The Conduit: Not as Clichéd or Uninspired as You May Think

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. However, when it comes to High Voltage Software's upcoming First Person Shooter The Conduit, there has been alot of negativity going around that isn't particularly fair considering that we have not played the full game yet.

[Legionaire2005]

People need to give this game a chance it could be as good as the original Perfect Dark during the N64 days. It remind me so much of Perfect Dark. High Voltage Software!!! Nintendo's answer to Rare games. Nuff said!!!!

[Maxned]

Hm. After reading this, I change my mind. This game isnt as cliche as I thought. If HVS can nail the multiplayer and get rid of Friend Codes, then this game is golden. Im guessing an average score of 87-90.

[TheRealSpy]

how can a game like killzone, with no originality, unique story telling or unique hooks, interesting characters or plot twists, engaging enemies or enemy AI, be called the best console fps this generation; but a game like Conduit is "uninspired."

all of gaming is being plagued by fanboys.

the answer to why conduit is "uninspired" is because it didn't come out on ps3. has nothing to do with the quality of the game. if a game isn't a ps3 exclusive, it's no good.

[hatchimatchi]

give me a break

why bring up kz2, that serves no purpose whatsoever

plus, kz2 brought a cover system into a fps game and it works perfectly.

you would think the apocalypse is around the corner with the way people hype up games on this site.

[TheRealSpy]

can't believe you actually mention the cover system in killzone as a unique idea. lol and that's the best you got. give me a break. if that cover system was anything other than something for fanboys to brag about, it would be incorporated into the multiplayer. the fact is that the FPS cover system was way better when it panned out into a 3rd person perspective like in rainbow six vegas. and when i played killzone i used that cover system just long enough to realize how unnecessary it is. EVERY first person game has an automatic cover system. it's called, crouch, or strafe behind cover. you shouldn't have to hold an extra button just take cover. and as i said, if it wasn't obviously a gimmick, it would be in the multiplayer.

and the reason i bring it up is because every other article on n4g is about killzone being so great and it's not. i'm tired of hearing how every game that's not a ps3 exclusive is crap. n4g has become a dump site for ps3 praise articles and flame bait articles, that's it.

[hatchimatchi]

wrong

ill agree with you on n4g being a dumpsite for flame bait articles, but calling the cover system a gimmick is just stupid, thats like calling motion controls a gimmick. Also the cover system wasn't implemented into the mp because the mp is more of a fast based twitch style shooter, the sp campaign is not meant to be played that way, hence the need for a good cover system.

Why can't the conduit and kz2 both be considered good games? Ever think of that?

[N4g_null]

TheRealSpy is right the cover system idea is silly. I use a cover system in quake 3 it was called the duck key. I mean really I just played hardcore FPS this whole holiday and the cover system would do nothing but make you a sitting duck. It's pretty lame you guys believe it is needed or that it make game play better. It slows the game down it makes it easier for bad controllers to work.

Cover works like this you have a pron key if needed and a duck and knell key if needed. In a good FPS you will not need a boring stand off like cover system. You can say it's for realism all you want and I would call that lame also because realism is a sad thing to shoot for with FPSs because you don't want to have a real gun fight.

The conduit has a cover system also it's called get your a$$ behind some thing if you can't aim! Let me know when a game has dynamic environments ok? Now that would be an improvement to FPSs.

There will be no one to blame and no cover system to blame when you have to respawn! That's the beauty of this game it's almost like golden eye there is no where to hide! So I will see you online then ok! I suggest you play some golden eye and quake 3.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

"how can a game like killzone, with no originality, unique story telling or unique hooks, interesting characters or plot twists, engaging enemies or enemy AI, be called the best console fps this generation; but a game like Conduit is "uninspired." "

First of all, Killzone is not your typical WW2 shooter or Alien shooter. Second, it has great enemy AI so you're just trying to pass of lies as fact. Third, it has a compelling storyline; the interesting characters here aren't the ISA, but the Helghast and their struggle, but that's something you would know if you had actually played it. Fourth, its multiplayer modes are as balanced and as complex as any hardcore FPS fan would love, to some it's the best mode in the game and to others it is the best online FPS they've played (not by all but just read the reviews; not the scores, but the content). And last but not least, it has one of the most advanced rendering systems available on consoles today.

