NYCC 09: The Conduit revisited; hands on a 'new' game
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Feb 8th 2009 at 11:59AM } 
The Conduit has made it -- acquired by a major third-party publisher. Its chapter as indie orphan is over. Now, on the verge of release, it competes with any other title that reaches store shelves. We may want to hold onto the sentiment of victory (the little guy making it to the big show), but the game has changed. We must consider The Conduit from a different perspective. In fact, dual perspectives: How does The Conduit rate as a Wii game; and how does it rate as a contemporary first-person shooter?
Gallery: The Conduit
The Conduit's merit as a Wii game is extraordinarily high. It radiates heart -- the effort of High Voltage -- putting to shame the soulless rubbish that is shoveled onto Wii weekly. This alone nearly demands that we, as supporters of "good" games, should purchase The Conduit. We would then find a game in our collections that far exceeds the paltry standards of the baseline Wii release; that beams with polished details. We repeat: "This looks really good for a Wii game," and it's a sophisticated, even gritty look; not the simple, colorful look of the beautifully rendered Super Mario Galaxy. Admittedly, it's impossible to gauge the content's depth at Comic Con, as most sounds (read: important story elements) are drowned out in a bustling convention hall -- not to mention, picking up a game mid-way through a mid-way level is generally confusing (and not recommended). Of course, the controls become an object to consider in this atmosphere -- in any atmosphere -- and here's where we begin to see the forming of dual perspectives.
As a Wii FPS, The Conduit's controls rank at the top, alongside Metroid Prime 3 and Medal of Honor Heroes 2, and perhaps, with more practice (and sensitivity tweaking!) it could even set the new benchmark -- and we can only imagine what happens when MotionPlus is introduced. Still, as a multi-console FPS player, it's jarring to go from gamepad to Wiimote and Nunchuk. I prefer a gamepad. I find it much more capable of handling the core mechanic: shooting. And I'm happy to sacrifice the peripheral "motions" for a single, context-sensitive button press. And, if you're like me (you can, of course, prefer the Wii option), then it's extremely difficult to be drawn to the other aspects of The Conduit because the premier Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 FPS games are simply running on more advanced technology. If, as I am suggesting, you drop the sentiment -- the admiration for an indie developer -- and view The Conduit objectively, you might see a distinctly ordinary game.
That's what I saw this weekend. And, though I may purchase The Conduit as a statement of support, I already doubt I would ever see the game through, from beginning to end.
As a Wii FPS, The Conduit's controls rank at the top, alongside Metroid Prime 3 and Medal of Honor Heroes 2, and perhaps, with more practice (and sensitivity tweaking!) it could even set the new benchmark -- and we can only imagine what happens when MotionPlus is introduced. Still, as a multi-console FPS player, it's jarring to go from gamepad to Wiimote and Nunchuk. I prefer a gamepad. I find it much more capable of handling the core mechanic: shooting. And I'm happy to sacrifice the peripheral "motions" for a single, context-sensitive button press. And, if you're like me (you can, of course, prefer the Wii option), then it's extremely difficult to be drawn to the other aspects of The Conduit because the premier Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 FPS games are simply running on more advanced technology. If, as I am suggesting, you drop the sentiment -- the admiration for an indie developer -- and view The Conduit objectively, you might see a distinctly ordinary game.
That's what I saw this weekend. And, though I may purchase The Conduit as a statement of support, I already doubt I would ever see the game through, from beginning to end.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Ungamer @ Feb 8th 2009 12:24PM
Victor, keep in mind that this is the same guy who thinks that KZ2 was more hyped than (insert 360 FPS here).
Vanille, since you seem to respond well to respect, I'll give ya some and simply say this - I check Nintendo sites and sites like Joystiq, IGN, N4G, etc. every day. Lemme tell you, The Conduit has gotten some CRAZY hype.
It deserves it, because it's one of those rare cases - a Wii developer that isn't Nintendo, striving to cram their game full of features that the core gamer wants.
