Haze Review

By Kristan Reed Published 22 May, 2008

"I did something bad!"

Version tested: PlayStation 3

If there's one thing the world doesn't need right now, it's another spirit-crushing first-person shooter, but here it is anyway. And after enduring such teeth-grinding nonentities as Blacksite, Turning Point and Conflict: Denied Ops in recent months, the fact that such a respected, reliable developer as Free Radical Design can turn out such a desperately uninspired effort is not only a shock, but a massive disappointment.

One thing FRD has been exceptionally good at is making games with a style, feel and personality completely at odds with everyone else's. From the original team members' work on GoldenEye and Perfect Dark at Rare through to TimeSplitters (and even Second Sight to a lesser extent), the creative forces at the Nottingham studio were always determined to do things their own way. Be it the art and animation style, the slightly quirky control systems or interesting gameplay modes, you always felt they ploughed their own furrow to great effect. But, after a three-year absence, rather than launching onto the next generation scene with bold concepts and dazzling technology, Haze limps along apologetically - a stark demonstration of a developer completely out of touch with a genre it used to help boss. It's fallen into line with what everyone else is doing in the most depressing fashion possible.

Haze is stultifyingly dreadful from the very beginning. Featuring some of the most excruciating dialogue in videogaming history, it makes Army of Two look like a masterclass of narrative subtlety. The general premise of playing the soldier with a moral conscience is fine on its own, and, yes, we get the fact that you're not supposed to approve of the antics and utterances of your meat-headed bio-enhanced squad-mates, but the ham-fisted execution is akin to being told the same rubbish joke over and over again. It's a shame, because the original concept of fighting on the side of a dubious corporate entity had potential.

The most irritating cut-scenes of the year. (Double-click to full-screen.)

What happens is, you're sent into the Boa Region of South America to liberate a nefarious group of militant rebels known as Promise Hand, so you and your squad trek through dense jungle on the trail of their leader, a man known as Skin Coat because he literally wears his slain enemies. Armed with a revolutionary bio-enhancing medication called Nectar, the odds are somewhat stacked in your favour.

By pressing L2 at any time, you're able to dose yourself up and become temporarily smarter, faster and stronger than the enemy. In practical terms, you're not only more resistant to damage, but gain thermo-sensitive vision which makes previously camouflaged enemies and even lobbed grenades show up a distinct orange against the dense vegetation. With recharging health as standard, even relatively unskilled players will be able to routinely carve a swathe through anyone in their way, and generous checkpointing ensures that quick progress is automatic.

But however easy it is, you can only take lines like "He's about to get a hurting on him - BIATCH!" or "That was like taking candy from a crippled baby" or "That's how we do it! BOOSH!" so many times before you wonder whether fighting alongside this bunch of shoulder-butting morons is really worth it. Fortunately, faced with a chance to take out the apparent source of the local evil, instead you predictably switch sides and begin to wipe out all the mouthy imbeciles you've been fighting alongside. But as liberating as this might be in theory, the reality is dull: the absence of your Nectar-enhanced abilities turn the gameplay into a basic run-and-gun trudge.

'Haze' Screenshot 1

Boosh!

That might not be such a bad thing if the game's AI was capable of putting up an engaging firefight, but it plainly is not. Enemies are predictable, idiotic, never work as a team, and seem strangely incapable of utilising the massive advantages that Nectar gives them. It's faintly forgivable to make the combat very manageable in the early stages of a game while you're an enhanced super-soldier, but to make it just as boringly straightforward when the odds are apparently against you is a strange decision.

Occasional attempts at giving the gameplay a little more depth and variety with switch-flicking 'puzzles', buggy-driving interludes or on-rails flyby shooting sorties only serve to underline the absence of inspiration and imagination. Not only that, but the handling on the driving sections is ridiculously wayward, and the ease with which you can evade roadblocks and pursuing enemies makes you wonder why they were included at all. Elsewhere, on the rare occasions that you have to destroy a bridge or a piece of equipment, the insultingly basic process of pressing a couple of switches to make it all happen wouldn't trouble a four-year-old. That we're fifteen years on from Doom, and somehow regressing in terms of ideas and execution in a big-budget first-person shooter is slightly incredible.

It's possible that at some point in Haze's protracted development the designers intended to flesh out the squad-based mechanics, but the end result is a no-fuss, no-frills system where everyone gets on with what they're doing, which is to say drunken squad-mates frequently stumble right into the path of your bullets, and generally make a complete nuisance of themselves while you do all the grunt work. Hilariously, when they become incapacitated (which is often), you can revive them by wandering up to them and, err, touching their heads. But with so many corners so obviously cut in making a convincing, credible shooter, such moments of clunky nonsense pass you by a blur of farce. There's the side-splitting disco-dancing death animations, the appalling clipping, that flame effect, and the goldfish memory of everyone around you. Having won 2007's most-repetitive-phrase competition with "You dirty thief - I'll have your hand for that!", Ubisoft is back with plenty of new material, like "Remember your promise to Merino!", a promise you're reminded about on a thousand boring occasions but can't recall actually making.

To compound the feeble narrative and utterly sterile gameplay, the game struggles to look as impressive as a late-period PS2 title. It all runs at a native resolution of 576p, and while that really wouldn't have mattered in the slightest if the game world was smooth, vibrant and alive with detail, instead it's encumbered with possibly the worst texturing we've seen on a PS3-exclusive (or a next-gen game full stop, come to that), and blighted by dreadful pop-up, a horrible blur effect and a mystifying glare [surely "Haze" - Ed]. At no point can you step back and admire the view. Not only that, but the generic-looking character models clip into scenery, especially when the pathetic death animations kick in. There's barely anything positive to say about the way the game looks apart from the lack of tearing or frame-rate issues. It's a cigarette paper away from being a total disaster - and this for a company that once appeared to pride itself on great technology and making its games look different from everyone else's. Not only does Haze look generic, but the execution is as half-arsed as we've come across in recent years.

Tired visuals, a limited challenge and braindead AI contribute to an extremely dull FPS trudge, exemplified in this gameplay footage montage. (Double-click to full-screen.)

Usually at this point we could point out that, hey, at least it's got decent multiplayer, and to a very small degree Haze does have some features worthy of mention. Drop-in split-screen co-op multiplayer for the campaign mode is certainly something we approve of, but we expect the "drop out" bit will follow pretty quickly: the game simply isn't interesting enough to warrant playing through again with someone else. It's not as if having a buddy in tow makes the dire gameplay any more fun or interesting. Boasting four-player co-op is well worth shouting about, of course, but it doesn't rescue Haze.

Meanwhile, in terms of competitive multiplayer, it's limited to 16 players (not 24 as promised), and, again, barely has enough going for it to warrant any big fanfare. With the regulation Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch in there (with bot-play if you fancy), the basic boxes are ticked, while Team Assault has a little more interest value. Playing on either the Mantel or Promise Hand side, the latter have to fulfill a specific task (such as blowing something up), while the former must simply stop them from doing so. It's hardly going to be tearing anyone away from COD 4 or Halo 3 - put it that way. It'll be surprising if there's an active community playing it a few weeks after release anyway, so it's probably just as well the multiplayer comes across as a little bonus.

You really have to wonder how it all ended up this dreadful, especially after all the time and resource Ubisoft and Free Radical expended telling people the opposite. The combat's weak, the storyline's excruciating, it's technically deficient - Haze really is this year's most significant gaming disappointment. The fact that the creative forces behind this moribund excuse for a blockbuster feel that it is BAFTA-worthy has to be one of the most tragically comic examples of self-delusion we've ever witnessed.

4 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (355) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • des #1 4 years ago

    Hmmm

  • Hunam #2 4 years ago

    H4zelol
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 13:58

  • Uncle_Fishboy #3 4 years ago

    The next gen starts when we say it does.

    Hurry up please

  • lambtron #4 4 years ago

    "The fact that the creative forces behind this moribund excuse for a blockbuster feel that it is BAFTA-worthy has to be one of the most tragically comic examples of self-delusion we've ever witnessed."

    Administering!

  • Killerbee #5 4 years ago

    "MEGAowch!", to quote Rob Yescombe.

    Sadly, I do feel this game has had it coming for a while though.

    Fair play to EG for telling it like it is.

  • KingOfSpain #6 4 years ago

    Thats gotta hurt!!

  • Xerx3s #7 4 years ago

    ;_;

  • kissthestick #8 4 years ago

    No Haze ads?

  • BiscuitBase #9 4 years ago

    Obviously needs more cat-racing

    LOLZ!

  • Physically_Insane #10 4 years ago

    hahaha ahahaha ahahha ahaha

    I think it's funny how the haze thread is over 100 pages for such a shit game.

  • jonsaan #11 4 years ago

    The demo seemed alright. But everyone keeps telling me the full game is so much worse. I applaud drop in co-op though. If only it was more standard.

    This game is kind of a standard review for how boring and generic the FPS genre has become.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:05

  • bruuge #12 4 years ago

    i'm gonna buy Haze and use the disc as a plate

  • Valver #13 4 years ago

    PS3 AAA exclusive FTUW!

    ;)

  • Prodigy_BE #14 4 years ago

    Poor FRD.

    Still, high hopes for TimeSplitters 4 and Battlefront 3.

  • Widge #15 4 years ago

    Utter truth in wordage form:

    "If there's one thing the world doesn't need right now, it's another spirit-crushing first-person shooter, but here it is anyway."

    Its been a crappy rollercoaster ride this too. I've read plenty of "I'm not even looking forward to this" comments over the past few months but every now and again, some press tidbit would pop up to give glimmers of "Its actually good!" hope. Well the pudding is here, its not.

    To be fair, with a wishlist that at the moment has COD4, Burnout, MGS4, Wipeout HD sitting on it.... it had to be bloody good to fight its way to the front of the pack. I'd say its right at the BACK.

  • DFawkes #16 4 years ago

    I still like the demo, and would still buy it, but it definitely feels a bit like a budget title rather than a supposed big release.

  • Beano #17 4 years ago

    "You really have to wonder how it all ended up this dreadful, especially after all the time and resource Ubisoft and Free Radical expended telling people the opposite."

    I wondered the same when I played it. A shame because the demo was pretty promising IMO. Not that I expected a Halo/COD4/R:FoM/whatever killer, but a straightforward-but-fun shooter like TimeSplitters or Black... Haze is not that. Waste of time and money.

  • AstroMoose #18 4 years ago

    Argh, nevermind. :)

  • Widge #19 4 years ago

    I like the Battlefront series, but its gotta be bloody good to do one over on Warhawk. I'd rather have Warhawk with a Star Wars skin.
    Plus Timesplitters 4 will apparently be using the Haze engine.

    Was Timesplitters really any good? I never picked it up back on the PS2.

  • snick #20 4 years ago

    4/10; worse than Halo then.

  • lambtron #21 4 years ago

    "The demo seemed alright. But everyone keeps telling me the full game is so much worse. I applaud drop in co-op though. If only it was more standard.

    This game is kind of a standard review for how boring and generic the FPS genre has become."

    The demo was garbage. Drop in co-op is meaningless if the underlying game is bobbins. And if you really think Haze is representative of the current state of the FPS genre can I politely suggest you really haven't played many?

  • asphaltcowboy #22 4 years ago

    Crushing blow!

  • Widge #23 4 years ago

    and whats with all the metal suit guys in games now? Timeshift, Haze, Crysis.... even the big green spaceman too!

  • jonsaan #24 4 years ago

    @Lambtron. I've played loads. That's my point. I'm so bored with the whole Space Marine/ WW2/ Modern Warfare thing now that even Halo3 struck me as 'meh'. Jaded.

  • Bitkari #25 4 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • FooAtari #26 4 years ago

    Ouch, I didn't think it was that bad from the short demo, just average. Full game must really suck.

    Consoles killed the FPS, or something. Seems things when drastically down hill when they got popular on them though.

  • Crea #27 4 years ago

    /Settles down with some popcorn and waits for the fireworks.

  • Deepo #28 4 years ago

    Lovely GRID ad by the way :S

    It defaults to sound on in Firefox 3, have to turn it off twice to get it to shut up.

  • Blerk #29 4 years ago

    /o\

  • Darren #30 4 years ago

    After reading that informative and well-written review I'm suddenly far less keen to dash home from work and play the copy of Haze that arrived in this morning's post. Just cannot fathom out why though... ;)

    Seriously though, the review says pretty much what the others have said, that it's uninspired and a bitter disappointment coming as it does from a developer experienced in FPSs. I've asked this before but I'd love to know where it all went wrong. Didn't the developers or playtesters twig on that the game was going to be poorly received? Would it have fared better on the 360 or PC, is the real issue that Free Radical struggled to get the game running as intended on the PS3 when it went exclusive? I hope EG interview Free Radical in the aftermath because I like to hear what they say. I'm sure others would too.

  • Moz #31 4 years ago

    D'oh!!! oh well. at least we have resistance to look forward to!

  • Salvia #32 4 years ago

    Oof! Such a shame. I liked Timesplitters..no I loved Timesplitters.

  • malteaserhead #33 4 years ago

    Darren:
    Would it have fared better on the 360 or PC, is the real issue that Free Radical struggled to get the game running as intended on the PS3 when it went exclusive? I hope EG interview Free Radical in the aftermath because I like to hear what they say. I'm sure others would too.
    ____

    a lot of the criticisms are about the actual gameplay, AI and story. I don't think they would've been any better on a 360.

  • makeamazing #34 4 years ago

    Ive played the game for a couple of hours last night, got past the first mission which believe it or not is the forest demo, and got to another mission.

    I dont for a minute the game is as bad as some of these websites have been saying.. its not a 4, its more like a 6/6.5.

    Initially it seems interesting enough, yes there are some poor dialogue, but you get the impression early on your on the side of that is morrally deficient. So it doesnt start off to bad... when you move between cut scenes for example the starting base to the ship there is a black screen for 2 or 3 seconds and its not very fluid. There are some anoying bugs, nothing serious just gameplay stuff like, one guy blocks your way and you get stuck for a few seconds before the cut scene comes in.. .or when driving up a truck you can get it stuck and have to grenade it to get it back to a place where you can get in it.