Conduit is being called uninspired and cliched because it belongs to an overcrowded genre. Nobody is reviewing the game, these are the *previews* of the game, and so far that's what it seems. I may be wrong but so far there seems to be nothing compelling about "The Conduit". The hardware doesn't help either so it won't be technology or storyline selling this game. This game will have to be sold on gameplay alone and an Alien-related FPS is gonna have it really hard.

You talk as if you actually played "The Conduit" already lol.

[Seferoth75]

I see the same two trolls are rushing out to point out how a game they've never played must be complete crap because it isnt on their chosen console. If The Conduit was a PS3 game the two guys trying to hard to trash it would be hyping it

[Anon1974]

The Anti-Sony crowd will use any article to bash Sony. Incredible. How you can justify dragging Killzone 2 into this argument and then rag on it is beyond me. Let's hope the mods rightly take those comments out for what they were meant as, off-topic flamebait.

[KingME]

My friend, you made some great points and I agree with you 100%. But I have learned from this site, that you will never be right on this site if you say something negative about the PS3 (They are in incredible denial). All they're gonna do is take away your bubbles and team up on you. It's become the norm around here. Obviously the administrators of this site are also PS3 fanboys, being that they just sit on their arses and allow this to happen.

I have notices that wii and 360 fans all have 3-5 bubbles while PS3 fans (even the biggest sh!t talkers on this site.) has 7 or more. I noticed a 360 fan that had 10 bubbles the other day, in one day he was down to 6. I looked at his comments and the only comment he had made that week was about some due needing to use antivirus, and the comment wasn't even inflamatory. Yet he lost 4 bubbles in 24 hours. Does the antivirus guy has 50 accounts, or did the PS3 fans notice that that user had 10 bubbles and start PMing each other.

All I'm saying is if you want to be able to make more than 1 comment per subject, you have to tread lightly, because once they team up on you, the will PM each other to conspire to take your bubble. This site is going to hell in a hand basket.

[TheRealSpy]

i love how fanboys try to take away other ppl's credibility by accusing them of not playing the game they worship. i own the game...i was at the midnight launch ( i was the ONLY one at the mignight launch as a matter of fact). if i really need to prove i own it, msg me and i'll give you my PSN name and you can see my trophies.

though i really don't need to prove myself to you. if you were at all unbiased you'd be able to tell by the things i'm saying that i've played it.

and i 100% disagree with your notion of if it being unique in anyway.

the entire game can be beat using an SMG sept for the very few times where you need to switch to a rocket to blow up a tank or bridge. the main character is boring and could be replaced by anyone. the level design involves no puzzle solving AND can only be played one way. you can't go through stealthy in the game because there are invisible walls that trigger the next VERY scripted event. and i don't know what AI you're talking about. the only time the AI ever rushes up on you is when you're using that ridiculous cover system which does nothing but make you vulnerable to flanking.

don't go around accusing ppl of not playing a game just because they don't like it. in fact, most ppl don't like killzone. you can't even sell it on ebay for decent cash or trade it on switch games. the only place where ppl still brag up killzone is n4g.

oh, and i never said i played conduit or said it's a good game. i simply said it's pretty hypocritical to already be calling it "uninspired" when there are FPSs getting praise that don't at all deserve it. my point was that every game is met with tons of scrutiny and unfounded accusations UNLESS it's a ps3 exclusive. then it's the best thing in the world. sometimes years before it even comes out...GT5, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, LBP, GOW 3, etc. noticing a pattern?

@Kingme, you aren't telling me anything i don't know. i've been dealing with this for 2 years. i've come to terms with the fanboy's (on both sides) inability to use any logic. i've been accused of being a ps3 fanboy and a 360 fanboy. but i am not about to reduce myself to their level. i don't just make a statement and try to present it as fact. i actually highlight specific examples to support my argument. The Law of N4G is that if you aren't a PS3 fanboy, you will constantly be criticized and eventually lose all your bubbles.

[ChickeyCantor]

Spy's need bubbles.
Bubbles get.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

There are many Sony fanboys with no bubbles, and there are many Nintendo or Microsoft apologists on this site that have plenty of bubbles. Sidar is a Nintendo apologist and look at how many bubbles he has. The reason you don't have many bubbles is because your comments are poorly written and incite flame wars, and there goes your credibility.