At the same time, though, the game doesn't seem inspired. No surprise, considering the developers have even stated that they simply took as many of the good elements from other games as possible to make theirs, but I haven't seen many vids for this game that didn't scream 'bland'. I mean, they all scream 'production values' too, but the enemies are generic, I'm still not feeling the sound design, and the environments are bleeeeeeh.
The game isn't looking all that great right now, truth be told. It's great that a dev is working to give core gamers what they've been asking for, but at this point I'm not sure we've been asking for the right thing.
ice~ @ Feb 8th 2009 12:08PM
Will this have online multiplayer?
mazza_man @ Feb 8th 2009 12:15PM
Yeah, but no local multiplayer at all :(
Hyams @ Feb 8th 2009 12:20PM
No splitscreen, it has the best graphics on its respective console, and despite being a good shooter it doesn't aim to reinvent the FPS genre...
The Conduit is the Wii's Killzone 2 confirmed.
Ungamer @ Feb 8th 2009 12:25PM
Damnit, Vanille's post got deleted. That's not cool, he didn't even say anything really inflammatory this time. Hmm.
Mr Khan @ Feb 8th 2009 12:26PM
I thought about the same similarities to Killzone 2. The only problem with that is that, obviously, the Wii's tech isn't nearly as cutting-edge, but it's the same precept
A generic FPS that's meant to be generic, to focus on taking the staples of the genre and doing them incredibly well
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 8th 2009 12:35PM
"I thought about the same similarities to Killzone 2. The only problem with that is that, obviously, the Wii's tech isn't nearly as cutting-edge, but it's the same precept
A generic FPS that's meant to be generic, to focus on taking the staples of the genre and doing them incredibly well"
The more I watch The Conduit videos, the more I'm convinced that they're not doing it right.
On paper, Killzone 2 sounds like just another FPS, but it's far from generic when ya get to play it - there's a feeling of weight that just isn't there in other FPS games, the sense of scale and the fact that your partners aren't bullet sponges contribute to the feeling that you're a small part of a big war (a feeling that is supposedly there in just about every battle), etc. Everything just feels right.
I haven't played The Conduit yet but based on the vids over at GT and IGN it really just looks boring.
Tiptup300 @ Feb 8th 2009 12:53PM
"A generic FPS that's meant to be generic, to focus on taking the staples of the genre and doing them incredibly well"
Halo?
vigeoman @ Feb 8th 2009 3:46PM
yes the game will have a online of 16 players and it will use the wii speak
samfish @ Feb 8th 2009 7:01PM
"A generic FPS that's meant to be generic, to focus on taking the staples of the genre and doing them incredibly well"
I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all, personally. That's exactly what Insomniac and Rare do (well, what Rare USED to do, for better or worse) and people generally love their games.
I don't like shooters, but I'm a sucker for smaller independent efforts like this. I'll definitely rent it and might even buy it...there's always a slim chance I might enjoy it, I suppose.
Brodo @ Feb 9th 2009 9:14AM
Imagine trying to play 16 player online on the wii. LMAO
Brawl had 4 ppl and you couldnt even find opponents, and while mario kart does have amazing online. There is actually lag on that game, you just dont notice it very often because it is a racing game, on a shooter though you will be ticked right off.
t_m @ Feb 10th 2009 12:33AM
no local multiplayer seems an odd choice on the Wii. If only because the wii has been promoted much more as a "party with friends" console than the others.
No online FPS game has yet matched 4 player goldeneye for sheer fun... be a great bonus if it was a possibility.
Victor @ Feb 8th 2009 12:13PM
No hype at all? You were joking, right?
Hyams @ Feb 8th 2009 12:21PM
lol, Sprinkle's post got deleted.
Ungamer @ Feb 8th 2009 12:42PM
Looks like Vanille is back with a whole new profile.
It's obvious you don't know what you're talking about. Is Joystiq the only gaming website you go to? The Conduit has been getting MASSIVE amounts of hype since day one. Here, I'll copypasta.
Vanille, since you seem to respond well to respect, I'll give ya some and simply say this - I check Nintendo sites and sites like Joystiq, IGN, N4G, etc. every day. Lemme tell you, The Conduit has gotten some CRAZY hype.
