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The Conduit: Back to Basics
High Voltage Studios has been very vocal lately in decrying what it sees as the technical under-achievements of other developers’ work on Wii. The Conduit is therefore the studio’s line in the sand, an intended new benchmark for Wii’s graphical capabilities.
And it looks pretty good. Not quite Xbox good, perhaps, but there’s a smattering of bump-mapping here, a lash of bloom there, rippling and reflective water, shadows, depth-of-field, sprays of particles and ragdoll physics to which Wii owners won’t be accustomed, all running at a smooth framerate.
And, admirably, the techniques are subtly implemented, a point that prevents The Conduit from feeling like little more than a tech demo. The payoff, however, is that the demo we’ve played takes place mainly in identically styled dark, dingy corridors, occasionally lined with crates and boxes for cover and taking a right-angle turn now and then.
There are several more open areas, including one on the steps of a porticoed building by the side of a river, so both engine and hardware can actually take it. In all, the level design feels distinctly last-generation, with much valve turning and switch pressing to be done. Enemy AI, meanwhile, will generally manage to find cover and retreat from heavy fire, but otherwise shows little intelligence – a point the game perhaps tries to explain by referring to them as puppets.
Apparently, they’re mind-controlled in some fashion by mysterious alien beings that pour through portals found later in the level. The storyline follows the investigation of neurotoxin-possessing terrorists by a secret conspiracy-theory-inspired government agency, but quickly spirals into an alien invasion threat.
Obviously, you’ll be dealing with it using an array of guns, first familiar sub-machine guns and rifles, but later more exotic alien and experimental human technology. A trip through the statistics menu reveals a long list of weaponry, including the de-atomiser, which features a charged alternative fire mode that shoots double energy bolts that wrap around a target and explode.
More important, of course, is the control scheme, which is similar to Metroid Prime 3’s. Aiming and looking are mapped to the Wii Remote in pointer mode, and the Nunchuk moves forward, backward and strafes, while a throwing motion tosses grenades. Motion feels weighty and firing is precise with the default set-up, though another trip into the menu reveals that a comprehensive series of tweaks are possible.
But as close as the scheme can feel to a mouse and keyboard at its best, at its worst it’s more awkward than it needs to be. The main problem is that accessing such controls as the minus button (reload) and D-pad (to switch weapons or zoom in) tends to throw out your aim. The issue is with the Remote’s less- than-ergonomic button layout for anything other than A and B, and it’s one that makes you question Wii’s fundamental appropriateness for games that require controls as complex as those needed for a modern FPS. The Conduit, nevertheless, could well prove Wii’s best example so far, even if that’s rather faint praise.
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
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I think The Conduit suffers badly when lag is in play though I haven't been playing that much MP yet (got some new timesinks in the form of Banjo Kazooie N&B and Picross DS and still have a lot of the SP campaign left to do).
slabire
With all the hype, this would want to really deliver. I hope it does for wii owners, Metroid 3 is still a fav of mine, great game, nice looking..with depth and playability. If this is near that, we are sorted ;-)
Where do I start with a quite obviously XBox/PC/PS3 Fan Boy review.
'distinctly last-generation, with much valve turning and switch pressing to be done.'
So the player can interact with the surroundings. Why is this last-generation?
'Enemy AI, meanwhile, will generally manage to find cover and retreat from heavy fire, but otherwise shows little intelligence.'
What do you expect them to do. Compare this to COD where you could run through stages without killing the enemy and still complete the level.
'Apparently, '
then
'Obviously'
How many ways can you subtly put things down??
'More important, of course, is the control scheme, which is similar to Metroid Prime 3’s. Aiming and looking are mapped to the Wii Remote in pointer mode, and the Nunchuk moves forward, backward and strafes, while a throwing motion tosses grenades. Motion feels weighty and firing is precise with the default set-up, though another trip into the menu reveals that a comprehensive series of tweaks are possible.'
Good beats COD hands down then and I don’t have to suffer RSI from a mouse or use a PS3 or XBox controller.
'But as close as the scheme can feel to a mouse and keyboard at its best, at its worst it’s more awkward than it needs to be. The main problem is that accessing such controls as the minus button (reload) and D-pad (to switch weapons or zoom in) tends to throw out your aim.'
Maybe if you looked at the controls menu there may have been a motion to reload a la COD. I play COD with a Venom Pistol and cannot use the melee very easily but it has not stopped me prestiging 3 times and enjoying the game. I understand The Conduit has more options for control setups as well.
