Playstation Legion - HAZE Hands on impressions

At Play.com LIVE 2 demos of the upcoming Playstation 3 exclusive HAZE were in playable form and i spent a while trying out this new FPS for the PS3.

I will Start by saying that the clerk at the event i was speaking to stated that these are playable builds from a few months ago, he also went on to state that Friday 23rd May is the target release date for HAZE in the UK and also that Rumble will be used in HAZE, however i'm unable to comment on that, since the stands used Sixaxis controllers.

Hit the jump to read on

[resistance100]

Any questions feel free to reply to this post on the site

[skynidas]

Just wanted to say that you did a great work at writing the preview, CHEERS!

[games4fun]

here i was thinking how great haze could possibly be and it hit me, its selling point of two completly fighting classes is also a possible deterent.

What if you have a group of friends and they suck at being one side while i am good at being the other we cant all be on the same team, also its a nightmare situation for clans, they will have to maybe become specefic for one type of player character my only question is how does the MP mode address this problem

also if it switches it then my team that was winning as soldiers will get beaten easily as we are rebels now.

also this isn't the same as Resistance because the differences were not so great that they had such dramatic changes which are being implemented in Haze

[sonarus]

great preview. Time will tell how great this will be but with ps3 receiving 4 great games 3 in a 2 month period all ps3 owners should be happy. GT5P, HAZE, GTA4 and MGS4. 4 great games (also 4 characters each lol). I hope they release a coop demo like they said they would on psn so i can try before i buy

[The Closing]

Did you ask if mods will be available? Like 3rd person view perhaps?

[resistance100]

I am going back tomorow as well so will be able to finsih a full preview on the second demo as well. Also any questions people may want me to ask lets here them and i will try to get back to you.

@games4fun and The Closing

You both make great points/questions i will see what i can do tomorow.

And for those still having problems with the site, i have also posted it on my blog which can be accessed here - http://resistance100.wordpr...

[gameraxis]

i found something i never saw before i dunno if any of youw guys have.
http://www.maxconsole.net/?...

[SeanScythe]

can't view site not loading.....

[resistance100]

the site has a bit of slow down at present, for unknown reasons, keep trying and it will work.

Edit - the site is only loading about half the time for me at present, if you keep trying it will work, will let you know when problems have been fixed

[Spydr07]

Not loading for me either.

[Baliw]

N4G.com effect.
Must be a helluva of visitors at the moment.

[poos3]

hahahahaha sony people are stating up website and submitting their reviews on n4g which they live on and they think real ppl care haha p.s i p0layed this game also and its terrible .

[iAmPS3]

This game is going to be great:

1 - Brings a interesting gameplay;
2 - Awesome graphics;
3 - Great production value;
4 - Promising Multiplayer;
5 - Will keep us "happy/high" until KZ2;

Sony has so much to offer this year, congrats Sony, you are one impressive company. I think Nazisoft has a lot to learn from you.

[rushbd]

why am i here mods ? what specific comment did this to me ? I dont belong here. I would love some explanation

also to resistance100: do you really mean that Haze looks as good as those screens?

[iAmPS3]

Don't feel bad, Open Zone is more fun and instructive.
Here you hear the truth, nothing more than the truth.

Welcome =D

[rushbd]

looks more like a mad house.

[resistance100]

'also to resistance100: do you really mean that Haze looks as good as those screens?'

The build i played, no they don't currently however this build is a couple of months old, so theres no reason why the final product will look as good as those screens

[SabreMan]

good mini preview, i still can't help but feel Haze may get overlooked infavour of Cod4,R6V2 but more than any other game the new Battlefield due out around the same time, this more than any other looks the most promising for me.
Lets also not forget MGS4 is also out around the same time so Haze has to be something special but going purely on the developers pedigree it may well be

[sonarus]

it might get over looked because of R6V2 but gamers are always looking for the next new game. If HAZE comes and it delivers, gamers will move onto that

[TheExecutive]

My brow has been slowly raising for this game. Its good to hear its shaping up.

