The only reason I was even vaguely interested in the launch of the Xbox 360 was one game: Perfect Dark Zero. I was a slave to the charms of Rare's original back on the N64. I didn't even blink when I handed 50 quid over for it - and that was nearly ten years ago! And here we were, about to get the new NEXT-GEN version with bigger guns, lovelier graphics, unimaginable gameplay. Except we didn't. It stank.
As far as I'm concerned the real successor to Perfect Dark belongs on the Wii - and that's where it will appear come June. It's The Conduit. I know, I know, there's the "looks like a bad PS3 shooter" argument, but as one of our posters brilliantly, and rightly, pointed out, "that would be Haze". (Nice one YCshinobi.)
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Quantum 3, the bespoke engine powering The Conduit, is doing an admirable job of buffing it up, bestowing upon it some lovely explosions and effects, but there's no denying it's punching above its weight next to the HD machines. Yet that could be something that works in the game's favour.
High Voltage, the studio behind the game, is making a real fist of pushing the Wii's graphics processors as far as they can be pushed without melting. But the guys there know there's only so much they can do, and so they are pouring everything into nailing the gameplay: AI, neat weapons, slick pacing... From what we've played here it looks to have it all.
With HD consoles there's a danger of developers relying on extra graphical grunt and processing power to paper over a lack of creativity, to dazzle gamers with super-detailed environments and magnificently rendered vehicles and whatnot. Smoke and mirrors. Hustling you.
Developing for the Wii means trying a bit harder, digging a bit deeper. Doing without the safety net of wow-factor visuals and being more inventive, and making sure that the game underneath is right up to snuff.
