Filed under: First Person Shooters

In terms of playable software at Nintendo's Fall Media Summit, none received as much attention from attendees as High Voltage Software's The Conduit – and for good reason. The game already had some buzz behind it going into the event, but our anticipation for it reached new heights upon watching a developer walkthough of the latest build.

The Media Summit version of The Conduit showcased a never-before-seen Cold War bunker level, and High Voltage's staff was eager to show off tech like depth of field, normal mapping, newly implemented high-res textures, and a number of other things that had us saying, "This looks really good for a Wii game ... but how does it play?" The answer to that question can be found after the break.

For those who are reading this on a computer that is unable to meet the minimum system requirements of Math Blaster, feel free to skip this post. We won't be offended. For those discerning PC gamers who are still with us, you may be interested in a recent offer from Electronic Arts -- next weekend, the standalone multiplayer expansion to Crytek's demanding shooter, titled Crysis Wars, will be free to download and play online. Starting 11 a.m. on Friday, and running until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, you'll be able to jump on to any of the game's online servers for some nano-suit infused multiplayer combat.

Of course, after you've registered on MyCrisis.com and downloaded the full version of Crysis Wars (right here), you can play the game immediately, albeit offline using a LAN connection. We're assuming you already have a cadre of PC gaming acquaintences with appropriately powerful rigs -- don't you, you sociable so-and-so, you.

[Update: Whoops! Looks like Ms. Dunaway misspoke – The Conduit is not an "exclusive first-party shooter" ... it's an "exclusive first-person shooter." D'oh! Still no word on a publisher but we've got an email into the cats at High Voltage. Our original post is tucked safely below the break.]

Confirming rumors from as far back as April (and revisited in August), Gears of War film scribe Stuart Beattie has written a new script for a Halo adaptation. "The Halo movie in its initial incarnation is dead. No one is pursuing it any more," said Beattie in an interview with GameDaily. Adding credibility to August's rumored concept art, the script is going to serve as a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Involved and be based on the The Fall of Reach novel, with Beattie "ending the movie where the first game begins."

As to the fate of this adaptation, Beattie said they are "in discussions with Microsoft to see if we can get this made." Don't get your hopes too high just yet.

Realizing that the original Left 4 Dead box art was lacking an obvious pun, Valve has "corrected" the error by mirroring the previously right-handed image to the left. To recap: The box art is a Left hand with 4 fingers left, with the thumb likely bitten off by the reanimated Dead. The pun-to-word ratio is now a remarkable 1:1. L4D will take a bite out of your social life November 18.

Those hoping to Command and Conquer from a more personal perspective are sure to be disappointed with the demise of EA's upcoming first-person shooter, Tiberium. According to a report on Kotaku (we've verified with EA), development on the game was suspended due to its inability to meet "the high quality standards set by the team and by the EA Games Label" before its post-delay fiscal 2010 release.

According to EA's Mike Verdu, "The game had fundamental design challenges from the start. We fought to correct the issues, but we were not successful; the game just isn't coming together well enough to meet our own quality expectations as well as those of our consumers."

Though we're glad to be spared from any game that clumsily crashes into EA's recently lowered Limbo pole, Tiberium's cancellation will reportedly result in several members of the development team being "released." The publisher claims that it "will make every effort" to move "talented people" to other, actually-coming-out projects.

Update: We've added a full statement from EA's Mariam Sughayer after the break.

We've got quite a bit of Gears of War 2 information and rumors, so let's begin, shall we?

1. The Skorge (pictured) -- a towering, 12-foot beast with dual chainsaw staff in campaign -- will be playable in multiplayer, albeit very scaled down, according to an interview with Cliff Bleszinski at AddictGaming (via X3F).
2. Jumping over to TVG, Bleszinki told the website that there are no plans for a PC version. "Here's the problem right now," he said, "the person who is savvy enough to want to have a good PC to upgrade their video card, is a person who is savvy enough to know bit torrent to know all the elements so they can pirate software."
3. Hopping over to less-confirmed territory, a poster on Evil Avatar who allegedly has a copy of the new GamePro says that a redemption code will be in all new copies of GoW2 that will let gamers download five remade maps from the original GoW.

Since the embargo on coverage lifted today, X3F has collated a list of GoW2 previews from across Internetland, as well as new screenshots and artwork.

In their most recent weekly news update, Valve announced that starting next week, Steam will begin hosting certain user-created mods of Source engine titles such as Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. Owners of any Source title will be able to download these mods for free -- what's more, Valve has promised automatic updates and stat tracking for the mods they add to the download service.