    But there is something old style about the story, cant remember the name of the game, but there was an amiga game where you played on the side of the "enemy" you went against them and you ended up on the rebels side. So for that game I always liked the concept of the story.

    I think by only playing for a few hours it would be very easy to dismiss it, it may have more redeeming features as you play it longer (or maybe not ;)

    I wouldn't recommend buying it, I would rent it, and try and get the first few levels, as even though there is some gameplay bugs, some dodgy voice acting, I still think it will be entertaining to a level, just not a level where you have to pay lots of money for it.

    Oh and the very poor texturing that EG mention, its not that bad so far.... perhaps I have that to come.

  • Gradius #35 4 years ago

    Hmmm...That's disappointing to say the least :(

  • GordonCaladan #36 4 years ago

    BOOSH???

    "'Sup, bitches?"

  • magikdodo #37 4 years ago

    while game consoles claim to have gone 'next gen', its a shame game developers
    are still stuck in the 'last gen' invisible wall...

    MGS 4 had better be darn good...the PS 3 simply has to win this console war..
    and i pray it does...

  • morriss #38 4 years ago

    I refuse to believe this is worse than Jericho, which is the worst FPS I've ever played ever ever.

  • robg #39 4 years ago

    @malteaserhead

    True, although lots of people seem to say that the 360 is easier to develop for; dunno what might've been cut just to get the game as far as they did on the PS3.

  • Beano #40 4 years ago

    "a lot of the criticisms are about the actual gameplay, AI and story. I don't think they would've been any better on a 360."

    I agree. Haze got technical issues sure, but Ive seen far worse in other games which did not break the game.

  • foamy #41 4 years ago

    I guess IGN didn't miss by much did it? ;X

  • kangarootoo #42 4 years ago

    I really kind of hoped this might turn out ok. Shame.

    I also though Jericho sucked ass.

  • peterfll #43 4 years ago

    Ohh.

    Not surprised.

    Still, a shame.

    \goes back to reading the review.

  • Beano #44 4 years ago

    To Eurogamer: Will you be selling "As good as Haze then?" T-shirts soon ? ;)

  • krudster #45 4 years ago

    In all seriousness, Jericho is a masterpiece next to this.

  • Gradius #46 4 years ago

    Oh well, Gears & Resistance 2 then, hopefully they'll be good.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #47 4 years ago

    Wow, after a review that scathing I'm surprised it got as high as a 4! I expected this to be average, but 5-6 average... by most accounts it appears to be downright terrible!

  • mingster #48 4 years ago

    PS3lol AAAlol Hazelol ....
    etc etc etc....
    told yaz it was rubbish after seing the preview builds and now you know.

  • superdelphinus #49 4 years ago

    wow this is the most scathing review i've read here!

  • #50 4 years ago

    The dialog is awful, just watched some videos on Game trailers..

    Who the hell was the screen writer for that? Surely a whole office couldn't have seen the script was less than a bad B movie?


    /confused on how this got released tbh.

  • tonynibbles #51 4 years ago

    Timesplitters 4 please, and don't fuck it up.

  • Darren #52 4 years ago

    @malteaserhead - Yeah I realise that but I wonder if Free Radical spent so much time gettng the game to run on the PS3 that they didn't have the time to tweak and refine the gameplay and other stuff like A.I.? Perhaps Ubisoft, fed up of the delays, forced the game out before it was finished? It wouldn't be that first time that's happened. I mean the fact that the game runs at 1024x576 at just 30 frames per seconds and has awful PS2 quality textures (worse actually than the six year old Halo on the Xbox!) is perhaps the most telling of all IMO. The developers claim that they sacrificed resolution to ensure the game ran smoothly which is surely bull when you look at Call of Duty 4, which not only runs at twice the framerate but also runs at a slightly higher resolution and has better textures and effects by far. Even on the PS3.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:24

  • richardiox #53 4 years ago

    I love going back in time in the news pieces and in the forum thread and reading some of the hype FRD were spouting about this game being revolutionary.

  • elmerfudd #54 4 years ago

    such a shame.

  • johnnybrn #55 4 years ago

    What we also have to bear in mind is that games these days are big business and costs millions of pounds to make. So to bring out something under par can sink a company. Which may mean no TS4.

  • Beano #56 4 years ago

    "The developers claim that they sacrificed resolution to ensure the game ran smoothly which is surely bull when you look at Call of Duty 4..."

    You only have to look at Haze to tell it's a BS claim from the developers. Haze does not run at solid 30 fps. Still jerky and choppy at times.

  • anomagnus #57 4 years ago

    I wonder if swam will comment on this...

    anyway, i can see BWOOSHHH becoming something of an internet phenomenom

  • Redeye #58 4 years ago

    Craptacular.

  • LHH #59 4 years ago

    *stands by for 'gold' comments*

    lollyoutloud

  • The-Bodybuilder #60 4 years ago

    The irony of it all is that for years now we've heard how FRD is composed of former goldeneye members and how rare have lost all the talent.
    Yet PDZ ended up being a better game than this. O_O

  • The-Bodybuilder #61 4 years ago

    >""The fact that the creative forces behind this moribund excuse for a blockbuster feel that it is BAFTA-worthy has to be one of the most tragically comic examples of self-delusion we've ever witnessed."

    Administering! "

    I can't believe people missed this joke.
    I think the "nectar administration" has the potential to be a long-running joke, especially for sony fanboys in denail.

  • muscleblade #62 4 years ago

    "Consoles killed the FPS"

    Wrong. Halo 3 and Orange box (360 version ) proves thats not true.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #63 4 years ago

    Sounds about right - Yet another game that promised so much and delivered so little.

    Edit: Actually to be fair, I got very, very tired of the FPS genre a few years ago and it would have taken a lot for this game to impress me. FPS appear to be quite lazy games to develop, all of them look similar at first glance and few offer anything in the way of innovation.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:31

  • Killerbee #64 4 years ago

    I think despite the debalce that is Haze, I still have respect for FRD and would certainly look on a new Timesplitters game favourably. I'd wait for the reviews to come in before buying, obviously, but I'd still say that - along with Black - the Timesplitters games were the best console FPSs of the last generation.

    Hopefully that PS3 exclusive deal will have secured them a decent amount of cash so that even if Haze flops commercially (not necessarily a given, despite the critical panning) they'll still be able to carry on making games.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:31

  • JonFE #65 4 years ago

    "MGS 4 had better be darn good...the PS 3 simply has to win this console war...and i pray it does..."
    swam?!?
    ...
    Apologie?!?
    ......
    WHO???

  • Lemming81 #66 4 years ago

    Oh God please let Yahtzee review this next Wednesday :)

  • thewolfiv #67 4 years ago

    that's gotta sting, but i agree after the demo i stopped playing 5 mins in, i do love the fact the Yescombe guy said even golden eye got a 4 in some reviews trying to justify it's shitty-ness stop the nectar man it aint doing you no favours.

    I bet they will do a sequel even with these 'killer' reviews.....
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:31

  • bushwod #68 4 years ago

    so..... PS3 exclusive is it, what a shame for me and my Xbox to miss this one :-)

  • DDevil #69 4 years ago

    Bah, what a disappointment.

  • Widge #70 4 years ago

    I wonder if they will port it? Wonder if they have PC/360 builds of this ready to fire out later in the year.

  • Lemming81 #71 4 years ago

    "Consoles killed the FPS"

    then

    "Wrong. Halo 3 and Orange box (360 version ) proves thats not true. "

    Halo 3 without the multiplayer is as generic as it gets. Trust me, PC gamers are not in the least bit sore that game is Xbox-exclusive. As for Orange Box - any one who can't see that it's a PC game(s) through and through is deluding themselves.

  • meggsy #72 4 years ago

    "MEGAowch" indeed.

    @ lavalant, what do you mean? It's as good as Conker, but no better ;)

    Such a shame.

  • kopykatt #73 4 years ago

    Why oh why did I pre-order this one. Seriously though, forgetting the fanboyism, this is hugely dissapointing. The biggest problem though is the future of Free Radical. Can we really now be looking forward to their next project(s) without wondering if their up to the task? Remember Haze is a poor game, not because of the technical limitations of the PS3, but because of poor design and programming. Sony must be fuming, especially if they had money invested.

  • muscleblade #74 4 years ago

    "MGS 4 had better be darn good...the PS 3 simply has to win this console war..
    and i pray it does... "

    If the PS3 wins the console war. The loosers are the consumers ( PS3 owners). Most sales doesnt equal being best.

    All readers on this site should know that 360 is the superior console by now. MGS4 is probably gonne be very good though. It would have been even better on the 360 though.

  • barat #75 4 years ago

    even GoldenEye got a 4/10 when it first came out..

  • M83J01P97 #76 4 years ago

    "even GoldenEye got a 4/10 when it first came out.. "

    That 'rumour' was debunked earlier in the week.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:36

  • kissthestick #77 4 years ago

    "The fact that the creative forces behind this moribund excuse for a blockbuster feel that it is BAFTA-worthy has to be one of the most tragically comic examples of self-delusion we've ever witnessed."

    thats some ether right there 0_0

  • The-Bodybuilder #78 4 years ago

    Where's Nekotcha when you need him...

  • muscleblade #79 4 years ago

    "any one who can't see that it's a PC game(s) through and through is deluding themselves"

    Its a PC game yes, Its just as good on the 360 so whats the problem. I didnt state that there arent many fantastic FPS games on the PC, i just didnt agree that this isnt the case on consoles (360) . Regarding Wii and PS3 thats a different matter.

  • The-Bodybuilder #80 4 years ago

    @ kissthestick

    Nectar, not ether but nectar.

  • Darren #81 4 years ago

    @Killerbee - The thing is though that the critical mauling that Haze is getting could affect confidence in TimeSplitters 4 and if Haze flops then it may not even get made. TimeSplitters almost looks like a fluke as Second Sight wasn't very well received either and now Haze. Maybe Free Radical should have just stuck to making TimeSplitters games where they can get away with cheesy dialogue and weak plots?

  • muscleblade #82 4 years ago

    GoldenEye has an average of 95% and Haze has 55% so far so i think its not in place to compare them at all.

  • Darren #83 4 years ago

    So when's Haze 2 out then? :)

  • NewbieZilla #84 4 years ago

    As good as Wits & Wagers, better than Iron Man.

    Demo faile, so not surprised by this score. Resistance 2 failure forthcoming.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:42

  • JohnnyWashnGo #85 4 years ago

    @Darren - Maybe different people worked on each game. I imagine that FRD is a fairly sizable company with more than one group of people working on one game at any point in time. I know that my company (no games coders) has several teams. Some are, arguably, much better than others, but they all come under the same company name.

  • Widge #86 4 years ago

    Only played the demos of Turok and Conflict Denied Ops... utter TOSH both of them.

  • Eighthours #87 4 years ago

    What is interesting about this is that the concept as described over a year ago was excellent. I remember being told about how the super-saccharine vision of conflict that Nectar gave you, was replaced by a totally horrific and bloodthirsty vision of war as it really is, when you're either "off Nectar" or switch sides.

    So what happened? There's no real contrast besides the lack of superhuman abilities and slightly less annoying companions.

    Major kudos to you by the way, Kristan, as it must have been tempting to cut FRD a break since they're British and we like UK-based devs. However, given the promises made, you've treated this bizarrely insulting end product exactly as it deserves.

    Let's just hope that FRD can bounce back from this troubled project, as I wouldn't want to see one of the more promising dev houses from times past go to the wall.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:45

  • Beano #88 4 years ago

    "I actually feel a bit sorry for FRD, that was really one of the harshest reviews I've ever read."

    I would start looking for a new job. I heard Uwe Boll is looking for talented script writers ;)

  • mazzl #89 4 years ago

    the concept of dosing up, having everything in bright colours and not seeing any dead bodys. with some happy teletubby tune could have been a brilliant parody on the fps gengre... but this is just horrible :p

  • MKorkia #90 4 years ago

    On the positive side this game has outsold Turning Point 4-to-1 in my local store.

    Haze 4 copies, Turning Point 1. ;)

  • Eighthours #91 4 years ago

    "even GoldenEye got a 4/10 when it first came out.. "

    That 'rumour' was debunked earlier in the week.

    Actually, it did get 2/5 in Empire magazine, which equates to that score. In a one paragraph review. Written by someone who clearly hadn't played it. So the comparison was mildly disingenuous.

  • YourMessageHere #92 4 years ago

    Consoles killed the FPS, or something. Seems things when drastically down hill when they got popular on them though.

    This. You're really surprised that we're regressing back to Doom? In a climate like this, I'm not. Not that I'm claiming this is actually good or anything, but this whole description of rubbish AI, limited world design, immensely irritating repetition and hosts of gameplay features that make everything too easy seems strangely familiar, in that it's applicable to almost every FPS I've played since the world decided consoles for FPS was the way to go. Multiplayer and technical problems aside, looking purely at the singleplayer aspect, what astounds me is that people laud the likes of COD4 (thinks: shall I mention Halo too? Naah, better not) but slate this, given COD4 was linear and brown, very repetitive and far too easy (unless you turned on the magic enemies that know where you are all the time, a.k.a. hard mode).

  • Bealsy #93 4 years ago

    http://ww w.yourlocalhero.net/downloads/i...

  • Gradius #94 4 years ago

    I give the fanboys in this thread a 4/10.

    Must try harder!

  • koji_m #95 4 years ago

    lol, and it still got a 4/10 after all that bashing?

    sounds more like a 2/10 imo

  • mash the x button #96 4 years ago

    Shit FPS shocker!!!
    Bears Woods Pope Catholic etc

  • Inquisitor #97 4 years ago

    I don't know if you're being deliberatley provocative disc but the Darkness was a superb game.

  • lambtron #98 4 years ago

    @ disc - I've never understood your obsession with MoH Airborne. Having picked it up cheap I have to say its a fairly well-made FPS. Fair enough its yet again set in WWII but its a fairly fun, well-polished game.

