Interview with Haze developers

[Luis]

PS3Land Interviews Free Radical Designs

by Justin Pinter

Recently I had the chance to interview Free Radical's Rob Yescombe, screenwriter for next gen title HAZE for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. If you haven't heard of Free Radical Designs they are the studio behind awesome titles like Timesplitters and Second Sight.

So on with the interview:

About the Game

PS3Land: How does title "HAZE" play into the game?

Rob: Well, to be too specific would spoil a few things. But in broad strokes, a ‘haze’ implies something unclear – something obscured. In the heat of battle, it can be hard for a soldier to think clearly. Haze is also a military slang word, associated with initiation tests and ‘Code Reds’. That said, those definitions don’t necessarily imply the content of the game… We’re enjoying being very non-specific at the moment.

PS3Land: First person shooters are becoming more common on consoles, and are already in abundance on PC - what's different about Haze?

Rob: It’s early days, so in fact, at the moment we’re keen to show off all the FPS aspects that gamers are familiar with – and to show how we’ve improved them. Things like AI and level design are key to a top quality FPS, but so many games don’t give them the care and attention they need. Beyond that, you can look forward to all the physical and mental benefits that Nectar provides for Mantel’s private army... Vague enough for you?

PS3Land: What can you tell us about Jake Carpenter?

Rob: Jake is a young guy, a college graduate. He’s recent transfer from a conflict in Seoul, so he’s well versed in combat but he’s new to the South American war zone where this game is set. He’s pretty much the standard Mantel Trooper – a well-paid tough guy, obeying orders with a smile on his face.

PS3Land: Does Jake follow a fixed storyline, or is there scope to his mission?

Rob: The game is a visceral war story, told over a continuous three-day period. The plot is linear, but there will be some flexibility in how you tackle the objectives. It’s choc-a-block full of rich characters and some really dazzling set-pieces, but it’s not all explosions and gunfire – we think tat downtime is just as important in a dramatic experience. You’re definitely going to feel something for your comrades. Really, war isn’t horrifying because of the blood – it’s horrifying because of who’s bleeding. If you care about the people who die, your gaming experience will be richer. It will mean something.

PS3Land: The game takes place in South America I've read, what kinda terrain should we expect to see?

Rob: Well, rest assured, HAZE isn’t just a jungle shooter – you’ll be travelling from sea level through a huge range of environments up to the top of a mountain and beyond. I’m not allowed to tell you specifics yet, but you’ll know from TimeSplitters that we’re obsessed with providing plenty of variety in locations. You won’t be going to Egypt or a Space Port, but you sure as hell aren’t going to get bored.

PS3Land: Why is Jake fighting The Promise Hand, and who are they?

Rob: Well, The Promise Hand is a faction of guerrillas who have overthrown the government in the Boa region of South America. They’re lead by a vicious warlord and would-be dictator known as ‘Skin Coat’. Skin Coat earned his nickname by flaying the skins of POWs and fashioning the pieces into crude leather, from which he makes his clothes. He is an extremely dangerous man, and his soldiers are terrifyingly dedicated.

PS3Land: To what extent will destructible environments go in HAZE?

Rob: There will be many destructible elements throughout the game. Furthermore, we’re really focussing on a life-like appearance to the environment overall – the lighting, the textures, the sounds. When you step out of the Mantel dropship, it’s going to look like the real world.

PS3Land: What multiplayer modes should we expect to see in HAZE?

Rob: You’ll be able to play the main narrative campaign in four-player co-op, split-screen or online. And, what’s more, the multiplayer maps are going to blow everyone away – they’re objective based, missions that will support two full teams going head-to-head, each with their own specific aims and goals.

PS3Land: Free Radical has been known to add a Map Maker to their FPS games (Timesplitters), will there be one for HAZE?

Rob: We’d love to, but there’s really isn’t the time. We’re throwing ourselves into making an incredibly focussed single-player experience, with top end co-op and multiplayer maps. We want those elements to be perfect, so we need to spend as much time on them as possible.

