Haze
By Brett Molina,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Weak shooter with performance-enhancing drug theme
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What’s It About?
After multiple delays, Ubisoft finally unleashes first-person shooter HAZE, a drab, run-of-the-mill shooter that disappoints in almost every facet.
You play as a private military contractor for Mantel Global Industries. Besides utilizing the most sophisticated weapons and equipment, Mantel troopers use a performance enhancing drug called Nectar to gain an advantage. During a battle with a rebel faction, you learn of the dangerous side effects to Nectar and switch sides to stop Mantel. Early on, you'll play as a Mantel soldier, using the Nectar and learning of its severe effects. You'll experience healthy boosts in strength, speed, and accuracy. However, enemies turn into faceless figures. Occasionally, you break out into a blind rage and shoot everything in sight. Once you turn rebel and rid your body of Nectar, you'll defeat troopers with a weaponized form of Nectar.
Is It Any Good?
When stacked up against fellow first-person shooters, Haze is incredibly weak. Graphics are shoddy. The weapon selection is sparse. The only intriguing weapon is a Nectar grenade. When you toss one at troopers, a yellow cloud of smoke shoots out. This causes the troopers to overdose and either attack teammates or turn insane. Strategically, you can go without Nectar grenades since the troopers are complete dolts. You can break down a metal door and troops remain oblivious. Computer-controlled teammates are equally useless. Either they step into your line of fire or don't bother helping until you've cleared an area. Targeting, crucial to any first-person shooter -- feels consistently off. Haze also offers online multiplayer and four-player co-op, but there's no incentive to play when you consider the game's core issues. Maybe developers would've been better off delaying this title much, much longer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the controversy surrounding performance enhancing drugs. Why do you think Major League Baseball players and other athletes have used performance enhancing drugs in sports? On a gaming level, what makes a first-person shooter entertaining?
Game Details
- Platform: PlayStation 3
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: UbiSoft
- Release date: May 20, 2008
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Last updated: November 4, 2015
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