    If you seriously think Haze is better than this (going from the demo) then I suspect you've been at the nectar too ;).

  • Foat1 #99 4 years ago

    looks awsome

  • hulahoops #100 4 years ago

    Are you watching FRD? You need a team of dedicated game designers, not just level designers and scripters!

    Designers should always be utterly distinct from implementation.

    Absolutely essential these days to avoid disasters like this.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 14:55

  • ps3owner #101 4 years ago

    I blame the economy! :)

    who cares. I don't (anymore) back to COD4 then

  • asphaltcowboy #102 4 years ago

    @disc: Err... The Darkness was awesome! And MoH:A was... alright, but this sounds truly horrific!

  • Waldo #103 4 years ago

    Just wait until ______ comes out!

  • SBfistfun #104 4 years ago

    Sb loves bot-play

  • SteveB #105 4 years ago

    Goldeneye > Timesplitters > Second sight > Haze.

    Wow, I can't wait for their next game it looks like FRD are on a roll !

  • The_Inquisitor #106 4 years ago

    It looked bad from the very first screenshot, generic and bland with few points of interest. The fact that they concentrated on the story highlights how much it must be lacking in other areas.

  • supersoldier01 #107 4 years ago

    I'm going to regret this but..

    "Elsewhere, on the rare occasions that you have to destroy a bridge or a piece of equipment, the insultingly basic process of pressing a couple of switches to make it all happen wouldn't trouble a four-year-old. "
    How is this any different in Halo 3?

    "Hilariously, when they become incapacitated (which is often), you can revive them by wandering up to them and, err, touching their heads."
    You mean just like Gears of War?

    "goldfish memory of everyone around you."
    Any of the major FPS's that don't have this?

    Disclaimer - I haven't played the game...

  • Gaol #108 4 years ago

    I also think The Darkness was a bit shit. I got it for £20 earlier this year and its the worst game I've bought this gen. I think I ranted a bit in the 'games completed' thread. The actual gameplay and controls were very loose.

  • LHH #109 4 years ago

    Well atleast Bioshock has (somewhat) been confirmed for PS3, they will get a decent shooter after all.

    *puts on MS sponsered underwear*
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:13

  • ps3owner #110 4 years ago

    "goldfish memory of everyone around you."

    sounds just like my office hrhrhr :)

  • kangarootoo #111 4 years ago

    "In all seriousness, Jericho is a masterpiece next to this."

    /cries

    @BlankOBlank!
    "Designers should always be utterly distinct from implementation."

    What does that mean? I'm not picking on it, I think its an interesting comment. I just wonder what exactly you mean by it.

  • Aloominum_man #112 4 years ago

    Haze is shaping up to be a very solid PS3 exclusive, visually it's got its own unique style, with four player co-op (Haze's campaign will be a blast with three friends online), big levels, lots of vehicle driving, turret firing settings and some spectacular set pieces these game is gonna rock, the jungle scenery is much welcome too... we're getting a bit bored of identikit Unreal Engine 3 shooters, so Haze's aesthetic should prove to be a selling point, it should keep PS3-owning shooters happy until big-hopes Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 arrive later in the year... to me, Haze is a must buy and will place somewhere between 8/10 and 10/10.

    Free Xbox360 for the first person to correctly identify who said that. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Might as well get some fun out of the situation.

  • Super_Zee #113 4 years ago

    Shit. That's gonna hurt.

  • peterfll #114 4 years ago

    I see the comments filling up nicely as expected.

    I was a little surprised with a 4/10? The actual review text didn't match my mark expectation. 4/10 is almost too generous.

  • Razz #115 4 years ago

    *Sony 2007*

    Just you wait! Sony will own 2008!

    *Sony today*

    Grrr! Just you guys wait! Sony will own 2009! Next year will be ours.

    LOL! :D I have a PS3 with Everybody's Golf WT, I've got other games but this is the only game I currently use it for. Looks like that will be the case for a long while seeing as I'm not a fan of MGS. :/

  • bad09 #116 4 years ago

    No surprise really, from the start Haze never looked like being a good game to me. Never mind MGS4 and Ferrari challenge (god I hope that's good) next month to keep the gaming side of my DVD/blu-ray player operational :)

    No swam or apologie here I see, I wonder why.........

  • rotmm #117 4 years ago

    Answer: Apologie

    Hey. I'm de winnar!

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #118 4 years ago

    I have to say, as much I'm enjoying 'lol'ing at the PS3 fanboys for all these shit PS3 games; I'll be severly disappointed if Little Big Planet turns out to be pants.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:14

  • syphaa #119 4 years ago

    What can you say...I am not surprised. After playing it at Gamecity last year in Notts, it was awful then...but really thought what I was playing was an early build...maybe it was not that early! :)

    PWNd

  • Xerx3s #120 4 years ago

    "MGS 4 had better be darn good...the PS 3 simply has to win this console war..
    and i pray it does..."

    Any particular reason that sony 'simply has to win this console war'?

  • monkie_king #121 4 years ago

    Aloominum_Man: hmm, it's too grammatical for Aplologie, and it's not Headbog/Swam as he always types it as "Ps3" ...

    I'm going to go for Apologie, but cut and paste from somewhere else ;)

    edit: heh, it's cut'n'pasted together from bits of videogamer.com preview.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:21

  • Miths #122 4 years ago

    I've been playing for around an hour and half today (just made the faction "switch" a few minutes ago and just taking a short break before I move on), and I've actually enjoyed the game so far.
    Granted, I haven't played a lot of shooters (though after getting hooked on CoD4 multiplayer I imagine I'll rectify that in the future), so I don't have a whole lot to which to compare Haze, but if the rest is as... well, good might be pushing it, but decent then, as what I've seen so far, I would probably give this a 6 or 7.

    Since I had already read all the other horrible reviews, I really picked it up mostly in the hope the multiplayer might serve as a good occasional break from CoD4 until BF:BC is out next month, but since I haven't had a chance to try that yet, it's too soon for me to say if it might be more impressive in that area.

  • lambtron #123 4 years ago

    "How is this any different in Halo 3?"

    Hmm, in Halo3 when you blow stuff up its usually not a switch. E.g. the huge scarab tank that you actually climb inside of while its moving around. Still, its true that myriad FPSs are guilty of this.

    "Hilariously, when they become incapacitated (which is often), you can revive them by wandering up to them and, err, touching their heads.
    You mean just like Gears of War? "

    Can't fault you here :).

    "goldfish memory of everyone around you.
    Any of the major FPS's that don't have this? "

    Actually I would argue this is far less evident in some of the better recent FPSs.

  • grantc7 #124 4 years ago

    Disappointed, and I don't even own a PS3. These generic FPS games are getting far too common.

  • ps3owner #125 4 years ago

    Apologie it is:

    the actual thread

    good game ;) any more quotes?

  • Widge #126 4 years ago

    its Apologie, only one person on here writes like a press statement

    I love my little shiny black box, but GOD, something inside me internally cries when he does one of his onslaughts

  • Widge #127 4 years ago

    Seriously can't wait for MGS4, plus certainly one of those games where I personally don't need a review score to validate my joy for it!

  • TheNinkyNonk #128 4 years ago

    Free Radical have been on the ol' crack-pipe methinks...

  • Widge #129 4 years ago

    Nectar Pipe....

  • rotmm #130 4 years ago

    @monkie_king,

    Seems you're right about the cut/paste.

    Here's the thread where apologie pastes [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/arti cle_discussion.php?article_id=129719&comment_start=100 ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article_discuss...[/link]

    And here's (with a little help from google) when the cut came from http://ww w.videogamer.com/ps3/haze/previ...

  • BiscuitBase #131 4 years ago

    Is it possible to die of a schadenfreude overdose?

  • Aloominum_man #132 4 years ago

    Yup - Apologie. I had hoped that the semi-grammatical, almost-adult structure that he managed there would throw you all off a bit longer. No disguising Eurogamer's Nostradamus I suppose.

    It is a good game though - let's see some more. I'm sure he wrote (I like to imagine he has one of those wands you attach to your head with a headband) more on the subject.

  • monkie_king #133 4 years ago

    Heh, yeah, I just found that too and edited my previous comment. You can actually tell where the cut and paste ends and Apologie begins, as it stops being proper English. Also ... the trademark use of ... ellipsis between every statement ... is a giveaway.

    (love the wand theory incidentally, although pressing Ctrl+V would be hard then).
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:28

  • Quint2020 #134 4 years ago

    Christ that was a scathing review!

    ............ Hazelol etc

  • Lukus #135 4 years ago

    Reads more like a 2 than a 4. An amusingly scathing review I might add!

  • TheNinkyNonk #136 4 years ago

    Why do FPSs attract so much hype? I love em, fo sho, but why are they such gushy-journo-magnets?

  • gohda #137 4 years ago

    How can you give such a bad review then give a 4?
    I'm disappointed as well, but that review was definitely a 2 or 3.

  • Lukus #138 4 years ago

    Snap Quint2020!

  • Kalinin #139 4 years ago

    I can't say I was all that hyped in the run up, but one look at the demo and frankly I was astounded at how retrograde the whole thing felt.

    What annoys me most is that, as a studio, Free Radical are better than this and were doing much more immediately entertaining projects on the last gen consoles like Second Sight and Future Perfect.

    I only hope that a bad game released at a very bad time between the two biggest action titles on the platform isn't going to have repercussions for their future and that it's merely going to be a sour note before they release something more on form.

  • fattulip #140 4 years ago

    I am looking to buy a ps3, completing this generation's triumvirate, and was hoping this would come out better. At the moment the only thing I would really get one for is Eye of Judgement (M:tG nerd of old) and Singstar for my kids. Disappointment :(

  • Buztafen #141 4 years ago

    As scathing reviews go, not many can beat this F@*king Piece of Sh$t

  • TRACTORBOY1971 #142 4 years ago

    WHy oh Why, no wonder MS did not pay the money to have it on their system, because they knew it would be rubbish.

    When oh when am I going to play something decent on my PS3, I have unchartered, I have rachet and clank which are all exclusives, but that is it.

    As I said before, I always buy mulit platofrm games on the Xb 360....Sony please let me enjoy your consolse, I am not looking forward to MGS4, mainly because there are too many cut scenes, it is not my cup of tea. lets hope resistance it better then a 4/10, needs to be at least an 8/10 for me to buy it.
    Killzone not out until next year....

    why did I buy the PS3 at launch...........at least when I bought the 360 there were some good launch games.

    a cheesed of PS3 gamer.........but a happy xbox 360 gamer
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:44

  • deathdealer619 #143 4 years ago

    Well I have the game already and I dont think its anyway near as bad as 4/10 And people are missing the point from an audio design point of view it is supposed to be comical and cheesey.

    i would give it a 6.8/10

  • IAmBatman #144 4 years ago

    > Designers should always be utterly distinct from implementation.
    > Absolutely essential these days to avoid disasters like this.

    And "disasters" like GTA4? Because R*North's designers are mission scripters too.

  • ISmoke #145 4 years ago

    FRD said this would be the shooter that made everyone know how 'stong' the PS3 is . Pricks.

  • Widge #146 4 years ago

    lol@HourOfVictory.com

    not seen that one!

  • magikdodo #147 4 years ago

    @Xers3S; i for one will be sad to see the PS 3 die a slow but painful death..
    and that could happen if we don't buy the PS3 console..i'm not sure i'm ready to go
    back to the family nintendo.

    nintendo was great while growing up (owned the gameboy, NES, SNES, N64 consoles)

    but sony playstation 1, my favourite console to date, brought loads of joy what with driver
    and mgs 1. playstation 2 was good too though but the best titles were made towards the
    end of its shelf life

    PS 3 has been beset with many problems since launch not least the high price entry..
    shitty games have kept me from getting on

    but hopefully june 12 will prove me right as i dole out my hard earned money for mgs 4..

    cant bear to play MGS on any other console, and IMO GTA 4 should have stayed loyal to SONY..

    rant over

  • TRACTORBOY1971 #148 4 years ago

    WHy oh Why, no wonder MS did not pay the money to have it on their system, because they knew it would be rubbish.

    When oh when am I going to play something decent on my PS3, I have unchartered, I have rachet and clank which are all exclusives, but that is it.

    As I said before, I always buy mulit platofrm games on the Xb 360....Sony please let me enjoy your consolse, I am not looking forward to MGS4, mainly because there are too many cut scenes, it is not my cup of tea. lets hope resistance it better then a 4/10, needs to be at least an 8/10 for me to buy it.
    Killzone not out until next year....

    why did I buy the PS3 at launch...........at least when I bought the 360 there were some good launch games.

    a cheesed of PS3 gamer.........but a happy xbox 360 gamer
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:43

  • dahsif #149 4 years ago

    Wait, there are other games besides MGS 4 ?

  • bad09 #150 4 years ago

    "Wait, there are other games besides MGS 4 ?"

    Not on PS3 :)

  • Widge #151 4 years ago

    I've got loads of bloody games thank you very much! So don't you pull that cliche on me!

  • Buztafen #152 4 years ago

    Wait.....PS3's getting Bioshock....Bless :)

  • TRACTORBOY1971 #153 4 years ago

    @magikdodo

    try the xbox you might be suprised

  • monkie_king #154 4 years ago

    "at least when I bought the 360 there were some good lunch games."

    Isn't Cooking Mama on the Wii?

  • Moz #155 4 years ago

    *sigh* can we not just accept that free radicles screwed up, from what i've seen and read i don't think would have been any better if it had been on 360 exclusively or multiplat.

    I'd personally guess that Ubi or Free radicles realised that they'd missed the mark so dropped the 360 version in the hope of saving some dev money know that the current lineup on 360 would meen this pile of rubbish would get ignored. And hope that the less compitition on PS3 might get them some sales.

  • The-Bodybuilder #156 4 years ago

    >"Wasn't Haze done by FRD's "B" team (the ones who did Second Sight) while the "A" team is doing SW Battlefront 2?"

    That's right, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.
    Here you go, have some more nectar.