I also don't care about your personal experience with Killzone, especially if it contradicts what everyone else has been saying and my personal experience with the game. Reading the feedback from the majority of gamers, professional reviewers or not paints a completely different picture to what you're trying to say. I already listed all the features of Killzone that The Conduit doesn't have. You may not have liked Killzone but you can't argue with features and you can't deny the fact that already something close to 1.5 million people are enjoying Killzone 2 and the number is going up by the moment.

[ChickeyCantor]

Yep no one can judge untill he followed the story from beginning till end.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

I don't have enough time and/money to try every possible game out there. Maybe the reviews will make me give it a shot

[ChickeyCantor]

Thats still not a reason to pass judgement already.
I mean you basically said they aren't going for story just because of the info that is known now.

[ZuperAmazingCooKie]

I said they shouldn't be going for story because it's hard to sell a game on its story when the game is about Alien infested america. Hey, as I said before, I could be wrong and I'll be giving this game a shot if this game is really the opposite of generic. Just let me see the reviews.

[phantomexe]

This is very true,can't wait to give the game a run throw.

[hatchimatchi]

give me a break

this has gone too far

[ChickeyCantor]

Is it really now?
I mean people have been bashing it for being to generic because it takes the "alien vs humans" tint.

Yet no one has actually followed the story to pass actuall judgement.
Its pathetic how this game is bashed JUST because its on the Wii.
This is an article in defense against all haters, who judge without knowing it all. Its not "taking it to far", this article has a great point.

[hatchimatchi]

this article was made because one news outlet said the game wasn't very fun.

people need to take their own advice and wait to play the game before getting up in arms to defend it.

[TruthbeTold]

You are "up in arms" hatchimatchi about said defense. You come across as just the kind of hater we're talking about. What's wrong with countering a negative opinion with insight directly from the developer that hasn't been taken into account? And how pray tell is this game anywhere NEAR as hyped, or defended as Killzone 2? Were you b!tching about such things in January, February, or March? Let a Wii game have it's little day in the sun. It's not really going to hurt you is it? :p

[hatchimatchi]

what are you talking about? I'm not even hating on it, go read my other posts. I said the game looks promising and that i'm gonna reserve my judgment until i actually play it. Also, find a post from me when i ever hyped up killzone 2, you wont find it cause i never did, the only reason i mentioned kz2 was cause someone felt the need to drag it in. All im saying is, is that the people who are in a rage over the article from this morning saying the conduit wasn't very fun should calm down and wait themselves to play it first before calling someone else who HAS played it wrong. It's his opinion, whoever is gonna buy game have probably already made up their minds to, and i doubt the people who are on the fence are checking n4g for reasons to buy or not to buy it. Come june 23rd we'll all find out if it's a good game. One article saying its not very fun isn't gonna break all the hardwork hvs has put into the conduit.

lol, i just realized that you're the one who submitted this article. So basically all im doing is talking to a brick wall.

[TruthbeTold]

1. I never said you hyped up KZ2. I just wonder if you were so zealous in condemning its hype and defense cycle which was exponentially greater than The Conduit's? Wii games rarely get proper hype going. Now that one is getting the beginnings of that, some try to smother it, or in your case act as if it is excessive which is absurd. Killzone 2 - Still the hottest game on N4G. The Conduit? Not even in the top 10.

2. The article is rather calm.

3. The article makes a point more than once to acknowledge that those with that opinion are entitled to it. It goes on however to give insight as to why formulating that opinion based on what little we know so far is probably misguided.

[N4g_null]

I will continue to hype this game, simple because I have played it and the control is as good or better than metroid 3 and it has online play. Ok if you have played metroid 3 and you are good at it then the fact that you will now get to prove you skills to other good metroid 3 players is enough to hype and talk this game up. If you miss golden eye like great controlling console FPS then this is for you. If you want to see a 3rd party game do a little more than a mini game then this is for you. I know a lot of you don't like FPS but this will be closer to laser tag then you think. Now ever one loves laser tag!

Then on top of that you will be able to take it over to any ones house and turn their Wii fit system into a blood bath of FPS skills! The funny thing is most mario kart player will be able to play this game pretty easily. Just like res evil the controls are that much fun and if you have played the AI it's classic and good. It will give you hell!

