Okay, I?m new here. I?ve been watching Zero Punctuation for a while now? It?s a pretty good review web show. Mr. Crenshaw goes through games and, in his opinion and right as a human being, tells us in hysterical ways what?s wrong with the games, can they improve, or if they ever have the chance of becoming anything close to a great game in this lifetime.
There are some reviews that he made that I have agreed with, others that are fifty-fifty and others that make me thing that Mr. Crenshaw was having a bad day and wanted to beat something with a stick. That?s okay.[For example: I liked the Conduit, Metal Gear Solid 4, Sonic Unleashed and etc. He doesn?t. I?ll be a little upset at first, but after a few minutes, I?m over it.] Why, because we?re human beings, not robots! He knows that everything that he says won?t fly with everyone and that he is only one man, not some damn gaming deity. There?s nothing wrong with agreeing with him or disagreeing with him. It?s only wrong if you will follow him off the edge of a cliff or shoot him down just he didn?t say that a game that you like isn?t the greatest game of all time. Just agree to disagree.
Now onto the Conduit? I played the game myself, and in all honesty, I enjoyed it. It?s not the greatest thing since slice bread, but it?s definitely a step in the right direction for Wii games. I?ll admit, while I did have an average grasp on the default controls, they didn?t really work well for me. This would have been a huge problem that would have put me off the game completely, but it?s worth mentioning that I have the option to completely customize the controls, even the freaking HUD and effects, to my liking in ways that can benefit me and/or not others. As for the comment that aiming off the screen stops the cursor, Wii-Motion Plus isn?t really needed for that. If I remember correctly, Metroid Prime 3 allowed you to aim off the screen. If not, the Conduit at least gives the individual the option if the individual wants that or not. Also, the 180 degree turn? it only turns you for at long as you hold the button.
Now even with that, there are still flaws. Why is it, that there?s a radar in the Multi-player but not the Single-player? Just like Yahtzhee pointed out, I got jumped by bad guys spawning form who knows where and died a few times because of that. And for the most part, when fighting the Drudge, it?s usually the same deal: Destroying the conduits to stop the horde.
The level design does feel like it repeats itself a little and isn?t all that special most of the time. It only kicks up when you?re outside, really. It?s not really bad, just average. One things that could have spiced up the experience would have been a better art design. Graphics wise, the Conduit is one of the closes attempt to reached the PS3/X360 for the Wii; however, the Art Design is a real step back. I?ve seen gamecube games with better art design, hell PS2 as well. The only things that look interesting are the higher class Drudge enemies, the A.S.E. and the special suit Mr. Ford wears that you can?t even see! It sucks to say, but it?s true. I am confident that this will change after seeing High Voltage work on games like the Grinder and Gladiator A.D, in which the Art design looks a LOT better.
Speaking of the A.S.E., I thought that it was a pretty handy tool, but there were moments to where some of the A.S.E. puzzles where placed in awkward positions. Like those stupid invisible mines, there are some moments to where they are placed in a narrow area with multiple enemy conduits. While you trying to use the A.S.E. to disarm them, enemy hordes come crawling in, you kill them all and have to do try and disable it all over again. If the process of the disarming didn?t repeat itself, it probably wouldn?t have been much of a bother. Luckily, it doesn't occur all that much.
The story was average, nothing worth remembering unless they really step up on the sequel. It?s an interesting back story about alien conspiracies within the government, and then afterwards, it?s basic stuff. It?s almost like X-files lite, really. Not a complement or insult, just a big fat ?meh?. And yeah, it?s never made clear why Mr. Ford is the ONLY ONE that can stop the threat. Maybe because he was deceived in the beginning, but nothing more. They could have used other government officials, force or etc. Also, for cutscenes, you mostly have nothing more than conversations with NPC?s through codec. It?s was cool in MGS because there were cutscenes to go with them.
And yeah, there?s multi-player. No split screen, as many should already know, so it?s only online. It?s still enjoyable having up to 16 players, with multiple modes and arenas. It?s also good that Nintendo and HVS are at least working on fixing the glitches and trying to eliminate the hackers from participating. It?s definitely one of the few Wii games that?ll give you a satisfactory experience online, depending on your opinion with online gaming anyway... Split screen would have been nice, but it a given that HVS will added it in the possible sequel, since they discovered how to add it in without much sacrifice? a little too late, and they made that loud and clear.
