The latest in Wii first-person shooter action, The Conduit delivers an intense plotline, stunning visuals and smooth, fluid controls.

The premise of the single-player campaign treads into familiar territory: An alien invasion forces an evacuation of the Washington, D.C., area, and the government sends in the best to take care of the job. Despite this seemingly overused plot, the game carries it out well, with unexpected twists and engaging dialogue.

You control Michael Ford, a CIA agent with a knack for getting the job done. You are hired by the “Trust,” an organization that has supported the country for 200 years. They have the weapons and technology to put an end to the crisis, or so they say. The player quickly discovers that the Trust is merely putting on a show to gain full authorization from the president to stop the invasion. In truth, the Trust is working with the aliens, known only as the Drudge, in order to revolutionize the country in the way they believe seems best. You are swept into a fast-paced race against time, where Michael and his new terrorist ally work together to destroy the alien nests and shut down the Trust before too many have infested the city. The only thing Michael knows is that this battle centers around a mysterious device called the ASE, a universal cipher, allowing someone to hack almost anything, and the Trust will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

The mechanics of the game are thought out well and is highly customizable if you don’t particularly agree with the default setup. The controls use the Wii-mote for aiming and firing, with the B button acting as the trigger. You can cycle through weapons with the right arrow on the D-pad and grenades with the left. Zooming in and out with a scope is accomplished with up on the D-pad. The minus button reloads your weapon, and if held, it allows you to pick up a weapon from the ground. The plus button toggles the ASE on and off. A stabbing motion with the Wii-mote is used for a melee attack in the game, helpful in close combat situations. The Nunchuck is used for moving about with the analog stick, crouching with C, locking onto a target with Z, and tossing grenades with a quick flick of the controller. The game offers multiple levels of difficulty to fit however much mayhem you feel like taking on. You can also reposition every single element of your HUD, from your health meter to your ammo bar. Mechanics like how fast and far you can turn around and the sensitivity of your Wii-mote are fully customizable.

The gameplay itself is smooth, with an excellent frame rate for the Wii. Controls are responsive, putting you fully in control of Mr. Ford. The lighting and textures, as well as minute details such as logos, advertisements and paintings add to the realism the game tries to achieve. Each character and enemy is very well-designed, and the style of animation avoids giving the enemies a very cloned look, even though they are all, in fact, identical.

I found myself often absorbed in the battles because of the interactive controls that make you feel as if YOU are the one holding the gun and facing hordes of monsters. Rather than being a hang-up, the motion controls become a convenience for split-second decision-making. The AI is surprisingly good; enemies are intelligent, changing their paths if they are being fired upon, hiding behind terrain/walls, and using flanking maneuvers. This makes each fight that you get into different from the others and keeps the game fun. Glitches seem fairly nonexistent. Other than the occasional unresponsive grenade toss or failure to reload, the game’s potential issues are all ironed out.

The sound is another admirable aspect of The Conduit; the grenade sounds and the constant chatter of bullets have a crisp, realistic sound and don’t distract the player by being too repetitive. The sounds of the Drudge are unique as well. The Drones will speak in their own language, often uttering growls or war cries. The mites and other smaller beasts make insect-like clicks and screeches, adding to the eerie alien atmosphere.

The Conduit offers more than just a single-player story. Extensive multiplayer online modes are available using Nintendo’s free Wi-Fi Connection. All you need is an Internet connection for your Wii to hook up to, and you can hop on The Conduit’s relatively stable servers. Other players online will see your name above your character. This is the same name as your single-player profile name, so choose wisely, because everyone will be seeing it! You can choose from five character models and can customize the color, choosing from more than 200 options.

Like any game, you will experience lag or glitches, like seeing your foe falling through the floor or finding yourself frozen out of a game that you just joined. Despite some issues, the system is well-designed. When you connect to WFC (Wi-Fi Connection), you can choose to play with friends via friend codes or to play regional or worldwide games. You can also select a team or free-for-all game. Once you have made your selection, you wait in a virtual lobby while the system connects you to a game. After it has validated all the players, the server drops you into the game. There are six game modes available: Quick Match, Marathon, Three Strikes, Last Man Standing, ASE Football and Bounty Hunter. Each is entertaining, competitive and intense. The players in a match vote on their choice of a game mode, map and weapon set.

This gives the multiplayer modes huge replay value. I have spent a great deal more time playing online than playing the campaign, so rest assured that just because you’ve beaten the game doesn’t mean the fun is over. Making friends, fighting against unpredictable human opponents and even using Wiispeak, — if you have it — make this experience very interactive.

I would highly recommend The Conduit to anyone, not just fans of the FPS genre, who enjoy an engaging, visually stunning and interactive game. The Conduit is truly one-of-a-kind for Wii gamers. The story is immersive and the dialogue well-acted; the multiplayer modes are many, providing for endless options and making each match unique. This game is a good buy, well worth the $50, but if you’re still not sure, renting first is always a good idea.