This year is certainly shaping up to be the year of the FPS. One of the most promising new additions to the FPS genre is Ubisoft and Free Radical's Haze (PS3, Xbox 360, PC). Rob Yescombe recently spoke to GamePro about Haze, giving out a lot of details about the game and the Nectar effect.

Even though Haze is an FPS, Yescombe noted that the player's main weapon isn't a gun but Nectar, the "nutritional supplement" that can give Mantel soldiers godlike combat abilities. Nectar usage is a double-edged knife: it can enhance combat abilities, but it can also cause soldiers to go berserk when ingested in extremely large quantities.

Yescombe's comments about this is a sort of spoiler, so we'll just say that Haze is all about seeing war from both sides of the fence. The game also features what Yescombe describes as "an extremely intelligent and adaptive AI." Even though players can go through the entire game using only their favorite high-powered gun (ammo can be recalibrated to fit any kind of gun), the AI still won't make things any easier.

Yescombe also revealed a few juicy bits about the game's multiplayer mode. Haze will feature four-player co-op and online multiplayer support for up to 24 players. The coolest thing about the multiplayer mode is that it can alter the single player storyline. The same also holds true for the single player game.

All in all, Haze is shaping up to be a ready contender amid this year's slew of triple-A FPS titles. The game currently looks on scheduled for its November release on the Sony PlayStation 3. For the full interview including talk about PS3 weapon controls as well some spoilers about the game's storyline, click on the Read link below.

Some would argue that if there's one thing all First Person Shooters has got to have, it's good multiplayer - and some are certainly happy that Free Radical's upcoming title, Haze (PS3, Xbox 360, PC), is sporting what could be one of the most intense multiplayer experiences ever to hit the FPS genre. Yes, armchair marksmen, this gameplay video update of Haze is all about having a ridiculously fun time with other people in Haze - and it doesn't look half bad at all.

In these videos, we see two aspects of a typical multiplayer round in Haze - that is, utilization of the knife and some of the many projectile weapons in the game. In Multiplayer Knife Fight, we see the player not using the aforementioned sharp object to slash and cut, no - he throws the darn things, and we're all but floored as he literally clears a hallway full of enemies with 'em.

The other video, Shootout Cam, gets us behind the sights of a player raining fire and brimstone down on his opponents - the fact that you can see how many shots you have left is pretty neat.

Free Radical certainly looks to have an FPS classic on their hands. Add to that a riveting storyline that's not only mature but deals with today's world matters, and Haze looks considerably epic from this viewpoint. Updates as we get them, so enjoy the videos!

The other video after the jump!

It's one thing for a game to give you a vehicle you can drive around in - it's another thing entirely when that vehicle becomes your only hope of surviving a full-scale attack against you and your mates. We see that and more in this particularly hell-on-wheels flavored gameplay video update of Haze (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC) from GC.

In this video, we see the player and his nectar-guzzling buddies pile into what looks like a monster truck crossed with a tank, before manning the thing in what appears to be the Haze equivalent of a dirt racetrack filled with mines and bombs and other nasty things.

What's really interesting in this video is that while it may look like the player's barely dodging the things that go kablooey to the left and right of him, upon closer inspection, his team-mates appear to be dying - and that's not a good thing. Even the bloke who's manning the gun gets offed.

While Free Radical's Haze may seem to share a few similarities here and there with a certain FPS on the Xbox 360, there's no doubt that it looks to deliver one of the more intense gaming experiences yet. Enjoy the video!

 

The biggest understatement you can ever say this year is Haze being just another FPS. Beyond astounding graphics and Nectar-induced action, Free Radical's latest offering features more than your average American shooter - special skills are available, unique to either Mantel soldiers or Promised Hand rebels.

For those who didn't know, Haze follows the cat and mouse story of soldiers under the effects of drug-like Nectar against rebels who don't want to yield. Players can choose either side, each with their own arsenal.

