The Conduit

The shooting controls of The Conduit were inspired by Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, first-person games which had well-received Wii control schemes. The Conduit offers user customizable control features, such as the ability to alter the size of the bounding box, the speed at which the player can move the camera, and cursor sensitivity. Furthermore, the player can adjust these options in real time, without having to leave the adjustment screen to try the changes. The developer also included the option for the player to change the control layout, so that any gameplay function can be mapped to any button or motion on the Wii Remote. Other customizable aspects include the player's maximum running speed and the layout of the game's HUD; the elements of the HUD can be moved to different locations around the screen or removed.

The Conduit provides an experience typical of a first-person shooter, focusing on combat in a 3D environment and taking place from the first-person perspective of a playable character. A unique feature of the game is a device known as the "All-Seeing Eye", or ASE, which is recovered by the player early on and used to solve various puzzles. The ASE can detect hidden traps and enemies scattered throughout a level, and reveal secret features in the environment that can help the player to progress, such as uncovering invisible doors and platforms and other interactive objects.

C. is shaken by several unusual and tragic incidents. A mysterious flu-like disease known as "the Bug" has swept across the region through local water sources, resulting in high-security locations being left understaffed as government workers are afflicted. Months after the initial outbreak, an alleged terrorist attack destroys part of the Washington Monument, and on September 11, a senator is assassinated by another terrorist cell reportedly disguised as members of her staff, greatly heightening local and national tensions.

Most alarmingly, an assassination attempt on the President of the United States occurs only weeks after the previous attacks, carried out by the president's own Secret Service detail. In the midst of these events, Agent Michael Ford must overcome the onslaught of the alien Drudge and the humans under the Drudge's control, and defeat the masterminds behind the invasion.

The Conduit was announced to be in production on April 17, 2008, through IGN. The developer began considering creating a new game for the Wii that would cater to the "hardcore" audience. The game was designed to have a comparable experience to games on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 despite the hardware limitations of the Wii. The game's announcement was seen as something of a surprise because the company had largely been known for its licensed titles which had been marketed mainly to younger audiences.

By the developer's own admission, many of these licensed games have received mediocre reviews in the gaming press. Eric Nofsinger, the development team's Chief Creative Officer (CCO), claimed that the company saw potential in the Wii early on, but noted that much of what has succeeded on the Wii so far has been family-oriented or Nintendo-promoted games. Nofsinger went on to say, "The other titles that have come out in that vein have been a bit lackluster. The games that have done well are the casual games so publishers see those as viable.

The Conduit has received mixed to positive reviews. The game has an aggregate average of 72.23% at GameRankings based on 64 reviews, and a metascore of 69% at Metacritic based on 79 reviews. In general, the game's praise is mostly centered on its technical success, online play, and intuitive controls, while its criticism is centered on the storyline and single-player experience.

Nintendo Power praised the game as proof that first-person shooters work well with the Wii console, and further complimented the customization allowed by the control system, calling the experience "seamless". Points of criticism were that the story was simple and predictable, environments lacked the destructible elements of many other contemporary games, and that the All-Seeing Eye device featured in the game was underused. The online multiplayer mode was favorably compared to that of the Halo video game franchise, and was noted as "impressively smooth". Other critics also noted that the game was similar to Halo.