[Kaz Hirai]

King Kaz wouldn't LITERALLY drown you, of course!
But I would gladly DROWN THE PIGS! I would DROWN them in a sea of their own BILE, REGRET, MISERY and FAILURE!

MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!

[iAmPS3]

Come on Kaz, where do you come up with this stuff????

Nobody describes the BABOONS better then you, you must have somebody infiltrated in their filth farm.

[Spydr07]

Takes a bit to load, but it's a good read. Looking forward to the game. I'm hoping the final version's controls are customizable.

[resistance100]

You could change the demo's controls as well, (not sure about sensitivity mind), however i prefered to try it with the defaut controls

[Spike47]

I can't load the page.

[28121986]

cant load error error

[eddierivera]

I just wish it had the same gun mechanics as call of duty,, when you press L1 you look through your iron sight or the scope.. Thats the ultimate!

[moveteam]

I can't load ):

[mrbillybadass]

get the link workin

[resistance100]

The link is fine, its just the site is having problems. If you keep trying it will load eventually =D

[Sir Ken Kutaragi 3]

I invented the PS3 for this game!!! ;-P

[Neurotoxin]

That was a well presented preview cheers for taking the time to write it, sounds like the game has come leaps since the last viewable build. I still have some reservations about its quality, but all in all reading your article has put this one on the map for me again. Roll on May.

[actas123]

Its working for me. Great review. This game is gonna rock.

[mrbillybadass]

the page absolutely refuses to load for me i've tried at lease 10 times

[resistance100]

I have posted it here as well - http://resistance100.wordpr...

[TheExecutive]

At Play.com LIVE 2 demos of the upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive HAZE were in playable form and i spent a while trying out this new FPS for the PS3.

I will Start by saying that the clerk at the event i was speaking to stated that these are playable builds from a few months ago, he also went on to state that Friday 23rd May is the target release date for HAZE in the UK and also that Rumble will be used in HAZE, however i'm unable to comment on that, since the stands used Sixaxis controllers.

Both Demo's which i played had you placed as a Mantel Trooper. In the first demo had you set in a forest, the environments were lush with sharp visuals in most areas (however the clerk assured me that the not so sharp areas will be touched up by the time is released), which are a large improvement of previous screens of the game we have seen and have no doubt that the new screens recently released are in-game and can be achieved by Free Radical. I will also add that both demo's i played had a solid framerate throughout which will come as great news to most. Now onto the gameplay, this short 7/8minute demo was more than enough time to leave me feeling that this game will be successful and could easily become a solid franchise for Free Radical and Ubisoft. While the controls do take a few minutes to get the hang of (those who have played a lot of COD4 like i have to find it hard to adjust to begin with) they do work successfully with L2 being used to give yourself a nectar boost and Circle being used to crouch. The Pace of the demo varied throughout at some point you will be just walking, enjoying the views whereas 5 Seconds later you will have bullets being fired at you from left, right and centre. The health system works similar to the likes of Call of Duty 4 and Gears Of War were the screen go's red as you are getting hurt. The short but sweet cutscenes really help the storyline, but also helps you get pumped up as well, one scene sees you hearing out one of you fellow mantel troopers speaking during his last moments, i won't say what he said but it really did help me to really get into the demo and was disappointed when it ended.

The second demo had a completely different approach to gameplay with you driving while your friendly Ai take out your rivals. You drive by using R1 & L1 plus the analogue sticks which takes a lot of getting used to, if you are used to the likes of Motorstorm where you use R2 & L2 instead. I did find that the Ai of your targets was impressive during this demo and weren't that easy to take out. I'm afraid that's all i had time for for this demo due to time constraints. However the short time i played it left me with a positive feeling about the game.

