HAZE Impressions (so far)

After the almost universal panning in reviews of developer Free Radical’s latest FPS – a fine pedigree it established with its solid Timesplitters series on the Playstation 2 – I was inherently compelled to seek out the game and try it for myself. It’s not that I didn’t believe what the writers had to say; it’s just that I couldn’t come to terms with a rational justification for the lower end of scores it consistently received across the web. I kept thinking, “It can’t be that bad, right?” And while I have not yet finished the game to answer that question, I can see where most of the reviews were coming from; and perhaps most importantly, where I think they begin to lose sight of the game as a whole.

Obviously one huge factor contributing to the game’s less-than-favorable scores were due to its initial hype last year – back when it was still on track for a Fall 2007 release – and then the delay that had many gamers questioning whether the game would come out at all. Here’s where Problem #1 occurs: Does the game play like a solid and refined piece of product that benefited from a nearly 6 month delay? The quick answer is simply no, and from that perspective, one that I think most writers adopted when they judged the game, it is certainly disappointing to find that a game that had constantly been mired in delays and hiccups still manages to play as an average shooter with little to offer in the genre.

From my time with the game (about 3 hours in or so), the gameplay is, for lack of a better word, alright. I dug the role as a Mantel solider and the dependence on the coveted Nectar drug that enhances one’s abilities. The first hour or two was mildly amusing, nothing special, but nothing terrible either. Once the plot twists however, you find yourself as fighting alonside the rebels you spent the first few missions killing – but without the technology of the Mantel group, it feels somewhat underwhelming. While both possess different and unique abilities, I can’t say that there is too much difference between the classes to fully appreciate the shift in gameplay – the lack of Nectar being the only significant one to mention. Thus, you go from one mediocre experience to another: again, nothing special to see here.

Now I’m not sure yet how long this string of mediocrity lasts, but it is certainly a concern that I’m keeping in mind as I go through the game. I’m really trying to keep my mind open on HAZE as much as I can, and aside from some inspired ideas that can be found within the game, it has turned out to be a sub-par experience.