As the Wii library is stuffed to bursting with cutesy sports sims, minigame compilations and monkeys riding go-karts, the brutal gunplay and hardcore violence of The Conduit is blessed relief from the consoles family-friendly fun. But while the controls are sublime, this Nintendo-exclusive shooter should pay more attention to how its done on other consoles when it comes to the inevitable sequel.
Using the Wii motion controls to aim and move around the battlefields, the frantic gunplay feels natural and intuitive, making it easy to line-up headshots in the middle of a firefight where using traditional console controllers could see you getting tangled in a jumble of fingers and thumbs. The ability to customise every element of the controls from the sensitivity to button configuration also helps make The Conduit a pleasure to play, and will hopefully inspire other developers to bring more adult content to the Wii.
But while the developers have nailed the blasting with style, the games empty levels, clichéd challenges and humdrum multiplayer undermine its achievements, while the snoozesome story makes the game look weedy beside the intricate tales woven by other contemporary gun toters.