It deserves it, because it's one of those rare cases - a Wii developer that isn't Nintendo, striving to cram their game full of features that the core gamer wants.
At the same time, though, the game doesn't seem inspired. No surprise, considering the developers have even stated that they simply took as many of the good elements from other games as possible to make theirs, but I haven't seen many vids for this game that didn't scream 'bland'. I mean, they all scream 'production values' too, but the enemies are generic, I'm still not feeling the sound design, and the environments are bleeeeeeh.
The game isn't looking all that great right now, truth be told. It's great that a dev is working to give core gamers what they've been asking for, but at this point I'm not sure we've been asking for the right thing.
I don't see how this post is littered with 'little jabs'. The Wii gets a lot of shovelware. The Wii is not as strong as its competition. Those are jabs? To the rest of us (in other words, to those of us who aren't morons), those aren't jabs. Those are facts. He wasn't saying that the Wii is a bad system, he was simply stating the obvious - that, while the Conduit has the potential to be great, it's bound not to appeal to many of those in the multiplatform crowd. Now, I suggest you actually READ THE ARTICLE and see that he praises the Wii and the Conduit more than he bashes anything.
Now, that last paragraph of yours really made me think you don't know what you're talking about. Joystiq doesn't have a bias (and lol@you for acting as though a bias is some wrong thing to have when you're the most biased poster on Joystiq). They're gamers too, and they simply react like the rest of the gaming community to news like this. I don't see how they're biased by Nintendo, but you're not going to explain why they are, because you have yet to back up any of your arguments with anything worthwhile.
One last thing. How does this game deserve hype when an innovative and original game like Mirror's Edge or a game that pushes boundaries and improves the FPS formula like Killzone 2 doesn't? You're either blind or stupid - based on the videos released, the Conduit looks pretty bland.
mazza_man @ Feb 8th 2009 12:16PM
I lol'd. This is probably a strong contender for the Most-Hyped-Game-EVAR Award.
Josh @ Feb 8th 2009 12:18PM
Unfortunately, even if this game turns out good I couldn't play it; I get motion sickness playing FPSs on Wii.
That said, I don't like playing FPSs with either a gamepad or a Wii Remote in the first place; the only way I can play them is with a mouse and keyboard.
mazza_man @ Feb 8th 2009 1:25PM
Motion sickness? Really? This aint no rollercoaster ya know...
Vidikron @ Feb 8th 2009 2:23PM
@mazza_man
It's not that uncommon. Lots of people get motion sickness from games, especially FPS. Mirror's Edge developer, DICE, said thay had to add a reticle to the game because the game was inducing motion sickness in a lot of people, even those not normally prone to motion sickness.
Josh @ Feb 8th 2009 3:43PM
Yeah, it's weird. The only games I ever get it with are FPSs on Wii. Not FPSs on other consoles or PC, not other games on Wii, just FPSs on Wii.
So, I've known about motion sickness from games for a long time, but when it first happened to me with Medal of Honor Heroes 2, man, that was weird, haha.
Craig M @ Feb 8th 2009 6:04PM
I agree. The ideal FPS control is Mouse and Keyboard.
Courtney @ Feb 9th 2009 1:21AM
I only get motion sickness when watching someone else play an FPS. I think I try to predict the movement (as though I were playing), which ends up being wrong, and as such throws my perspective a little out of whack.
intro94 @ Feb 9th 2009 4:08PM
motion sickness??what the..
Gun Barrier @ Feb 8th 2009 12:18PM
Even if it is an ordinary game, it should still be interesting to play around with all the features they have included in-game.
All shooters should have the option to test out game control changes on the fly. Im surprised this is the first time its being implemented.
