Game Title: HAZE
Developers: Free Radical Designs
Publishers: Ubisoft
Release Date: Q4 2007; Q1 2008
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Modes: Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Platforms: PS3 (Confirmed), Xbox 360, PC.
Wikipedia.com
Haze is a first-person shooter video game developed by Free Radical Design, which was debuted at E³ 2006. It will be published by Ubisoft.
The game is currently scheduled for North American release in the fourth quarter of 2007 on PS3. While Xbox 360 and PC version have been confirmed, no released date has been announced. According to Free Radical, Haze will have a 'serious' tone unlike Free Radical's TimeSplitters games which provide a more comical and laid-back gaming experience. Additionally, Haze will not include a mapmaker feature and will allow your character to jump, more departures from the TimeSplitters tradition. Online modes will include co-op and multiplayer.
Storyline
The game is set in the late 2040's, where no UN or NATO exist and governments are thus forced to contract their military operations to private military contractors. You play as Sergeant Shane Carpenter, a new recruit in the Mantel Global Industries army, who are fighting guerrillas in South America. Mantel Global Industries (not to be confused with the similar MenTel Corporation from Fortress) was founded by David Bloomfield, who also appears as a recruiter in the trailer.
Mantel Global Industries is also a multinational corporation with bio-medical expertise. This has led to the development of Nova-Keto-Thyrazine - also called NECTAR. A nutritional supplement that enables soldiers to fight harder and smarter. Although as you progress through the game, you find out that there is more to Mantel and the "nectar" than meets the eye.
The game takes place over three days that will "change Shane forever." Mantel battles a guerrilla group known as The Promise Hand lead by a dictator called Gabriel "Skin coat" Merino; a brutal man who wears the flayed skins of his POW camp inmates.
Nectar Powers
Nectar gives the user better speed, accuracy and strength; the ability to see enemies through cover by highlighting them and a hazard warning sense (for example, thrown grenades will have a rippling effect surrounding them enabling the user to avoid them). However, when used in excess, Nectar has adverse effects: the user will become visually incapable of distinguishing friend from foe and will fire at everyone in sight (in the player's case, pointing the gun at any friendly or enemy unit will cause it to fire automatically). This can happen to your teammates as well, leaving the player to choose whether they should be killed to minimize damage or hide and hope the effects wear off. Enemies can even try to induce Nectar overdosing in your squad, either by the use of "Nectar Grenades" or by shooting your squad's Nectar administrators located below their necks which cause their air-tight masks to flood.
Location
As seen in the trailer, the Corcovado mountain can be seen at the end of the trailer, with Christ the Redeemer. This hints that Brazil will probably be a location, as the game takes place in South America
Co-op
At Ubidays, it was revealed that all four squad members were player enabled and could be played in co-op. It was also revealed that the four player co-op could only be played by two persons on a console, and the other two could be online, on another console, or any combination of the like.
Obviously this game is supposed to be a Crysis killer, but in my opinion, Crysis will triumph. This, though, won't stop me from buying the game. It looks pretty sweet, I can't wait.
**External Links**
Main Site
Free Radical Design Site
Mantel Global Industries Site
More videos, better quality, Gametrailers.com
Wikipedia
Developers: Free Radical Designs
Publishers: Ubisoft
Release Date: Q4 2007; Q1 2008
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Modes: Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Platforms: PS3 (Confirmed), Xbox 360, PC.
Wikipedia.com
Haze is a first-person shooter video game developed by Free Radical Design, which was debuted at E³ 2006. It will be published by Ubisoft.
The game is currently scheduled for North American release in the fourth quarter of 2007 on PS3. While Xbox 360 and PC version have been confirmed, no released date has been announced. According to Free Radical, Haze will have a 'serious' tone unlike Free Radical's TimeSplitters games which provide a more comical and laid-back gaming experience. Additionally, Haze will not include a mapmaker feature and will allow your character to jump, more departures from the TimeSplitters tradition. Online modes will include co-op and multiplayer.
Storyline
The game is set in the late 2040's, where no UN or NATO exist and governments are thus forced to contract their military operations to private military contractors. You play as Sergeant Shane Carpenter, a new recruit in the Mantel Global Industries army, who are fighting guerrillas in South America. Mantel Global Industries (not to be confused with the similar MenTel Corporation from Fortress) was founded by David Bloomfield, who also appears as a recruiter in the trailer.
Mantel Global Industries is also a multinational corporation with bio-medical expertise. This has led to the development of Nova-Keto-Thyrazine - also called NECTAR. A nutritional supplement that enables soldiers to fight harder and smarter. Although as you progress through the game, you find out that there is more to Mantel and the "nectar" than meets the eye.
The game takes place over three days that will "change Shane forever." Mantel battles a guerrilla group known as The Promise Hand lead by a dictator called Gabriel "Skin coat" Merino; a brutal man who wears the flayed skins of his POW camp inmates.
Nectar Powers
Nectar gives the user better speed, accuracy and strength; the ability to see enemies through cover by highlighting them and a hazard warning sense (for example, thrown grenades will have a rippling effect surrounding them enabling the user to avoid them). However, when used in excess, Nectar has adverse effects: the user will become visually incapable of distinguishing friend from foe and will fire at everyone in sight (in the player's case, pointing the gun at any friendly or enemy unit will cause it to fire automatically). This can happen to your teammates as well, leaving the player to choose whether they should be killed to minimize damage or hide and hope the effects wear off. Enemies can even try to induce Nectar overdosing in your squad, either by the use of "Nectar Grenades" or by shooting your squad's Nectar administrators located below their necks which cause their air-tight masks to flood.
Location
As seen in the trailer, the Corcovado mountain can be seen at the end of the trailer, with Christ the Redeemer. This hints that Brazil will probably be a location, as the game takes place in South America
Co-op
At Ubidays, it was revealed that all four squad members were player enabled and could be played in co-op. It was also revealed that the four player co-op could only be played by two persons on a console, and the other two could be online, on another console, or any combination of the like.
Obviously this game is supposed to be a Crysis killer, but in my opinion, Crysis will triumph. This, though, won't stop me from buying the game. It looks pretty sweet, I can't wait.
**External Links**
Main Site
Free Radical Design Site
Mantel Global Industries Site
More videos, better quality, Gametrailers.com
Wikipedia