Review Detail
The Conduit
| Overall rating: | 8.0 | |
| Gameplay: | 9.0 | |
| Presentation: | 7.0 | |
| Value : | 8.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 8.0 | |
| Tilt: | 8.0 |
An addictive—yet straightforward—multiplayer experience is hiding behind The Conduit’s unremarkable single-player adventure. Unfortunately, even multiplayer possesses its own breed of glaring issues (primarily the all-too-frequent lockups when joining matches and occasional lag). Nevertheless, the novelty and accuracy of the immersive pointer control setup and the cathartic proficiency of the online multiplayer make this a title worth your time if you’re a Wii fan who’s been dying for a little internet competition. It certainly could have used a few more months’ development time, but in this case, fun and—of course—scarcity mostly outweigh the various deficiencies affecting the game. If you’re into first-person shooters (or at least have enjoyed them in the past) and you’re looking for a quality online multiplayer experience on your Wii, The Conduit is a solid, if occasionally flawed, choice for the time being.
Videogames
| Gameplay | Positively awesome aiming controls, made possible by the Wii pointer technology, will make you wonder why we haven’t seen more games like this to date. They’ll also help you overlook the game’s conspicuous blemishes in other areas. Single-player is another story entirely (with its tedious infinite respawns and relatively dumb AI), but the controls themselves are too good (and far too customizable) not to reward handsomely in this category. |
| Presentation | The appeal of impressive visuals in the single-player campaign is unfortunately dampened by a forgettable and often repetitive soundtrack and somewhat monotonous environments. Featuring a mildly cheesy storyline, the game also truly comes off as too serious for its own good at many times. Nevertheless, the presentation on the whole is good, and apart from the obtrusive glitches strewn throughout multiplayer, the game leaves a healthy impression where it counts. |
| Value | It probably doesn’t need to be repeated that the single-player adventure doesn’t add much to the package. However, The Conduit’s multiplayer mode (even with its small selection of maps) will suck you in and entertain you for months on end if you manage to stick with it long enough to familiarize yourself with the mechanics (and the quirks). This will probably end up being one of the longest-lasting games on the Wii until it’s upended by another online FPS. |
| Fun Factor | For the umpteenth time, single-player doesn’t impress, but multiplayer can be a blast (when you aren’t watching your character spin in place). Occasional lag and other niggles do their best to weigh it down, but when The Conduit’s hosting twelve earnest online competitors, it’s flying high in spite of its imperfections. |