Mr Khan @ Feb 8th 2009 12:20PM
Different strokes for different folks, i suppose. I never understood dual analogue controls myself (part of the reason why i loved Metroid Prime's single-analogue scheme so much), so i've only been able to really appreciate FPSes on Wii
Certainly if you're getting your preferred dose of shooter on PS360, this is going to come up short (though not as short as other Wii efforts), but for those who prefer the Wii scheme for FPSes, as well as Wii-only owners, this is going to be the definitive experience for some time to come. Yet despite the fact that it is technically inferior to a PS360 experience, it seems to me that many multiconsole owners who prefer PS360 have this on their list of Wii games to buy, while excluding other experiences possibly more unique
We do know that there is 16-player online multiplayer, as well as Wireless LAN play, but how exactly that works is yet to be revealed (though Friend Codes have, sadly, been confirmed also)
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 8th 2009 12:26PM
LAN is not in the final product. :[
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 8th 2009 12:46PM
I'm breaking my pact to reply to you, but oh well, it'd be nice to have a friendly convo with you for once.
Ever play Metroid Prime 3? Great controls, but if you'd move the pointer out of the way of the sensor bar, your reticule would get stuck until you recentered it. Got a little annoying sometimes.
With WiiMotion+, you just have to point the controller at the screen once, and once you've done that, the Wii Remote understands its exact position and orientation in relation to the screen, even when its not pointed at the screen. In other words, you won't even need the sensor bar to aim in The Conduit, so you never have to keep yourself from making exaggerated movements.
DangerMouse @ Feb 8th 2009 1:58PM
If you mean MP1, the control scheme is a simulation of the first-person shooter formula. While the majority of the movement is there (walking, jumping, strafing, etc), the lock-on takes away from the experience of the main purpose, the aiming. Yes, it works for Metroid Prime, since the game is more exploring than action. But for a game that's dependent on the shooting aspects, it doesn't won't work well.
Dual-analog sticks is the closest you'll get on a console to give the player the most control over the game right now. With regards to the wii, I'd rather be immersed in the game itself than having to worry about flicking my wrist all over the place to be able to make shit happen. I'd rather take a KB/mouse combo over anything but when that's not possible, i'll settle for a Dual-analong controller. But like you said, different strokes.
J-Link @ Feb 8th 2009 2:19PM
Yeah, it could turn out like Halo 3 I guess, as in the campaign wasn't amazing but the multiplayer was.
Mr Khan @ Feb 8th 2009 4:29PM
Yeah, i saw that thing about LAN. Weird. It's not like it hasn't been done before (via Battalion Wars 2), so why not now?
Foetoid @ Feb 8th 2009 4:45PM
I suppose you havent played Metroid Prime 3 then Danger Mouse. It's not about flicking your wrist. You move your wrist about smoothly as you aim on screen, just as you do with a mouse on a PC. Games are still immersive with Wii controls, it just takes about an hour of getting used to. Dual-analog on the other hand, well, i had to FORCE myself to finish all 3 Halo games as trying to aim and run and shoot at the same time was such a chore and highly innacurrate. Prime 3 on the other hand was perfect. I've finished quite a few console FPS games, but i never enjoyed them because the primitive controls pale in comparison to PC. When Prime 3 came out, it was the closest thing to Keyboard/Mouse i've ever played on a console and i got the hang of it very quickly. Now it feels about 95% the same as keyboard/mouse.
il_duce620 @ Feb 9th 2009 10:14AM
"Certainly if you're getting your preferred dose of shooter on PS360, this is going to come up short (though not as short as other Wii efforts), but for those who prefer the Wii scheme for FPSes, as well as Wii-only owners, this is going to be the definitive experience for some time to come."
Thank you, Mr. Khan, for being the voice of reason. I was going to try and say it better, but I can't.
Dummy00001 @ Feb 8th 2009 12:20PM
"""Still, as a multi-console FPS player, it's jarring to go from gamepad to Wiimote and Nunchuk. I prefer a gamepad. I find it much more capable of handling the core mechanic: shooting. And I'm happy to sacrifice the peripheral "motions" for a single, context-sensitive button press."""
Aa I have read that, the words my manager said many years ago - after checking out Doom 2 and its multiplayer - came up in my head. Essentially, not much people can use keyboard+mouse type of controls as they require higher level of motion coordination. WiiMote, as distant relative of mouse, is not exception.
