The Conduit: Technically marvellous but underneath it's not really much fun

Lot of people are getting very excited over The Conduit, and on paper it's easy to see why. The Wii isn't exactly rolling in first-person shooters, and this one's technically much more impressive than most. It's got great controls, detailed environments and some interesting weaponry. But fire up the disc and compared to even the most bog-standard FPS on Xbox 360, PS3 or PC, it seems fairly clichéd, uninspired and quite forgettable.

[Gam71]

So like Killzone 2 then?

/runs away ;)

[PirateThom]

You jest!

Seriously though, I know people who dismiss Killzone 2, Call of Duty whatever as being generic who are looking forward to this simply because it's on Wii.

They seem to think the controls will make it alright for a game that many people who game mostly on PS3/360/PC called generic.

[mastiffchild]

I've worried that level design and repetition would be The Conduits achilles heel for ages now. I was hoping for big scenes in the White Hoise and on Capitol Hill-any DC landmarks but they may be holding them back I guess. they'd be cool MP maps as well.

Your KZ2 joke does bring out a point though. Killzone2, as a PS3 shooter was accused of not doing anything massively new gamelay wise(though it's avowed inrent was to do what it did better than ever before and, for me(controls esp) it succeeded mostly in doing so)but when did Halo? Not for ages I'd say-it's just hard to do so in FPS games.

Thing is these aren't yet cliches on Wii as nobody yet nailed the core experience(MP3 being more than a shooter)of a FPS let alone enough games to make groundbreaking a must have fopr The Conduits first outing-I'm just hoping he mechanics are great and the online MP works. "TAT" is prolly going to be a bit strong as well and you just can't compare this to KZ2, COD4 or Halo3 as it's more comparable to the first Halo given the relative state of the FPS genre now on the Wii(on and offline) and the origibal Xbox at the Halo CE release.

Still feel it's got a big chance as even when Halo was first shown similar worries were spouted from some quarters. Not writing this one off yet.

Every FPS these days will be considered generic to a point but if you only have a Wii to game on just how generic will this be in any case? As I say about as generic as Halo was on it's first day of release(compared to PC shooters it was nothing really new, was it?)and the platform is everything here.

[Gam71]

"Seriously though, I know people who dismiss Killzone 2, Call of Duty whatever as being generic who are looking forward to this simply because it's on Wii."

That happens a lot now.
Put "exclusive" or "only possible on" in front of the game title and all of a sudden that userbase wants it and its teh best thing eva!

It doesn't matter what genre of game it is and what they've said to the other rival userbases when they've bought games of that exact genre in the past.

there is a name for those people but I can't quite remember it...
Anyway I'll be looking at this when it comes out but I haven't bought any FPS on my wii as I don't see how the controls can work intuitively enough.

Maybe Red Steel just spoiled that for me.
(still interested in Red Steel 2, I'm a glutton for punishment)

[PirateThom]

I didn't actually mind Red Steel... it wasn't the shooting, it was the sword fighting that didn't work very well.

[Gam71]

They both seemed broken to me.
I think I played cod on my brothers wii and the controls on that didn't seem very good either.

Maybe a rental for conduit and see what the control scheme is like and if it works for me.

[raztad]

KZ2 is a LOT of fun. Its so satisfying, controls feel just natural, not a COD guy here, and the game is rentless and adrenaline pumping. I hope The Conduit delivers, Wii real gamers could use a good FPS.

[ChickeyCantor]

" They seem to think the controls will make it alright for a game that many people who game mostly on PS3/360/PC called generic."

It may look generic, but does it play "generic"?
The gfx are just a plus, it still comes down to how well it plays with the Wii-mote.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

The graphics may be good (by Wii standards), but it's another FPS with aliens on it. It's gonna be pretty hard to innovate and/or differentiate itself from other games in the same genre, considering how many similar games already exist and/or are, or may be, in development.

Edit:

@sidar, evidently they're not trying with the story, and they're not trying with the genre. As far as how the game plays, it seems to play like every other FPS (or every other FPS on Wii), basically point and click, nothing new here.

For example, even if Bioshock hadn't innovated in terms of storyline, it would have still been graced by the critics because of the way it plays. It didn't need a Wiimote for point and click, but it certainly needed processing power to simulate all of the things that happen in the background, such as dynamic A.I. among other things.

[ChickeyCantor]

" t's gonna be pretty hard to innovate and/or differentiate itself from other games in the same genre, considering how many similar games already exist and/or are, or may be, in development."

But what are they trying to innovate? The alien story or the controls?
On top of that we have no idea how the story ends.

edit:
"sidar, evidently they're not trying with the story, and they're not trying with the genre. As far as how the game plays, it seems to play like every other FPS (or every other FPS on Wii), basically point and click, nothing new here. "

Then you have missed the point that some weapons would not work with mouse or gamepad.