'The issue is with the Remote’s less- than-ergonomic button layout for anything other than A and B, and it’s one that makes you question Wii’s fundamental appropriateness for games that require controls as complex as those needed for a modern FPS. The Conduit, nevertheless, could well prove Wii’s best example so far, even if that’s rather faint praise.'
Let me see you sit there with a Mouse and K/B or a XBox Controller slowly moving closer to suffering from RSI or attempting to play with mushrooms while I sit there moving using a nunchuk in my left hand and pointing a pistol at the tv to aim and move etc. Which is more suited to 1st person perspective games, or to look at it another way which is more realistic, if there could be such a thing for these games. Oh and have you ever tried to reload a real weapon and keep your aim. Wii is the next generation towards games become more interactive, just people like yourselves are so wrapped up in graphics you have forgotten about game play. Why do you fight what is a clear alternative to PC for 1st person shooters and the only alternative once you start to develop those tell tale pains in your mouse wrist.
Your article has little insight and obviously has a bias from the start of either Anti Wii or Anti Conduit. If you cannot be bothered to review something properly spare us your rhetoric.
This makes me kind of sad because it seems like the developers didn’t realize they were making a Wii game. With Metroid Prime: Hunters (for DS), the developers knew they had to keep controls simple, colors bright, and silhouettes distinctive, and they created a deep and engaging game from there. Likewise, if it’s hard to push any buttons other than A and B while aiming, the devs should have had the game focus on those two actions (say, jump and shoot) rather than try and stuff a PC FPS onto the Wii Remote. (Then again, what do the Nunchuk buttons do? Those are pretty accessible.)
In addition, it seems like they tried to make the graphics look like a 360 game, which anybody could have told you is a fool’s errand on Wii. In fact... everything about it sounds like they made a last-gen game by trying to make a PS3 or 360 game on a platform that is, by the narrow standards of PS3 and 360, last-gen. Of course, Wii has its own tricks up its sleeve that make it a great console, different strengths and weaknesses to set it apart from the competition, but it sounds like the devs didn’t capitalize on them.
Even capitalizing on the weaknesses could have been a bonus! By simplifying graphics and controls—to avoid direct comparisons to PS3 or 360 games that this game would lose—they could have found space to innovate in new and exciting ways. Dammit!
Either, you haven't been following the game properly or are too ignoratn to believe this BS hands on. This isn't even proper. HVS have done a great job. you believe it's not Next-Gen Ok tell me why. COD4 is an amazing game but The Conduit has accomplished what Infinity WAR ( those are the people who made the game unless you're too ignorant to know) have not been able to. They fake some of the effects as shown here:
http://cod4source.com/using-the-reflection-of-a-sniper-scope-in-call-of-...
Now if you need some real hands on go here where Bullsh*t isn't tolerated.
http://gonintendo.com/?p=49579
Oh and incase ur still not sure you can find out everything that you need to now about the conduit here(you can lok around or become a member to join the community and get inside news for the game and other wii software:
http://the-conduit.webs.com/
So maybe if you searched around the web instead of this wefare site yu woulld know soemthing. Not blaming you but blaming this website for not doing things preoperly. This is a VERY important game for the Wii and could change the way third parties support the system. And if we have to keep up wth crap like this then the system will die for the hardcore cuz the conduit needs and deserves sales.
This is a BS hands on/preview . HVS have told Shokio that Quantum 3 engine is heavily upgraded and new footage will release with 2 weks to a month. They say that the controls are hard to use at time. For example reloading. but what the forgot was the fact that the Conduit's controls are amazingle customizable where you can change just about everything INCLUDING button mapping. Don't like minus? FINE! change it to another button. JEEZ
Insulting a game without know everything about it is just crazy.
Maybe while your at it check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m28qWrWTmS0
it shows everything about the lastest communication with High Voltage along with a SPECIAL SURPRISE which you will definitely like.
That’s right! A “hands-on impressions” article should never give your impressions of a game after briefly having your hands on it. In fact, you should even adjust your opinions based on promises from the developer. Preview articles should assume the default position of laudatory without massive, robust evidence to the contrary. What were you thinking, Edge?
I would take a guess that last gen level design would be something like never ending enemy spawn points or too simple point A to point B linear level layouts. Or maybe AI that doesn't flank or make an attempt at killing you other than popping out once in a while and shooting. I think those can be considered last gen, but in the context of high production value, big budget games, those particular game play elements are mostly forgiven.
