E3 2009 Preview
Not since Halo 3 has there been a
first-person shooter with as much anticipation as The Conduit. The ongoing
promotions from Sega are only the tip of the iceberg. High Voltage, the
developer behind this ambitious project, has been promising an online experience
comparable to what you’d find on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. High Voltage also
promised a host of graphic effects that, again, are closer to what the other
consoles typically produce. That last bit of hype has been proven to be true –
one look at the gameplay trailers and you can see that The Conduit is absolutely
gorgeous.
But the graphics aren’t the only thing that
appears to live up to the hype. Based on the game’s presentation at E3, it would
seem that the gameplay just might accomplish everything the developers hoped to
achieve.
First, the controls: they are great but require a
slight bit of patience. Aside from Metroid Prime 3, there aren’t any other
first-person shooters for Wii that use the motion controls in a way that makes
them worth playing. Thus, when you pick up The Conduit for the first time,
you’re going to love the precision that Wii remote aiming brings to the genre –
but initially hate having to constantly point your hand at the screen.
It gets easier with time, and when it does, the
game is nothing less than beautiful. Forget the graphics – they’re good, but
that’s not what I’m talking about. The gameplay itself is beautiful. The Conduit
runs smoothly at every turn, regardless of the chaos that’s thrown onto the
screen. It’ll be playable online (up to 12 simultaneous participants), and
thanks to an exclusive LAN setup at E3 (LAN won’t be available in the final
version but was needed for attendees to test the game), we can now confirm that
the multiplayer rocks. There are 18 weapons, tons of levels, and the action is
fast and intense. It’s very much a shooter for diehard shooter fans, but other
players will enjoy it as well.
When players aren’t completely distracted by the
gameplay, the graphics will blow your mind, and not just because they one-up the
super-impressive Metroid Prime 3. The environments are astonishingly diverse, as
are the alien enemies and high-tech weaponry. Explosion effects are bright and
beautiful; streets and buildings are covered in realistic textures; and the
fictitious weapons, while unrealistic by the standards of modern technology, are
enhanced with believable effects.
Unlike most of the games you read about during
E3, The Conduit isn’t months away from release. You’ll be able to get your hands
on the full version on June 23. Stay with GameZone for more on this amazing FPS
in the coming weeks.