  • TRACTORBOY1971 #157 4 years ago

    @monkie_king

    and the DS - I have changed it now

  • TRACTORBOY1971 #158 4 years ago

    @monkie_king

    and the DS - I have changed it now

  • T4RG4 #159 4 years ago

    A lot of people said this was going to be pants. I dont think I ever saw anything that led me to believe it wouldnt be.

    Cutting review! At least it gets what it deserves (from the sound of things). I'm sure the dev team knew it was pants as well, so what on earth is going on at FRD? They were taking the money and ploughing it into another game whilst letting interns and a smattering of actual devs get Haze out?

  • bad09 #160 4 years ago

    "so what on earth is going on at FRD? They were taking the money and ploughing it into another game whilst letting interns and a smattering of actual devs get Haze out?"

    Hopefully all the money and resources went into BF3, if they mess that up I'll go round and kick 'em in the nuts!

  • M83J01P97 #161 4 years ago

    The whole PS3 version of BioShock was just a rumour the emerged at the start of the month (probably from some Sony fan boys wanted to improve the PS3's image) from the Cult of Rapture forums. It has no basis what-so-ever.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 15:54

  • 3william56 #162 4 years ago

    Amazed this wasn't given to Ellie to dismember. Kristan's good (BAFTALOL) but it's missing that special Ellie venom for such a real stinker.

  • Darren #163 4 years ago

    Just an hour to go before I can play this underrated gem... well an hour and seven minutes because there's that mandatory HDD install! ;) LOL

  • bdc #164 4 years ago

    burn

  • Xerx3s #165 4 years ago

    magikdodo: You didn't answer my question but you did answer something else.

  • ParanoidZombie #166 4 years ago

    Biscuitbase wrote: "Is it possible to die of a schadenfreude overdose? "

    Great post ;)

  • hulahoops #167 4 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    Basically I personally believe that there should always be a core design team who are distant from actually coding/scripting/etc.

    This is simply because when you are both designer and implementer of a mechanic or scenario, deciding to improve/change something means creating more work for yourself. This makes the designer far less likely to improve and change, unless they're in the unlikely position that they don't have a list of further tasks which need to be completed to a strict deadline.


    @Iambatman

    I was under the impression -- I may be wrong -- that R* North's design staff comprised of both game designers and mission designers (who were the guys who handled the scripting). As I say, I may be wrong.

  • Dark_Stranger #168 4 years ago

    Lets hope it stays an exclusive.

  • ps3owner #169 4 years ago

    it got 7.1 here


    computerandvideogames
    they are on nectar ;) just orange spots everywhere ^^

  • spookyzombie #170 4 years ago

    Played this last night and was disappointed. The PSN demo is a fair reflection of the whole game as it doesnt really get any better IMO. It's middle of the road for me. 5/10.

  • japstersam #171 4 years ago

    'Was Timesplitters really any good? I never picked it up back on the PS2.'

    Timesplitters was the most fun I have ever had with a FPS in my life. Not nearly the most serious or best graphically or best story etc but the house and hours on end me and my friends spent on the level builder coming up with our own scenarios etc has never been beaten by a game yet! :)

  • asphaltcowboy #172 4 years ago

    I have unchartered

    That's either a thrilling accountancy exam sim or a down-on-his-luck former pirate trying to make his tourist boating company dream come true! Either way, I'm there!

  • Darren #173 4 years ago

    @frod - I'm not sure that's true at all. Haze is a third-party game not one published by Sony. Haze is just one example of a bigged up game that turned out bad like last year's Lair and it's not like the Xbox 360 or Wii haven't had similarly bad games. Remember Hour of Victory, an Xbox 360 console exclusive, which EG gave 2/10 to last year? Granted that wasn't hyped up like Haze but a bad game is still a bad game nevertheless no matter what platform it appears on. ;)

  • ThePissartist #174 4 years ago

    Tragedy.

    Free Radical Design need to try to recoup their losses by releasing Timesplitters on XBLA and the PSN.

  • Nallen #175 4 years ago

    Don't sugar coat it, tell us how you really feel.

  • kangarootoo #176 4 years ago

    @BlankOBlank!

    I think I take your point. I think a system designer still needs to be able to see any given mechanic in action and improve it in response to what they see. Its a balance though. If in viewing the common implementation of a mechanic, you envisage a way in which it could be improved to suit a majority of cases, the change might be warranted. Agreeing that you can't change something forever and that feature creep is a bad thing is not the same as saying that the first pass is the one that ships (which isn't how true design works anyway).

    It sounds as though you are saying that a system should not be continually modified by the person implementing it, just so it will fit their latest implementation, and I agree with that for the most part (I say "for the most part", but I can't think of an exception offhand; there always is one though :) ). "Don't change the tools to suit jobs they weren't designed for; just do the correct job and the tools will work fine" might be another way of putting it?

    Not sure if that is the issue at the heart of Haze though. Sounds to me like things went wrong whilst the systems were being developed, in advance of them actually being put into practice in the levels. A lot of issues described seem to be system level rather than implementation, to my eyes anyway.

  • Bagpuss #177 4 years ago

    LOL...do you hear that?.....its the sound of heads rolling at FRD in Nottingham.

    My decision to skip this generation of over hyped, under powered consoles makes me feel more smug and superior every day.






    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 16:35

  • vegard #178 4 years ago

    i loved jericho. the gameplay was nothing special, but that game had loads of atmosphere.

  • Waldo #179 4 years ago

    I've got loads of bloody games thank you very much!

    Backwards-compatible PS2 games?

  • supersoldier01 #180 4 years ago

    BlankOBlank!
    "Basically I personally believe that there should always be a core design team who are distant from actually coding/scripting/etc.

    This is simply because when you are both designer and implementer of a mechanic or scenario, deciding to improve/change something means creating more work for yourself. This makes the designer far less likely to improve and change, unless they're in the unlikely position that they don't have a list of further tasks which need to be completed to a strict deadline. "

    You are totally wrong here in every way possible. A good designer/scripter won't shrug at redoing stuff that isn't good enough - it's part of their job and if they have any sense of pride they will iterate it until it shines. Being able to do the work yourself cuts out a bunch of people who don't know what they are doing meaning a ton more work can get into a visible state far quicker.

  • ChrisTop #181 4 years ago

    Yeah, I figured out it wasn't another ten.

  • hulahoops #182 4 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    I do think that the system should be constantly examined and evolved by the scripters, I just think it's also important to have a decent sized core design team who aren't implementing, they're more big picture people who are constantly playing and suggesting refinements.

  • Widge #183 4 years ago

    The works, PS2 games, PSN games, a couple of PS1 games and PS3 games.
    Although until GTA4 came out, I actually had to "force" myself to stop playing Warhawk and playing the other stuff. It sits there on the hard drive, and I think "oh yeah, maybe just a quick blast"... then it turns into a good 2 hours a day leaving no time for anything else!
    Liberty City reigns king at the moment though, no surprises there really.

  • hulahoops #184 4 years ago

    @supersoldier01

    Absolutely, but just like a programmer needs a QA team to see the bugs they're blind to due to being too close to the project, a scripter needs a design team to see the design issues which they're too close to see or don't have time to contemplate from an external view.

    Naturally there are designers out there who can fill all roles, but then there are coders out there who generate bug free code too.

  • Velios #185 4 years ago

    That's IT !!!

    I'm putting my PS3 on eBay!!!

  • theiceman #186 4 years ago

    fucking hell

    /cancels order from game

  • zuljin #187 4 years ago

    @supersoldier01
    "Being able to do the work yourself cuts out a bunch of people who don't know what they are doing meaning a ton more work can get into a visible state far quicker."

    I disagree. I find that when you code something yourself, it becomes very hard to distinguish your own preference from good design. Coding and design are two distinct disciplines, now thats not to say its impossible to find a good coder/scripter who is also a good designer, but I think it is quite rare.

  • Benno #188 4 years ago

    wow

  • hulahoops #189 4 years ago

    May I just say now that zuljin is a real person and not me saying the same thing again in a slightly different way to reinforce my point.

    :)

  • supersoldier01 #190 4 years ago

    BlankOBlank!

    "Absolutely, but just like a programmer needs a QA team to see the bugs they're blind to due to being too close to the project, a scripter needs a design team to see the design issues which they're too close to see or don't have time to contemplate from an external view. "

    That's what the rest of the team are there to do - everyone on the team should be playing the thing they are helping make and providing feedback. And the outside perspective should come from a QA team (if they are good and you can trust their opinions). I understand that you believe a core design team away from the implementation is the best way of doing things - but, like people are individuals, every team is different and there's no set rules.

  • hulahoops #191 4 years ago

    @zuljin

    .o/

    Crap scripter but (I'm told) good designer here.

  • Velios #192 4 years ago

    Nah, I heard you were shit

  • supersoldier01 #193 4 years ago

    "I disagree. I find that when you code something yourself, it becomes very hard to distinguish your own preference from good design. Coding and design are two distinct disciplines, now thats not to say its impossible to find a good coder/scripter who is also a good designer, but I think it is quite rare. "

    It does become hard to distinguish own preference from good design but that's where you show it off to other people for feedback. Nothing should ever be set in stone.

    But agreed - good coder/scripter is worth their weight in gold.

  • hulahoops #194 4 years ago

    @supersoldier01

    That would be the ideal, but I've never, ever seen anyone play through their own game with anywhere near the rigor required for that who didn't have either tester or designer in their job title.

    Apart from maybe producers, but it's well documented that the producer should never drive the creative process.

  • hulahoops #195 4 years ago

    @velios

    I have it on good authority from my own mother that I am an excellent designer and a very handsome little boy.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 16:58

  • Carlo #196 4 years ago

    hahahaha!

  • supersoldier01 #197 4 years ago

    "That would be the ideal, but I've never, ever seen anyone play through their own game with anywhere near the rigor required for that who didn't have either tester or designer in their job title. "

    It does happen - when your hands automatically do certain moves when you play different games because youve played something for too long or you hear the music in your sleep then you know you're near that level :)

    "Apart from maybe producers, but it's well documented that the producer should never drive the creative process. "
    You are bang on target there

  • Davey #198 4 years ago

    Comments on the review, not the game (sorta).

    Can't help thinking the IGN and EG reviews are being overly harsh. Fair enough it has its problems, but is it really worse than Blacksite etc? Just because it's 'OMG ANOTHER FPS' and had a bit of hype, doesn't mean the review scores shouldn't be kept in perspective.

    Also, where are the views on how the game works when you change sides? The review doesn't seen to cover everything, it just seems like an exercise in picking out everything wrong with the game in a very poorly written one-sided way.
    Edited by 2 at 22/05/08 @ 17:11

  • zuljin #199 4 years ago

    @BlankOBlank!
    Dear god. This is when I find out you're actually sitting behind me. Considering your friends list it wouldn't surprise me too much, I think theres a few names on there I recognise. :)

  • VicViper #200 4 years ago

    Well, clearly the drugs don't work they just make it worse....

  • weaselrat #201 4 years ago

    PS3 suck d**k that's a fact

  • Mr_Brown #202 4 years ago

    I'm not surprised this got dropped from the 360. Obviously a tactic to dodge direct comparison from some of the best console FPS has to offer, in a lame attempt in avoiding gamers noticing how average the game is.

    Personally saw this coming. I honestly didn't see what made this such a standout title. They kept going on about 'the story' when we all know (especially in a FPS) if a developer does this its usually means its got a medicore game if its story is the only thing to shout about. In fact the only thing it did have going for it, is it being exclusive to the PS3, which gave it alot of hype and publicity. Just seems like a regular thing, the Playstation is so starved (360 market oversaturated) of shooters that even obviously average shooters get loads of attention and hype. I feel sorry for PS3 owning FPS, well only a bit, why would you own a PS3 if you wanted to play FPS??? :-P

  • weaselrat #203 4 years ago

    I own both consoles, only keep the PS3 for the blu ray, give it a couple of years and we'll all be digital downloading HD films anyway.
    Did I mention PS3 sucks d**k.
    What a total waste of time. Goldeneye is still better than this.

  • Feanor #204 4 years ago

    "Also, where are the views on how the game works when you change sides?"

    On the first page.

  • elvenscroll #205 4 years ago

    @ Uncle_Fishboy
    "The next gen starts when we say it does.

    Hurry up please "

    To be fair, you cant really blame Sony for a game made by a third party developer.

    Oh, and damn you EG. I thought IGN were just being cunts. ;)

  • weaselrat #206 4 years ago

    lets hope kill zone 2 does something a little bit special, like a 6 or 7 out of 10

  • PedroTheLion #207 4 years ago

    to be honest I saw this coming from a mile away, nothing really led me to believe this would be anything special. And the fact that Korn is involved in this automatically subtracts 3 points from the score, so 1/10 for me it is.

  • Flying_Pig #208 4 years ago

    4/10

    Ouch.

    Hang your heads in shame FRD

  • hulahoops #209 4 years ago

    @zuljin

    Small industry, my friend. :)

  • Negotiator #210 4 years ago

    A Halo beater, is that what I heard, my arse. Just cos a game begins with a H and consists of four letters, don't mean it's gonna beat the King of FPS's, COD4.

  • Gibroon #211 4 years ago

    I was looking forward to a bit of co-op with this game but the review(s) has turned me off far too much to warrant a buy or even a bargain bin.

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #212 4 years ago

    @BlankOBlank!

    "but then there are coders out there who generate bug free code to"

    Care to point me towards one? =o)

    I don't believe there is a single coder out there (myself included) who doesn't create bugs.

  • Ihya #213 4 years ago

    Oh god,the reviews for this games have fallen into the "so bad it's funny" category.

  • hulahoops #214 4 years ago

    @redneon

    Fair point. :)

  • ElNino9 #215 4 years ago

    Poor Nekotcha :(

  • convercide #216 4 years ago

    This settles it. The guys at Rare and the guys at Free Radical are SHIT without each other.

  • Ryze #217 4 years ago

    Ha! They fucked it!