Call of Duty: World at War was probably one of the worst examples of never-ending enemy spawn points. The game was amazing, don't get me wrong. But there were 3-4 sections (on Veteran) where due to the nature of the game play, enemies would continue to spawn no matter how many you killed thus turning the game into a trial and error of, "How far can I run and what can I hide behind before I get killed?" and hope you hit a checkpoint. The level where you have the air strikes come to mind, where you're in a barn and the enemies are running toward you through a field. There are a few other less memorable examples but they're there. A lot of games are just last gen (or older) game play mechanics wrapped in now gen polish that uses smoke and mirrors to make you feel like you're doing more than just running from point A to B. Just my opinion of course.
I agree that The Conduit desperately needs an Art Director and some gameplay mechanics to set it apart from your run-of-the-mill FPS.
In all fairness though, saying that the Wii isn't ideally suited for first-person shooters is like saying that the PS3 and 360 are, which is far from the case. Try as I may, I'm still horrible at dual analogue shooters, and Metroid Prime 3 was the first first-person console game that I could actually get into right away.
Button placement is easier to get accustomed to than aiming using an analogue stick. As for reloading, yeah...they might want to map it to something other than (-). That does sound odd.
The (-) used in any game that requires swift button presses are a nightmare. Admittedly aiming is great on the wii, but I found on most FPS games on wii my shoulders really started to ache after a short time. I much prefer playing on the PS3 pad. I can lay down and play games. I prefer lounging about than sitting upright with my arms out.
Uhmmm... you can lay down and be resting while playing Wii. I do it all the time. You don't *have* to sit upright... it's not government mandated or anything. lol
Anyways, the Conduit's gonna be awesome. And can some explain to me how level design can be last gen?
I think they probably meant to say it felt relatively uninspired, which I'd have to agree with judging by the videos we've seen so far.
yeah that's what I meant! It's funny how wii owners are getting excited about what appears to be a dated FPS. Just goes to show how few core games are in development for wii. It's hard to get excited about this game when you have games like Killzone 2 on the horizon. Watched a few vids yesterday and was blown away by how it looks to be shaping up. Poor wii owners... having to get excited about shoddy looking games
Killzone 2 looks promising. And you shouldn't assume that Wii owners don't own a PS3 or 360. Also, Wii owner excitement over the Conduit has nothing to do with visuals. I don't know why, after 2 years of the Wii on the market, you would still assume that everything is about visuals. Guess people don't mind "shoddy looking games" too much given Wii sales...
I still don't see how level design can be "last-gen"... :S Don't understand what that means.
And what Ishaan said had absolutely nothing to do with your comment!
Yeah I know it didn't... but ultimately it summed up how I feel..
It looks last gen, because the wii is essentially a last gen machine with a few extra bells and whistles. I bet the Conduit sells pretty badly. Another example of a dev trying to push the wii in the direction of PS3/360 games but falling flat on its face as the audience just isn't interested ie casual gamers.
You're right. That's exactly why Metroid Prime 3 flopped and didn't manage to even sell 100k worldwide... :S [/sarcasm]
I think the Conduit will do really well. My guess would be 750k - 1 million worldwide *at the very least*. It's an original FPS IP on the Wii. And unlike Call of Duty: World at War, it won't have a far superior version on the HD systems.
And for a PS3 fan, you're sure mighty interested in the Wii. If it doesn't interest you, why go out of your way to comment on it at every opportunity? I'd think someone who had no interest in the Wii would just ignore it.
C'mon Ken, you're expecting people to not comment on systems they don't own in a gaming forum?
I think you make a good point that the Donduit doesn't have an HD system counterpart to compete with and that should help it, but do you think there's a big enough market of Wii owners that are interested in non-Nintendo made games, espcecially those of the Conduits nature that don't own a 360 or PS3 and just play those systems already established shooters?
I think with the right marketing and release timing maybe the game could sell 750k, but I don't share the same enthusiasm as you do with the possibility of that happening. But, you never know. I think it'd be great for publishers if this game can show a non kiddie, non-nintendo made, traditional style FPS can sell well. When is this games release date?
Clearly, I'm not expecting folks not to only comment on systems they own. But consistently trolling a system you say you have no interest in would certainly suggest the opposite - which was my point.
As for the Conduit, I see a wager coming on... I think PS360 fans think a game like Conduit on Wii will flop moreso because they want it to flop. We've seen examples of non kiddie, non-Nintendo made, games sell well. I think a new IP, with the right marketing, will do quite well. I think the market exists, there just haven't been great games to use as barometers to test it.