Review: The Conduit

Gallery: The Conduit
For FPS fans who only own Wiis: First: What the hell is wrong with you? Second: Yes, you should absolutely buy The Conduit. While the Wiimote may lack the fidelity of the mouse and may not feel as comfortable as a thumbstick, it definitely works. It's also really satisfying to have a targeting system responsive enough to work without a bunch of auto-aiming assistance (it's there if you need it, though, in the form of a lock-on button).
There's a wide range of cool weaponry from an alien rifle that augments your powers of sight in place of a scope (a nice touch) to old classics like the shotgun and pistol. Less impressive are the underpowered grenades which are stupidly mapped to shaking the nunchuk, meaning: 1. The action of throwing one usually messes up your aim; and 2. You're guaranteed to set the controller down to answer the phone or pet your ferret and accidentally blow yourself to high heaven at least once.
But if you're starved for FPS action, it's not going to bother you. There's a lot you're going to like, and you'd be crazy not to pick this one up.
If you're in the market for a new multiplayer shooter: Again, you're probably going to find something to like here. Now, The Conduit may lack a lot of the depth and bells and whistles of most modern FPS titles on beefier consoles, but there's a lot to like in the simplicity of The Conduit's team deathmatch, free-for-all and objective modes. You may have to fight with the controller a bit more in the multiplayer, but you'll know that everyone else is in the same boat, so you really don't have an excuse.
If you want something that feels a little more classic, i.e. an updated Perfect Dark, I think you'll be pleased, assuming you can get past the big loss in graphical fidelity on Nintendo's little white box.
If you're a multiplatform FPS fan: See, this is where it gets a little tricky. The Conduit is a fine effort, but if you've been feasting on Call of Duty, Halo, Killzone, etc., there's no way this isn't going to feel like a sack lunch. Using the Wiimote might be novel for a few minutes, but once you get past that there's not a whole lot of reason to come back, least of all if you've got a lot of other things to play.
In its defense, The Conduit has a cool dynamic which has enemies pouring from literal monster closets (the titular "conduits") until you destroy the portals. This has you constantly weighing the benefit of fighting an enemy or trying to blow past him to close the door so he's the last one you have to kill. Not world changing maybe, but it's fun.
If you're worried about it being a kiddie game or more casual, you can put those fears to rest right now. The Conduit gets tough fairly quickly, making a switch to the easiest difficulty setting pretty tempting. It's not for babies, let's put it that way.
The problem is the good ideas dry up far too early. The big gimmick is the A.S.E. -- or All Seeing Eye -- which you'll occasionally have to hold (in place of a weapon) to hunt for invisible switches on the wall or disarm invisible mines (which the A.S.E. always alerts you to, making their invisibility pretty useless). It's just all so boring. Stumbling around looking for randomly hidden stuff never feels like a challenge, but rather a simple waste of time.
Environments look pretty good for a Wii game, but are still kind of drab and rarely reflect the Washington, DC setting. Weapons fare better, though most look like last-gen Covenant and Spartan tech.
When it's eventually bargain priced, it may be worth taking a peek at, if only to see how the Wiimote is implemented. But for now, if you've got the whole scope of the gaming landscape to choose from, it's pretty hard to recommend.
There's a wide range of cool weaponry from an alien rifle that augments your powers of sight in place of a scope (a nice touch) to old classics like the shotgun and pistol. Less impressive are the underpowered grenades which are stupidly mapped to shaking the nunchuk, meaning: 1. The action of throwing one usually messes up your aim; and 2. You're guaranteed to set the controller down to answer the phone or pet your ferret and accidentally blow yourself to high heaven at least once.
But if you're starved for FPS action, it's not going to bother you. There's a lot you're going to like, and you'd be crazy not to pick this one up.
If you're in the market for a new multiplayer shooter: Again, you're probably going to find something to like here. Now, The Conduit may lack a lot of the depth and bells and whistles of most modern FPS titles on beefier consoles, but there's a lot to like in the simplicity of The Conduit's team deathmatch, free-for-all and objective modes. You may have to fight with the controller a bit more in the multiplayer, but you'll know that everyone else is in the same boat, so you really don't have an excuse.