I think many of you will be surprised at how good it actually is. Yet I only expect the gaming public to keep that a secret and harp on some thing like being generic. The 80s are over kids you won't get stuff like that for another year or 2! You know stuff that is too creative for it's own good.

Another thing is this is the whole problem with the HD gen every one is a critic. Maybe the cost of the system makes you a critic. Maybe it's the fact that you have real bills to pay now it makes it a little harder to buy every thing that is rated a 10. Maybe you are tired on getting had by the hype train? If so then good for you.... go and rent this game and when you like it don't feel bad just have fun.

[TruthbeTold]

that some say that this game is overhyped when it's not even 1/10 as hyped as Killzone 2 was. Not only that, if anyone dared say anything negative about Killzone 2 they were charbroiled. Here, we defend negative potential hype killing with facts, and people have an issue? Please...

[ChickeyCantor]

Bubble+
(even though you are swimming in them)

[Shoko]

Thank you, someone with some sense.

Wait till the game comes out, and the story is revealed to flame the game. Geez people.

[SinnedNogara]

Exactly. It can't be generic because:

It has tons of conspiracies, it is in a real-world location, has secret societies, terrorists, "the Bug", and real-world weapons no one knows about (FN SCAR).

[TheBand1t]

What FPS fan DOESN'T know what an FN SCAR is? I mean, hell, you can buy a civilian legal SCAR for $6,000.

[Gr81]

"Its pathetic how this game is bashed JUST because its on the Wii."

It is more than just that..It is what this game represents. Fanboys are hoping against hope that this game will flop.

[hatchimatchi]

i think most people who are bashing it are just doing it to get a rise out of people. This game gets praise from everywhere and i really doubt potential buyers are checking n4g to get their info for a game they're interested in. The people who own only a ps3/360 could probably give two ***** about this game cause both consoles are flooded with shooters. Me, im gonna reserve judgment on it until i actually play it, it does look promising from the videos ive seen though.

[Shnazzyone]

It should be interesting to see how this title is recieved upon release. A real strong third party wii FPS and it's about time. I think since one of the biggest bash against KZ2 was it's sluggish controls that is why we will see alot of attacks on the game until it's release. Most the HD gamers might just know somewhere in their minds that the point is far superior to a second joystick.

Personally I love the concept of running around Washington DC shooting alien punks. Not to mention i love conspiracy theories. HV said before that this title will have 12 hours of gameplay that does not include additional tasks and unlockables. If it's main story was going to be hokey and without effort. Then how exactly are they planning on sustaining it for 12 hours.

I think HVS has worked far too long on this title to be willing to throw out their ambitions with this project by making the first game have subpar story and environments.

[xlx-russ_92]

Welcome to 2004.

[Smacktard]

Who plays FPSes for the story?

I think it's the environments and artwork that looks bland. All these amazing, beautiful ornaments, but no tree to decorate them with. For High Voltage, a pole will suffice.

[TruthbeTold]

they shouldn't have chosen a real world setting for the game? The game is set mostly in Washington D.C. what should they have done to make a realistic setting not look "bland" as you call it? They've used lighting and texturing techniques that other developers would have had us believe couldn't be done on the Wii to make it look as nice as possible. I really don't get what people with your opinion wanted or expected them to do.

Did you want jungles like in Call of Duty? There are none in D.C. Did you want smoldering bomb flattened cities like in Killzone 2? Well this game takes place during the beginning of the potential Apocalypse, so that it can be prevented. Not during the middle or the aftermath of it. There are only so many places, and so many ways that a FPS can be rendered, and The Conduit has chosen locales that we haven't seen before such as the inside of various national monuments.

If you find the real world bland then that's your opinion. But HVS has gone out of its way in order to have some measure of originality. They actually traveled to these locations so that they could get them right. It is what it is, and it looks pretty damned good.

[Smacktard]

Well, I expected them to put that tech to use and make a pretty-looking game. Stop the fanboy crap. I just wanted realistic environments that are interesting. Take a look at Half-Life 2 if you need help. Granted, The Conduit isn't as bland-looking as every single indoor level of the entire Halo series, but that's still not much of an accomplishment. Still, gameplay over graphics, I guess.

