So today Haze was released in the UK and after a few disappointing reviews i still decided to stick with my guns and buy the game anyways.
Ive been following Haze since it was pretty much announced, from the start i was excited by what this title promised us and the potential it had. I even stuck with the game through the delays and still remained as interested and excited as i was from day one. So naturally i jumped at my ps3 the second the demo was released and play it through. Initially i was disappointed but as stubborn as i am i still decided to buy the game in the hope that the demo was just a case of the wrong level selection.

I'm gonna keep this as short as i can because i can imagine many of you have read the other reviews that have been floating around.
So we have heard about the bad graphics, the rubbish AI and the lacking story and Korny voice acting. While most of this i agree with to some extent it still didn't stop me enjoying the game.

I was surprised by how little you play as a mantle trooper, as soon as i was just getting into it i was whisked away and shoved into the hands of the rebels. The story is average, its nothing amazing but its not exactly shit either. Some bits are predictable and others and just meh. Nothing OMG worthy to report.
The voice acting is a bit OTT at times but in my opinion it just adds to an enjoyable feel to the game.

I was a little confused by the look of the game, while some parts like the jungle areas looked really poor for a ps3 game, others looked ok, not amazing just ok. The character models were ok, mantel troopers looked best in their yellow armor and some of the vehicles looked nice. There are a few different types of mantel troops so there are a variation in enemy types which keeps the game fresh.

Some people may think that getting used to using nectar and then not being able to use it is a bit unfair, but with the mantel troops wearing bright yellow armor, its never really much of a problem seeing them.

I played about half of the game alone and then my friend joined me online to co-op the rest of the game. All in all it prolly took me a total of about 6hrs+ to complete the game. While it is quite a short game its still a nice feeling. It doesnt feel like it drags into sections you think should have been cut out. Like movies, some are 3hrs long and other can be about 80mins and still just as good. Personally i think Haze does a good job at giving the player a fun time. Its better to play with someone and the fact you can just drop in and out of co-op at any point is a nice bonus.

With the online side of the game you can have 2 local players split screen and another two people online to make up the 4 player co-op. also a buddy can join you split screen for one of the online 16 player matches which is a nice touch.

Haze sort of tries to but a new spin on the FPS genre and while at times it does feel like any other FPS game you have played in the last 2 years it still feels different at some times. I remember playing at one point and thinking to myself, this is Haze, this is what playing Haze feels like.

Personally i would recommend either a rent or a purchase, if you wanna build your ps3 library then buy it, while its a short offering with not much replay value on the campaign mode, the online multi player offers a bit more depth. More maps however need to be released some time soon. The campaign will offer some replay for people who like playing games on harder difficulties.
If you do wanna buy the game you may wanna shop around for a cheaper price than the RRP £39.99

So to wrap it up, its a good game, nice storyline, tries to be different and sort of gives the fps genre a bit of a change, playing with a friend is more fun than playing alone. Personally id say quit bitching about graphics and AI and all the nitpicking, just buy the damn game and have a bit of fun. cos like Peter Molyneux once said, unless your having fun whilst playing a game, then whats the point of playing. I had great fun playing Haze and i hope others share the same opinion as i did.

Koopa13