If you want something that feels a little more classic, i.e. an updated Perfect Dark, I think you'll be pleased, assuming you can get past the big loss in graphical fidelity on Nintendo's little white box.
If you're a multiplatform FPS fan: See, this is where it gets a little tricky. The Conduit is a fine effort, but if you've been feasting on Call of Duty, Halo, Killzone, etc., there's no way this isn't going to feel like a sack lunch. Using the Wiimote might be novel for a few minutes, but once you get past that there's not a whole lot of reason to come back, least of all if you've got a lot of other things to play.
In its defense, The Conduit has a cool dynamic which has enemies pouring from literal monster closets (the titular "conduits") until you destroy the portals. This has you constantly weighing the benefit of fighting an enemy or trying to blow past him to close the door so he's the last one you have to kill. Not world changing maybe, but it's fun.
If you're worried about it being a kiddie game or more casual, you can put those fears to rest right now. The Conduit gets tough fairly quickly, making a switch to the easiest difficulty setting pretty tempting. It's not for babies, let's put it that way.
The problem is the good ideas dry up far too early. The big gimmick is the A.S.E. -- or All Seeing Eye -- which you'll occasionally have to hold (in place of a weapon) to hunt for invisible switches on the wall or disarm invisible mines (which the A.S.E. always alerts you to, making their invisibility pretty useless). It's just all so boring. Stumbling around looking for randomly hidden stuff never feels like a challenge, but rather a simple waste of time.
Environments look pretty good for a Wii game, but are still kind of drab and rarely reflect the Washington, DC setting. Weapons fare better, though most look like last-gen Covenant and Spartan tech.
When it's eventually bargain priced, it may be worth taking a peek at, if only to see how the Wiimote is implemented. But for now, if you've got the whole scope of the gaming landscape to choose from, it's pretty hard to recommend.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Jampirow @ Jun 30th 2009 12:51PM
Let the fanboy war begin.
Wiizer @ Jun 30th 2009 12:53PM
What are you talking about? We can all have a civil conver---
*Snaps Jamipirow's neck*
Jampirow @ Jun 30th 2009 12:57PM
*Talking with neck snapped in a 90 degree angle*
It's a super hyped "Wii has good Mature core games!" that fanboys have used as some kind of "Holy Trinity" of core games (This, Mad World and Fatal Frame 4).
I don't really expect people to react in a good way to a reasonable "regular score".
On a side note:
Why can't people get my nickname right?
Comtar @ Jun 30th 2009 1:03PM
Fatal Frame 4 is never coming out over here in America and I 100% blame Nintendo for that, cause apparently they are the ones blocking it.
Nintendo at E3 had this press conference all saying that they are allowing edgier titles on the Wii... yeah I'm not seeing that with them publicly saying they won't allow Fatal Frame 4 here.
Wiizer @ Jun 30th 2009 1:05PM
Jamipirow is what people call you now that your neck is snapped.
Don't worry, you'll get used to it.. and your neck.
Mr Khan @ Jun 30th 2009 1:30PM
Apparently the issue with Fatal Frame IV is all one of Quality Assurance. Nintendo Co, Ltd. wants Tecmo to fix the bugs and issues in the game, and refuses to let the other branches localize until then. Tecmo refuses to fix them for some reason
Probably more to it than that, but both parties are equally guilty there
megapenguinx @ Jun 30th 2009 1:48PM
The game was rated T you twat, not M
Duke @ Jun 30th 2009 4:06PM
I didn't know that Nintendo blocked games from being released because of bugs.
Madster @ Jun 30th 2009 7:22PM
"Holy Trinity of core games (This, Mad World and Fatal Frame 4)."
And Silent Hill?
Is it still a trinity with four?
Awwww damn. Broke the metaphor.
peepoop @ Jun 30th 2009 7:43PM
You're what's wrong with sites like these, OP
Jampirow @ Jul 1st 2009 4:31PM
@Madster
That's the Old "Fanboy Trinity". All Games are out. Fatal Frame 4 is never coming over, Mad World was awesome but didn't sell well and The Conduit is getting mixed reviews. That's what you get for overhyping games.