  • Whizzo #218 4 years ago

    I have it on good authority from my own mother that I am an excellent designer and a very handsome little boy.
    You sure she wasn't confusing you with your brother Blanko? ;-)

  • Dr_Lobster #219 4 years ago

    Kristan hit the nail on the head, folks. Expectations certainly (and rightly) factored into the assessment -- most should know that FRD's capable of more than what Haze turned out to be.

    After finishing up last night, it's the lack of nuance, the plainness that gets me. Basic, static lighting. Long corridors, stairs galore, and sandy vehicle sections for level design. Very standard phyics and animating. Unnoticable music, and uneven voice acting. There's nothing broken about Haze -- the AI didn't bug up for me, no odd graphical glitches that I noticed, but it's really just point-and-shoot with little incentive to press on. The last level may be the exception, being a bit more cinematic.

    Genuinely, Turok is a better play in any facet I can think of -- exposition, level design, weapon selection, hell...the existence of bosses. And this was the game that did somersaults with the screen any time an explosion landed nearby.

  • monkie_king #220 4 years ago

    The_Marine: I don't know, I think people's expectations have been getting progressively lower for quite a while now. And it's still failed to live up to them.

    I'd quite like to give Warhawk and Uncharted a try, other than that I'm not in the least bit compelled to get a PS3 at the moment. It'd just be one more seldom-used console to find space for under the TV (and I can't even replace the PS2 with it). Perhaps LBP will be Earth-shatteringly good?
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 18:28

  • Ryze #221 4 years ago

    This is a case of PS£ - the publisher can't afford to keep delaying these games to optimise them, so they kick it out of the door as a turd, hoping it will sell on hype alone.

    Shame on Sony for releasing the P$£ in it's current state.

  • Widge #222 4 years ago

    monkie_king, Warhawk is by far one of the most fun online japes I've played. King of that for me was Halo 2, then Day Of Defeat:Source, but just another level. Can't buy it to wave to people about how pretty it looks, but to play.... just joy. Oh and £20 is nice. People cite RFOM's 40 player online as marvellous but I found the weapons unbalanced, where Warhawk's is refined to perfection.

    Oh and well worked online too, no lag, lobby is pretty much like Steam, can't fault it!

    Uncharted is great BUT I would like to see more puzzle and less shooty elements from the next in the series.

    Whether 2 games can sell you a system, I dunno. I feel the same, I want to check Lost Oddessy and the Square Enix jobbie thats announced on the main page, but that again is just 2 games. I guess roll on a couple of years when all of the systems are £60 off Ebay! I got my original xbox for £64 + 5 games, barg that!
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 18:47

  • TRUTH #223 4 years ago

    Forget bluray!...HD digital downloads and HD holographic disc are the next step in HD - and soon too.

  • AOFanboi #224 4 years ago

    <em>another crap PS3 game, Sony really do have an excellent marketing/pr department to be able to keep shifting PS3's with such a woeful range of games available.</em>

    Crap argument, the Wii has three times the miss rate so I guess Nintendo are bust or something? Sheesh! Haze does not make UT3, R&C:ToD or Uncharted disappear.

  • FenderMaster #225 4 years ago

    EG it really isnt as bad as you make out, its actually quite fun in a dumb kind of way

  • IAmBatman #226 4 years ago

    "That would be the ideal, but I've never, ever seen anyone play through their own game with anywhere near the rigor required for that who didn't have either tester or designer in their job title. "

    But as long as you have 2 scripter/designers, they can play each other's stuff to cut out the personal preference stuff. If you have a team of them then everyone plays everything and you get a lot of feedback.

  • silke #227 4 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • Nocturne #228 4 years ago

    The Playstation 3 is surviving on the strength of the 'Sony' and 'Playstation' brand. There are many people who have bought, or will buy, a Playstation 3 simply because they had a Playstation 2, and only bought a Playstation 2 because they had a Playstation before that. The 'Playstation' brand has become synonymous with gaming in the minds of many casual gamers and the media. The Xbox 360 is an ugly machine, with an awful name, cringe worthy marketing and, to boot, is made by Microsoft, who everyone knows is the great satan. I cannot take seriously the claim that the Playstation 3 has been successful for its high quality software, its incredible and unrivalled processing power, and its ability to play Blu-Ray. In almost every regard, Sony has royally cocked-up the Playstation 3, with uncooperative and underpowered hardware, ridiculous high pricing and, most importantly, with hardly an exclusive title worth purchasing, a problem compounded by the fact that almost every cross-platform release is better on its rivals' hardware--Haze is now just another chapter in the sorry story.

    However, the 'Playstation' brand is being damaged as they put together their opus of cock-ups, and Sony cannot ride the wave indefinitely; eventually, even the "casual" gamer will begin to look elsewhare for their gaming fix, it just takes them a little longer than the "hardcore" gamers who have already, by and large, abandoned ship. That said, I sincerely hope that Sony can turn things around, for the good of the industry and the games which I will be playing five years from now.

  • gooners2006 #229 4 years ago

    i received this game this morning and it is the biggest disappointment ive ever played......give it a couple of weeks this will be traded in....terrible terrible game

  • Sir_TimAlot #230 4 years ago

    "EG it really isnt as bad as you make out, its actually quite fun in a dumb kind of way"

    +1

    How they can give this game a 4 is pretty crazy, unbelieveably subjective and inconsistent when compared to how other games 20 times worse in every way can score the same if not more.

    Just kinda seems like they lowered its score cos it wasn't what was promised which is the poor fable reviews all over again, although fable was sweet and haze is just average.

  • #231 4 years ago

    @Nocturne


    "unrivalled processing power" - i think folding at home proves it can.

    "Underpowered hardware " - Burnout Paradise - Cod4 - Uncharted - Racket and Clank TOD - hardly underpowered.

    "Playstation' brand is being damaged as they put together their opus of cock-ups," - much in the same vein as MS EPIC fuckup of its hardware wouldn't you say?


  • optimusprym8 #232 4 years ago

    programmers should do some QA on their work to make sure it is ready to be fully QA'd, that is all.

  • The-Bodybuilder #233 4 years ago

    >"Speaking of fanboy retardation, your post is a classical example of that phenomenon. Is it too much to believe that FRD is of sufficient size to have two projects running concurrently"

    No, not really.
    The problem is when you fabricate the notion that it was made by a "B" team, if such a team even exists.
    No information has EVER been given about there being two teams, let alone it being made by the B-team. If anything, due to the hype and feedback from nekotcha, it most definately was thier main project. So even if there was a B team, all indications point to it being a game that was thier primary project.

    You jumped at the idea it was made by a b-team based on no evidence or indication at all. Seemed like clutching at straws there.

  • Nocturne #234 4 years ago

    DaemonB,

    The term 'underpowered' is relative. The Playstation 3 is only underpowered, overpowered, or sufficiently powered, relative to some task or goal to which it is set. In my previous comment the term 'underpowered' was intended to be understood relative to the marketing and promises of Sony, which the Playstation 3 has clearly failed to meet (the notorious Killzone 2 trailer is a case in point). It is not even clear that the Playstation 3 is superior to the Xbox 360, and even if the Playstation 3 does have more potential, its apparent difficulty to design for may mean that we never see that potential realised. In this respect, Sony were lucky with the Playstation 2, which had such a staggering lead over the competition that developers had no choice but to learn it well. However, as things stand in the current generation of consoles, developers would seem to have little incentive to eek out that extra performance from the Playstation 3.

    Please understand that I am not an "Xbox fanboy", however, Microsoft is doing a better job than Sony in the current generation of consoles--I am just calling it as I see it. Microsoft have made there cock-ups, and I was rightly pissed off when my Xbox 360 suffered from the notorious "red ring of death", but the 'Xbox' brand is not nearly as valuable as the 'Playstation' brand, and Microsoft were not in a position to ride any wave while got their act together. In any case, Sony have yet to persuade me to buy a Playstation 3 and I do not think that will change in the forseeable future, and Haze is now another opportunity lost. The only games which interest me are Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid 4 and the next Gran Turismo, but I could happily live without each given the price of the Playstation 3. It is disheartening to see that Sony are left hyping Killzone 2, which for all its technical extravagance, is a sequel to a game which I put down and never returned to after two sessions, and is being put together by a developer with a track record which is at best described as 'average'--I suspect that Killzone 2 will be Haze all over again with prettier graphics.

  • tonyferrino #235 4 years ago

    Gooners2006, I wouldn't wait a couple of weeks - I'd get it traded in ASAP while it's still worth something!

  • Nocturne #236 4 years ago

    The Bodybuilder,

    The theory that Haze was put together by a B-team within Free Radical is actually quite a good theory, since it might explain the anomaly that is Haze itself, a poor and half-arsed game put together by a developer with an otherwise solid history of high quality output. Haze, and its 4/10 score, are begging for some explanation, and the notion that a B-team within Free Radical were behind its development seems about as good a theory as any other. It may be wrong, of course, but then every theory may be wrong. I am interested to see what the fallout, if any, there will be from Haze, and whether Free Radical, or some of their employees, will indulge us with some inside information.

  • makeamazing #237 4 years ago

    As a couple of people hear have said, its not a 4 really its more of a 6 out of 10... its not as bad as some reviews are making out (certainly not as good as it should be as a sole platform game).

    Someone mentioned that the designers/programmers should listen or get input from QA, in most cases QA teams dont get software till very late in the process and when they do any comments they make usually fall on death ears. In many cases games cannot be delayed any longer and companies cannot spend any more development costs on the game and it has to go out "as is". Sad but true.

    I wouldnt say the PS3 brand is being damaged any more than the Xbox is for RROD, and the Wii for no high powered graphic games, they all have their faults. Its certainly not good that an exclusive comes out and its not as good as the PR, but this is not the first time its happened, and certainly wont be the last. Its not something the PS3 needs right now as its trying to pick up steam, but with big game releases in the next 3-4 weeks, Haze will be forgotten pretty quickly i think.

    I do find it funny that some people say there is nothing to play on the PS3, there is enough, especially when considering the cost of games, I think some people must have way too much disposable income... though i do own a Wii and PC as well so my software purchases are split against all 3 platforms.

  • gooners2006 #238 4 years ago

    tonyferrino - ive decided that as soon as its completed its being traded in for a good game like Lego Indy Jones or something to that effect

  • weaselrat #239 4 years ago

    Oh yeah did I mention PS3 suks d**k.
    Three times and the spell is cast. Booya

  • Nocturne #240 4 years ago

    weaselrat,

    That's impossible. The Playstation 3 does not have a mouth.

  • weaselrat #241 4 years ago

    ethernet shaped ones

  • Nocturne #242 4 years ago

    You can squeeze in there? Ouch!

  • weaselrat #243 4 years ago

    just, chafes a little (wonders if thats how you spell chafes?? never used it before)
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 21:23

  • barrylyndon #244 4 years ago

    it sucks to be a ps3 owner. lair, heavenly sword and now this. waiting months even years for such desultory offerings. To any ps3 owner interested in playing games that actually deliver the goods just cut your losses ,swallow your pride and get an xbox. Just think you won't have to kid yourself anymore.

  • weaselrat #245 4 years ago

    own both then when you get pissed at losing online with the 360, you can smash the ps3 controllers off the wall, no loss there at all!

  • Codger81 #246 4 years ago

    What Nocturne said.

    I'm somebody that came in from over 10 years in the PC wilderness, after having finally retired my Mega Drive in about 1996 or so. I came down on the Xbox 360 side merely because MS seem to have a good selection of genres and titles (not to mention the brilliant dreamcast inspired 360 controller), and Sony has done a piss poor job of buying exclusive title rights, average at best and piss poor at worst.

    Despite being an Xbox owner I want competition as its best for the consumer, a little competition does wonders for quality standards. I am however starting to wonder if Sony hasn't just missed the boat, but got lost on the way to the docks. MGS4, Little Big Planet (the only PS3 title I am genuinely jealous of), and GT5 ... and few prospects on the horizon, you must be joking Sony?
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 21:40

  • sirtacos #247 4 years ago

    Sir_TimAlot is right.

    As for the whole console battle thing, weaselrat, I own both so I don't care which is better. Whichever one it is, I already have it. It's liberating.
    I only bought the PS3 because it's a good Blu-Ray player. I bought the xbox solely for Mass Effect (and then BioShock came and blew my socks off). Conclusion? Up yours, shitpickle.
    Brand loyalty is normal but video gamers take it way too far. You should only be 'loyal' to the extent that it stimulates competition in the market, making you, the discerning customer, better off in the end.

    As for my use of the word "shitpickle", it's not really an insult. Consider it a cute nickname, or an affectionate term I use to encapsulate my perception of you.

  • juuken #248 4 years ago

    Oh well.

  • IneptPercy #249 4 years ago

    After playing crysis Haze really did feel like a PS2 game, it just seemed empty. There is better on PC easily but there is also better on the consoles.

  • The-Bodybuilder #250 4 years ago

    @ Nocturne
    Seems like clutching at straws to me. Second Sight was never great anyways, and people are holding on the groundless idea that all those who were involved in goldeneye and perfect dark are all now part of FRD. For all we know, those people may still be at rare (PDZ is better than haze, in a bizzaro sort-of way).

    And it's not a theory, it's an hypothesis. A theory needs at least some evidence, whereas the "B-Team Theory" (as it will now forever be called) is groundless, especially when haze has been thier most important game since the first timesplitters. It is easy to look at the score now and blame the game on the mysterious "B-Team", but a year ago, it was thier flagship title. How the "B-Team" was involved in thier flagship title (up until now) doesn't make sense with me.

    And like I said before, nekotcha always made it clear that it was the primary game they were working on.

  • seeka #251 4 years ago

    Well I really enjoyed PDZ and never understood all the hate it got.

    The people that made GE and Perfect Dark good are obviously still at rare. Seriously, how can you really compare the two games - one was released 2 and a half years ago and was rushed for launch, whereas Haze has got an extra 6 months to polish.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 22:41

  • niteninja #252 4 years ago

    The storyline is intresting however the game is shite in a bucket,piss poor doesnt do it justice.
    Those who say the ps3 is underpowered will change there minds in a few weeks,Ive played the finished version of metal gear solid4 its simply stunning amazing visual and audio.
    Buy yourself a decent hd tv and surround sound kit,be ready to play the best game released yet on next gen.
    Its fantastic.
    If you havent got a top hd tv and surround sound kit you will lose a massive part of the metal gear experience,without a doubt the best sounding game you will ever play.
    Edited by 1 at 22/05/08 @ 22:59

  • MaxHughes #253 4 years ago

    "H4zelol"

    QFT!!