Going with your statement, no FPS to date tried something new.

" For example, even if Bioshock hadn't innovated in terms of storyline, it would have still been graced by the critics because of the way it plays. It didn't need a Wiimote for point and click, but it certainly needed processing power to simulate all of the things that happen in the background, such as dynamic A.I. among other things."

So only that can innovate in this gerne?
Sorry but you are just completely off.

Innovation can come in the most smallest details.
Just by looking at it may come of as "generic" or nothing new, but you guys are pretty much way to judgemental before you even played the damn game.

[N4g_null]

I don't know what is so hard for you guys? Most people wanting to play it have been playing FPS since say quake 3 or doom. Long story short is we all want a FPS with Metroid 3 controls and some effort behind the graphics. It's going to be just like golden eye for me. Good controls or better than what is available for console ok graphics and console online.

I don't know many FPS players that only play games for the graphics or hype. I mean if this was the case doom4 would have sold way better when it came out and UT3 would have crushed every thing when it came out.

The funny thing about the conduit is for FPS player that wanted a console game with controls that rivals the PC. That's all. If you are an HD gamer that only wants proof that HD gaming is good or a PC gamer that doesn't want to learn a new control system then fine.

Quake 3 had no story at all and I will be playing that game tonight. I mean there isn't a story out their that can replace a good FPS match.

The pr0blem with HD FPS on the HD consoles are the controls or controllers. So far the N64 controller was pretty good, PC controls are the best right now and the Wii is some where between that.

You don't have to agree though. I did not expect many to like mario kart on the Wii but to my surprise they did and many play with the wheel also crazy huh? Now if some how people look like they are having fun playing this game at E3 thing you will have a winner no matter how or what the story is. When I watched people playing killzone 2 they where there to judge the graphics rather than play the game.

This happens with many high end games yet if people love the controls more people are drawn into the game. I'm not sure why more developers and gamers don't understand this in the HD realm.

[ChickeyCantor]

@scissor_runner

Funny thing is that zuper says they aren't trying with the story.
Yet non has even heard the whole story to pass actuall judgement.
I mean Killzone 2 looks like a typical RFOM...comparing both trailers and little bits of gameplay video's, sounds biased doesn't it?

[N4g_null]

sidar you are right and really a conspiracy story is always better than a generic evil. I just want a console shooter with Wii controls, it's coming and we can settle this all in a grand match ok!

Hey but he has been bias for a long time now... it's his lost i guess?

[Mini Mario]

Its funny how ppl rate a system these days based upon how many FPS's there are on the console.

I miss the days when FPS's were more of a PC thing. I swear the ppl that care so much about them are PC gamers that cant afford the high end PC.

Ppl that like the keyboard and mouse set up should prefer games like this on the wii anyway, it flows much better. Metroid prime 3 was perfect and when done properly any other game can be just as good. Ppl just gotta give it a chance.

[ChickeyCantor]

He didn't say much about gameplay....almost its non existing in his article.

Well doesn't matter what he says, I'm supporting this game.
HVS deserves it.

Edit:
Anyone taking this article as fact needs to GTFO as many others actually did like it allot.

[mastiffchild]

Noones gonna take it as fact when we know many games writers do have it in for the Wii in general.

Fact is many of us immediately thought how cool FPS could be when we first saw the Revolutions motion controls way back when anmd we just haven't had the full package yet.

Level design is tough to make fresh on any platform in this genre and, to be fair, it's been the one recurring moan i've heard from previewers but, hopefully they've been holding back the iconic locations for nearer launch-to single it out when there's few that actually do anything new with this seems harsh anyway. All HVS can do s make it the best they can, it's their first big solo project and with the tech side they also took on a lot.

Personally, if they nail the controls and the basic merchanics while getting a relatively lag free MP on the go then they've done as well as they could expect and the real test should be the second game when innovation within the genre is a more realistic expectation as games on more powerful systems have failed massively at that with devs far more experienced at this genre too.

Really, the main fun should be the satisfaction of more realistic shooting if this is done well and the wider innovations should take a back seat til that's done and even then with ASE they're trying to mix things up and we've not seen much of what that could do yet.