In short, the Conduit is a fun game, not spectacular. What it does right, it does well, but it needs more to keep more gamers involve from beginning to end and beyond. Thankfully, the online multi-player is good and there are unlockables, so that something to add to the hours. How long the hours go, it really depends on the player.
Now look, I?m expecting some sour comments about this, but listen to what I?m saying here. I have respect for all the systems, including the Wii. I liked it and I?ve played a good amount of games on it. It?s really amazing what to see what one winter drought can do to people though.
Here?s a list of Wii games that I?ve enjoyed or heard legitimate positive impressions of, from good to spectacular; and before you criticize, understand that just because some of these are in the mini-game genre that does not make them automatically bad/shovelware. You just don't like them. They?re only tiresome because developers went overboard with them last year. I don?t remember anyone complaining about the first three Mario Party games.(I'm also expecting people to tear the list apart to showcase what is actually good, in their opinion. It really won't bother me because that's all it is. Opinion from an indiviual only listening to people that they want to agree with and nulling others.)
Rayman Raving Rabbids 1
Warioware: Smooth Moves
Sonic and the Secret Rings
Excite Truck
Zack and Wiki
Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario SuperStar Baseball
De Blob
No More Heroes
MadWorld
Call of Duty: World at War(Wii)
Mario and Sonic: At the Olympic Games (It?s not a Mario/Sonic platformer, but some of the crowd would whine about the Sonic portion not doing what they want anyway.)
Deadly Creatures
Mario Party 8
Wii Fit (It?s meant for fitness, not
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Punch-Out!! Wii
ExciteBots
Tiger Woods 2010
Battalion Wars Wii
House of the Dead: Overkill
Wii Sports Resort
Cooking Mama: World Kitchen
Shaun White Snowboarding
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
The Conduit
Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
Legend of Zelda: Twlight Princess (Remake)
Okami (Remake. Honestly, why would I bother even saying that sense people didn?t even bother to play it or the PS2 version.)
Wario Land: Shake it!
Blast Works
Boom Blox 1 and 2
Honestly, I?ve notice an increase in the quality of Wii games. Companies are letting up on the mini-game genre, and are starting to at least look at what makes the Wii tick, instead of saying it?s pointless and dumping crud on it, wrapped in gimmicks. And common series are stepping up on the quality as well. (Like EA?s sports line-up, the Guitar Hero/Rock Band music and etc.) Here are some other examples of titles with potential.
Dead Space: Extraction (It?s Killer 7 in Dead Space. Not exactly on rails.)
Rabbids Go Home (An adventure game.)
Shaun White 2
Red Steel 2
Gladiator A.D.
The Grinder
New Super Mario Bros Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid: Other M.
Mario and Sonic: At the Winter Olympics
Need for Speed: Nitro
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Spyborgs
Samurai Warriors 3
Shadow Tower
Devil Kings 3 (Or Spin-off. Wasn?t really made clear.)
Slient Hill: Shatter Memories
Final Fantasy Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Cursed Mountain
Calling
Winter
Super Monkey Ball: Step n' Roll
Arc Rise Fantasia
Fragile
Tales of Graces
TMNT: Smash-Up!
Monster Hunter 3
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Honestly, I really don?t see much to complain unless you just don't approve on all these genres, uneasy by motion controls,(If they are used.) just have extremely highly standards, or just very biased. I see a lot of games that I?ve enjoyed or didn?t have the luxury to but want to, and some games that I?ll look forward to playing.
I have plenty to enjoy on the Wii, I don?t really care if others don?t but I do. This isn?t a shot to the other consoles as well, because they have an impressive lineup coming they?re way also, but with this being about the Conduit, it's the Wii that's in the spot light and I'm focusing on it.
Is it wrong to enjoy the Wii games? No. Is it hard to find a good/great wii game? Nope. Honestly, there's literally something on the system for everybody. Whether you enjoy it or not, it depends on you, the gamer. Not what one individual, or random loud mouth fanboys say.