@peepoop
Oh, sorry for pointing out that fanboys will not admit having a game that's being hyped to death ever since it was released recieving a review stating it to be "So-So". Nor will other-system fanboys let it go and stop saying that the "game is crap just because it's on the Wii". Fanboys can't be reasoned with, end of story. And that's why I said "Let the Fanboy War Begin".
Iridium @ Jun 30th 2009 12:52PM
Exactly how I felt. If you have a 360 or a PS3 it is like going back to 2001. A lot of the look reminded me of Counterstrike with Aliens.
thesoiden @ Jun 30th 2009 2:43PM
Well, considering, for example, that UT99 is an awesome multiplayer game, it doesn't sound that bad.
SonicRift @ Jun 30th 2009 10:13PM
I was reminded of Perfect Dark sans objectives. It's a fun game. I plowed right through it. I really enjoyed the controls, too. It can be annoying to reach down to the 2 button to pause. That's my only complaint. I thought the control was a hell of a lot better than Call of Duty WaW's for the Wii, and the graphics were much better as well.
It was worth playing this game, but I can see how someone would be upset if they thought they were getting Halo 3.
Cheesus(Crust) @ Jun 30th 2009 12:54PM
Not for me then huh?(I don't own a Wii)
But my guess is a lot of people are going to be saying that.
Markez @ Jun 30th 2009 1:02PM
I own a Wii, and have always wanted to try an FPS on the system mainly because I think it could have a fun control scheme. I'm not a Metroid fan, either. From what I've read elsewhere while the controls are fun, it's a little boring/repetitive. Plus, I have way too many other games I already own to finish and other ones I want to buy 1st.
Alright actually the real reason I was responding was to ask if your name came from that old SNL bit where Trump is doing commercials? If so, I heart you.
MystileArmor @ Jun 30th 2009 1:04PM
I was reading this article on engine overhauls on Ferrari's, but I guess it's not for me. (I don't own a Ferrari)
Str84rumBk (PSN) @ Jun 30th 2009 1:13PM
@Markez
if you want to try a FPS for the wii get COD3 it looks and plays 100xs better than this game
hell if you want even try Medal Of Honor.
Cheesus(Crust) @ Jun 30th 2009 1:17PM
Hey! COD3 was the first game I played and beat on the Wii!
Then I sold it and when I got a PS3 COD4 was the first game I played and beat on it!
Then when I built my PC my PS3 got stolen(waiting for a price drop here, so I can get another one)..
Ryan @ Jun 30th 2009 1:24PM
Nobody in the house minds that you keep beating on things?
Markez @ Jun 30th 2009 1:40PM
beating on things? eh?
Drew -- PS360: uphillbothways @ Jun 30th 2009 3:52PM
@Markez.
He was replying to someone else. Why can't people read all the comments before replying? Cheesus Crust!
shadowbender @ Jun 30th 2009 12:54PM
This looks pretty cool and nice to me.
Kimosabae @ Jun 30th 2009 12:55PM
Okay, If I can't safely embrace my ferret... I'm out.
-SynikaL
tenor77 @ Jun 30th 2009 12:56PM
Translation: A Cubic Zirconia in a sea of shit looks appealing
gonintendo @ Jun 30th 2009 5:58PM
More like an ocean of piranhas taking a shit.
Jerk Face @ Jun 30th 2009 12:56PM
About as expected.
xFenixKnightx @ Jun 30th 2009 12:58PM
Finally, ever since I saw the screenies of the game I always felt like it reminded me of another game. At long last...
The Conduit = An Ugly BlackSite: Area 51 for Wii!
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-blacksite-area/28445
I'll stick with COD WaW for my Wii shooter fix.
JXCgunrunna @ Jun 30th 2009 2:15PM
There are at least two things wrong with that, and i will stretch it to 3.
W@W on wii
1. if you want CoD, CoD4 is superior
2. If you want a wii shooter, The Conduit is superior(especially online)
3. If you want a SiFi shooter, theres always Halo
If you want a good shooter on the wii, there is nothing better than the Conduit. As Justin said, the conduit really doesnt bring anything new to the table here. HVS has combined good elements from the best shooters on the wii and in the sifi genre and produced the conduit. I could not help but notice while playing single player that the atmosphere of the game was very reminiscent of Perfect Dark. Between the cool guns, aliens, and linear level structure, any PD64 fan will feel right at home.