  • Lim-Dul #254 4 years ago

    Just for the record: Haze got pretty poor reviews on all the sites that matter and e.g. a 6/10 on Gamespot with their 7-9 rating scale for major titles is easily equal to or even worse than a 4/10 on EG.

    BOOSH! (Ha, ha - that HAS to be the next internet meme.)

  • BadBoyBonner #255 4 years ago

    Fingers crossed we get the full horrific account of this games birthing process on Gamasutra in a Postmortem article.

  • capttrousers #256 4 years ago

    you didn't like it then?

  • Bigglesworth #257 4 years ago

    @BadBoyBonner
    I remember Gamasutra ran an interview with Haze's 'screenwriter' sometime last autumn which was quite interesting and, to be honest, sounded a few alarm bells for things to come (though perhaps hindsight is helping there). Most obviously, the interview shows that Yescombe wanted to produce a very self-aware commentary on the state of gung-ho shooting games (something it seems that some people are missing entirely); unfortunately the result seems to not be half as clever as he thought it would be.

    By the way, this speculation on A- and B-teams can be easily confirmed, surely? Just look at the credit rolls of the games in question.

  • DjFlex52 #258 4 years ago

    But, just to point out something, you can't have it both ways EG. If you go and rate something as badly designed as Lost the game 7/10, you can't come on your high horse and claim Haze is somehow so bad in design that it warrants a 4/10.

    Remain consistent.

    @Crofto

    Your Sony badge is shining brightly, Crofto...as usual. If this was a 360 exclusive game we wouldn't hear such words from you. Yes, you are consistent..consistently sucking Sony's a@&.
    How you could even make your argument by comparing an adventure game (which are scarce this gen) to an FPS (which we are overloaded with) is beyond me. You're also not taking into account that each reviewer (you act like EG is a reviewer's name) see games of different genres individually.

  • Sevens #259 4 years ago

    Ridiculous.

  • Sevens #260 4 years ago

    "In my previous comment the term 'underpowered' was intended to be understood relative to the marketing and promises of Sony, which the Playstation 3 has clearly failed to meet (the notorious Killzone 2 trailer is a case in point). "

    Take a look at the new, pre-alpha, footage and wait for the final game. Or go on making uninformed comments, whatever you prefer.

  • DjFlex52 #261 4 years ago

    Take a look at the new, pre-alpha, footage and wait for the final game. Or go on making uninformed comments, whatever you prefer.

    @Sevens

    Granted. Looks great except that they showed that footage in 2005 and KZ2 isn't coming out till 2009...4 YEARS later. While we'll have had already played 2 Resistance games, 2 Motorstorm games, 2 Viva Pinata games, 2 Gears of War games, 2 PGR games, 2 COD games, 2 Rainbow six games added to a new Mario, Metroid, Smash Bros & a Zelda game before we play Killzone 2.

    Uhh..something's wrong here o.O

  • chrisola #262 4 years ago

    So the delayed, hyped, AAA exclusive turned out to be rubbish.... when Killzone 2 comes out even the mighty "epic fail" won't be enough!

    bastards.

  • Tomo #263 4 years ago

    Really excellent review Kristan. I enjoyed reading it a lot, and whilst you certainly dished out the dirt, I think you avoided ranting and kept it concise and to the point.

    I certainly won't be buying a PS3 anytime soon. If only MGS4 and LBP were on the 360!

  • Jepas27 #264 4 years ago

    i never gave much attention to Haze... im sold with MGS4, the next gen shin megami tensei, disgaea 3 and the great FF XIII... and the last 3 are not coming until the end of 2009... but no hurries... i still have some hours in lost odyssey and mass effect, best xbox 360 games in my honest opinion... killzone and gears are not very persuasive to me... and haze? its just another regular FPS with not much to offer...

  • RazorObsession #265 4 years ago

    Wow. Just, Wow. Maybe 2009 is the year of the PS3?

    I mean what noteworthy exclusives are left? MGS4, LBP, GT5, KZ2, Res2 as far as I know.
    If at least 3 of these 5 are not 10/10 games, I predict GAME OVER for Sony. The videogame department at any rate.
    Blu ray may still save it, what with the cross platform games getting stronger, so long as they can undercut dedicated players.

  • Rash' #266 4 years ago

    "All readers on this site should know that 360 is the superior console by now."

    Clearly they don't otherwise EG wouldn't be feeding up a frenzy with it's comparison articles. I for one don't understand where the revelation in that statement is. A console two and half years into it's life cycle is of course going to have more content, if managed correctly. Whether that make's it a "superior" console is a matter of taste, as Nintendo will no doubt attest. I personally, couldn't care less for 360's brand of hardcore games. Give me games that challenge, intellectually and artistically. More games like Rez, please MS.
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 02:01

  • Chupakun #267 4 years ago

    I suppose the rest of the reviewing sites/magazine aren't just being harsh; I guess it's pretty true about Haze.

    I was watching the first clip in the review and not all the dialogue seemed poor; some of it felt right in whatever context of a story has been revealed to date. Of course playing and reading could lead to two completely different branches of opinion, I'll give it that.

  • Number1Laing #268 4 years ago

    No one could possibly be using this shite game to prove something about PS3, right? I mean, compare the jungles in this game to Uncharted...

    But yea, FRD really screwed this one up bad. Seems like it was a mess for a long time and they spent the past 5 months or so just trying to hammer it into some sort of shape they could release it in. I hope this is more of a small Second Sight style bump in the road rather than a gigantic disaster that shows they're not fit to code on current gen platforms - I mean, the engine for Haze is home grown and from everything I have read it needs to be taken out back and shot.

    It's also kind of discouraging that FRD seems to stumble when they try to do anything more than goofy TimeSplitters games. Seem to be lacking the talent to take on more serious fare and Haze is nothing if not proof of that.

  • Les #269 4 years ago

    They should have stuck with the monkeys...

  • Les #270 4 years ago

    "Wow. Just, Wow. Maybe 2009 is the year of the PS3?"

    Wow. Just, Wow. Do you need a poor review from a game few had high expectations of for something that should be obvious to all?! From 2007 till 2010/2011 it was/will be the years of the Wii...

  • Hellform #271 4 years ago

    Playing Haze right now, the game is 6/10 material, nothing like what this reviewer is claiming.
    The tone of the review is so mean spirited and hyperbolic that I took issue with a couple things:
    Reed seems to have a problem "pushing buttons" to trigger scripted events; you musn't like the COD series, then, because Infinity Ward has been doing this (COD2 Russian Campaign is terrible for that) for years.

    Revitalizing comrades with a button isn't anything to complain about; Gears of War did the same.

    Braindead AI? I'm not understanding this complaint. Haze doesn't have 'good AI' but it certainly isn't of the heavily scripted HL2/COD4 variety. AI dives away from moving vehicles, sticks to cover and when exposed, becomes a moving target.
    But then, Reed also claimed that the Chimera in Resistance had 'poor' AI, so it's clear he doesn't what he's talking about.

    I would ignore this review and the other irresponsible, reactionary 4/10 scores across the net. I'm not sure if this is post COD4 syndrome or reviewers trying to prove that they can be tough after the GTA IV 10/10 hilarity, but Haze is 5-7/10 material.

    This review stinks of a pissed off critic who wants to punish a game for not living up to its hype.

  • Les #272 4 years ago

    "This review stinks of a pissed off critic who wants to punish a game for not living up to its hype."

    You often see that when reviewers have an uncomfortable feeling after fully buying the hype for a game released shortly before... They feel the need for establishing credibility by showing that they can be harsh.
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 08:27

  • lambtron #273 4 years ago

    "Playing Haze right now, the game is 6/10 material, nothing like what this reviewer is claiming."

    I love how people are bandying around a score of 6/10 like this makes it worth playing. I have better things to do with my time than play sub-standard games but then I own more than one console...

  • Hellform #274 4 years ago

    The 6/10 comments aren't meant to advertise the game, they are meant to counter the notion that the game is a god-awful abortion. You know what a 4/10 game is? Two Worlds..an utterly hideous, horribly performing piece of garbage that doesn't even run at 20 fps. That's 4/10 material. I don't think playable, mildly enjoyable (but ultimately average) games should get anything below passable scores. There needs to be some level of consistency here.
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 08:48

  • S.J.Rogers #275 4 years ago

    Bummer..!

  • Redeye #276 4 years ago

    I think a fair few people are missing the point of a 4/10 score...given the fact that 5 (being the halfway point on a scale of 10) is average, and given also the fact that Haze would appear to be a below-average product (I use 'appear' as a quantifier simply because I haven't played it myself), then 4 out of 10 would translate to 'this game is below average'. QED.

    This all depends, however, on your definition of an average score...hell, I used to write for C+VG at the start of the 90's, and their idea of an average score then was 70%...

  • afghan_jones #277 4 years ago

    AHAHAHAHA!

    Nice to see the fanboys are out and about.

    "B-But, its really a 6/10 so its still good really!"

    I laugh in your deluded faces and get back to playing a large selection of top notch games on my Xbox.

    Seriously, LBP, & MGS. That is literally all you have and they arent even out yet. You can say what you like about Blu-Ray, Processing power, sales figures etc. The thing that matters is games.

    PS3 has only a handful of decent games. Xbox has buckets of top rated games. Thats all there is to it. Everything else is irrelevant.

  • Widge #278 4 years ago

    I think this needs a bollocks score as a wake up to ALL to STOP MAKING BOLLOCKS FPS games.

  • anomagnus #279 4 years ago

    Sony's big problem right now, is that, based on the libray of titles, they are trading on the brand and nothing else.

    Now, thats great short term, but long term, thats a very dangerous proposition, becuase if you cock it up, you'll never get that brand loyalty back.

    As others have said, Sony have not created the killer library of titles they need, in order to

    a) Convince more people, like me, who have an xbox to purchase a ps3 as well
    b) much more dangerous, convince developers that is WORTH their time coping with the learning curve on the equipment.

    Clearly, FRD has struggled with the ps3 dev kit. No one WANTS to put out a bad game, and i'm damn sure they tried their best, but if this is the best they could do on the PS3, what does that say about it?

  • anomagnus #280 4 years ago

    i also feel that LBP is not the killer app everyone thinks it is

    sure, people might buy it, but do you really see your self creating masterpieces?

    I've seen this before on construction kits for rpgs, sounds great, you get into it, but after two or three attempts, you just give up

    its a technical exercise nothing more

  • Widge #281 4 years ago

    Thats unfair, especially if you look at the joy others have had on the PS3 with exclusive titles. Also big question mark that Bethseda, they of the "we don't need to patch game breaking bugs" Oblivion, actually show that you can port and port well.

    What it does show is FRD have done a shit job. Complete mystery as to why, and the only people who can shed light on that is themselves intenally. No chance of that though because that would be like shooting their rep into complete flames for future titles on any syste.

  • Widge #282 4 years ago

    Well no, the thing about LBP is that you don't HAVE to sit about creating stuff. You get the 50 levels that come with the game, but then you'll get the chance to take advantage of the genius of others around you. Oblivion has the construction kit, no way would I dig into that, but some of the stuff I've seen people do to Obv (and Morrowind too) is amazing. The time and talent is something you can take advantage of. Thats the selling point that is being focussed on.

  • captain-future #283 4 years ago

    @Redeye:
    [link url=http://ww w.eurogamer.net/scoring_policy.php
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/scoring_policy....[/link]

    Four - getting into the realms of poor

    When you see a four out of ten anywhere you know the reviewer's had a fairly miserable experience and is issuing caution to potential punters to stay away from it. Somewhere there will be some semblance of playability, but it's the kind of game you wouldn't even really want to suggest renting most of the time. At best you should maybe borrow from a friend or have a look in-store (or download the demo if it's a PC game, naturally) if you're really curious and want a second opinion. There are maybe some redeeming features in there; maybe it's technically acceptable in certain areas with some decent graphics, but completely ruined by broken gameplay that's possibly full of bugs, a terrible control system and all manner of collected irritants like bad camera system, offensively bad script and voiceovers, rotten level design, and probably stupid AI quirks or balancing that's too easy or too hard. But games that have scored this badly and suffer from these exact issues often sell very well indeed, so there's no accounting for taste. If you don't like wasting money, then stay the hell away from a four. There are so many better games you could be looking at.

  • Widge #284 4 years ago

    "offensively bad script and voiceovers"

    :D

  • Les #285 4 years ago

    "Sony's big problem right now, is that, based on the libray of titles, they are trading on the brand and nothing else."

    Guess the PS3 library is not for you but there's plenty to play (though less of course than on 360 though with that console's bias towards shooters it will not satisfy all people). Sony's big problem isn't the 360 (that's quickly becoming irrelevant when it comes to taking away future sales of the PS3) it's the Wii. The machine is so successful that this is bound to be reflected in the future games library for PS3: more (and better quality) development resources will (and probably are alread) shifted towards Wii, which will negatively impact PS3's library.

  • Bangaioh #286 4 years ago

    "This all depends, however, on your definition of an average score...hell, I used to write for C+VG at the start of the 90's, and their idea of an average score then was 70%..."

    Mine still is... I'd hardly want to play something I could rate less than 7, it's 8 upwards (unless were talking about a particular license that I'm personally interested in)... and this is another crap game on PS3. If I had a half idea of buying the system, at this rate I really couldn't be arsed...

  • muscleblade #287 4 years ago

    @Les

    I think you are wrong. The Wii is something entirely different. The 360 and PS3 have much more in common, and the 360 has the edge. I think the console war is between Sony and MS.
    I dont know who wins but i certainly know who should.

