A game ported from HD to Wii? Well, you're in for a suprise!
Some impatient players may gripe about the default button layout in Reflex, but that can all be reassigned to your liking. If you don't like pressing the awkward plus/minus button to throw a grenade, then you can assign it to a different button or gesture. I throw grenades using a throwing motion with the nunchuck.
You can adjust the turn speed if you feel the camera is moving too slow or too fast. You can also adjust the dead zone to be more narrow if you don't want to point towards the edge of the screen to turn. My deadzone is set to turn without needing to drag the cursor to the edge of the screen!
Unlike Sega/HVS for The Conduit, Activision/Treyarch did no promo for this game or did they try to make people aware that the default controls can be changed with a multitude of adjustment options. I do admit that The Conduit's default (the control settings when you first start) controls work much better and I don't understand why Treyarch chose the current default scheme that Reflex has, because first impressions are very important. Keep in mind, adjusting the controls to your liking does take a little getting use to. But once you find a customization that works for you, you will be a happy shooter in this game! You have to be patient with Reflex. I'm certain those that bought into World At War and The Conduit, will be pleased with the customization of controls and the way the game feels.
The single player is well intact and nothing was really cut out. So you get the same great story and action sequences that were in the original version. Using the Wii control scheme offers a different way of playing the the tried and tested story of Modern Warfare.
Right now The Conduit and Reflex are the best FPS on the Wii. So weighing this game against another great Wii FPS makes sense (as oppossed to comparing it to the HD versions). However, I would give a slight edge to Reflex. I have played both games extensively and I can thoroughly assess without a bias. The Conduit has better graphics and online voice chat. However those are the only factors that The Conduit have over Reflex. Both titles, to me, are almost a tie in terms of control and control customization, with Reflex offering slightly more options, like adjusting the feel for aiming down the sights.
Online multiplayer as with most recent Call of Duty games is the bread and butter of Reflex. The firefights are just as frantic and pulsating than before. Reflex has better and bigger level designs compared to the compacted and uninspired Conduit levels. The online multiplayer runs much smoother than the Conduit's, and I've experienced hardly any hacks, glitches, and lag--which The Conduit, although still reliable, has more more of. Opponents who I shoot at do not disapper through walls, blink or vanish from the screen as I attack them in close combat. Those issues are in just about every Conduit online match I've played.
The visuals look good for a game ported to the Wii, which usually doesn't go well. Yes, it's clear you're not playing in HD, but at least the visuals are not an eyesore and do not take away from the game. However, I think a developer such as Treyarch who has alot of Wii experience, resources, and deep pockets; would benefit better if they just made a Call of Duty game from the ground up exclusively for the Wii, instead of a port. However that's Activision's call and money. Considering how well this port came out and ground up efforts like The Conduit, I think a company with deep resources can really take a Wii FPS to the next level-if they just open up the pocket book a tad bit more! So although the visuals are decent, core Wii owners know that a lot better can be done.
So Reflex is certainly a step in the right direction and capitalizes on what World at War did before it. I'm certain the the million plus users who bought into the Wii version of World At War will definitely want to pick up Reflex.
The Good:
Gameplay feel great; Tight controls with customization that anyone can tweak to their liking, so you really can't go wrong here unless you're impatient. The online multiplayer is very reliable and fun. Kill streak rewards , perks, unlockable content, and a ranking sytem keeps things interesting. Level design is big and fun to play in
The Bad
No Wii Speak for voice chat; graphics are ok but more can clearly be done