurate. No FPS is complete without grenades, so of course The Conduits’ got ‘em. To help the Wii’s casual user base (assuming they can pull themselves away from Wii Fit long enough) with these oft-expertly-used explosives, the grenades land according to where your reticule is on the screen, just like bullets. And if you hadn’t noticed, yes, that is different from a lot of other shooters. A simple shake of the Nunchuk is all it takes to throw one.
It’s not all mindless killing in The Conduit, either. A puzzle-solving device called the All-Seeing Eye is in your possession and it will help you to see hidden paths in the levels, see invisible enemies, hack computers, and generally provide the answers to any predicaments you find yourself in. As a Wii game, you would think that graphics are not the big focus here, but keeping with High Voltage’s desire to create a standout product, they are pushing Nintendo’s box to its limits. Over the course of its time in the public eye, the textures in the environments have improved dramatically. Even the water effects are looking amazing – you’ll be able to see your reflection in it, as well as create realistic ripples. This is no big deal on the 360 or PS3, but on Wii, it’s impressive. Great strides are also being made in the audio department; the music will change moods and intensity based on your current actions in the game. For a Wii title, the attention to detail is astonishing.
In case you’re still not excited for it, the game will also support online play for up to 16 players, as well as make full use of the new Wii Speak mic peripheral (welcome to online gaming, Nintendo. We’ve been waiting for you). Unfortunately, split-screen co-op is being left out.
Hopes are high for High Voltage to deliver on what looks to be one of the most promising third-party Wii titles yet. At the recent Nintendo Media Summit last month, it received lots of attention form not just attendees, but from Nintendo themselves, going so far as having it demonstrated on stage. Even if things don’t work out as we’d all like, it can’t end up being as disappointing as Red Steel was…Right?
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