Haze (PS3)

I know it's been a while; not a good thing for such a new blog, but as Moomin put it so well, university "threw up in my face". I've just watched some Zero Punctuation to get me out of Java mode and into the mood for doing something more interesting, so here's my preview on Haze for PS3.

Originally sighted for eventual release on Xbox 360 as well as PC, the word on the street now is that Haze is going to be a PS3 exclusive, and I think it's about time that Sony got a bit of meat under their belt.

Haze is set in the near future (2048 apparently), where a company called "Mantel Global Industries" has basically taken over the world, as the main supplier of weapons and protection, as well as medical supplies and other assorted goodies for most countires. Having made the UN redundant, they now partake in all peace-keeping operations worldwide (so they're basically North America). The team at Free Radical Design have actually made a Mantel website which you can view here - it's actually quite good - though a little sloppy on the grammar for some reason.

In the game, you play the role of "Sargent Shane Carpenter", a member of the Mantel military arm. Your original mission is to subdue a group of rebels in South America, but during your mission you will eventually switch sides and join the rebels. There aren't a lot of specifics on the story line, for the obvious reason that the game isn't out yet, but the apparent facts are that something will happen to trigger Shane's realisation that Mantel Inductries is actually evil, and he will then decide to turn his gun on his previous colleagues, and fight on the side of his previous enemies.

On reading the previews and doing a little reseahc online, my first impression of game was "oh great, another team-based fps with sterile-looking characters, set in the future after some great war. And oh look: they have bullet time. Wonderous!" Though this might have been my first impression, it didn't take long for me to find out that there's far more to it than that.

For starters there's Nova-Keto-Thyrazine, referred to in the game as Nectar, a performance-enhancing drug which gives you the edge in combat. It highlights hazards such as enemies, as well as grenades etc, as well as increased aiming skills and melee damage and a decrease in the damage you recieve. an over-dose of nectar however will make it impossible for you to tell the difference between friend and foe, something the enemies of Mantel will deffinately try to take advantage of. From what I've seen, it's nothing like bullet time; it doesn't even slow the world down (Haze is intended for an online and split-screen audience, so a slowing of time would be impossible anyway).
While under the influence, so to speak, a Mantel troop will have the horrors of war clouded from his vision. Dead bodies will seem harder to notice (or may disappear completely), and a supposed scenario will feature Shane's helmet accidentally opening while in the field, showing him for the first time what combat really looks and sounds like.

The team switching will actually make a difference to how you play the game. As a rebel in the second half, you will have access a few new features, such as rolling and feigning death. You will always use the Mantel guns; they're the best, but you will also be able to scavenge Nectar from fallen Mantel troops and use it to makeNectar-tipped throwing knives and grenades - allowing you to force enemy Mantel troops into an overdose (alternatively you can just shoot the dispencer on the back of their helmet for the same effect).

There will also be a melee ability - something that is often over-looked in many first person shooters. As well as striking with your hands and kicking, you will also be able to stike with your gun and perform disarming moves against your enemies. In the trailer, you see a Mantel troop on a Nectar dose picking up a rebel with one hand and crushing his wind-pipe like Darth Vader.

The mantel might have drug abuse on their side, but the rebels have a few tricks up their sleeves too. As well as the previously mentioned feign death, they will also be able to plant grenades in the floor to act as mines. How good the AI will make use of these features is still to be seen.

The gameplay will be primarily squad based. Although a trailer I watched today made the game look like a traditional one man army showdown, multiplayer will be all about co-operation, with vehicles playing a part in the combat, and who you have on your team making a big difference to how well you will do (a team-mate on a Nectar overdose will pose a far grater hazard than your rebel enemies - you may find yourself having to put down your friends just stop them from accidentally killing you). When a Mantel troop is on an Nectar overdose, the yellow sections of his suit turn bright red.

From what I've read in magazines and online, Haze is going to be quite good. It looked a little odd at first with the black and yellow colour schemes and weird helmet design, but i think it has the potential to be a winner. The storyline looks set to be very immersive -a rare (though to be fair getting slightly more common) treat for an fps- and the multiplayer should prove good with the tried and tested method of teamwork and vehicles, but with the twist of Nectar for the Mantels and the rebel tricks.

So far, my only gripe with what I've seen is that the suits of over-dosed troops turn red. Why would you design armour that turns bright red when the user is weakened? It's kind of a beacon to the enemy; surely an encoded radio message sent to all nearby Mantel troops would prove jus tas effective and wouldn't reveal the predicament to the enemy.
I also think the crushing-windpipe melee finisher is a little extreme; i doubt the Mantel troops would have such a personal vendetta towards the people they're been assigned to exterminate today; though maybe the Nectar makes them more violent and barbaric.
The advertising has been terrible - a boring monotone developer drooling on about what he's doing on the new gameplay trailor, as well as what I consider to be a poor choice by having live actors posing as the characters from the game in the adverts; cheesey, tackey and embarrasing.

Final opinion: I think it will be worth buying. Even after all this time the PS3 has had very little on offer and Haze might just be the version-exclusive break they've been looking for. I'm sure PS3 owners who buy this will for the first time get their money's worth out of their console.

Release date: end of 2007

Haze official website (UK)
Free Radical Design
Mantel Global Industries

Live-D