Metareview -- Haze (PS3)

by Justin McElroy { May 21st 2008 at 10:35AM }

There was a not unconsiderable amount of debate about Haze yesterday, with IGN giving it a 4.5 and Free Radical Design's feelings being terribly hurt. (We believe "MEGAowch" was the soon-to-be-a-meme that was used.) Now there's a wider spectrum of reviews available and while scores fall on both sides of the 4.5 mark, all the reviewers seem to be wishing there was a clever way of fitting the word "meh" into "Haze." (There isn't yet, but we've got our top people on it.)

Giant Bomb (40/100): "Haze attempts to deal with the concept of wartime propaganda and how troop morale is the most important thing an army can have. But it does it in such a blatant way that it's hard to care about the point the game's story is trying to make. Tack on a short campaign, dull weapons, lame enemy artificial intelligence, and lackluster multiplayer options and you're left with a game that occasionally looks nice, but not much else."
Game Informer (64/100): "Though the drug Nectar hardly makes Haze a good game, when Free Radical takes it away a quarter of the way through, the game world suddenly feels barren, and you long for one last hit to make the drab experience mildly interesting again. So much for Haze being a killer app for the PS3."
Gamer's Hell (65/100): "Free Radical's newest FPS tries to push boundaries, in both the technical and philosophical senses, but what we're left with is a game which doesn't do much to fuel the PS3's cause."

Gallery: Haze

Tags: free-radical, haze, metareview

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Deric Lee @ May 21st 2008 9:56AM

I'll still be picking up the MetalGear PS3(80gig) bundle, was hoping Haze would have been better, oh well.

BananaBoat @ May 21st 2008 11:03AM

Hope you pre-ordered. Apparently they are going to sell out in minutes after they go on sale.

To speak about Haze, I think we already rode that pony all day yesterday. Arguing about it today would be redundant.

One more game for the "What could have been..." refuse pile of video game history.

JerkfacedFed @ May 21st 2008 4:34PM

lolol FLOP, knew this game was garbage from the beginning. multiplayer looks pathetic too.

IncredibleBulk92 @ May 21st 2008 10:07AM

I love how unbalanced the multiplayer is according to giant bomb. Apparently the rebel faction can simply turn invisible at will with no penalty or recharge timer. The soldiers get an accuracy bonus with penalties for overuse. I can see those lobbies being empty within hours of the games release.

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2008 10:38AM

H4.5ZE...

"Just wait until..."

=p

joeyg @ May 21st 2008 10:43AM

fernando...

do we really need to go into the low avg scores of wii games? no, i didn't think so.

I don't know who or what was hyping up haze, but no shooters really interest me that much, cept for the battlefield series, and COD4.

Ninjakamster (XBL: RNK2K) @ May 21st 2008 10:45AM

Just you wait for the motion controls patch that'll come out 7 months later (Lair), it'll make the game much much better! : D

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2008 10:49AM

The difference is that the Wii games with low scores is shovelware made by crappy devs (Bold, Data Design Interactive, UFO).

Besides, no one expected a 8 or 9 with Ninjabread Man or no one was hyped by EA Playground.

Sure, it have a lot of crappy games that no one expect to sell, but, at least the Wii has several exclusive games with an average score above 90% and the PS3 don't.

Cahlito @ May 21st 2008 10:51AM

Wii=shovelware

Cahlito @ May 21st 2008 10:53AM

I take it back! I love my Wii!!!
I still play Wii Sports atleast once a week.

joeyg @ May 21st 2008 10:56AM

well, i'm glad you think that a game needs a 9 or better to be worth your time.

FYI, the only wii game i have played consistantly was wii bowling. SMG i played for 10 mins, SPM i played for an hour (including the half hour story intro), etc. Also, i'm kinda getting bored with GTA4 and i just made it into NYC. COD4 has held my attention most, but that is just the multiplayer.

moral of the story...a high score doesn't mean it's a good game and that everyone will enjoy every moment playing it. Hell, there hasn't been a game since FF3 that I wanted to play when i wasn't playing it, but that could be just because i was 14-15 back then.