PS3Land: What weapons/vehicles/items will you be able to utilize in HAZE?

Rob: I can’t go into detail yet, because I’ll be spanked – in the bad way – but the weapon and vehicle set is based on real-world stuff with a near-future twist. But the really exciting thing about combat in HAZE is the difference in fighting styles between Mantel, who are highly trained military badasses; and The Promise Hand, who really know how to use the terrain and their own ferocity to their advantage.

PS3Land: What is your favorite weapon as of now?

Rob: Personally, I have a bit of a pistol fetish. It’s got a real snap, so you blink when you fire it. That’s our rule of thumb: if it makes you flinch, it makes it into the game.

About Development

PS3Land: How many years has HAZE been in the works?

Rob: The engine has been in development for about two years, and the game concept itself has been in the works for about eleven months. Really, HAZE is the accumulation of all the great ideas we haven’t had time to put into other games in the past.

PS3Land: I've read that Free Radical has built the game engine from the ground up, what new technologies should we see in this new engine?

Rob: Oh, you can be sure to get a plethora of next-gen excellence. HDR, Normal mapping, Depth of Field… The list goes on, but the important thing is this: HAZE will be one of the most visually spectacular games of 2007.

PS3Land: Any differences between the 3 versions (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)?

Rob: The three versions are planned as the same right now. That said, we are looking into extra content to see what’s going to be feasible.

PS3Land: Are you using the Blu-ray technology of the PS3 to add additional game material?

Rob: Nope.

PS3Land: Any difficulties in developing for the PS3 due to new Cell structure?

Rob: We certainly haven’t encountered anything particularly difficult about it so far. It’s a powerful tool, and we’re using it to do some pretty amazing stuff.

PS3Land: What is the best thing about next gen consoles, more specifically the PS3, that enables great game development?

Rob: Next-gen technology has really opened up the possibility of creating environments that look, feel and behave in a realistic way. Just being able to do post-processing, something that movies have been doing for years, has been making our artists robot dance with glee.

PS3Land: How would you describe the power of the Cell and RSX?

Rob: There’s a huge amount of potential there, but it’s going to take time to really blossom. Certainly in the next few years, we’re going to see some very special things coming out of it.

PS3Land: Will HAZE be utilizing the tilt sensors of the PS3 controller?

Rob: We’re looking into it. It’s a possibility.

PS3Land: Will HAZE be shipped to play in 1080p?

Rob: We’re testing things now. Hopefully, yes.

PS3Land: What will be the framerate at which HAZE plays in?

Rob: Again, we’re still testing. But you can rest assured that it’ll be the best it can possibly be.

PS3Land: Is there an official ship date set for HAZE?

Rob: 2007.

PS3Land: If you would like to add anything else about HAZE that would be great. For example: multiplayer features, how the PS3 and Xbox will run multiplayer, etc.

Rob: Actually, one of the cool features we’re implementing is that all the multiplayer maps and objectives are tied into the single player campaign – events that occur in the main narrative will cause incidents in the multiplayer and vice-versa. If you want the whole experience of the story, you’re going to want to play all the multiplayer levels too. It’s going to be cooler than Walt Disney’s urine.

[Crossbar]

It’s going to be cooler than Walt Disney’s urine.

I don't think I will buy this game......

[Luis]

I don't think I will buy this game......

Damn, I didn't see that Worst interview ending ever.

The fact that they're going to constrain this game to the lowest common denominators (because it will be the same on all platforms) instead of exploiting each platform's features is not going to make me more excited about it anyway. It could be a good game, but...

[8_Bit]

PS3Land: Any differences between the 3 versions (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)?

Rob: The three versions are planned as the same right now. That said, we are looking into extra content to see what’s going to be feasible.

PS3Land: Are you using the Blu-ray technology of the PS3 to add additional game material?

Rob: Nope.

Sounds port-tastic. Which begs the question: "why should I care about this game again?"