The other game i wanted to compare this to while playing was Metroid Prime. Not so much because of the controls but simply some of the ingame mechanics. The first time i used the ASE to look at the hidden messages and upload disks throughout the levels, I was reminded of switching to the scan visor in MP. You use it to find things that would not normally be seen to get hidden extras.
Multiplayer is simply the best wii multiplayer experience out there right now. As disappointed as I am with Smash's online play, is as impressed as I am with the Conduit's. There have been a few games that have dropped me but a good 90% of the time playing in Regional, the games are lag free and fluid as the 360. The game modes in multiplayer are probably the most ground breaking and fun part of the game. It may not seen like thats saying much for the rest of the game but it is. The game types are refreshing and twists like the bounty hunter mode is a great break from the normal shooter FFA and TDM.
The Quantum 3 engine is about the greatest realistic looking engine on the wii to date. While it can not graphically compete with the PS3 and xbox 360, technically speaking, it either matches every FPS engine on the powerful systems or beats them with acceptation to the CoD4 engine, the Frost(BF:BC) engine and Dunia(Far Cry 2). I had no problem shooting through small spaces that in some games would show the bullet holes in invisible walls.
The controls are awesome and I wish more devs took the time to let you map buttons like HVS did.
I am not saying this game is without flaws. There are plenty. I am playing on a 42 inch Plasma with a native res of 1080p and it does not look good. By Wii standards, it looks great but never expect a wii game to look as good as a decent 360 game. There are some game play elements that I do not like such as using grenades. Also, melee attacking is curbed so much that even if you do not hit the person, they will take the damage. Objects that I want to shoot and break do not always break such as computers while some do, such as boxes.
Overall it is a fun game that I enjoy playing online and feel was worth my hard earned 50 dollars. It will not compete with CoD4 and TF2 but it holds it own with the most solid wii games out there including SMG, smash, MKW and MP3
Markez @ Jun 30th 2009 2:20PM
4. If you want Markez's favorite shooter of all time, get The Darkness
JXCgunrunna @ Jun 30th 2009 2:34PM
The Darkness is a great game. Kinda freaky but sweet
Drew -- PS360: uphillbothways @ Jun 30th 2009 3:55PM
Other devs should look at how The Darkness did loading and follow suit. That is, if games are even going to have load times anymore.
That game brought some new stuff to the table; I wish more people had played it.
Ravnos @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:50PM
The Darkness is totally underappreciated. So far, I think Starbreeze has made some pretty good games that don't get the recognition they should.
Also, the Darkness was voiced by Mike Patton, and that makes it awesome by default.
xtremeholymuffin @ Jun 30th 2009 12:58PM
meh
There, I said it.
The new Silent Hill game will mark the time of the annual dusting-off of the Wii.
JXCgunrunna @ Jun 30th 2009 4:10PM
I dont think silent hill will sell as well as the conduit and the 2 of the together will not sell like New super mario brothers wii
Sam @ Jun 30th 2009 1:00PM
well at least the wii is cheap so having a shorter lifecycle then the other two consoles won't hurt it too much.
waynski1457 @ Jun 30th 2009 1:00PM
I'll probably pick it up soon, because it goes right along with the mentality that I'll be buying Perfect Dark on XBLA the day it comes out.
Even if the SP kind of seems bland, I've been itching to try the MP.
Storm Eagle @ Jun 30th 2009 1:00PM
Sigh.....
I don't even know why I hold onto my Wii. Haven't played it in close to a year.
j.howlett @ Jun 30th 2009 1:03PM
you'll meet that special someone one day
Storm Eagle @ Jun 30th 2009 1:05PM
That's just....wrong.....
dantebk @ Jun 30th 2009 1:09PM
So you've missed out on Excitebots, Punch-Out, House of the Dead: Overkill, de Blob, Klonoa, Boom Blox Bash Party, and World of Goo? That's too bad.
