The Wii is consistently given the short end of the stick when it comes to traditional games. Developers tend to stick with casual-friendly fare, and while there’s a degree of success to be found with that, hardcore gaming fans are constantly bemoaning the lack of more mature titles on the system.

The guys and gals over at High Voltage Software are aware of this, and being fans of the system, decided that it was high time Wii owners finally got a taste of what else the console is capable of. The Conduit is a product of gamers looking to bring serious gaming back to Nintendo. Can High Voltage and Sega, (who picked up the games publishing rights), prove that the Wii isn’t just a minigame wasteland? It can’t hurt to try.

Gameplay

The Conduit is a sci-fi based shooter, and while that may not sound like something altogether note-worthy if this were another console, on the Wii, this is largely unexplored territory.

The game’s story is based around Michael Ford, a secret service agent who’s caught in the midst of a full-scale alien invasion. Of course, if you’ve played any other sci-fi shooters out there, you should know what to expect; which is the story is derivative of a low-budget sci-fi flick. Despite how that may sound, it’s not really a bad thing. Sure, the conspiracy theory/alien invasion plots are a dime a dozen elsewhere, but those are elsewhere. This is the Wii we’re talking about here. It’s rare to see a storyline in a Wii game at all, let alone one that’s aimed at the "core" audience. This is a welcome change from the normal story lines we have been fed over the last couple of years.

The one neat thing about the game is that it never forces you to find more information than you’re really willing to. If you just want to run and gun, the game doesn’t stop you from doing that. You’re never asked to endure a ton of mindless exposition, with a few exceptions here and there. Conversely, if you’re the type that wants to explore every level, find every secret, and uncover every last little gem of information, there’s plenty here to stumble upon. While most of the exposition involving Mr. Ford will take place during cut-scenes, there are also a good number of radio/television broadcasts that explain the entire back-story, for those wanting to add a bit more depth to the premise.

While the story is different enough for a Wii title, it’s obviously the gameplay that’s really going to rope anyone in. It’s here that The Conduit is top shelf material. First person shooters on the Wii are few and far between, and even with the small numbers, only two come to mind that have actually nailed a competent control scheme, (Metroid and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2). The Conduit makes use of a very solid control scheme, and the best part is, if you’re not happy with the default control, you can easily adjust nearly every aspect of it.  

The neat part about this, is that adjusting the controls which controls can be done on the fly, quite easily... Everything is taken care of in the options screen, and you can tweak everything in real time, without having to jump in and out of the menus in order to see if setting’s alright. . Everything from motion controls, to button presses can be changed this way, and while it may take some time for you to find the setting that’s right for you, it’s definitely a great system that hopefully will be utilized by more companies out there. Once you’ve got everything set, it’s onward to battle. 

The combat itself is pretty solid, but it’s not perfect. The game offers a fair bit of a challenge for the "core" players out there, but those looking for the next evolution of first person shooters aren’t going to find it here. Again, this isn’t a bad thing, especially when you consider just how fun the actual game is as you’re capping aliens and lobbing grenades. While the battles can be intense, there’s still a level of cheapness that comes into play at times. Unseen grenades will prematurely end your game, and while that normally wouldn’t be seen as cheap, the amount of times it happens can be frustrating. There’s also a tendency for the AI to react really erratically. Most times, you’ll see enemies run for cover, as you open fire on them, but there are times when they’ll simply stand there and take an obscene amount of punishment without reacting at all. There’s also a suicidal tendency, which has them running straight for you without much regard for the fact that they’ve got a rifle pointed at their head. While that gives you a distinct advantage, it seems a little awkward when you consider the fact that the enemy was taking cover just a few seconds prior to charging.

The big difference The Conduit has over other shooters, is Mr. Ford’s ASE, or the All-Seeing Eye. The ASE is a little floating orb that can be used to help you find hidden messages, portals, or lets you hack computers. Essentially, it’s a tool that will help you unlock small puzzles that pop up every now and again. If you’re ever stuck, the ASE can also act as a GPS device at certain times. While it was a decent diversion, however, I just didn’t feel like it was entirely necessary most of the time. Unlocking doors, for example was a little bit of a hassle, as you need to track down the various lock points on the wall, which isn’t much fun. It’s The Conduit’s equivalent of a fetch-quest, and while it’s not used an offensive amount of times, it was one of the weaker functions the ASE had on offer.

While the single player mode may be of the take it or leave it variety, the online is simply outstanding here. Offering 12-player frag-fest’s, High Voltage took the online very seriously, offering a good number of maps, modes, and weapons to battle it out with.

While most of the matches are variations of Death Match, there are a few new modes that shake things up a bit. (ASE Football, Bounty Hunter, etc.). The idea behind the ASE Football mode is to hold onto the ASE for as long as you possibly can while others seek out to take it from you. Then there’s Bounty Hunter. One man is the target, while everyone else plays as the Hunters. In order to keep things from devolving into a free-for-all where hunters are taking each other out, they actually are penalized for hitting anyone that isn’t "it" at that moment. The modes are simple, but incredibly fun, especially in either of these modes. Having 11 other people gunning for you can definitely lead to some great rivalries. Unfortunately, High Voltage didn’t account for Nintendo’s friend code system, which means if you find a group of cool people to play with, you’re going to have to copy down their codes, which is way more hassle than just looking up a username and adding it to your preferred players list. 

The game does feature Wii Speak capabilities so you can chat with friends and help co-ordinate your team (provided you’ve exchanged codes), which is nice. Unfortunately, the Wii Speak system isn’t all that great, though. There’s a ton of static, echoes, and audio cut outs. This isn’t necessarily a complaint against the game itself...just a warning that if you’re planning on buying Wii Speak specifically for this game, you may wind up disappointed with the end result.

Graphics & Sound

The Conduit is a bit of a mixed bag, visually. While the effects, lighting and character models are all good, the environments just aren’t really on par. While the weapons, aliens and explosive effects are all well done, and easily the best on the Wii, the environments are merely a bunch of grey corridors that don’t lead to anything more spectacular than a larger grey area. There just isn’t any life in these environments that really make it stand out from other games. Overall, the action animates well, and the game is very nice looking, but the feeling that you’re just fighting the same monsters in a bigger grey box is hard to shake. Complaints aside, the game does maintain a wonderful framerate, that doesn’t waver during gameplay.

The audio is decent, with voice-acting from BattleStar Galactica’s Mark Sheppard, and Hercules’ Kevin Sorbo. In spite of good performances, the script is a bit weak, which makes some of the exchanges between characters less than stellar. The score effectively reflects the tension within the game, but can be a little too understated in certain areas. That said this is likely the best score you can find in a Wii game.