Those under Mantel Global Industries have access to Nectar, which greatly enhances their physical abilities. There's a catch though, since their perception of reality is distorted. Shooting people don't show blood and dead guys disappear, just like in video games. Still, these skills should give them an edge:

• Nectar Perception: you’ll be able to spot rebels even in the darkest parts of the environment
  
• Nectar Focus: allows you to pull off incredible head-shots from long distances away
  
• Nectar Foresight: gives you a heightened sense of things, e.g., nearby grenades emit a warning in the form of a ripple effect before exploding onto you
  
• Melee Blast: send rebels flying with an overly-powerful strike

More after the jump!

 

A lot of talk has been coming from gamers on whether or not Haze will be a PS3 exclusive. Now it seems this game will indeed be timed exclusive for the said console with the release dates of Xbox 360 and PC versions slipping into the TBA category.

You might recall that in a previous article we posted, Haze for both platforms was listed for a November 30 release - only seven days after the release of the PS3 version. Ubisoft is now announcing that there have been some inaccuracies with the info/listing they divulged. What kind of "inaccuracies" you ask? Well as insinuated above, the November 30 release dates are wrong, with Ubisoft adding that there's actually no concrete release dates planned for the Xbox 360 and PC copies yet.

It's quite interesting to see how this will turn out. Will Ubisoft give the PS3 versions enough exclusivity time to see if the market for the said console alone could sustain profits? If it indeed delivered, would the said company consider keeping the title exclusive to the PS3? Only time will tell.

Those who were wishing to see the head boss of Free Radical might want to take a first glimpse here. As the first of a series of developer diaries, developer and director Dave Doak shares Free Radical's complete rehashing of the first-person shooting genre with HAZE (for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC).

Once again, Doak explains just what they're aiming for with the multiplatform shooter, which Free Radical has repeatedly identified as turning HAZE into a blast-fest with much deeper thought and feelings. Personal views, reservations and all of that being skewed with bittersweet Nectar is the name of the game.

But this time around, each explanation comes with some eye candy to take a gander at, and since Free Radical is releasing the highly-awaited title to the PlayStation 3 first, you can be sure these are real-time captures of the PlayStation 3's gameplay. Four-player co-op, visuals that controversially tails one other visual masterpiece title, and subtle clues of Nectar overdose and its effects are weaved into the Doak's video journal entry, so keep a keen eye out.

HAZE may be about the most elite Mantel troopers enhanced by the effects of Nectar, but it isn't about going "all gung-ho," blasting everything that moves and isn't clad in a Mantel combat suit. Thinking shooters and feelings aside, much of the design of HAZE (coming out first for the PlayStation 3, then for the Xbox 360 and PC) is based loosely on just you.

 

Unlike much of the American shooters, where the it's all about the hero in you, your gun and the nameless baddies you steamroll through, HAZE doesn't revolve around that. In fact, it doesn't even revolve around the conflict or the war; instead, it revolves around the soldier fighting someone else's war.

"It's not John Wayne. And a lot of videogames are John Wayne," Free Radical's David Doak explained in a recently published interview with EuroGamer. But he did admit that most gamers will be buying the game to experience another typical shooter, so HAZE will incorporate mechanics for gamers to jump in shooting from the start right to the end.

But then that would only remain skin-deep for HAZE. In fact, Free Radical wants to slowly convince the player that it provides a lot more than just mindless shooting. "We have to somehow change your opinion about that as you go through, and make you uncomfortable about it, make you pleased about it, make you upset or whatever," said Doak.

Click on Full Article for more of Doak's views of what they're doing with HAZE.

Free Radical's Haze (PC, 360, PS3) is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated titles this generation. We already found out that the game is aiming for a very immersive experience by throwing emotions at the players. That said, we're still talking about the developers in Timesplitters fame here. Awesome weapons and cool vehicles are bound to be there, along with other nifty features.

Free Radical promised some eye-candy through parallel processing, and it looks like they'll deliver. OPM got their hands on the game and caught some details. Flames burn on the grass and buildings, action is faster than it was on E3, stages can be so big that just walking around can take more than an hour - Haze is definitely not lacking on the aesthetics side.

