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THE GOOD:
-Precise and well done Wii controls with little hassle due to them being fully customizable.
-One of the best looking games on the Wii with many different graphical effects. Not quite at 360/PS3 level, but close enough that this is the best looking game on the Wii.
-Many different weapons, all very fun to use. Each one requires skill in some way or another and none of them are considered over powered. One of the few games out there with great weapon balancing.
-A short but sweet Single Player experience. AI is well made (nothing breath taking, however) and the difficulty will keep you busy for a while.
-Online multiplayer with 12 players is a great addition as well as Wii Speak for friends matches.
-Plenty of well made maps in multiplayer.
-Good storyline with some nice twists.
-Ranking system involved in multiplayer that will keep some players addicted.
-Plenty of extras such as Cheats, Concept Art, and even Achievements to add re-playability.
-The ASE is well implemented in a way that it reveals puzzles and helps find secrets throughout the game without being a large intrusion on the actual gun play.

THE BAD:
-While the multiplayer is great, the experience varies extremely depending on your connection speed. Some, like me, have experienced no problems finding a match and having little to no lag throughout them, but some others have been known to get various glitches and connection problems trying to connect. Luckily, HVS is working on ways to release patches and fix these problems.
-The Single player is a very straight forward, run and gun type campaign meaning if your into much more tactical shooting then you might want to give this game a rent.
-Some of the storyline, while well narrated, is rather cliched which may turn off some people.
-The campaign is slightly short and will only last 8-10 hours. Luckily there are multiple reasons to replay it, but those looking for a long storyline may want to look at a different gam- I mean, genre.

SUMMARY:
One of the most highly anticipated Wii games and one of the most highly anticipated shooters of 2009 has finally hit North America. But to those who don't have the game (or Europeans and Aussies) are most likely wondering: Did it deliver on the hype or was seeing truly deceiving? I'll be reviewing this game with my standards at most great FPS games on the market today, and will not praise this game or condone it due to it being a Wii shooter.

The storyline follows Mr.Ford, a government agent looking for answers behind an alien invasion, John Adams, a mysterious terrorist named Prometheus, and the shadowy Trust agency. That's as far as I will go into the story, however, because any deeper and I might hit a spoiler and plot twist. Needless to say, not everything works as planned and you end up switching sides a few times before finding who is working with you and working against you. The story is short and somewhat cliched, however, so be warned before expecting a long experience.

Each level of the campaign is well designed but very straight forward. With little room for tactical advantage, the game is mainly based on run and gun warfare and proceeding through linear corridors when rooms are clear. There are puzzles but they are usually very simple ones like scanning every nook and cranny with the ASE for Bionodes to unlock a nearby door. Its a good way to break up the action, much like the exploring did in Metroid Prime 3, but in all honesty the puzzles rarely vary or have any depth whatsoever which can hurt the point of the ASE a little. Its hardly a flaw, however, since you'll be focusing too much on shooting everything that moves to care.

Once you complete the 8-10 hour, 9 mission, single player game you do have multiple reasons to replay it. Higher difficulty levels result in a much more skillful and rewarding experience and there are still many secrets to find throughout the levels. Different messages on the wall reveal some back story to the alien invasion and finding them all unlocks a game play cheat. There are also many different achievements which each unlock other extras for use in single player or viewing. Needless to say, you'll be playing through the game quite a few times to see it all.

The game boasts 12 player multiplayer as well as a hassle free friends list and Wii Speak functionality (which is only used in private matches). Finding a match is easy if you have a stable connection (if you don't you may have to put up with some frustrations waiting for HVS to release a patch). In the multiplayer lobby players can vote on the map, weapon set, and game mode. For the most part this works perfectly since there is a very nice variety of each. Playing matches brings up your rank which determines who you play with in public matches and is shown next to your name. This is a great addition to the game and a good reason to keep playing.

Online play is fast paced and well designed. You will usually start with or quickly find a weapon you like and pulling off kill streaks takes enough skill that you will feel great accomplishment by winning a match. The online reminds me a lot of Halo: Combat Evolved, but without vehicles (which is a good thing for the most part). It's very fast paced and intense and I believe every shooter fan will enjoy it. Rounds are smooth and rarely lag assuming you have a fast connection speed. Each game mode is fun and there are many to play and keep the online varied. Bounty Hunter, for example, is a game mode where you are assigned a random target in the match. That target is clearly pointed out for you so you know who that person is and you receive points for killing that person. During this time, however, there is someone hunting you also who you must try to keep off of your back at all times. Killing your target awards you 2 points, killing the one hunting you awards 0 points, and killing innocents causes you to lose a point. Its a fun game type and its only one of the few you'll be seeing in the multiplayer.

Control scheme wise, this game reigns supreme. The controls are extremely precise and take a lot of skill (something I can't say about most popular FPS games on the market lately) thus being much more satisfying when you snag a kill with them. The controls are fully customizable as well as the camera style, look speed, sensitivity, dead box, etc. It all just works perfectly and feels very natural. In many ways as precise as the mouse/keyboard set up, maybe even more.

Graphical, this game had a lot of expectations but for the most part it has lived up to them. There are many effects such as Bloom lighting and bump mapping that make the game shine and look beautiful. While it's not quite at 360/PS3 level due to some bland textures, the game is very impressive looking for a Wii game and I doubt anyone will be dissapointed when coupled with the Wii controls and 45-60 frame rate. Its the best looking game on the Wii.

The game sounds great with a nice theme song and up beat sound track that sets the fast paced mood very well. Some of the alien sounds are ripped off of Halo 1, however, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Overall I give The Conduit a 4.5 out of 5 and leave on the note that this game has very well lived up to it's rather high expectations. The single player is great (while somewhat short) and the multiplayer is addicting to say the least. It not only stands as the best shooter on the Wii, but also as a competing FPS when compared to even some of the very popular titles on the market today (Gears of War, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, etc). Its a well designed experience and I recommend it to anyone who has a Wii and even anyone who is looking for a shooter to add to their library.