(P.S. I didn't like MadWorld so I didn't list it)
Storm Eagle @ Jun 30th 2009 1:16PM
That's not to say I wasn't remotely interested in any of the games you listed. (I actually have MadWorld). But when you also own a PS3 and a 360 and there are much more appealing choices in front of you, well, the Wii took a back seat everytime.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Jun 30th 2009 1:20PM
Seriously man, if you haven't turned your Wii on in close to a year you either aren't looking or have such hyper-selective taste that you should be complaining just as much about the selection on PS3 and 360.
Storm Eagle @ Jun 30th 2009 1:27PM
Seriously, why would I buy Punchout!! (The same game I played 20 years ago), Excitebots, (Excitetruck with robots), or HotD (an on rails shooter) when I can buy Fallout3, Street Fighter IV, Infamous, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Fable II or any of the other blockbuster titles that came out in the last year and get a much better experience?
I bought the Wii for one reason: Single player games, and 1st party franchises. Super Mario Galaxy and MadWorld were the last two games I bought. And any online offering the Nintendo puts out is nothing compared to what I can get on Live or PSN (FACT). So why spend money on those titles when I can spend on something in a whole nother league?
Wii Sports Resort looks like a lot of fun and Fragile is definitely impressive looking. I can't wait for Metroid Other M. But again, those are the games I bought the Wii for. They are just too few and far between. I'm glad you're getting more use out of your's, but that's just my situation. There's no need to call my taste into question. I PLAY EVERYTHING.
Hydrophobicfish @ Jun 30th 2009 1:31PM
Don't feel bad, Storm Eagle.
A lot of us are still in that boat. We still have our loyalty to Nintendo, but... for Pete's sake, a system releasing five games a year that appeal to the group of gamers you belong to... well... it's just hard to get excited.
It's heart breaking. I really want to love Nintendo, really I do. But, I just can't use a piece of plastic at my feet, and flailing my arms around and pretend they're drums. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go play some Rock Band for a more authentic experience!
But seriously... I love you Nintendo, but you broke my heart with the Wii, and I'm not alone.
ChronicTC7 @ Jun 30th 2009 1:33PM
lol @ jhowlets comment
NaeemTHM @ Jun 30th 2009 1:40PM
@Storm Eagle
Yep totally know what you're going through. That's why I sold mine last week.
It's not that I think the Wii is a bad system, I loved No More Heroes and MP3; it's just that waggle and waving just aren't for me.
dantebk @ Jun 30th 2009 1:46PM
@Storm Eagle
I hope my comment didn't come off as insulting, because that's not my intention. I'm just saying that fun games for the Wii DO exist. Perhaps I'm spoiled since I usually use Gamefly, because if I had to purchase every game for full price I probably would choose Fallout 3 over House of the Dead Overkill as well. But if you have time/money/opportunity to experience ALL of it, there ARE a lot of fun Wii-exclusive games out there.
P.S. Excitebots is better than Excite Truck, and I liked Excite Truck a lot.
Mal F4cti0n @ Jun 30th 2009 1:46PM
I completely agree with you.
I love my 360 MP choices, COD, Halo and GOW. It is hard for me to turn on a single player experience when I can play with people online. I finally finished Fable II when I got frustrated with some constant lag on my GOWing (thanx for that Comcast).
I bought Boom Blox Bash Party and played it once with my girlfriend. It was too much of the same thing that we liked from the first one and the new offerings weren't fun for us. Maybe she will turn it on and spend some time to discover more of the new stuff, but for me I would rather play the 360.
Bigtime waste of money. I hated the constrols for Metroid and didn't even finish RE4 because the controls were so shitty. Had some fun with Mario Party Wii, but that gets old after about 4 turns.
Maybe I will give it to my parents for the bowling. That seems to be what the Wii is good for, people who don't play games. My favorite games are the ones with good stories (Halo being the best example, obviously). Old people don't think of videogames as a story experience, they look at it like playing monopoly, it is a game and a distraction.
Mr Khan @ Jun 30th 2009 1:53PM
Sell it and quit complaining or just shut up.
Easy.