First Force Unleashed reviews cause wincing
SOCOM beta demand batters PSN, says Sony
Bungie Halo game news "sooner rather than later"
May 21st, 2008 @ 06:35
A number of sites published their Haze reviews last night, with the game shipping in the US yesterday and Ubisoft lifting the UK embargo on online reviews last night.
The PS3-exclusive hit headlines yesterday when IGN gave it 4.5/10.
This lot should give you a pretty clear picture of what’s hitting British shelves this Friday:
So there we are. It’s probably not the worst thing in the world, says the internet, but won’t be setting records. Gamespot’s given it a “Lynch”, and that’s as good an indication as any. We’re still waiting on Eurogamer and CVG’s scores, but “in the middle somewhere” is probably a safe bet.
And that’s that.
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May 21st, 2008 at 7:21 am
Kinda what you would expect after playing the demo
May 21st, 2008 at 7:43 am
It’s a shame. If it was all 9s and 8s I probably would have bought a PS3, tbh.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:59 am
Lucky escape then, eh Pat?
May 21st, 2008 at 8:01 am
Terrible disappointment really. What’s worse is, they have no excuse for putting out a bad game, they were given an extra six months to polish the code, and it’s a platform exclusive, so they didn’t have to worry about different code bases not being up to scratch.
Haze is clearly a big release for Sony and Ubisoft, I really wouldn’t want to be David Doak this morning.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:02 am
I’ll wait for EGs…If Kristan’s reviewing it, a 7 or 8. If Rob’s doing it - a 6. If Tom’s doing it all bets are off.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:14 am
I’m living by the seat of my pants, fj. I walk a daily tightrope.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:24 am
Who the hell are ‘GiantBomb’?
May 21st, 2008 at 8:27 am
It’s Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis, innit. The two main chaps that left Gamespot over Lynch-gate.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:23 am
Ah.
Lots of reviews coming in now. Looks like it’s going to average out at… average.
http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/haze?q=haze
May 21st, 2008 at 9:24 am
God damn your spam filter! >-(
As I was trying to say before it ate my post again, there are lots of reviews coming in now if you check Metacritic (which I can’t link to, apparently).
Seems like it’s going to average out at… average.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hang on, I’ll look in the CMS.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:27 am
There you go. Sorry, it’s a bit twitchy. I’ve approved everything that was in there.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:39 am
Everything?
Just set it to approve everything I write. Then I can pimp my porn empire.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:42 am
Not sure if I can…
*twiddles with settings*
May 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
That’s NOT your settings you are twiddling young man!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:53 am
May 21st, 2008 at 9:54 am
The filter is “a bit twitchy”? That’s like saying the passengers of the Titanic got a bit wet on the last night of their voyage!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:56 am
For some reason the stuff in there was about 90% Whizzo and Blerk. Maybe it is working properly after all…
May 21st, 2008 at 10:16 am
First video review: http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1781/Haze.html
2 out of 5. See some nasty clipping, and a little shonky AI, along with that now-expected order of bland.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:16 am
Eg will give it a 5 or a 4. I absolutely know it.
/deletes email from EG telling me what the score is.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:26 am
From that video review:
“Haze works really hard to make sure you don’t enjoy yourself.” Ouch!
I see the majority of the reviews so far mention on the poor quality of the story and script…..which was one of the things that was supposed to be the game’s strongpoint. The voice-acting, going by that 9 minute intro video that was posted yesterday, is absolutely appalling.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
Even on a gameplay point, it’s not much cop, judging from the giantbomb review; in which Jeff notes how the nectar (that Mantel arguably relies upon), offers minimal bonuses compared to the rebels tactics; yet, before, David Doak was talking up the superhuman “badass” benefits that Mantel troops reap in combat; with the Rebel’s abilities intended to be able to RESTORE the balance, not tip it entirely the other way!
May 21st, 2008 at 11:01 am
There is really no need for that video review to cite the install as a negative towards the game or mark it as a precursor to the game’s quality.
GTA4 has an install, doesn’t affect the way the game plays one bit. It should be the same case for any game with an install.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 pm
EG Review: (4 / 10)
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=142250
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Woof. It doesn’t read like a 4, tbh. More like a 2.
I guess it goes to show you should always go with your first impressions. When the first screenies of Haze appeared I voiced some disappointment that it had lost that distinctive FRD look n’ feel in favour of ‘generic-o-shooter 15′ and got told off for being negative when I didn’t know anything about the game.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
“The fact that the creative forces behind this moribund excuse for a blockbuster feel that it is BAFTA-worthy has to be one of the most tragically comic examples of self-delusion we’ve ever witnessed.”
OUCH!
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
If you can hear me down there Yahtzee please please make something good out of all this.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
LOL
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Whoops.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
This is starting to sink in a bit now. They really have spannered it, haven’t they?
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
One thing’s for sure - Rob Yescombe’s not coming out of this well, is he?
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
His “Halo’s okay if you’re a teenager, but Haze is much more serious and mature” line is going to follow him around for a long, long time, I think.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Forget Haze, here’s the first bit of Timesplitters 4 art:
http://tinyurl.com/3m9886
… if the link works.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:29 am
It worked! \o/
May 27th, 2008 at 9:37 am
According to the comments from Doak in the text of the first image they are still planning. Arse I was hoping they were much further than that. Apparently “trying to work out what makes Timesplitters good, if you have any ideas …” - hmmm, see that Haze? Well *NOT* that ok?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:54 am
In spite of Haze being a bit rubbish, I’m still very interested in Timesplitters 4. I think the main thing is for them not to worry too much about the story and narrative. Yes, TS2 got slated for having virtually no plot, but it was a far better game than Future Perfect. That opening Siberia level from TS2 is one of my favourite levels in any FPS game ever.
Key ingredients to make a Timesplitters game:
- exciting range of weaponry (make them fun; not just hardcore)
- bizzare range of characters - they don’t need to have defining play characteristics; keep it simple.
- level design is the single most important factor. Get that right and the game will be good.
- One thing that could be improved on over previous TS games is the enemy AI. Making baddies stupid and easy to kill is not equal to a fun game.
- Monkeys!!!!!!!