Anyway, Haze didn't interest me, so I really don't get what the reviews are...the other 4-letter shooter starting with an H doesn't interest me either.

have fun with your flaming fernando...i hope you feel better about yourself for doing so.

Martin @ May 21st 2008 10:56AM

Lovely trolling there, Fernando. You could at least try subtlety.

deaftly @ May 21st 2008 11:06AM

Fernando just owned you all.

Vidikron (FU) @ May 21st 2008 12:03PM

Even though I love shooters, I'd gladly welcome the return of more platformers.

Mike @ May 21st 2008 3:02PM

Wii owners always like to use the "exclusive" metric to measure the number of games since it conveniently ignores the huge amount of amazing games available for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and sometimes the PC). GTA IV? Doesn't count. Call of Duty 4? Ignored. Orange Box and Elder Scrolls and Rock Band? Forget about it. How about exclusives like Ratchet and Clank, Resistance, and Uncharted? Sorry, those only got high 8/10s.

It's like the games suddenly become less enjoyable and are less valid because they're also available for another system. What a sad and pathetic way of measuring things.

Geist @ May 21st 2008 5:24PM

Damnit people, he's not bashing the game itself (directly, anyway), he's bashing everyone's propensity to say "Just wait until this game comes out, that'll show you all!" Frankly, when someone has said that for the Wii, it's been worth the wait. Not so much in this case.

Joshua @ May 22nd 2008 12:37AM

Shut up, fanboys, all of you. Stop being childish and save these kinds of arguments for the grade schoolers on the playground.

/rant

...But really, I'm just so tired of "fanboyism" (of anything -- a console, a game, a political candidate, etc.). If you like something, then that's fine, but don't insult someone else if they disagree with you...

Then again, that seems to be a common theme in human history, but still, that's not a reason to not try and evolve past that.

/rant, for sure now.

mr nimblewick @ May 21st 2008 10:40AM

Beginning of the end for generic shooters?!?!?!

samfish @ May 21st 2008 11:25AM

I sure hope so.

Beginning of the new era of platformers?
No?

Crap.

Co @ May 21st 2008 11:39AM

samfish,

Ever played Mischief Makers on 64? Highly underrated game IMO. I found it to be one of the more enjoyable traditional platformers, and coming from Treasure so you know it's good on the action.

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2008 11:41AM

Co

Mischief Makers was one of my favorites N64 titles, definitely in my top 5.

And the good part is, Treasure is working in three Wii titles.

Treasure is amazing.

samfish @ May 21st 2008 11:42AM

I love Mischief Makers! It's one of my most anticipated VC games, right behind Illusion of Gaia and Mario RPG.

SHAKE SHAKE!

tmacairjordan87 @ May 21st 2008 12:21PM

It's not the beginning of the end for them until halo finally gets the scores it deserves, and from reputable mags/sites and not some obscure place trying to get attention. Even then the mindless majority will still buy it :\

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ May 21st 2008 2:21PM

I'm a bit cautious about Treasure's upcoming Wii projects. Their history has shown that 3D games aren't their forte (Stretch Panic and Wario World)... But, hopefully I'm wrong.

Lekko @ May 21st 2008 9:30PM

"Mischief Makers was one of my favorites N64 titles, definitely in my top 5.

And the good part is, Treasure is working in three Wii titles.

Treasure is amazing."

So what you're saying is, just wait until Treasure makes a game? Yeah.. they were badass back on the N64. Just like Free Radical.

Weren't you trashing PS3 gamers for saying the same thing earlier on in this thread?

Nigeria @ May 21st 2008 10:42AM

So, I guess Joystiq won't be doing a nega-review.

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2008 10:44AM

They should do a Posi-Review... you know, like... mmm... the free mp3 Haze song with the pre-order... wait, it's Korn.

Can't find anything positive.

http://i30.tinypic.com/2r6fjw8.gif

copa @ May 21st 2008 10:44AM

Cool it, Joystiq. I still haven't stopped laughing from yesterday's thread.

http://i30.tinypic.com/2r6fjw8.gif

Fernando Rocker @ May 21st 2008 10:45AM

Jinx!

