Much of the gameplay of Haze relies on the consumption of a dubious drug called Nectar. Much like the Greek Gods of yore, much of that which makes you special comes from the enhanced abilities provided by the sweet Nectar; unlike the Nectar of the Gods however, this juice has a few side effects.
You begin the game as the idealistic employee of a global, corporate giant; Mantel Global Industries. Thanks to its fat wallet, MGI offers the best in technology to soldiers while the push of a button will provide you with enough Nectar to hold a frat party. Nectar appears to be a vital aspect of the gameplay and will increase your physical strength, boost your health but will also provide some special abilities.
Those special abilities can help determine your in-game fate as the way you utilise them could make the difference between success and failure. The main benefits of Nectar consumption could be summarized as: Perception: the ability to see enemies in orange, thus spotting them with ease even under the most camouflaged of circumstances; focus: will make Lee Harvey Oswald pale into insignificance before you as headshots will come naturally to you; foresight: is Haze’s version of the Spidey sense and will warn you of imminent dangers by using an odd, but aesthetically pleasing, on screen ripples emanating from the source of the danger; finally, melee blast will do exactly as stated on its tin.
A Quick Fix And The Future Berserkers Are Here
As mentioned earlier, Nectar will not be without its adverse effects and although Free Radical is keeping details of the storyline a secret, it is clear that use of Nectar will serve as a means of control of soldiers by MGI and may play a part in the main character’s change of heart half way through the game.
Haze will also feature an unlimited time period for its story to develop as the entire game takes place over the course of three days. The various environments that will face the player will range from the classic, lush, jungle to the creepy quarry and the obscene observatory (sorry, couldn’t resist), will allow players to move through them seamlessly; without any load screens. The vastness of the world of Haze will require vehicles, such as the marine buggy, in order for your squad to traverse the maps while offering an alternative means to dispose of those pesky rebels. As the story develops your character will find himself addicted to Nectar but his addiction will pale into insignificance before your own addiction to the virtual chemical and its level-upgrading powers.
Doped up and mean, our hero will also command his squad of MGI elites using simple orders such as cover, follow, attack and deploy; all issued through the D-Pad.
Another gameplay coup by Free Radical, they did create Goldeneye and Time-splitters after all, has to do with the hero’s change of heart, having joined MGI an idealistic young man, our protagonist soon discovers, when the Nectar hangover allows him to, that his employers are not as righteous as he may have believed. Additionally he gradually discovers the sinister purpose of Nectar and attempts to escape from the Haze it creates, (get it?).
Although Haze is a futuristic title do not expect glistening weapons that defy the laws of gravity or any other laws really, the game is not about numerous weapons but rather, about the way the player uses them, or so Free Radical would have us believe. After all, the idea behind Haze is to offer two very different experiences of the same war. In many ways that is an admirable move by Free Radical which adds some depth to its storytelling; depth which seems creepily familiar as you get to experienced the polished, bloodless, Nectar-fuelled combat experience; once you join the rebels though you experience the gritty, bloody and dirty war which only reality can provide. So even though Haze is a futuristic experience, it has its feet firmly rooted in the contemporary ground. Once part of the rebel forces, the player can use his experience of Nectar to his advantage as some of its properties can be used to his advantage. When taking damage, rebels have the option of playing dead.Nectar-laced Mantel troops are not able to see downed enemies as Nectar will filter them out and that can work to your advantage in spectacular ways.
Purple Haze