Timesplitters was good, but I'm looking for games that really use the hardware. It sounds like they are using some elements of what makes the hardware special (like the Cell for post-processing) but ignoring others. Not the best strategy for making a really special PS3 title, IMO.

Who knows? It might be great. I'll just need a little more convincing before it registers on my hype meter. For someone with a very limited interest in FPSs, and such a plethora of hype-worthy FPSs coming (Resistance, UT, KZ and at least one of the WWII shooters come to mind) it's going to be stiff competition for my dollar.

[yoshaw]

Nice find VG. But the tone of the interview gave me a very 'meh' feeling from the developers towards PS3. It's like as if its just another money machine to them. Disney urine, yea now make me buy this game geniuses.. Psssh.

I'm waiting for any FPS to floor me with chaotic background happenings. Like how it was shown in the infamous Killzone CG. Now that would be really immersive. Whatever we have today in FPS' is just the backgrounds are always static(except some smoke here n there). And we see some guys approaching us, the only things moving on the screen. God, It's become so generic that its not even funny.

I hope some high-class developer(GuerillaGames, just do it already!) creating an FPS with so much mayhem on the screen that its hard to pinpoint our targets amongst all the chaos. Now THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!

[Nameless]

Nice find VG. But the tone of the interview gave me a very 'meh' feeling from the developers towards PS3. It's like as if its just another money machine to them. Disney urine, yea now make me buy this game geniuses.. Psssh.

I'm waiting for any FPS to floor me with chaotic background happenings. Like how it was shown in the infamous Killzone CG. Now that would be really immersive. Whatever we have today in FPS' is just the backgrounds are always static(except some smoke here n there). And we see some guys approaching us, the only things moving on the screen. God, It's become so generic that its not even funny.

I hope some high-class developer(GuerillaGames, just do it already!) creating an FPS with so much mayhem on the screen that its hard to pinpoint our targets amongst all the chaos. Now THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!

I would argue that COD 2 did a pretty good job of creating a chaotic war experience and the enemy AI was impressive on the Veteran difficulty setting.

I agree the interview did not leave me excited about the title just sounds like a port. (1080P was interesting...) This just confirms my thoughts that only exclusive titles will really show what the consoles can do... Perhaps once Sony has a huge marketshare lead developers may put more TLC in their multiplatform releases...

[Insane Metal]

PS3Land: Are you using the Blu-ray technology of the PS3 to add additional game material?

Rob: Nope.

[BahnNZ]

Still on my buy list. I've liked every game Free Radical have ever made, even Second Sight. Faith based initiative.

But yeah, lowest common denominator port.

[yoshaw]

I would argue that COD 2 did a pretty good job of creating a chaotic war experience and the enemy AI was impressive on the Veteran difficulty setting.

Bah, I should've said anything except WWII shooters coz I knew someone would bring COD2 up. But I know exactly what you're saying Nameless. No doubt COD3 is going to take chaos a notch above COD2 but its a friggin WW shooter. I'm thinking you know new, modern day, shooters with SCI-FI warzone elements.

Infact, I'll boil it down to that Killzone CG. That trailer was so totally representative of what I want from a chaotic FPS. I know its near impossible to create it pixel by pixel into a game but man, I'd so lose my sleep with excitement even if they create anything close to it with low res textures but plenty of mayhem. I'd definitely dig that. But yea, Haze is cool. Sorry for going offtopic. :P

[Nameless]

Bah, I should've said anything except WWII shooters coz I knew someone would bring COD2 up. But I know exactly what you're saying Nameless. No doubt COD3 is going to take chaos a notch above COD2 but its a friggin WW shooter. I'm thinking you know new, modern day, shooters with SCI-FI warzone elements.

