Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
In a new blog post, Eric Nofsinger, chief creative officer at Conduit 2 developer High Voltage Software, has explained why fans should expect much more from SEGA’s Wii sequel.
“With the first Conduit we spent a lot of time establishing a brand new first person shooter engine, with advanced technology for the hardware, while creating a brand new IP at the same time,” said Nofsinger. “It really was a lot for the team to handle at one time. At various points throughout the development of C1 we would discover something new about the technology, build a new graphics feature, and then have to make hard decisions as to whether or not we had time to rework existing art content to take better advantage of the latest features.”
Nofsinger also revealed that the game’s art direction was held back by a decision not to explore “more exotic locations,” resulting in a somewhat uninspiring game world.
“This time, when approaching art direction for Conduit 2 we’ve made sure never to build anything into our game that we ourselves aren’t completely excited about making,” explained Nofsinger. “And unlike the first game (which had limited concept art), practically every location in Conduit 2 was conceptualised, and then those designs have been scrutinised and reworked, until we truly believe that we are choosing the most inspired locations for our game.”
“We’re not restricting ourselves to one city in a single part of the world. Conduit 2 spans the entire globe, and we have created far more interesting locations as battlefields for our game.”
He continued: “Every table, chair, railing, crate, control switch, weapon, etc, has been designed to maximize silhouette, improve level of detail, and to ensure a more substantial and uniquely distinctive look throughout the game.
“Our lighting system has also been improved so that characters look more realistic (by the way, every screenshot that’s on the web still features the old character lighting system). And one of the most significant differences between Conduit 1 & 2 is our engine’s portal system, plus some texture streaming improvements, which allow for more detailed geometry and texture detail in every room.”
Nofsinger concluded: “We’re doing whatever it takes to make Conduit 2 the very best that it can be because we love the game and our audience. There’s a lot more that we still want to accomplish with this game before it ships, and fortunately we still have time to execute on our initial goal to build a game that fully realises our vision of the Conduit world.”
Conduit 2 is scheduled for release this autumn only on Wii.
