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Nintendo: Wii Previews

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Preview

The Grinder

Format: Nintendo Wii

Developer: High Voltage

Publisher: Unknown

Genre: First Person Shooter

10-Aug-2009 The Conduit team ready their blood-curdling new project

24 Comments

High Voltage are showing their commitment to making mature games for the Wii. After releasing the The Conduit, they're stepping it up with a truly blood-curdling monster shooter. Will it be as heavily-hyped as The Conduit? Who can tell? But we do know that The Grinder is looking promising.

The set up is pretty straightforward. The world, for some unspecified reason, appears to have been overtaken by monsters. You know - the old fashioned kind: vampires, werewolves, that sort of thing. You play as one of a group of survivors stranded in the small mining town of Coyote Ridge and basically have to shoot your way out. It's hammy, it reeks of B-movie, and we dig it.

Some of you might be familiar with the cracking PC/Xbox 360 shooter, Left 4 Dead, which has a similar set up. Indeed, High Voltage are clearly taking all their cues from that title. The emphasis here is on frantic, no frills FPS action, with you mowing your way through wave after wave of ravenous beasts baying for your blood. Slashy vampire things are your bread and butter enemies, with tougher-to-drop werewolves popping up every now and then, along with various other boss beasts. Like Left 4 Dead, you can get online and play co-operatively with friends.

It's early days, but The Grinder is looking like a tonne of fun. The action is relentless, the controls are smooth and the visuals are great. There's some cool weapons to try out too - we're big fans of those sexy dual-wielding pistols in particular.

If you read our review of The Conduit, you'll remember that we said it was a solid, if rather generic, shooter. High Voltage have certainly delivered a more interesting concept with The Grinder but if we have one complaint, it's that there is still some work to do on the rather unexciting level design. Whereas The Conduit funnelled you through drab corridors, the first level of The Grinder leads you through equally unthrilling canyons.

Still, they've got plenty of time to spice things up in that regard. There's still a few questions about how well the Wii will be able to cope with online coop multiplayer, especially when High Voltage are promising upwards of 60 enemies on screen at once. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now though, because The Grinder has our interest well and truly piqued. This is one to watch.

Neil Long

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Posted by Prince_Ashitaka

1) Player needs to run faster.
2) Werewolf needs to be slower!
3) Needs original guns (Crossbows, Stake launcher etc.)
4) If HVS are making this with weapon upgrades and stuff, show us footage!
5) Whether it was because it was an early build or not, the health system is just bizarre.

If all else fails, make it as much like Left 4 dead as possible. They'll be slated for copying it, but hey, it might be half - decent.

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