  • Widge #288 4 years ago

    The 360 has 2 current games and 1 upcoming game that I would like to play, I quite like the jRPG presence on the machine. It the succeeding console bunged bluray, wireless, quiet fans (and this comes from someone who finds the PS3 obtrusive), plus a bit more of a sophisticated front end, could be very tempting... even without my staple faves of MGS and Final Fantasy on board. Because I've owned all the brands in the past, I'm not really bothered by the "loyalty" tag, but for this current gen there is no way I'd swap my little shiny black box.

    For what its worth, I think the shooter market deserves the knockings its getting, and needs this to continue. Killzone 2 is shaping to look and sound gloriously beautiful, but I'm reading previews saying that underneath it is yet another standard FPS to add to the market.

  • onyxbox #289 4 years ago

    Les is right.

  • Widge #290 4 years ago

    I think there are too many shooters on BOTH consoles. Or should I say, shooters without merit.

  • Redeye #291 4 years ago

    captain-future: Thanks for the cut-and-paste, but it's still 'below average' (for whatever given reason) by any other name. Whether it's down to developer foul-ups, publisher pressure, poorly-positioned milestones or a million-and-one other possible reasons.

  • Widge #292 4 years ago

    Have a look at this:

    [link url=http:// www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3167906
    ]http://ww w.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=31...[/link]

    Ever since I saw KZ2 moving, I really had a large boost in interest in it. I think it is going to look and sound the part, but will offer nothing new. If this also adds nothing new to the FPS market, I'd like it slated as this has been. If its good, then thats a nice bouns but if not, again something has to be held up warning people not to make any more generic FPS'.

    Dead keen on MGS4 though, although I actually want it delayed so I can finish GTA4 off first!

  • elvenscroll #293 4 years ago

    @afghan_jones
    " AHAHAHAHA!

    Nice to see the fanboys are out and about.

    "B-But, its really a 6/10 so its still good really!"

    I laugh in your deluded faces and get back to playing a large selection of top notch games on my Xbox. "

    I love it. You call others a fanboy then you act like one yourself. Also, you seem to think that Sony are somehow responsible for a game made by a third party developer. By your own logic, if a shit game comes out on the Xbox thats Microsofts fault. Doesnt really make sense does it?

    In your opinion there are only two games coming in the future worth owning on PS3, where in my opinion there are several. On the other hand, there is only one game coming out on the 360 that interests me, and thats Fable 2.

    While your playing your 'large selection of top notch titles' do remember to pull your head out of your anus.

  • anotherrobharvey #294 4 years ago

    Ignore the review if you disagree - download the demo and play it...wait a few days, play it again - then at least you'll make your own opinion. EG reviews are here to guide you and give an opinion from a source based around the games industry (i.e, with experience and in-depth knowledge - which isn't always the best approach...too much information/knowledge can be a bad thing in reviews) - please still keep in mind it is an opinion. Hype may have counted towards the review but nether-the-less...keep an open mind - each person has different tastes in games...some hardcore, some leisure and some just plain weird ;P

    My two and a half pence! :)

  • GamesConnoisseur #295 4 years ago

    Re anotherrobharvey

    There will certainly be some who will actually enjoy the game and not allow the hype or anti hype to influence their judgement, that will make a lot more sense especially if you only own one console, havent really played much FPS games before Haze.

    Sure in that case the game may get quite a few extra score points, but for the discerning gamers who have played the field and supped the best of bests, Haze certainly simply fail to be considered among them but instead remembered for being an also ran.

    A sad fact the one which we should not be celebrating for whatever reason, as the career of the people involved, the investment made and the poor saps who bought the game expecting better !-)

  • Haloboy #296 4 years ago

    I can hear the hasty 360 to PC ports being readied up as I type.

  • Madafunkola #297 4 years ago

    Hehehehe - a guy at work has put his pre-order for this game up for sale on our internal notice board. Selling it before he even receives it. GFAWZ!

  • afghan_jones #298 4 years ago

    @elvenscroll.

    The difference is im not trying to defend a crap game, Im just enjoying great ones.

    If there is genuinely only one title on Xbox which interests you then you probably dont like games very much.

    I dont see how you could possibly argue that the PS3 has a better lineup whatever your tastes happen to be. I dont think sony are 'responsible' for this game. I dont care about who is responsible. My point is that right now the Xbox has a vastly superior games lineup and there is nothign on the horizon that is going to change that.

  • Widge #299 4 years ago

    Balls, I've got a load of the multiplatform games, plus some of the exclusives and I repeatedly bang on about how much I enjoy Warhawk. I love games and have done since my bro used to get tapes of Return of The Mutant Camels for my Atari 400. In what, half a month, my 2nd big anticipated title comes out being MGS4 (1st was GTA4), quite looking forward to Buzz, yet to catch up on big hitters like COD4 and Burnout. I'm saddened that I've not had a chance to have a go on Lost Oddessy and the 360 announced Square Enix game looks really nice. For my RPG fix, I'm going to have to wait for White Knight Story and the pair of Final Fantasy games that are going to come, oh and perhaps Disgaea.

    Don't tell us that we don't like games and don't tell us what console has the better features and lineup, we have bought what we want, because we want it over what else is on offer.

  • Ace_McCloud #300 4 years ago

    ^^^^^^

    You've been sustaining yourself all this time playing Warhawk, and the hopes of playing MGS4 and.... BUZZ!? Really? Jesus...

    As an aside, I played SKATE on PS3 the other day knowing from my well informed EG vs articles that it wouldn't be as nice as the 360 version, but I honestly thought you wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. Man it SUCKED! The frame rate was appalling! I don't know why "gamers" would limit themselves to a PS3.

    BOOSH!

  • Widge #301 4 years ago

    Well Buzz is for the missus to join in. I got totally hooked on Warhawk, practically on the same level as Halo2 and Day Of Defeat:Source... and thats the thing about multiplayer games, they are just time traps! I've got Oblivion to polish off (and thats not exactly flighty), think I'm 19 chapters into Drakes, not touched Ratchet & Clank, got DiRT too... it goes on like this. As I said I want to do COD4 and Burnout but I promised myself NOTHING NEW, not until I finish off the existing wadge of games. Although rule utterly broken in the face of GTA4 and will do for MGS4. Can't resist those.

  • Moz #302 4 years ago

    I like the way that everyone always seems to ignore the multiplat games that are good on PS3

    GTA4, COD4, Burnout, Oblivion, Dirt.

    As for any future FPS games, personally I'm happy with run of the mill game play if it comes with a compelling story, i'm not sure there is much more to invent in the gonera. if the likes of KZ2 or GOW2 look good, sound good and have solid game play then they should get a 7 or 8, if the have level design and story that makes it all really flow and draws you into the game then they deserve a 9.

    However if HAZE is as bad as the reviews suggest then the only people to blame are FRD and Ubi (both naughtydog, insomniac and others have produced good looking smooth games on PS3 so i don't see how the hardware can be blamed)

    And hell even Ubi have done good things on PS3.

    If Haze is shit then it's shit cos FRD screwed up as from reading the review it's not just a graphics things, it's story and voice acting too. From the sounds of things even if they did do a 360 port with better frame rate adn graphics they'd just be polishing shit which is still shit at the end of the day.

  • Machetazo #303 4 years ago

    anomagnus wrote:
    "i also feel that LBP is not the killer app everyone thinks it is

    sure, people might buy it, but do you really see your self creating masterpieces?"

    Isn't some of the value more from having fun trying, comparing designs with friends, getting feedback, and making something that YOU (primarily) enjoy playing, and would feel confident uploading and sharing, then building on your time experimenting, on your next construction? I really don't follow, how competition (i.e the need to consistently create "masterpieces";) comes in to it! I think, frankly, that you're missing some of the point of LBP, and that it would suffer if elitist attitudes spurred high in the designing community.

  • Razzajazz #304 4 years ago

    If anyone finds the macho posturing in this game funny, can I suggest a TV show by Adult Swim called Frisky Dingo? Awesome X and the Xticles are exactly like Mantel troops! :)

  • elvenscroll #305 4 years ago

    @afghan_jones

    "The difference is im not trying to defend a crap game, Im just enjoying great ones.

    If there is genuinely only one title on Xbox which interests you then you probably dont like games very much.

    I dont see how you could possibly argue that the PS3 has a better lineup whatever your tastes happen to be. I dont think sony are 'responsible' for this game. I dont care about who is responsible. My point is that right now the Xbox has a vastly superior games lineup and there is nothign on the horizon that is going to change that. "

    I never tried to defend Haze. Saying that, i quite liked the demo. *runs*

    Also i said there is only one game on the horizon for the xbox that i would want, obviously by that i am not including all the titles released previously. I had a 360 ( 3 in fact, but i wont go there) and i switched to PS3. I also never said that Sony had a better exisiting line up, but bear in mind that the 360 had a years head start.

    Part of my decision to change was down to the hardware, part of it was blu ray. Sony have plenty of games to keep me and the missus happy, so i dont regret the switch at all.

    All down to choice really.

  • slayaz #306 4 years ago

    good to see the PS3 has finally got it's "killer app"

    Great work.

  • Les #307 4 years ago

    "I dont see how you could possibly argue that the PS3 has a better lineup whatever your tastes happen to be."

    Very, very, very easy: Name me one good baseball game available for 360 in Europe... Or a quality platform game. Or a good karaoke game. Not everyone shares your taste.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #308 4 years ago

    So it's a bad game. Who gives a crap. It's not the first, and it wont be the last. It certainly bares no relevence to the quality of the PS3 as a console, as the game looked the same when it was to be a multiplatform release. TBH, I have always thought The Time Splitters Trilogy to be very, very average. B-movie style storyline, hammy acting and quirky spring-to-centre aiming. They were games that didn't take themselves too seriously (as intended), and didn't really take the genre anywhere. So, given this track-record, all the hype surrounding Haze was always lost on me Anyone with a brain could see from the first ever screen shots that it looked like a PS2 game, but this was intentional and basically just misguided art direction rather than system limitations. I think the folks at Free Rad are only guilty of maybe a little creative Tunnel-vision but this game was always destined to be B-movie, low resolution yawnsville, regardless of system. LOL at the people that believed the hype over their own eyes.
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 13:19

  • anomagnus #309 4 years ago

    maybe i should clarify my comments on LBP

    Im not saying it will be without merit. I think it will pass some time, in what i imagine will be a 9/10 game or more.

    I'm simply saying, the promise of user created content, i've seen it before, and inevitably, the same names and groups will crop up.

    But even given that, the game cannot be judged as a system seller, or as anything other than a technical exercise for the very core market of gamers.

    i just don't see the weekend gamer market buying it, or the school lad market 13-18 enjoying it. And they are big market shares. Hell, even among my own group of friends, with a diverse set of gaming interests, i just don't see enthusiasm for it.

    Its bound to be good, and i'm sure it well catch attention. How much of that will translate into sales, i just dont know

    Also, sorry, regarding my comments on the library of games. The PS3 does have a good library, but not enough excellent exclusives to tempt me over.

    Really, this should be Sony's holy grail, to create a stable of exclusive titles, that are simply irresistible to any gamer, regardless of the current hardware he/she may own.

    Lets face it, the machine is powerful enough, given Sony's money, and experience in the field, this should not be a proble,.

    Yet Haze proves it is.

    If sony REALLY want to win this war, they need PERFECT examples of each genre exclusive.

    We're 15 years into the videogame industry, and tat is still being released (on both systems!!!)

    surely we should have moved on from this
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 13:58

  • chris_ace #310 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Ace_McCloud #311 4 years ago

    ""I dont see how you could possibly argue that the PS3 has a better lineup whatever your tastes happen to be."

    Very, very, very easy: Name me one good baseball game available for 360 in Europe... Or a quality platform game. Or a good karaoke game. Not everyone shares your taste."

    Lol. Are you joking? Baseball? Wtf?

  • slayaz #312 4 years ago

    "Name me one good baseball game available for 360 in Europe... Or a quality platform game. Or a good karaoke game. Not everyone shares your taste."

    ROFL, that is priceless.

    We are well known in europe for our love of baseball and karaoke.... When is the next "tall bike jousting" game due on the PS3?

    Needless to say, this argument is going to go on indefinitely, and there is not right or wrong. It comes down to personal preference.

    But in my opinion there is nothing now or in the near future that would make me buy a PS3.

  • SuperNashwan #313 4 years ago

    "Very, very, very easy: Name me one good baseball game available for 360 in Europe... Or a quality platform game. Or a good karaoke game. Not everyone shares your taste."

    AHH hahhahahahhhha

    Long lunch was it ?

  • assache #314 4 years ago

    Played the demo.... Awful!

    90 Minute cut scenes in MGS4, possibly the worst controller ever produced (no feedback and too lightweight), when will it be OK to go and buy a PS3 because right now, it has nothing going for it apart from Blu-Ray!

    Very sad indeed!

  • elvenscroll #315 4 years ago

    "possibly the worst controller ever produced (no feedback and too lightweight), "

    Ever heard of the dual shock 3? It has feedback and is also heavier. ;)
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 15:49

  • assache #316 4 years ago

    @elvenscroll

    When Sony start supplying one bundled with the console, it may be worth considering, but, the fact that it costs an extra £50 in the UK (when eventually released) just smacks of rip off to me!

  • Widge #317 4 years ago

    Mine cost under £25, and it was shipped from Croydon. Can be for anyone if you can be bothered to do about 1% effort to find them. Just like if you put in the effort you can get Live subscriptions for way under the retail price.

  • assache #318 4 years ago

    "Mine cost under £25, and it was shipped from Croydon. Can be for anyone if you can be bothered to do about 1% effort to find them. Just like if you put in the effort you can get Live subscriptions for way under the retail price."

    Runaround NOW! LOL!

  • Les #319 4 years ago

    "Lol. Are you joking? Baseball? Wtf?"

    Of course I'm not joking. It's the greatest sports ever and finally playable on a European machine thanks to PS3's region-free-ness. There's more to life/live than shooting things you know...
    Edited by 1 at 23/05/08 @ 16:12

  • BiscuitBase #320 4 years ago

    I disagree with less about Baseball being the greatest sport ever.