Though I glad to hear that graphics is good, I would loved to hear something about actual game department. Many good console games become boring flicks - after being watered down with cinematic, boss fights, useless dialogs, etc.
What I want to have on Wii is generally "senseless shooter": shoot whatever moves with no delays imposed between shooting. Think of Doom 3 as a reference: plain dense bloody action.
SoulBlade @ Feb 8th 2009 12:22PM
Interesting. I'm sure a lot of other critics in the biz will differ on your points. The game is definitely not technologically advanced like those found on the PS3 / 360, but there will be a lot of people who disagree with the controller preference.
I think most gamers who started on the Keyboard Mouse era when FPS was born will probably prefer the Wiimote/Chuck combo over a gamepad if forced to choose. If your first FPS was Halo or even Goldeneye, then yea, you probably can't really get used to the KB/Mouse and will probably struggle with the mechanic the Wiimote/Chuck brings.
Spiza @ Feb 8th 2009 12:56PM
My first FPS was goldeneye. I have since upgraded to the far superior mouse/keyboard.
Strategy_Panda (Pot & Spoon 4 Life) @ Feb 8th 2009 3:12PM
My first FPS was Wolfenstien 3D. Keyboard only bitch!
aristokrat @ Feb 8th 2009 3:58PM
Am I the daywalker of FPS's? I can go either way without complaint, as long as the game is good.
halongw77 @ Feb 8th 2009 12:23PM
Um, well according to High Voltage what we've seen is just the tip of the iceberg so who are we to judge that one wouldn't even want to play it all the way through? I mean the controls are amazing (and fully customizable which you didn't really mention other than the sensitivity settings) so I'm wondering if the controls are super smooth why would one not finish it all the way through? I mean half the fun in the games for me is in the controls so...
jorojoserojas @ Feb 8th 2009 12:25PM
I won't say that this is the most hyped game ever, but most gamers who frequent sites like Joystiq, Giant Bomb, etc. have most definitely heard of it.
I'm excited about The Conduit. I intend to buy it, play through it, and add it to my collection of games. However, I'm not expecting a GOTY winner, as - by all accounts thus far - at the end of the day, the game is your standard run n' gun FPS; a genre that inundates my 360 and PS3 library.
Finally, though, Wii owners can have a game that can compete with those titles. And High Voltage is taking the road less traveled by focusing time, resources, and development skill on a game that caters to more traditional gamers on a console that is constantly derided for playing anything but those games. And for that, I'm behind you High Voltage.
And heck, if it's fun, why not play the game?
Bowser Rogozhin @ Feb 8th 2009 12:40PM
"This alone nearly demands that we, as supporters of "good" games, should purchase The Conduit."
I lulled. Inverted commas aren't a get-out clause to warble nothingness, Wiley.
This is the blandest of the bland of FPS, the most tired in the most tired genre. Just because there's a dearth of software in this most backwards of genres, doesn't mean the common Wii owner should grasp at the first gaudy lights that catch the eye. A dry steak is a dry steak, no matter how wine you decide to swallow. But, in this case, with no actual local multiplayer, I guess you can say it's undercooked. Game developers trying to kill off local gaming, forcing people who wish to play together to buy multiple copies? It's more likely than you think.
The Conduit will be released and it will bomb, bomb hard. People don't want to be reminded of wanton violence in times of economic hardship, and Wii gamers are a little more sophisticated than to be seduced by empty polygon numbers. Wrong audience, wrong time. Sega should save the marketing money for something worthwhile, like Phantasy Star PSP.
Ungamer @ Feb 8th 2009 12:51PM
As much as I abhor Vesper's constant use of 'holier than thou', this is the first time I actually agree with him regarding it.
Bowser, I find it rather funny that you're calling Wii owners 'above' games like this when this is far and away the most hyped Wii game at the moment.