My Halo comparison is mainly due to the similarly infantile state of FPS on Wii Connect now anmd Live back then and the hope it could do a similar job for Wii owners. we should still be hopeful for this game and not set an unrealistically high bar.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

It's understandable that this game is falling in a sea of games in an overused Sci-Fi FPS genre. This generation alone we've had these:

Quake 4, Timeshift, Prey, Darkness, FEAR, FEAR 2, BlackSite: Area 51, Jericho, Halo 3, Haze, Shadowrun, Resistance 1 & 2, Killzone 2, Unreal Tournament 3, The Orange Box, Bioshock, Crysis, Crysis: Warhead, and we will have Halo:ODST and probably Resistance 3, Killzone 3, Bioshock 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Huxley and maybe even some sequels to the rest of the games mentioned above. (I've excluded Gears of War because it's third person).

All of these had or will have naturally and expectedly better technology than the Conduit because of the hardware involved, and I probably forgot many others (I'm not even including Fantasy FPS games like Legendary and project offset or Zombie games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Island).

If "The Conduit" wishes to separate itself from other shooters then it better do it on fronts that aren't tech related. But honestly, it looks a lot like Blacksite: Area 51. I liked that game but it was generic. Hardly a GOTY contender like "The Conduit" devs want to claim.

[ChickeyCantor]

" If "The Conduit" wishes to separate itself from other shooters then it better do it on fronts that aren't tech related"

Yeah like the way you play a FPS, thats what this whole game is about.
People like you keep saying its " GENERIC ", why don't you PLAY it first untill you say it does nothing new.

" I liked that game but it was generic. Hardly a GOTY contender like "The Conduit" devs want to claim."
Like so many said Mario galaxy was nothing new...

[SinnedNogara]

He said that the environments were bland. Well that is retarded, because it is real-world Washington D.C in a acopalyptic alien setting. Duh, nothing spectacular. Besides, these are the beginning levels, you never know if the final level would take place on a Drudge Mothership or something.

The Conduit is going to get at least a 8.0, it is obvious.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

Sidar, I never said the game will suck or that it can't be really good. I simply have lots of doubts that it will be a GOTY contender or even a Shooter of the year contender among all platforms. And I also said that it seems generic but that I could be wrong, implying that it may play differently. Oh, and for your comment related with the aspects that Bioshock innovated on, I never said that's the only way to innovate, I said it is one possible way to innovate. You can innovate on tech, on ways to play, on storyline, etcetera. I simply said that I highly doubt that anyone can innovate much with the Wiimote as far as FPS go, and the Wiimote is NOT a mouse. Point and click has been done for years on the arcade.

[ChickeyCantor]

" and the Wiimote is NOT a mouse. Point and click has been done for years on the arcade."

Exactly its not a mouse, you can do more with it.
If you are saying point and click has been done for years, where does that leave analog stick or mouse?

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

The difference is that whoever promotes the Wiimote sells it as if it was some sort of new feature. Games that use the Mouse or the analogue sticks don't use them as selling points, as they're usually a given. On the other hand, the Wiimote isn't supposed to be considered a given in your usual games (though it is on Wii), it's the Wii's selling point; cancel that and what are you left with? The worst part for the Wii is that its selling point is nothing new, it's just a rehash of something that's been done for ages. And that's assuming that the Wiimote actually improves the experience, but in the best case for the Wii, it's subjective, and in the worst case you just need to look at the reviews (not necessarily the scores, but the actual content of the reviews).

[Mini Mario]

"The difference is that whoever promotes the Wiimote sells it as if it was some sort of new feature."

Well it is a new way of playing FPS's >>? Its better and more accurate than analog sticks, and i like it better than keyboard and mouse too (play resident evil 4 on the wii then go an play resident evil 5..then tell me what is more fluent).

Instead of bagging something u obviously know very little about, how about trying a game all the way thru first (or in this case play it WHEN it comes out..instead of b4 it's actual release date)

[phantomexe]

Killzone 2 does look great but theres no other consul FPS that gives you Custom controls like the conduit does.For me that's a big deal because computer FPS are unmathed in controls.The Wii in the closest thing to that.The game looks better then any other wii game on top of that, it has close to pc like controls which can be customized.I'd love to see RTS games start showing up on the wii like C&C.There no way to really get the drag and click right on a standrd controler.IMO

[jay2]

Oh dear, I was hoping for better than this guys making it sound..... Then again, it is one person only.

[Xander-RKoS]

The one thing about the actual game he said was that enemies drop health. And that's a bad thing? Seriously, anything to get past that annoying auto health thing that almost every FPS game sport now adays.

He also said the story was generic but really told us nothing aside from what we already knew about the story, so I'm still not convinced.

[ChickeyCantor]

" It's not a world of difference away from the regenerating health mechanic most first-person shooters seem to have settled on, but to us it did feel a little strange, and would perhaps be more at home in a cartoon platformer. "

I just realised that...this guy...perhaps doesn't know that picking up healt is pretty much...always been a standard in FPS untill "regenerating" health came allong.

And how does this relate to a "cartoon" thing?