    The greatest sport is obviously Kabaddi

  • JDub #321 4 years ago

    Oh well... :(

    /goes back to GTA

  • SeesThroughAll #322 4 years ago

    BOOSHIT!

  • DjFlex52 #323 4 years ago

    "Very, very, very easy: Name me one good baseball game available for 360 in Europe... Or a quality platform game. Or a good karaoke game. Not everyone shares your taste."

    @Les

    I'd say "The Bigs" is a really good baseball game of which I had loads of fun with.
    I'd say "Psychonauts", which I bought on the marketplace, is a quality platform game.
    And I hate karaoke ;)
    Btw, as farticusmaximus stated, the 360 has more quality RPGs, JRPGs, RTS, racing, 3rd person and puzzle games than the PS3. So it's not just a FPS-only game machine. That myth has got to stop spreading.

    "Sony's big problem isn't the 360 (that's quickly becoming irrelevant when it comes to taking away future sales of the PS3) it's the Wii."

    @Les

    I think youre wrong...Sony's big problem is the 360. Sony needs to overtake either Japan or North America and they don't have a living chance of doing that in Japan with the Wii domination. So the PS3's only recourse is to beat the 360 in America which really is a BIG problem, at present.

  • Haloboy #324 4 years ago

    Gamespot's FHM ad wrote:

    "Exquisite! It doesn't get any better"

    Not for Sony it doesn't.

  • DrDamn #325 4 years ago

    Well I finished the game on normal in two sittings (4 hours & ~3 hours respectively). After the first sitting I thought EG were a bit harsh, it was looking more 6/10 - maybe 7/10 if the multiplayer was up to something. I think the controls are actually the best on a PS3 FPS. However - and you knew there was one didn't you :) - second half of the game plummeted to so serious depths of crapness in places. 4 or 5/10 is probably about right.

    There was a great point right at the end where I thought - hold on, the story is actually going to be quite clever here - I thought "that's why ... " and then it didn't. It avoided all possibilities of cleverness as much as possible.

  • Lamont #326 4 years ago

    The cutscenes in this thing are truly a steaming pile of pig $hit. It's almost unbelievable that Free Rad could not realize this writing was absolute crap. I mean the game has issues but the dialog just makes it unplayable with the sound on.

  • charming_fox #327 4 years ago

    Utterly Buttugly

  • Kenny_b #328 4 years ago

    isnt the storyline weak in halo 3?

  • rowsdower #329 4 years ago

    A top notch review. I haven't played the game personally, but I was just such a huge fan of the review I decided to comment. So here it is, my comment. I hope you like it as much as I liked your review.

  • QotSAfan #330 4 years ago

    Everytime i read a comment thread i lose faith in humanity.

  • BonzoBanana #331 4 years ago

    If Free Radical couldn't come up with a decent game engine they should have used someone elses like the unreal engine. I really don't see how Haze can be used to criticise the power of the ps3 its just a poorly programmed game on a hard to develop for console. Other ps3 games easily match and sometimes even surpass the 360. Obviously the 360 is currently the better games platform though. However there are plenty of good games on ps3 and it works reliably and has blu-ray, its a good package. I certainly won't be selling mine.

  • Lim-Dul #332 4 years ago

    I love how it's impossible (for some people) to judge a game by its own merits... I mean - instead of taking it for what it is, a really crap and generic shooter, it becomes just another casualty in the console fanboy war. Low review scores are attributed to the XBox lovers, higher ones are put forward by PS3 fanboys and everybody uses Haze as a pretext to throw around feces at each other like monkeys...

    Phew - I'm glad I don't own any stationary "next gen" console and play the games at my friends' places (I got access to both PS3 and XBox fanboys so I'm all set ;-).

    I'm starting to believe that the only thing "next gen" about the new consoles is the "next generation" of fanboys, more militant than ever, they have bred.

    Is it just me or is there really no pride in being part of the "gaming community" nowadays? I think that makes the casual Nintendo Wii/DS gamers the most normal people you might encounter... Truly, this is the only "next gen" console like Will Wright said - at least socially... (And no, I still don't own a Wii.)

  • DrDamn #333 4 years ago

    @kenny_b
    "isnt the storyline weak in halo 3?"

    That would be a matter of opinion - Halo 3 does have very high production values in the story though, it well scripted, voiced and has bags of atmosphere - I don't think that can be contested. Here there are some terrible ham fisted attempts at scripting. The core story line itself is actually reasonable, and there are some interesting points raised. It's just executed so incredibly badly that it's impossible to see past these failings.

  • TRUTH #334 4 years ago

    PS3 gamers are getting desperate!

  • Lim-Dul #335 4 years ago

    PS3 gamers are getting desperate!

    That's what I was talking about in the previous post... Another one of those fanboy comments, this time from the XBox camp (the PS3 camp, of course, is no less moronic). I guess XBox 360 owners feel so much schadenfreude when looking at Haze because crap games on the PS3 make them forget that their XBox 360 is probably lying around their home uselessly, having died from a RRoD.
    PS3 owners, on the other hand, hypnotize themselves with the shiny case of the PS3 and try to brainwash themselves into thinking that Haze (and any other sub-par exclusive) is at least an 8/10 title because that makes them forget that they spent (or let their mommy spend) tons of money on a console that has next to no good titles, isn't as impressive performance-wise as promised and may, in practice, be considered an overpriced Blue-Ray player...

    Everytime i read a comment thread i lose faith in humanity.

    Oh, yes... Why am I even writing anything? Doesn't that make me an even more pathetic human being?

  • Codger81 #336 4 years ago

    Lim-Dul, well said sir.

  • DarkGlint #337 4 years ago

    Its like if there was an elixir of life on a table infront of you (or a wad of cash whatever floats you, or maybe even your cock).
    You have to decide 'which hand do i pick it up with'.
    My left, or perhaps my right. Lets say you pick your left hand, so that hand is now holding the goods, i guess that means its better than my right, right? Thats how i liken these console war arguments. Because at the end of the day, both your hands could of picked it up, they both can pretty much do the same thing, but maybe you prefer one more than the other, but then blazing the hell out of other people who might of picked to use the other one, biggest waste of time imaginable.

    On topic side note; Haze is mediocre crap at its best, co op is always a slight saving grace tho.
    To be honest watching the devs shoot their mouths off in previews about how great this game was going to be, I cant help feeling they brought it apon themselves..comedy gold!

  • CrudMonk #338 4 years ago

    Well you win some you lose some. Just hope they learn from their mistakes.

    I wonder if Lucas Arts will show the game Free Radical are working on at this years E3?

  • RandomTerrain #339 4 years ago

    Played this through on hard mode.
    Seems to be a 7/10, or if you're feeling rather mean 6/10.
    But 4? Pfff, no, I couldn't play a 4/10 game to through to the end.

    The so called problems this game suffers are greatly exaggerated in EG's review in my opinion.
    I can understand the reviewer may have been disappointed, as Free Radical often deliver better.
    Sure, it doesn't match Halo 3 or COD 4 but a 4/10 is clearly way off the mark.

  • Lim-Dul #340 4 years ago

    Well - then it's a 6/10 or 7/10 for you. Don't you realize that EG reviewers might have other standards than you? And even if it were a 1/10 for the EG crew you might still enjoy the game and nobody will ever change the rating so what's the point?

    And what do you have to say about Gamespy's 2/5, IGN's 4.5/10 or G4 TV's 4/10? I really don't understand why people think that just because they read a site or post comments on it all the reviewers should suddenly have the same opinion as them. 0_o

    By the way - I would never finish a 6/10 or 7/10 game (if I were the one rating it) except if I got it for a review so there you go - another person, another opinion but nothing will change the fact that Haze currently averages 56 both on Metacritic and Gamerankings, sites that aggregate many different reviews, which, given today's standards, means it's crap.

  • Les #341 4 years ago

    "which, given today's standards, means it's crap."

    No, it means that a significant part of the people reviewing it think it's crap. They're just other people's opinions and therefore quite worthless. But in their motivations there might be hidden some information that can guide you in your buying decision. Though more often than not different reviews provide conflicting information...

  • anomagnus #342 4 years ago

    i'd love, LOVE eg to do a full and frank interview with FRD to see just what happened.

  • mash the x button #343 4 years ago

    Les is right, everyone was banging on about PS3 this PS3 that, 360 this 360 that, and along came the WII and said "nice to have met you both, see you later"....
    Edited by 1 at 27/05/08 @ 10:19

  • BM #344 4 years ago

    Poor old Free Radical, what a fall from grace.

    Just out of interest, have all the developers of the Goldeneye / Perfect Dark / Time Splitters 2 era now left? I'm a big fan of these games, and just wondered whether it was a case of the teams FR used to have now having left the company.

    I've got to say, Time Splitters 2 holds up really well even in the current climate (been playing it via my wii)

  • krudster #345 4 years ago

    From what we know about the FRD situation, some of the key talent that formed the company are far less hands-on than they were in the early days. Sources close to FRD told us that few people at the core of GoldenEye/PD/TimeSplitters had anything to do with the coding/design of Haze, which ought to go some way to explaining a few things.

  • Lim-Dul #346 4 years ago

    No, it means that a significant part of the people reviewing it think it's crap.

    True, but I'm a firm believer in statistics as long as it's applied correctly. If one reviewer thinks a game is crap, then it's his/her personal opinion. If several reviewers say it's crap (hence the aggregated score of just 56%) then it probably is crap. I mean - how many people have have to say a game is crap to accept it as a general opinion? Certainly there must be a threshold for this...

    Also, I don't like the completely relativistic approach (a.k.a. beauty lies in the eye of the beholder) to art, games, beauty and whatnot that is ever so popular nowadays. If 9 out of 10 people say something is crap but you say that it's ingenious then it still is crap by general consensus and you just have to live with the fact that you like crap without deceiving yourself with feel-good expressions like "well, it's only THEIR opinion".

  • Les #347 4 years ago

    "I mean - how many people have have to say a game is crap to accept it as a general opinion?"

    Thing is, I don't care for general opinion. The only thing that matters is my own. Case in point: Oblivion. It's on my top 10 list of worst games I ever played. What a piece of shit.

  • Lim-Dul #348 4 years ago

    Thing is, I don't care for general opinion. The only thing that matters is my own.

    I guess you must be very popular. ^^

    P.S. I didn't like Oblivion either but as a professional reviewer I'm usually able to detach my personal dislike for a particular game from its obvious merits, hence I feel that the final score fluctuates by +/- 1 at most due to my preferences... Yeah, I'm one of those guys who believe that while all reviews are subjective, some people, especially ones who have seen thousands of games you might not have even heard about, can come closer to objectivity than others.

  • m0thr4 #349 4 years ago

    So the delayed, hyped, AAA exclusive turned out to be rubbish....

    Only if you fell for the hype. To the more preceptive amongst us it's simply...

    "Piss-poor idea turns out to be piss-poor game".

  • m0thr4 #350 4 years ago

    assache: 90 Minute cut scenes in MGS4, possibly the worst controller ever produced (no feedback and too lightweight), when will it be OK to go and buy a PS3 because right now, it has nothing going for it apart from Blu-Ray!

    ... well you could argue that it also has going for it:.

    * a web browser
    * a slient optical drive
    * an extremely quiet internal cooling fan
    * a different interface that some people might prefer over the Xbox 360's blades (but feel free to disagree)
    * a hard drive that developers actually use for in-game performace (not so much for cross-platform titles, sadly)
    * a couple of games that perform better than their Xbox 360 counterparts
    * some games that perform identically to their Xbox 360 counterparts
    * several games that perform not so well as their Xbox 360 counterparts, but only a pedant would be bothered about the differences
    * some exclusives that the Xbox 360 doesn't have (both retail and from PSN store)
    * one or two exciting exclusives

    Whether it's OK to go and buy a PS3 right now depends on how much of the above list appeals to you. For me, it's all of it, and I'm now down to owning just Halo 3 and Army of 2 on the Xbox 360 (which I play once a month with a friend who lives 200 miles away) while all my other gaming (Oblivion, Warhawk, Uncharted, Colin McRae: Dirt, Everybody's Golf, PixelJunk Monsters, GTA IV and soon Race Driver: Grid) is on the PS3 .

  • Les #351 4 years ago

    “I guess you must be very popular. ^^ “

    Can’t complain… ;)

    “Yeah, I'm one of those guys who believe that while all reviews are subjective, some people, especially ones who have seen thousands of games you might not have even heard about, can come closer to objectivity than others.”

    I don’t believe in objectivity.

    I dislike Oblivion because of it’s horrible art style and the uninspired quests and I accept those are due to my personal preferences. I also dislike it because it’s a poorly designed game. I’m amazed that reviewers in general didn’t take offence of the broken gameplay (enemies that level up with you, countless bugs, engine that’s not up to the task (at least on the console versions), third person perspective that’s unplayable, poor balancing of ranged fighters (leading to constantly running backwards until you’ve killed your target), etc., etc.). But apparently my personal gameplay preferences are completely out of sync with those of reviewers in general. Not really a problem though as long as you read reviews.

  • Marshall2008 #352 4 years ago

    Gratz to Ubisoft.

    they knew this game was a steaming turd,

    They went to Sony and said 'this game is the shit man, make it PS3 exclusive by covering the dev costs of $XX bucks'

    Sony agreed, Ubisoft cheered then shipped a Turd that was bought and paid for by Sony. Ubisoft are now laughing all the way to the bank. The Sony execs that signed this deal should be looking for new jobs right about now!

  • Lim-Dul #353 4 years ago

    Ha, ha - I guess Ubisoft said to Sony: "Hey guys, this game is THE* shit."

    It always pays to read the small print. ;-)





    *does not apply

  • crazymonkey66 #354 4 years ago

    well i knew it was going to be just average since i saw the preview where your rebel friends yell out two lines over and over again and you kill 2 people compared to their 20. but i never thought it'd be this broken. RIP free radical. hope timesplitters 3 will resurrect you.

  • Lamont #355 3 years ago

    Best...review...ever