Haze First Look

Well, it looks like the PS3 is finally starting to get some attention. Right now, UK-based Free Radical Design is working on a first-person shooter, entitled Haze. Previously announced for the X360, PS3 and PC, Haze was recently branded as a PS3-exclusive by prominent publisher Ubisoft. From the look of things, Free Radical Design is on the right track with this one, bringing several interesting ideas into the long-established scene of FPS games.

The game takes players on a journey over the course of three days in the year 2048. Within this particular era, most of the world's governments aren't running the show anymore, but have left things in the hands of major corporations (no, I'm not talking about Sony). During this period, a group of rebels, calling itself "The Promise Hand," started to cause trouble down in South America. You step in as a sergeant, working for Mantel Global Industries, a pharmaceutical/weapons company that controls practically everything throughout the globe. Mantel intends to use its private military forces to suppress the continuous civil uprisings. You'll be heading out on a mission, which, no doubt involves locating and getting rid of these rebels.

Haze has come a long way since the E3 2006. Graphics wise, they've incorporated enough modern-day special effects and some sweet lighting effects to make things a bit appealing. Free Radical Design also opted to remove certain aspects we've noticed in the earlier version of the game. Soldiers now look more advanced, with squads of superior fighters, wearing characteristic yellow combat suits and masks, as well as high-tech gear. Although the main character is still part of an elite task force, controlling the squad has now been moderated, focusing the game a bit more on the player's individual actions. So, essentially, the game went through some changes, but all for the better it seems.

As your character advances through the surroundings, he's going to need more than wits and accurate shooting to make it out alive. Camouflaged enemies will often make good use of the environment to conceal their numbers. Jungle areas, for example, make it extremely difficult for your character to distinguish targets. Thanks to the help and provisions from Mantel Global Industries, the protagonist packs most of the latest gadgets, items and weaponry the company has on offer. If that's not enough, you get to operate a variety of vehicles, but what's more to the point, you get some biomedical support for your troubles.

The mention of bio-meds brings us to one of the key features of Haze. In order to boost his strength and overall performance in combat, the hero uses a substance called Nectar, easily administered to the character's body with the mere push of a button. Basically, Nectar increases agility, making you run faster, in addition to rendering you more resistant to damage. Apart from that, using Nectar also entails numerous special abilities. Perception instantly highlights foes orange, turning them into easy targets. There's also an ability called Focus, which helps your aiming, allows easier headshots and so on. When using Foresight, you are warned of any immediate threats - nearby soldiers or projectiles emit ripples that start appearing on screen. Last but not least, players can resort to the so-called melee blast, which comes as a rather powerful melee attack.

Now before you head out to buy yourself a truck-load this delightful drug that heightens man's senses, there are a few things to watch out for. Like all performance-enhancing drugs, this one also brings about certain side-effects. Some side-effects, supposedly, come into play and are shown through the game's storyline. More details on that are kept secret for now. Other side-effects may cause you to fire involuntarily at the closest target. At that point, overusing the drug distorts your vision, so you won't be able to tell friend from foe. This, in turn, should make players rethink their actions before they endanger the entire team. At any rate, it's important to keep a close eye on the level of Nectar in your bloodstream, otherwise things could get nasty.

As far as tasks go, we're not exactly sure what sort of pace the game sets and how the developers plan to introduce mission structure. However, certain elements were revealed. Specific missions entail the MGI squad finding and taking out a rebel leader. Such a mission takes place in a gloomy industrial area, almost entirely devoid of color and showing off a grittier ambiance, which, of course, could indicate the character's excessive use of Nectar.

It was also promised that Haze will never be out of control of the hero. You'll never be forced to come out of the main character's view to watch a load screen or anything similar. This way, Free Radical is preserving a seamless single-player experience.

There are plenty of wide areas in the game to allow for open-ended driving sequences. As for vehicles, so far we know of a heavily armored buggy, similar to that of the Warthog in Bungie's Halo. The buggy is a fast and very nimble vehicle, sporting a driver seat and separate spots for a character to man the roof-turret. Two doors are also open on either side, making room for two additional soldiers who will be able to fire when seated.

While the Ubi and Free Radical remained secretive about many features, they were quick to stress that Haze is going to have a multiplayer mode, boasting intense online 4-player co-op action, amongst other things.

From what was shown thus far, it's certain Ubisoft is showing but a morsel of a truly promising shooter. Story details and other aspects of the game are still under lock and key. Further demos will no doubt be displayed at the E3 2007 next month and we'll be there to check it out, as always.