[BWS1982]

doesn't matter what game or platform or dev we're speaking of, fanboys will always open their biased mouths before their minds can formulate any logic to coincide with the noises that proceed. It's why I come to this site less often, there's just too much of it and it gets tiresome.

[Whoooop]

The game might be good, the console is still crap...

[phantomexe]

I've already reserved mine how many here have reserved there?i'm just curious.

[lloyd_wonder]

What does Killzone have to do with this game?

[Anon1974]

And here he is, pointing and screaming "fanboy!" at the top of his lungs.

If you had any reading comprehension you'd see that it was the anti-Sony brigade that barged in and started slagging Killzone2 despite this article having nothing to do with Killzone2. A couple of people took them to task for their ridiculous comments and now you're making this about the console wars.

Give it a rest. Let's hope you're posting in the Open Zone because you've finally been banished here.

[TruthbeTold]

Killzone 2 itself doesn't have anything to do with this game. The issue here is that

Some people are annoyed by how much hype The Conduit is getting and either belligerently voicing it, or writing negative articles that don't take everything into account. When this happened to KZ2 those people got charbroiled.

These same disgruntled people didn't have the balls to do this to KZ2, or did and quickly shut up. But The Conduit, having less than 1/10 the hype of that game is receiving undue crap.

Killzone 2 = Hottest game/most degrees on N4G - great game with a few problems - even now in mid April nobody better not say sh!t.

The Conduit = Not even on the top 10 list, yet people claim it's receiving too much hype and are annoyed by it - write strong negative opinionated articles based on 1 level previews - That don't take anywhere near all of the facts into account - They troll The Conduit articles trying to downplay the game as if it's some sort of threat to them.

It's not Killzone 2's fault at all. But the double standard is disgusting. People need to quit acting as if this up and coming original Wii IP is somehow going to be a threat. We all just hope that it's as good as it appears to be, and that it does well.

[mastiffchild]

Killzone2 had a huge gestation perios after a jawdropping target render at E32005-a misundatanding and the pressure for that game to fail or succeed escalated with every mention. Personally I feel KZ2 is the very zenith of console FPS right now in terms of MP,controls,AI(by a mile), physics and visuals.

However, The Conduit IS hyped. not in the same way or to the same degree but because lots of people don't want the Wii to have the FPS the control scheme deserves. Until now they've been lucky and we only got glimpses of whats possible from MP3 and WaW. The Conduit is the first game to promise the full basic package of looks,AI, physics and a fully functioning MP online that other systems take for granted. The Conduit works and these folk lose a bit of face. Also there's the vague feeling that if a FPS made for Wii for the sole purpose of filling this void cannot cope then the FPS on Wii is fibnally as good as dead when really it should be better than keyboard and mouse for controls and better than dual abalogue in every way for shooters.

So less, but still considerable hype but of a different kind for The Conduit. Generic? Halo's generic, Resistance is generic, MoH is generic and , yes, Killzone2 is generic as well. It's the things these games do as well as that that make them good/interesting and The Conduit just has to work really. Like the first Halo had to.

For all we know, though, the story might be effin great. Level design hasn't looked too great from what's shown so far but they're prolly keeping the good stuff back. As gamers why can't we just say that KZ2 is a great game-like Halo and, hopefully, like this will be?

[addnewman]

i completely agree!!
also about it not having the greatest art style
its the fact that they have literally recreated washington DC so if its not that great its because that is what washington DC is like ive seen on the vids of the metro stations and airports which looks great anyway and people writing in the comments that they actually look identical in real life

[fatstarr]

anytime something good is coming to the wii
hypocritical things like this pop up
but the game needs the hype
the more publicity the better it will sell
so in the long run articles like these may help conduit sales

like first it was the wii cant handle it
now they see that it can so they have to pick on something else

like tales of symphonia 2 being cliche and not remaking the genre
when it was just a game for the fans to tell a story about what happened later.

the industry is dieing as it is selling its soul for money
it just doesnt feel like it used too during the gc ps2 xbox era or the n64 ps1 or my fav nes/ses genesis era

since the wii came out i never seen soo much hate in the world.
Microsoft makes a incomplete machine that crashes
sony makes an over powered behemoth
psp doesn't have 2 nubs
ds has two screens
dsi why buy it

etc... something needs to change.