My head is still spinning from playing Haze -- and that's not a good thing.


What was built up to be an intense, gorgeous and smart 3-D shooter for the PlayStation 3 has proven to be anything but -- in all three respects. OK, so the game has a few interesting moments, including somewhat memorable level design and cool multiplayer maps, but just when you think the game is about to get better, along comes the ridiculous dialogue and stupid artificial intelligence, not to mention an inconsistent visual experience that hurts its overall appeal.


Halo for the PS3 this is not. Heck, it's not even on par with the recent Turok.


Designed by Free Radical, creators of the TimeSplitters series, Haze takes place 40 years in the future, where governments hire private military corporations to do their dirty work. You play as the young Sergeant Shane Carpenter, an employee of Mantel Global Industries, called into the Boa region of South America to put an end to a guerilla faction called The Promise Hand. It seems this rebel group is led by a maniacal, er, madman, known as Skin Coat, a nickname allegedly earned by wearing the skin of his fallen enemies. Lovely. You'll begin to uncover the truth about The Promise Hand's cause and begin to question whether or not you're fighting for the right side, before making the switch to fight as The Promise Hand rebels.

The story isn't great, but what whatever suspension of disbelief you can muster is ruined by annoying -- and at times abhorrent -- dialogue, especially during the first few hours of the game when you're forced to complete missions with American jarhead idiots who, about every five seconds, utter bonehead remarks like "Who wants my foot in their ass next?" and "I'm fired up and ready to shoot some locals," and disgusting lines like "That was like taking candy from a crippled baby." Now, I don't think you're actually supposed to like these dudes, and they make it clear they're not too fond of you either, but if I hear another "Boosh!" as two alpha males bang chests I'm gonna freakin' lose it.

What helps separate Haze from other 3-D shooters is a "nutritional supplement" of a drug called Nectar developed by Mantel to give their boys a boost in the field. When injected, which you control with the PS3's L2 button, Carpenter experiences a temporary improvement in speed, strength, aim and perhaps most importantly, sight, as well-hidden enemies in the field become illuminated with a yellowy glow so you can easily pick them out. But with the good comes the bad, as you can overdose on Nectar if you hold down the L2 button too long, which causes the screen to blur, making it hard to fend for yourself during battle. Similarly, if you're shot while administering Nectar, you'll enter a temporarily crazed period where you shoot uncontrollably, even at your own teammates.

Speaking of shooting up, high-tech weaponry in your arsenal range is of the usual variety -- handguns, sniper rifles, grenades and rocket launchers -- though some stick out more than others including the "Donkey Puncher" close-range shotgun that blows an enemy to the other side of the room or strapping Nectar onto a grenade that causes a plume of yellow gas, causing overdoses to Mantel soldiers within reach. On a related note, a melee attack while under the influence of Nectar gives 10 times more power so you can really smack someone while up close and personal.

Like many other 3-D shooters -- including the abovementioned Halo series and Turok -- Haze takes place primarily outside but there are some indoor levels that require some minor puzzle-solving, such as finding and flipping switches to open up locked areas. Every few levels or so players will also find themselves in a rail shooter scenario, such as riding in a helicopter, allowing you to focus on shooting than maneuvering. The game is objective-based, so you'll be following a mission while skulking in between trees and around buildings to clear the area of threats, jumping behind this turret, finding a vehicle, chasing down some guy, and so forth. A few scripted events add a bit of excitement to the otherwise predictable and linear gameplay, but nothing to write home about.

The AI for both your mates and the enemy is incredibly stupid, whether it's computer-controlled characters standing in the middle of a gunfight without ducking for cover, someone failing to fall down after you've shot them 25 times in the chest, or your own soldier running in front of your fire. It's a mess. When you get to climb into a vehicle and have the option to drive or ride shotgun, be sure to choose the former, as they're just as bad at commanding vehicles by driving off course or even over fellow soldiers. Sigh. A cool move, at least, lets you play dead as a Promised Hand fighter by tapping L2 as to fall to the ground, while pressing X pops you back up.

If the AI -- or lack thereof -- is too much to take, you can always log online to host or join a multiplayer game, be it a four-player co-op match (or two-player split-screen) or the usual Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch or Team Assault varieties, the latter of which allows for up to 16 players to join Mantel or Promise Hand teams and complete various objectives. Perhaps it was because the game is new, but it wasn't easy finding people to play with, but I did manage to try out some maps that range from ho-hum (a missile launcher is in the center -- steal it and use it to win) to cool (nectar mines, where the Promise Hand break in to steal the supply).

Visually speaking, the game looks good but it certainly doesn't appear to push the limit of the PS3's graphical prowess. At times the scenery looked impressive, with realistic vegetation and the sun shining off a drop-ship or jeep, while other visual effects, like the cheesy flamethrower, look like something out of a first-generation PlayStation 2 game.

Haze isn't horrible -- but it's only a few notches above it. The game is a below-average shooter that could've been a kick-ass addition to the PS3 library with more time and testing. This is even more of a shame given the hype surrounding the game and Ubisoft's proven track record for shooters with impressive series such as Rainbow Six, Far Cry and Ghost Recon. At best, Haze is a weekend rental for hardcore shooter fans curious enough to give it a spin, but for all other mature PS3 players it's not worth your valuable time away from Grand Theft Auto IV.

This review was based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.