Overall however i can now safely say that this will be a solid title for the PlayStation 3 and will feel the gap nicely between this and Killzone 2 and could and should be a sleeper hit. There are a few complaints however, i found the analogue sticks to be that little bit too loose and could do with some tweaking. I also found that the friendly Ai really wasn't that great, but saying that i was unaware on what difficulty i was playing it on which may have had an effect, plus also Free Radical are focusing on Co-op so i'm sure this game will benefit you completing it with mates rather than by yourself. Also take into account that the Ai will be improved before its released.

My final comment will be is that i enjoyed the short time i've spent on the game and judging on reactions of others playing around me, they did as well. I for one will be getting this game on day 1 and suggest all FPS fans at least consider it, that is providing something doesn't go wrong between now and May.

[alan001]

day 1 purchase for me too

[Rama26285]

I got to play the second demo which was in an building with a large space in the middle and lava-like ponds. The effects after administering nectar was very cool and definitely adds to your gameplay. I would have to agree with everything said in this preview. Keep an eye out for this game!

[resistance100]

Nice, i only got to play a tiny bit of that demo. Can't wait to finish it off tomorow.

Still overall HAZE, Rock Band (not out in UK yet) and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue using the logictech Gt5 wheel were the games whcih stood out for me the most. SCIV was also good

[TheExecutive]

oh man! you guys dont have rock band yet? Thats a crime! But you do get GT:5P first :(

Haze is starting to get my interest again

[Rhezin]

have purple haze.

Kaz Hirai's a commy

[mrbillybadass]

sounds like FR is going to do it again, but should we really be surprised?

[SUP3R]

I have no idea why people doubted Free Radical.
The delays were necessary for this game to be sensational, these guys know what they're doing.

[mrbillybadass]

but should we be surprised?

[Goodfella78]

till i play this one myself,till i splash out....peace out.

[yeh]

I just got back from Play.com Live, it was JAM packed, SO MANY PEOPLE were there. I could barely walk. Haze is simply amazing. There was a massive crowd around GT5:Prologue and I didn't even get to play it because of that :(. Going again tomorrow. I'd also like to add that something weird happened while I was there. I walked into a part of Sony's booth just looking around, and I saw God Of War 3, or what it looked like it to be. About that time, a guy walked up to me and told me to leave because I wasn't a VIP member. :(:(:( Damn, what a day. Can't wait til tomorrow!

[TheExecutive]

interesting...

[Rama26285]

They were showing a video of God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP, perhaps that what you saw?

Also, didn't realise the Sony booth was part of the VIP section??

[resistance100]

I know what you mean mate, too many people was the reason i ran out of time before i could finish the second HAZE demo (had to leave early today =/), heck at least tomorow i will be able to catch up on all the stuff i missed. (which includes most the VIP stuff)

Edit - Dam, this is the first time i think ever i will use up all 9 bubbles in one story lol

Edit again - Wow i can't believe how fast my impressions has spread, im getting hits on my blog from people who has posted it from Gametrailers, Vgcharts, playstation-3.se and vandel.net lol

[SIX]

Well you deserve the hits. Thanks again man. Looking forward to more updates tomorrow.

[yeh]

It couldn't have been GoW: Chains Of Olympus. Well maybe it could, I only got to see it for about 6 seconds. All I know is that the HDTV it was being displayed on said Playstation 3 across the top, and there were people sitting on sofas behind the booth. The ENTIRE Sony booth isn't VIP only, just that part from what I can tell. Heh, us N4G'ers should meet up and have some fun there! :)

[longduckdong]

No way stalker!

[IzKyD1331]

"those who have played a lot of COD4 like I have to find it hard to adjust to begin with"

crap, COD4 is all i've been playing recently, but w/e, i'll adapt

[resistance100]

lol, its annoying when you get used to one control system.

Still 10mins of playing HAZE and the controls were natural

[aceman7]

I really hope it becomes a hit.

[Solid_Malone]

resistance, i gotta say that was a nice read and the little pictures at the end were another nice touch to the article (kept the reader entertained aswell as informed), i'll be waiting to read further articles coming from you. =]. Keep up the good work pal

[resistance100]

Thank you.