The first five mods to be highlighted by Steam are Age of Chivalry, a medieval HL2 mod (pictured above); Synergy, another mod for HL2 which adds a co-op mode to the campaign; D.I.P.R.I.P., a multiplayer vehicular combat game; Zombie Panic, a spiritual precursor to Left 4 Dead; and Insurgency, a "total conversion" mod that takes players out of City 17, and places them on a modern battlefield. Sadly, our Source-based Burgertime mod didn't make the cut. Hopefully Valve will get wise and pick it up with the next batch.

[Via Big Download]

You've soldiered through the entirety of the recent XBLA re-release of Duke Nukem 3D, taking special care to fulfill the game's unique achievement requirements. You receive the standard reward for your hard work and dedication, a 200 point boost to your already impressive Gamerscore -- though you quickly realize with glee that 3D Realms has provided an additional prize for your feat: Two new screenshots for a game that is never, ever, ever coming out.

Yes, unlocking every achievement in Duke Nukem 3D reveals two new screenshots for the title's oft-delayed follow-up in the art gallery. Though some may consider it a stretch to call screenshots from the Duke's supposedly upcoming title "art", we find any sign of life for the highly-quotable shooter utterly refreshing.

Just days after confirming that Frank Castle will return to ventilate bad guys in Punisher: No Mercy, Sony has released the first shots from the upcoming PSN exclusive, confirming that a) it certainly looks the part of an Unreal Engine 3-powered shooter and b) the comic icon could use some work on his aim.

In addition to the screenshot salvo, developer Zen Studios' managing director, Zsolt Kigyossy, also answered a handful nagging questions for the official PlayStation blog, noting that the game will support Trophies and character customization, and will include both single- and multiplayer modes. Additionally, a separate GameSpot report confirms suspicions that the developer is aiming to release the game "in line" with the new Punisher feature film, giving fans of Marvel's seminal badass even more to look forward to this fall.

Source - The Punisher: No Mercy – Your Questions Answered

Source - The Punisher: No Mercy Exclusive Q&A - First Details

We were combing through our tips box, as well as the comments on our post about Bungie's new Halo 3 teaser, and we couldn't help but notice all the theories being generated by our talented and attractive gaggle of readers. Now, for your enjoyment, (and with some limited commentary from us) we present some of our favorite theories.

Reader Jerry emailed us with a detailed analysis, concluding: "You're going to be playing as one of the ODST troops in the pods that you see and the campaign expansion will cover from the time the chief leaves earth in halo 2 until the end of halo 3."

Yeah, that's great, Jerry, but it's just so ... practical. You're not thinking crazy enough for us.

Sloar said: "It's a new WALL*E game! Yes! Thank the gaming gods!"

That's more like it! Not bad, Sloar, but THQ still has the license, as far as we know. Sorry.

Our patience and faith in Bungie was sort of rewarded today when the company closed its overnight countdown by releasing a reveal trailer for ... something. Honestly, it's going to take some digging from you fans before we have any idea what's going on here. There's a metropolitan disaster, there are pods dropping from the sky, and then a mention of Halo 3, along with the tag line, "Prepare to drop."

What does it all mean? Watch for yourself and then you tell us! Or, if still pictures are your thing, check out the gallery here.

[Update: The video info on Xbox Live: "High action and deep mystery await players in this new Halo 3 campaign experience. Prepare to drop." Thanks to reader Paul M.]

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway has been quite a long road but, if the reviews are any indication, it's been a worthwhile one. The critiques aren't without complaint by any means, but they're are all consistently solid, always a good sign in our metareviewing experience.

• Official Xbox Magazine (90/100): "Raw, frenzied action and deep thoughts about the nature of leadership don't seem like natural bedfellows, but in Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, they join forces to deliver both gripping drama and riveting gameplay. Like the heroes it portrays, the game itself is an imperfect experience, but its better qualities are so compelling that surrender won't be an option."
• VideoGamer (80/100): "Bar the jarring Action Camera, there's not a lot wrong with Hell's Highway. Rather, there's a lot good with it. It's an intelligent game made by adults for adults. It'll have a hard time going up against Treyarch's Call of Duty: World at War this Christmas, of course. But, like Sergeant Baker himself, it's going to put up a damn good fight."
• Game Informer (78/100): "Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway is a competent tactical shooter blessed with a dedication to narrative rarely seen in shooters. If Gearbox can build off this success with more inventive gameplay, the series has a chance of overcoming the boredom that curses so many WWII titles."

Sony and Insomniac have released a Chimera dung-load of videos for Resistance 2. The footage featured includes single-player campaign scenes, new multiplayer stuff and the first clip of R2's co-op gameplay. The 10 new videos can be found after the break, and the game can be found after Nov. 4.