Among the vehicles revealed were APCs and buggies, while the remote-controlled grenade took most interest from the weapons department. Whoever played the game for OPM sure got emotions, or rather frustrations while trying to cover civilians.

Finally, scriptwriter Rob Yescombe stated that the game's story is inspired by Metal Gear Solid. The writer admires Hideo Kojima's complex ideas and how he gives people something to think about.

More info as they come, so watch this space.

In a recently published interview by Worth Playing, Free Radical Design has pegged their upcoming next-gen shooter HAZE (still for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) as a worthy product to their impressive reputation as innovators in the first-person shooter genre.

 

They have used their prior experience in first-person shooters to deliver an action-packed game like never before. But this time around, they will also be taking the player through an emotional ride, tapping deep into the recesses of personal beliefs, convictions and the ethics of war. HAZE will sport a far deeper story, with emotional ties. Derek Littlewood, team leader of the project, explained:

One of our chief priorities has been to deliver a genuinely moving and emotional experience – but never at the expense of the gameplay. The narrative is packed with rounded characters, each suffering or succeeding in their own human journey.

Perspectives change, and players will get introduced to view-skewing plot twists and turns as HAZE unfolds. Free Radical doesn't want to reveal anything more than they should, although we already know about the Nectar flukes. They hope to succeed in merging a certain level of quality writing that they believe "should exist in the next generation of games." Littlewood expounded:

We want to redefine the intensity and variety of emotions a player can experience in an action FPS. We want HAZE to become the definitive next-gen shooter and maintain Free Radical's reputation for developing some of the best games in the world.

But how will the gameplay turn out? Free Radical designed HAZE so that everything seamlessly unfolds to the next, with no need for loading screens and no mission select screens. Continuity was a goal they sought to achieve, which in turn accomplished their hopes to create a realistic, immersive game world.

Aside from four player cooperative modes through the campaign, Free Radical has pointed out that each version has been designed to take advantage of parallel-processing for squeezing out more power. Although all platforms are capable of this feat and they've catered fairly to all platforms, Sony's PlayStation 3 was probably one of their favorites. Steve Ellis, director of Free Radical, said:

Working on PS3 has allowed us to create vastly superior environments that verge on photo-realism – full-screen effects, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and obscenely complex shaders. It's more challenging than ever before, but the power is greater than anything else that’s out there.

 

In-game FPS banter has always been tepid as of late. Sure, you have the death screams, the authoritative figure coolly reminding you of your objectives, your teammates grunting and yelling incomprehensibly when the bullets start flying thick and fast. And it's not a bad thing. It does its job in adding to the immersion factor of the game, it makes it seem all the more real. Haze, the game touted as "Halo for adults", promises to be more than just real, it's going to be absolutely no-holds-barred dirty.

At least, when in-game banter is concerned.

During an open discussion in a recent Ubisoft event, co-founder of Free Radical Dave Doak revealed that in Haze, your teammates will not only be firing bullets but also verbal barbs, and you're the hapless target in their sights. "I don't think you will see in any other game points in the narrative, in cut-scenes or cinematic gameplay moments, where people are calling you a p***y - telling you that you're not with the program, that you're a liability to the team."

Ouch, burned. But Dave reassures us that it's not just mere shock jock tactics - he wants the player to feel as uncomfortable as possible to drive certain story elements home. "Haze puts in this warzone, where other people are perhaps doing things where a line has been crossed. You're going to think, 'These guys have gone too far'. And you'll have to ask yourself, 'Are you part of this now?'"

And the language, coarse as it is, ties in neatly with one of the game's critical themes - that is, the performance-enhancing drug called Nectar and the abuse of it. "The soldiers are fighting with you, using Nectar and talking about it all. And they talk about it in a locker room style. But, sometimes, it gets a bit too far. It makes you uncomfortable."

It's certainly good news that Free Radical's taking Haze very seriously - to the point of daring to use such strong adult-oriented elements to give players a more intense experience. Here's hoping someone doesn't go on another political crusade with this news - it's really getting old. In any case, updates about Haze as we get them!