Infact, I'll boil it down to that Killzone CG. That trailer was so totally representative of what I want from a chaotic FPS. I know its near impossible to create it pixel by pixel into a game but man, I'd so lose my sleep with excitement even if they create anything close to it with low res textures but plenty of mayhem. I'd definitely dig that. But yea, Haze is cool. Sorry for going offtopic. :P

Honestly, I know what you mean...
I would like to see a FPS that truely makes you feel like part of the war instead of the primary focus of the war. Overall the scope of the battles need to be larger and I got that sensation from the Killzone trailer. (Not sure if they can pull this off, but theres a chance...)

[SleazyBig slim]

Though I enjoyed TS2 I dont think Free Radical has what it takes anymore. This game sounds like it will be awfully generic and not use any of PS3's exclusive features. Also by the time this game comes out their will be alot of other shooters on PS3 that will likely be better such as Resistance, HL2, and UT2007 ect..

[LiquidEagle]

What?? Either way this game looks fantastic! I can't wait to see some gameplay of it! Like Applefiend, I'm a huge Free Radical fan as I own all 3 Timesplitters since the day they've come out and Second Sight was great as well! I can think of few developers more competent than Free Radical (Kojima Productions, Insomniac Games, and... Zipper? Not sure...), and I'm looking to these guys to provide a great First-person experience here. Plus, Online co-op? I've already started reaching into my wallet...

[bilbobob007]

Damn, I didn't see that Worst interview ending ever.

The fact that they're going to constrain this game to the lowest common denominators (because it will be the same on all platforms) instead of exploiting each platform's features is not going to make me more excited about it anyway. It could be a good game, but...

......There are going to be quite a few games of this ilk that sounds to me like they are going to get proper PS3 treatment. Why would you want to buy this if its just a halfassed attempt on the PS3. If they lose a lot of sales because people are not impressed with it they will say anything to take the blame off themselves.

One that springs to mind would be how the the PS3 is an unsafe bet at the moment so they have not really gone to town over specific Cell programming. Plus off course if this version of the game is just ok then a year from now they can put in the effort they should be doing now and make more money with the sequel.

Hope that made sense.

Sorry if it didnt.

[cliffbo]

one game for all platforms with no console specific features?! you just lost a sale fellas. its Resistance for me...

[yoshaw]

CVG has a PS3 preview. With some nice screenshots!

Haze
Format PlayStation 3
Developer Free Radical
Publisher Ubisoft
Genre First Person Shooter

31-Aug-2006 Those lazy hazy days of hardcore shooting are back as Free Radical's finest prepares to lock n load on PS3!

People love games that involve shooting other people: fact. That's why PlayStation 3, hereby known as "the man's console", will be home to the brightest, shiniest, highest-calibre shooters ever created. Come next year, the online PlayStation Network will be ringing to the sound of round after round of virtual ammo. Men's games for a man's console.

Whether Haze will be crowned champion of the next generation of shooters remains open to a long and, potentially, bloody debate - games such as Resistance: Fall of Man, Call of Duty 3 and Unreal Tournament 2007 are all hoping to cause a little carnage of their own - but it certainly looks like a serious contender. With its gritty, near-future setting, corporate warfare plot and complicated Lost-style conspiracy theories, Haze is looking tastier than a peach in a mini-skirt.

You play Jake Carpenter, the newest recruit of the Mantel Corporation's private army. Armed with the best guns, vehicles, equipment and heavy-duty painkillers money can buy, it's your job to defend the planet against terrorists, dictators and dodgy political factions the world over - assuming, that is, whoever needs your services can afford Mantel's exorbitant fees. A plot more baffling than a murder mystery novel printed in Swahili weaves its way through the action. Things start in South America, where you're tasked with taking out a disruptive guerrilla force. While on the job it becomes clear that Mantel is pumping you full of a performance enhancing 'nutritional supplement' (for which read 'drug') known as Nectar. This will have a huge impact on the way you play the game, with improved speed and strength just two of the special powers you'll get to experience from a whole list of Nectar enhanced abilities. But what is Nectar? What does it do? And why is it turning certain members of your squad psychotic? All these questions and more will be posed, and ultimately answered, but for now Haze's creators are keeping infuriatingly quiet.