I do try during some of my free time. I have more new games i have tried and will be writing previews in the near future. Gald to now my work go's appriciated. Not bad for a sports student lol

[Sir Ken Kutaragi 3]

There brill F.R.D!!! ;-P
Every FPS they have done have been CLASS!!! ;-P
i.e GoldenEye,Perfect Dark(YEAH xBot Fans they are the REAL 'RARE'!!!
not the cr*p your boss Billy Gate$ wasted his BILLIONS on!!!That makes me LAUGH!!!) +TimeSplitters 1,2&3!!!
ONLY ON MY;)PS3...Get used to that xBot slaves! coz your time is nearly OVER!!!

[MiniMii]

"In the first demo had you set in a forest, the environments were lush with sharp visuals in most areas (however the clerk assured me that the not so sharp areas will be touched up by the time is released), which are a large improvement of previous screens of the game we have seen and have no doubt that the new screens recently released are in-game and can be achieved by Free Radical."

>> So it is true then, the delay was used to pump up the graphics and more...Nice.

Now, where are those who claimed that the pics were a lie. I seem to remember some people saying they would eat a piece of the humble pie.

[resistance100]

Im not going to go out and say they aren't a lie, However after what i played today i have no doubt that FreeRad can achieve those visuals in the final game.

I still don't get why people dismissed those screens anyway, they are great screens however still lag behind Killzone and Gran Turismo.

[bourner]

out on my birthday ........... cmon

[TwissT]

Nice preview,the current news of Haze is slowly but surely rekindling my anticipation for this game.

[Marceles]

"I think that game is a lame and poor excuse and a waste of money for the developers, if they wanted to release a game with the true power of the next gen, they should release it in the powerful Xbox360 instead that piece of crap called PS3.

Haze could be a better game, with thousands of elements on screen if it were developed in the 360, but the limited power of the turd of sony console limited that.

I’m sorry if someone get angry but that’s the cold, hard true."

[longduckdong]

sounded like fun

[ScottEFresh]

Kaz you truly are one of the most entertaining posters on this site.

PS HAZE is going to kick some ASS!

[ScottEFresh]

Game sounds/looks absolutely great. I hope this is a huge hit.

[DJ]

I've been playing nothing but call of duty (even Half-Life and DMC are sitting back), so this would be a nice change of pace. At this rate, I'll probably have 20 games by the end of 2008. o_o

[Rice]

I want this game as much as killzone 2 or Resistance...Theres something about this game that appeals as much as killzone's graphics and resistance's 60 online multiplayer..

[Sevir04]

"I think that game is a lame and poor excuse and a waste of money for the developers, if they wanted to release a game with the true power of the next gen, they should release it in the powerful Xbox360 instead that piece of crap called PS3.

Haze could be a better game, with thousands of elements on screen if it were developed in the 360, but the limited power of the turd of sony console limited that.

I’m sorry if someone get angry but that’s the cold, hard true.

Comment by Power of Green — March 15, 2008"

man it must hurt to be you POG, there is no other color that expresses envy and jealousy quite as powerful as GREEN!

POG you must seriously be But hurt, it's no wonder you say what you do and then come here and try playing the old "Oh i'm coy and not a fanboi" card... Not!!!!!

grow the hell up and get a freakin life and quit polluting the blogs and sites everyone visits you freakin turd.

[longduckdong]

and let everyone know how good it is after. But if I get bad drugs maybe they make me think game is bad too?? So I say Haze is great now because it's about drugs, and sex and drugs make me happy.

[Bolts]

It lacks any real news, media and info.

[Baba1906]

im excited avout this game. =D cant wait.

[ScottEFresh]

Power of Green EXPOSED!!!!....not like he wasn't exposed before but ya...xbot running on all cylinders here!

[DFresh]

Haze does look really cool.
Not as good as Killzone 2 or Resistance 2 but still a must buy for me.
Swear Sony has the best games period this year and B3YOND.

[resistance100]

Hi just letting you know - http://resistance100.wordpr...

My impressions from today.