Nintendo Wii Review: The Conduit

Many gamers have long standing beliefs on whether First person shooters (FPS) are better fit for console or computer gaming. More recently, gamers have started asking a new question: What about the Wii?

The Conduit gave gamers the promise of a bold new FPS that would be available exclusively for the Wii. High Voltage developed the title to specifically take advantage of Wii dynamics. Unfortunately, The Conduit came before Wii Motion Plus, so the control and mechanics that may eventually be possible are still not there – leaving the Wii destitute of a memorable FPS to call its own. The Conduit is a game with an engaging and richly detailed plot that is completely undermined by the gameplay and the technical limitations of its platform.

The game throws you into the middle of an alien invasion of Washington DC. You play as Mr. Ford, a decorated secret service agent who is thrown back and forth between a group of shadowy government figures, known as “The Trust,” and a rogue terrorist named Prometheus. Regardless of which side you’re helping, every level has a seemingly endless supply of aliens and government agents to dispose of. As the story unfolds, your loyalties switch as you are led around like a puppet on a string.

Both sides are fighting over a special artifact called the All Seeing Eye, or ASE for short. You use the device to solve puzzles, find traps, and unlock hidden rooms. Each level has bonus items like intelligence disks or hidden alien messages written on walls that are invisible until you scan over them with the ASE. If you’re the type of gamer that likes to collect everything, plan on spending a good amount of time searching rooms for these hidden bonuses.

The biggest challenge in The Conduit is using the Wii controller. First person shooters should be a perfect fit for the Wii, but no title has yet to match the precision, speed, and intuitive feeling of the dual thumb sticks provided by other consoles. Shaking the controller to throw grenades was fun at first, but many grenades went way off target since you have to aim at the same time.

With the default controls, you have to move with the thumb stick and turn by aiming at the edges of the screen. B is fire, A is Jump, and the directional keys help you cycle through primary and secondary weapon. This layout makes turning or shooting while moving difficult. The result is every confrontation feels like you pick your spot and then fire like in “House of the Dead.” You can lock onto a target or assign the thumb stick to turn, but it doesn’t help alleviate the feeling of playing a light-gun game. This game has more control options then any other shooter on the Wii, but it still doesn’t make gameplay enjoyable.

The Conduit occasionally suffers from poor AI. Enemies would often get confused if an object blocked their path from you. A few times I was able to walk right up to an enemy and melee them, while they stood running in place. Drops in frame rate, clipping, and texture pop were common problems throughout the game. These incidents were more prevalent during confrontations with some of the larger aliens.

The graphics are on par with early PS2 and Dreamcast titles. The game continuously reuses rooms and wall textures while simply switching the number of items and opponents in each room. This created a monotonous gaming experience, reminiscent of older game like “Goldeneye.” The lack of resolution combined with the difficulty to focus my cursor led to headaches and soar eyes after playing for only a few hours.

The nicest attribute of The Conduit is the sound design. Radios and PA speakers come in and out of reception to broadcast news clips or alien voices. Gunshots and plasma blasts sound just as powerful as they should, which helped bring a touch of realism to the game. Throughout the game and in the background of every menu, the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard on the Wii. Think “The Bourne Identity,” only cooler and more exciting.

Like many FPS, the game supports online multiplayer. It’s a little slow to find a game when you use the find a match option, but the amount of maps and rule varieties make it worth the wait. Unlike other online shooters where you can only veto a map/rule set, here you can elect the map, weapons, and rules, making every round completely democratic. Considering the number of online shooters available to Wii owners, it’s a great addition. Just keep in mind that all of the control problems are just as prevalent here as they are in the single player.

At the end of the day, The Conduit is a game with a very smart story and intricate soundtrack. The controls and technical limitations of the Wii prevent this game from being as great as it could be. I would recommend trying this game to get a feeling for the plot and design, but I doubt you’ll be playing it for long. Hopefully, if they consider making a sequel, Wii Motion Plus will be added to create a more fluid gaming experience.