Top 5 reasons why you should buy The Conduit

With the release of The Conduit on the horizon, many Wii owners are greatly anticipating what they believe to be one of the summer’s hottest titles. And with a game that features a great weapons selection, solid online play and startlingly customizable control, who can blame them? Many gamers have pre-ordered the title (myself included) and even more have set aside the money to buy the game as soon as it launches. But what about those who haven’t? Here are the top reasons why they need to re-route their most recent paycheck to The Conduit.

Graphics

If High Voltage Software, the masterminds behind The Conduit, wanted to create a truly next-gen shooter, they would first have to build a visual engine that would measure up to some of what the other consoles of this generation could display. While working on the game, HVS was also developing, in parallel, a proprietary Wii-exclusive engine known as “Quantum 3”. This engine sports some of the best visuals on Wii, boasting effects like bump-mapping, motion blur, animated textures, and advanced alpha blends. As a result, the visual quality of The Conduit has shot way up and can even match up to some lower-end PS3 and Xbox 360 titles.

Achievements

This may seem like a very small part of any game, but the fact that High Voltage included an achievement system at all in The Conduit is a testament to how much they care about making a truly good shooter for their fans on Wii. Essentially, the game will feature a stand alone system that awards players for meeting certain requirements, similar to “Achievements” on Xbox 360 or “Trophies” on the PS3. Obtaining these can be used to unlock character or concept art and even cheat codes to use while playing.

Weapons Selection

One aspect about The Conduit which may surpass many people’s expectations is the weapons selection. This feature of the game is one that could outdo any and all other FPSs on any system, because it’s one that doesn’t rely on processing power or graphical capabilities. Nintendo Power’s own review praised the weapons selection and the various fact sheets regarding them only serve to reinforce the promise that it holds as one of the most enjoyable features of the game. There are even a few weapons that have motion-specific functions such as the Shrieker, which fire spheres that are then guided by the IR. From the well known SCAR to the impressive Drudge Strike Rifle, each weapon seems to be different from the last, partially due to the vast amounts of possibilities of the alien Drudge technology.

Control

Unique to The Conduit is the game’s use of the Wii remote and nunchuck. While it is no surprise that IR sensing is on the forefront of FPS control, the amount of customization available to the player sets The Conduit apart from even other Wii shooters. Literally, the options are near limitless, allowing gamers to change the size of the bounding box, alter run speed, adjust turn speed, modify sensitivity, and much more all in real time. That means without having to switch in and out of the pause menu, players can test out their new controls from within the control panel. Of course, beyond this customization lies the now-standard fluidity of Wii controls, which is something that will remain exclusive to the system for a long time to come.

Online Play

For too long have Wii owners been shunned by the online community for their lack of solid, lag-free online play and with the consoles availability nearing 3 years, it was time for someone to get it right. The Conduit aims to live up to the prowess of online shooters on other platforms by offering smooth online play, many different game modes, different character skins, and WiiSpeak support (albeit slightly gimped). Unfortunately, friend codes make their infamous return, but it’s only a small price to pay for the most in-depth online experience on the Wii to date.

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