Wow, Haze, the latest by Free Radical Design, has had an interesting life so far as an exclusive for the PS3. The game's ratings range anywhere from 9/10 to 4/10, with most falling somewhere in between. For me this meant I should try the game myself, which I did, and curiously I really enjoyed the experience. The varying reviews, I can only assume relate to how Haze was perceived by the various sections of the FPS gaming world. Haze is not a looker, and it does lack the plethora of multiplayer modes found in other FPS titles, such as FRD's own Timesplitter series or Unreal Tournament. However, Haze provides smooth gameplay, flawless controls (fully customizable), seamless on and offline multiplayer coop and vs (and this includes the option for bots), and a story that far eclipses the standard FPS fare of "this is the bad guy, shoot all of them."(This category is filled with top-tier games like Halo and COD). When examining the user reviews, there is an obvious trend where you can tell the people who played the game and those who, for whatever reason, wanted the game to fail. Those who played the game, at least somewhat objectively, rated it somewhere between 6-9, and those reviews illustrate the growing divide between FPS fans looking for a fun, solid game they can enjoy with many others, and those who want top of the line graphics and no story to bother them (after all if there is no story then there is nothing to possibly rub you the wrong way). Clearly you can see which side I lean toward.

Haze's exclusive for the PS3 status also doomed it to irrational reviews by many gamers (mostly fanboys no doubt), and even some professional reviewers. For some reason Haze bore the mantle of fulfilling many people's Timesplitters 4 fantasies and demonstrating the graphical and technical horizon for the PS3.Although the game provides perhaps the most robust multiplayer options found on the PS3 (who offers bots anymore!) it is not up to the standards of maniacal fun set by the TS series. Also the game looks good, perhaps a shade better than Resistance, but it does not come close to the likes of Uncharted, a PS3 exclusive that delivered on the hope that it would show the system's potential. Unfortunately, for the developers, the game fell somewhere between the two, and as such it received a ratings thrashing. For the most part people have been unable, or unwilling, to see the game separate from either of these points of view and so it is, to them, a failure. The casualties here are undecided gamers. They may miss out on a fun experience because others were upset that FRD did not make TS4 or because it was not a graphical/technical powerhouse. The whole Haze experience has really left me questioning the low rating of several other games, that I personally wrote off after reading reviews. Might I have also fallen prey to the unattainable expections of reviewers. Perhaps recent events which challenged the credibility of reviewing sites, have disillusioned enough people so that this game might be properly enjoyed, but I fear this is too optimistic a view. I have come to the conclusion that exclusive games this generation face higher standards than multiplatform games; and in addition to this, established developers making exclusive titles are judged against the memories of their past games, placing them in the unfortunate position of having to recreate those experiences while breaking new ground to satisfy a new and contemporary audience. With this in mind, it is no longer difficult to understand the turbulent life of Haze.

Hope that this was not too muddled and that all is well.