The Conduit Preview

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has shown us that the Wii and First Person Shooters is a winning combination. The console's remote and nunchuk controls offer a level of precision that was previously only available on the PC. Gamestyle cannot understand why more developers haven't done more to utilise one of the Wii’s obvious strengths. Instead, the console has quickly become a haven for disappointing party games, and lazy ports. Up step High Voltage Software, however, with a game that they claim will "provide gamers with the kind of title they imagined back when the platform was first announced". A First Person Shooter, built from the ground up with the Wii in mind? Gamestyle is hoping that The Conduit can fulfil its potential.

Words by Chris Thornton. Platform: Nintendo Wii

When footage of High Voltage's Quantum 3 Game Engine was released back in April 2008, people stopped and took notice. Whilst only a tech demo, it got a great deal of coverage, and people started talking about the game that would eventually become The Conduit. With realistic physics, and precise and responsive controls, it wasn’t hard to imagine that, properly executed, this game had the makings of a must-have title for the Wii. The prospect of a "hardcore" game that pushes the Wii to its limits, both in terms of graphics and gameplay, was welcomed by many, and it wasn't long before SEGA secured the publishing and distribution rights.

The game's story, which involves alien creatures, Secret Service Agents, and conspiracies, may sound uninspiring, but what will make or break The Conduit are the controls. High Voltage have catered for the more experienced gamers by offering fully customisable controls, including look sensitivity, turning speed, the dead zone. In fact, High Voltage invited people to submit the button mapping that they thought best suited the Wii’s controls, which shows that they’re serious about creating a gamer’s game. An advanced Artificial intelligence System should make for challenging gameplay, and if the early screenshots and videos are anything to go by, The Conduit will be one of the finest looking games on the console. There’s a vast arsenal to master, and some impressive voice acting talent (including Mark A. Sheppard from Battlestar Galatica and Firefly, no less), but if High Voltage can deliver on their promise of making “the definitive first person shooter for the Wii”, that will all pale into insignificance. The early signs are good, with the Conduit scooping several awards at last year's E3.

Solid online gaming, with 12 player battles possible and support for the Wii Speak peripheral, hints that The Conduit has the potential to exceed expectations. Gamestyle hopes that the lack of grunt in the Wii's processing capabilities, and Nintendo’s fiddly Friend Code system don’t hinder what could be an exceptional game. Will The Conduit be the First Person Shooter Wii owners have been hoping for? It’s released on the 10th July 2009, and Gamestyle can’t wait to find out.

If you enjoyed the article above, check out the following reviews.

preview for the Nintendo Wii
preview for the Nintendo Wii
preview for the Nintendo Wii
preview for the Nintendo Wii
review for the Nintendo Wii
preview for the Nintendo Wii
preview for the Nintendo Wii