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Ryan Scott Defense Force, Ultrastiq Revolutionary) @ Feb 8th 2009 12:54PM
really? People don't want to escape reality with all this bad shit going on? History says "Hi"
as for most tired genre, go look at the list of Neo Geo games and tell me how many of them are fighters. Now go look at yourself in the mirror and punch yourself in the face and dick at the same time
Bowser Rogozhin @ Feb 8th 2009 1:01PM
"People don't want to escape reality with all this bad shit going on? "
Look at the US Box Office and see what films are performing well and which are floundering. How long was The Spirit, empty violence incarnate, in the US cinemas when compared to something like Bride Wars? Use your noggin.
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 8th 2009 1:03PM
"Look at the US Box Office and see what films are performing well and which are floundering. How long was The Spirit, empty violence incarnate, in the US cinemas when compared to something like Bride Wars? Use your noggin."
Word 'o mouth that The Spirit sucked spread pretty quickly, man. That's not very good evidence.
Betcha Transformers 2'll, beyond empty violence incarnate, will perform better than Bride Wars
Bowser Rogozhin @ Feb 8th 2009 1:08PM
Transformers was a summer release so it's a little harder to compare. Both The Spirit and Bride Wars were released during the same early 2009 period.
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Ryan Scott Defense Force, Ultrastiq Revolutionary) @ Feb 8th 2009 1:09PM
Really? The Spirit flopped because:
1. no one was familiar with the comic series
and
2. It went for all style, nothing else to sell it
As for Bride Wars, just wait for March 9th, when we will be watching The Watchmen
Longhorn4Life @ Feb 8th 2009 3:34PM
"Wii gamers are a little more sophisticated than to be seduced by empty polygon numbers."
Last time i checked their target audience were kids and soccer moms. Sure FPS is a tired genre but people keep buying them, so you just need a good lesson in supply and demand. As for people dont want to escape into violence, umm this is America your talking about
Levi @ Feb 8th 2009 12:46PM
Ok, so the only FPS I tried out on the Wii was CoD3, and it wasn't good IMO. I've heard good things about Prime, and I thought the Wii controls for RE4 were AMAZING. Obviously, the system has potential for FPS games. Here's where I think they could improve.
We can all (most?) agree that the keyboard and mouse is the most accurate way to control a FPS. The Wiimote does have the ability to more accurately aim a crosshair than a joystick. I've played with josticks (haw haw) for years, and it didn't take long to be better at aiming with a Wiimote. Use the web browser for a little while, play through RE4, it's definitely better. Once you throw camera movement in, though, it screws it all up.
Look at how you control a FPS with a mouse. When you want to look left, you move the mouse left. You don't have to move the mouse back the right to center your aimer. If you want to move farther left, you lift the mouse up, move it over to the right, and set it back down. The ability to do just that is what sets the Wii games apart.
So I had an idea for a control method. Unfortunately, I'm not a Wii dev or part of High Voltage, so it probably won't see the light of day. When you are running around in the game, not in "iron sights" aiming mode, you would hold down a button - let's say A - to move the aimer around. The screen would be snapped to the aimer, just like on a PC. To get that effect of lifting the mouse up and back over to the other side, you just lift the button. When in iron sights mode, it could revert back to the sensitivity box thing for accurate aiming without moving the screen .
Sounds odd, and I'm not sure I did a very good job conveying the idea, but I swear it would work very well. I can see it in my head being just as accurate as a mouse and keyboard setup. While the current Wii FPS controls aren't really bad, I just don't see the control trend ever reaching that level of accuracy, and I think this idea would.
But uhh... staying on topic... generic or not, I'm still gonna make this the first Wii game I'll buy in a very long time.
Xta Large (Formerly Fatass) @ Feb 8th 2009 12:49PM
"So I had an idea for a control method. Unfortunately, I'm not a Wii dev or part of High Voltage, so it probably won't see the light of day."
Uh, High Voltage ran a contest a while ago where gamers could send their control setup ideas to 'em. The winners got their control setups in the game, named after 'em, bro.
mikia @ Feb 8th 2009 6:06PM
there is an option to make that motion box all the way to the center of the screen. with this your curser is always in the center of the tv. playing this way is the best and is closest to mouse/keyboard.