THE HAZE THICKENS
The idea is that people will come up with conspiracy theories of their own. It could be that a US military training programme is duping squadies into thinking they're superhuman fighting machines by drugging them, hooking them up to virtual reality systems and rewiring their brains before sending them into battle for real. Then again, it's just as likely to be the gin-fuelled dream of a booze-soaked, ex-telemarketing executive. We're hoping it's the latter. The game itself features everything we want to see in a PS3 shooter. Locations-wise, the jungle environments have been superbly crafted, full of light, life and lush canopies of greenery to hide under, a design philosophy that continues throughout the huge variety of industrial and urban settings you'll encounter later in the game.

BLACK HAZE
While many other near-future war games need a degree in IT to work all their gadgets, it's pleasing to see more of a back-to-basics approach in Haze. Weapons here are suitably meaty with an old-skool slant (think bullets and bombs rather than phasers and energy rays). If you enjoyed the feeling of supreme, almighty power that BLACK's guns spunked out, there'll be plenty to enjoy here, but with added depth. The system of dishing orders out to your squad members is quick and simple (just tap the directional pad and your men follow) and there are plenty of controllable vehicles too. Not only that, hop into the driving seat of a Jeep, for instance, and all your men intelligently take up positions in the passenger seats, guns hanging out of both sides, ready to fend off any attacks. Even if the conspiracy theory really does turn out to be a Nectar-inspired hallucination, at least we'll have had plenty of violence inspired fun along the way.

As intriguing as the single-player adventure is, we're saving the majority of our excitement for the online multiplayer combat - and you can expect the emphasis to be on large, team-based battles (the Mantel corporation versus the guerrillas should make a hell of a multiplayer rumble). In fact, we fully predict Haze to be the first PS3 game to really encourage the formation of online clans.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
What we really expect to stand out from Haze's online scraps are the smooth, sleek lines of its level designs. Not surprising given it's coming from pedigree stock, continuing the bloodline that began with the Nintendo64 classic GoldenEye and later spawned the TimeSplitters games. That's multiplayer shooter royalty. What we want is that same alluring mix of wide open spaces, tight corridors and far too many sniping spots for comfort. Get that right, and Haze could easily become the glowing beacon on top of a smoking pile of first wave PS3 shooter corpses.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=145406

[Old_Timer!]

Wow take that Cysis
The winds of change have started to blow from teh Far East, Is that a hurricane on the Horizon or is The Weapon of Evolution(PS3)

[masteratt]

OHHHH!!
HAZE!!!!

Yup, thansk to Yoshaw's screens I remember this game now.
And I think i'll give it a: Meh. (for now)

[EvilTaru]

I don't think I will buy this game......

That was a weird joke, he should forget about a second career as a comedian and stick to making games. Anyway it does not appear they will be really taking advantage of the PS3 hardware at all, too bad for them, they make solid games though, but kind of uninspired.

[GUNDAMSEED]

And this why i don't care about multi platforms games. There not even using blu ray for even better sound or anything . Titles like these will not get a cent of my money .

[LiquidEagle]

I'm honestly surprised at the general attitude here -- is this game honestly worse because it doesn't have Blu-Ray 7.1 sound??? Is it worse because they told you they aren't using the Blu-Ray for higher-res textures? (I don't think 95% would know the difference if they hadn't pointed it out, considering how nice this game already looks)

I think in all the PS3 hooplah a lot of you are forgetting that it all comes down to the games, and Free Radical has made a name for themselves for making great first-person shooters. The finest in the world, even. Do you honestly care that much if they aren't using an extra 5 GB so they can upsample the music to 256 kbps or something like that?? Fact is, this game looks gorgeous, has an engaging story (those who played through Future Perfect or Second Sight can see that FRD is capable of making some really cool stories), and will play spectacularly. 4-player online co-op?? YES, please!

Don't let this attutude that it has to have something special on PS3 completely cause you to avoid what looks to be a fantastic game from a great company.