Knight Marquise @ May 21st 2008 10:50AM

Oh..my sides are still aching from yesterdays epic thread.

chez @ May 21st 2008 11:01AM

HAHAHAHAHAH

Great stuff Copa!

deaftly @ May 21st 2008 11:10AM

Joystiq NEEDS to use that pic for this story, its perfect!

Curtis the Claw:PSN-ctclaw @ May 21st 2008 12:05PM

HAHA me neither, yesterdays post was so funny...Fernando you owned pretty much every one in there that use to claim that Haze was going to be great. My favorite part was how they all downplayed it though, that was hilarious.

xFenixKnightx @ May 21st 2008 12:17PM

Yesterday were definitely some good times huh guys? I'm gonna cut Haze some slack today and layoff.

WTF, did I really just say that? o_O

Korova @ May 21st 2008 1:33PM

The Haze Thread - setting the new standard of pwnership.

All the subsequent threads will be measured against it, unless they want to get a 4.5.

ThePremierAssassin @ May 21st 2008 2:03PM

copa fort the mothafreaking WIN!

And yes yesterday was glorious.

Suck it sony fanboys.

NATO_Duke @ May 21st 2008 10:45AM

OMG, here we go again eh? So this is where all the people say that reviewers and Joystiq are so biased, and that they'll still buy the game for whatever lame reason.
In advance, those of you who say that are either: 1) dumbasses or 2) full of shit.

Per multiple reviews the game is a dud. Accept it.

deaftly @ May 21st 2008 11:15AM

Dude, didn't you hear? The whole internet is against the PS3, its all a conspiracy I tells ya!

Hyams @ May 21st 2008 11:19AM

Apart from one or two die hards, I can't imagine this game'll get much defence.

NATO_Duke @ May 21st 2008 11:22AM

Hyams, its been getting defense here for the last 2 days. Lots of conspiracy talk.

Hyams @ May 21st 2008 11:28AM

I imagine that was when there were only one or two bad reviews, which were in conflict with the one or two very good reviews (Famitsu and some Italian magazine) it had recieved.

With this many bad reviews now, it's pretty clear that the game really isn't that good.

samfish @ May 21st 2008 11:40AM

THEY used the PS3 to make all those phony images of the Holocaust!

THEY used the PS3 to genetically engineer El Chupacabra. Unfortunately, the Cell processor wasn't advanced enough to keep el Chupacabra in his containment unit and he escaped!

THEY used the PS3 to blow up the Pentagon!

THEY are planning to use the PS3 to set up a massive holographic projector to beam images of an extra terrestrial armada into the skies starting in 2012.

THEY use the PS3 to keep the liberal media against conservatives!

THEY use the PS3 to control HAARP!

THEY used the PS3 to blow up the levies after Hurricane Katrina!

THEY used to PS3 to engineer the AIDS virus!

THEY used the PS3 to cause the Earthquake in China and the typhoon in Burma as a part of Project Wildlands!

It's a conspiracy, I tells ya!

NATO_Duke @ May 21st 2008 11:44AM

Hyams, you really are trying to be a contrarian today aren't you?

I’m sorry you feel I am so wrong, but when I posted other scores yesterday I will still getting flamed. Also, see people defending the game below.

Zertoss @ May 21st 2008 12:13PM

They used 8 PS3s to hack a wifi network!

No really! http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/051908-lockheed-martin-wireless-security-lab.html

Hyams @ May 21st 2008 12:58PM

NATO, apart from one or two die hards, I don't see anyone attempting to defend HAZE, going back to my above post.

Korova @ May 21st 2008 1:56PM

the game is a 6.0. It was overhyped. ok

Cyro @ May 21st 2008 10:45AM

LOL!

soulseekerUK @ May 21st 2008 10:48AM

looks like the ps3 dropped another AAA title, seems the FPS for ps3 still rides on the back of PC/xbox 360 to make a good FPS. Sony still have a way to go to get the standard up to xbox 360 when it comes to FPS. only 2 good FPS left that arnt multiplatform for ps3 this year worth mentioning. Res 2 and killzone 2 (oh sorry thats pushed back to next year). Just glad that i havent invested in the ps3 yet. would love to love it like the 360 but havent seen anything that can justify another console when the multiplatform games are so closey matched and the exclusive for the ps3 are very hit or miss at the moment.