The title of this Wii exclusive first-person action shooter refers to a special portal where enemy aliens pour through, unleashing havoc on Earth, specifically Washington D.C. Conspiracy theories abound as the game proceedings even make it to the Oval Office as the action level rises with a one man army on the rampage.
The weapons have a very complete range and include traditional and futuristic energy based powerhouses. Grenades have a nice bounce thanks to some realistic physics and a white visual trial so you can see where they land and adjust your throws accordingly. A grenade training session would be nice here because they seem to have a great Boom Blox type property where direction and force are important factors in your throw. You can melee attack while you reload and zoom in with a very steady scope to take out baddies from long range. The special "All Seeing Eye" (ASE) device defuses mines, hacks computers, reveals special objects and helps you solve puzzles while providing short burst breaks among the intense action. Music changes at different stages and checkpoint areas and you get helpful text updates on the upper left of the screen. You can also interact with communication devices, switching through channels, for helpful intel.
The online multiplayer mode works seamlessly in friend codes, regional or worldwide venues. You can quickly jump into battles then vote on the rules, available weapons and map selection. The rules include free for all, team reaper or team objective, which center on the ASE. The 'free for all' has a bounty hunter mode where you hunt a specific target and get penalized for killing innocents, so pay attention to your group’s name.
The optional Wii Speak peripheral, which provides “speaker phone” voice chat for an entire room, creates a unique situation where most players have been promoting their friend codes and creating Wii Speak user groups. Not only does this experience prompt users to get their own Wii Speak, but tantalizes players with that sports-like stadium excitement where a whole room of fans roar with excitement, thrills and taunts.
SEGA and High Voltage Software have made a great FPS with complete customizable controls and strong, fair online play, plus plentiful achievement awards, bonus content, unlockables and statistics for incentive-based motivation for all player levels. A very complete experience with a high replay value, strong customization options and loads of action.
The Conduit is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB for blood, mild language, and violence.
Article comments
1 - Renzai Rizumu
The Conduit was really looked forward to by the FPS gamers on the Wii. Seems like it was a disappointment though. At least it may be able to please the less demanding of the Wii gamers.