Since when is an automatic healing wound in 4 seconds ever been "realistic"?
What kind of drugs is he taking?

[BeNice]

This game doesn't have the best art style like sidar has said many times before retro studios art + quantum 3 engine = the most beautiful game ever(according to me, MP3 is so beautiful).

This game has a lot of its focus on controls. It has guns you can't possibly use in other fps games on the other consoles. It has a gun where you fire a projectile and it will travelto where you poin the cursor allowing you to shoot around corners. It has that electric sparkly gun that when charged fires two bolts based on the angel you have twisted the wii remote.

Another reason it should be hyped is its the first proper third party online game where they are working with nintendo's friend codes and finding loopholes in the rules and exploiting them(supposedly they found a way where you can chat with friends of you friends with wiispeak.It is rumor imo but a good online has been hinted at by some foreign gaming magazines)

It pushes tech on the wii with dynamic lighting, full-screen normal mapping according to the developers. Also according to both devleoeprs and previews amazing water effects(I love water effects, 1 thing i look at in ALL games)

The story (partially directed at zuper).
Its based on conspiracy theories around masons , colares and ll that. The developers write a thick book worth of backstory for this universe and researched the conspiracy theories. So i expect something good. Also I unfortunately know the suprise in the story cos some ass found spoilers and decided to post the most important one as the first spoiler and totoally ruined it for me. I don't think anyone will expect the revelation. I don't know if they will present he story nicely or not . that no preview has dealt with. Even this one.

They all go oh its aliens and conspiracy theory. This guy finds the story confusing. I find it impressive that they put so much effort to create this universe set in ther eal world.

For instance this isn't an alien invasion like other games. In fact you have an alien helping you at all times.How about you play the game before you slam the story.

I think I dealt with the good stuff. I might post again if i haven't.

Happy Easter too.

http://gonintendo.com/wp-co...

[Iceman100]

well people will decide for themselves.

[condorstrike]

the same things were said about Madworld amd HOD: overkill, and those were the best games I've played asides Prime and Galaxy, Sega knows what they're doing, and even if the game is the typical shooter, it'll still have what others are missing: Multiplayer "no friend-codes...:)", and good graphics.... what else do you want man?....lol

[Shnazzyone]

I find it interesting that this article contains nothing but information easily derived from preview vids. The author doesn't put his name on it is the second issue. All there is is a link to Ngamer... Sone british nintendo news mag. Don't you think if you were writing an article for a magazine they would like you to put your name on it?

On top of that the top page of where it is hosted is something in the games radar network(which includes N4G). I don't know... I think my fanboy BS radar is bleeping off the scale.

My additional concern is nowhere does he talk about when and where he had a chance to even touch the game. He spends the whole time referencing preview vids and various public news bits.

Yup taking this one with a big ol' grain of salt.

[bob saget remix]

I mean look at it!! Sure the graphics are good for a wii game. But it just looks like a huge average rental.

[SinnedNogara]

Dude, seriously, do you have a life. Do you have a life outside flaming a game that you don't even like on N4G. Do you even leave your mother's basement. I'm sorry, it's true.

Before I lose more bubbles, he does this at every The Conduit article. I'm serious to anyone who thinks I am flaming.

I ignored him, but wanted to see what he said about the game.

[Shoko]

He's entitled to his opinion, but seriously, he's like THE ONLY GUY who hasn't liked this game, so it's him VS the world. IGN, Katoku, Gamepro, GT, all love it. So it's obviously him, and not the actually game. Heck, he even compliments the game. He says the tech is great, the graphics are great, the controls are great, the guns are great, but then he just says it isn't fun. Doesn't that seem weird to all of you?

[SinnedNogara]

This is what the author would say. He is saying it like this:

"I love Sonic Unleashed. If you get past the bad controls, unskippable cutscenes, the Werehog levels, boring side-quests, pace-breaking levels, and the very forgettable story, it is a good game"

WTF!!

[Legionaire2005]

It is currently being approved:

http://n4g.com/gaming/NewsP...

[hatchimatchi]

"It's true the Wii doesn't have a great many shooters, but does that mean we should reward any old tat that comes along simply because the genre's better examples aren't available for the platform? We don't think so. The truth is that while The Conduit may be marvellous on a technical level, underneath it seems to be the same old corridor-traipsing gunfest you've seen many times before - and it's not really much fun. Still, maybe something will change before release day..."

what is so wrong with that statement??

Just like many people have said before on this site only to have been shot down. Yea the game looks great but this game has been done before on other systems, that's why its so exciting for wii owners and not for others. I'm not saying it's gonna tank or be a crap game, it looks fun to me, but just because someone is voicing a valid point doesn't mean people have to get up in arms over it.