Previews// Haze

The vehicles are one place where co-op play really gets the chance to shine. When you're playing with someone else, you get all the above-named positions in the vehicle to choose from (depending on how generous your co-players are). In single-player, you're forced to drive.

I discovered in single-player, after a chance to practice, that the vehicles really do handle quite nicely and there's a lot of fun to be had with them. Unfortunately, get one shot up and you've got a long, ponderous walk on your hands along a track designed for fast-moving vehicles 'til you find the next one waiting.

Onto the Mirador Del Aquila (Observatory) and Falcon (a half-sunk ship) and those rebel tactics we've heard about got an opportunity to shine.

To make up for the lack of Nectar, the rebels have a host of sneaky other abilities.

One handy feature is the ability to revive your compadres with a tap of the square button. In single player you can help your team-mates, but they never seem that bothered about returning the favour. In co-op, however, it's a handy feature for keeping you in the game.

Your team-mates are not, it should be pointed out, useless in single-player. They will actually put bullets in your enemies. But... I certainly felt the benefit of having buddies with biological brains in the co-op.

As for the other tactics on offer – they mostly revolve around inducing a Nectar overdose in the Mantel troopers. Pop a shot into one of their Nectar packs and it'll start spurting yellow goodness that rapidly turns red as they lose control.

Strap a Nectar pack from a fallen trooper to a grenade and you've got a Nectar bomb. Bury said Nectar bomb and you've got a makeshift mine. Throw a knife dipped in the stuff and you'll also send them nuts. The upshot is, as I mentioned above, they stop being able to determine friend from foe and may well turn on each other. Even if they don't cut each other down, they become much easier pickings.

It is, it must be said, immensely rewarding to use your guile to take down the forces of capitalism. I found the grenade to be far and away the most effective. I kept brandishing my knife valiantly but getting no use from it. The traps never quite seemed to pay off but, again, that might be one for the multiplayer. The most rewarding, however, was a well-placed snipe to the Nectar pack. Send him barmy and let your team-mates do the rest. Job well done.

Also deserving of a mention is the ability to play dead. We've all done it on a Sunday morning. Corpses and gore disappear from view if you're on Nectar, so if you have a bit of a lie down as a rebel, you'll be overlooked. It's handy for a bit of recuperation or a sneak attack, but I did find my downtime ran out while there were still bullets zinging over my head a couple of times, meaning I was forced to stand up and stop one with my face.

I won't give away any spoilers, but the scripting and voice acting are superb. One encounter on the Falcon with one of Shepherd's former brothers in arms really brought this home. The word 'harrowing' actually sprung to mind.

The dialogue of the Mantel Troopers easily recalls the speech of headstrong, testosterone-fuelled marines and serves to subtly reinforce the effect of... well, you'll see.

Graphically, I can't say that Haze is amazing when held up against the likes of Uncharted or MotorStorm. That said, it does look good. Especially when you consider that, once the game's underway, there are no load screens. The closest you get is the odd momentary blackout akin to a scene change on TV – and even that could be gone by the time the final build is finished.

The design of the levels is great and provides plenty of variation, while the Mantel Troopers are a great visual hook. It runs at a solid 30 fps – I'm told that's now pretty consistent throughout the game.

From what I've seen, Haze is a thoroughly entertaining, rich and intelligent shooter. It's not without its flaws, but they are far outweighed by the game's many assets. This game is going to be a must for any shooter fan with a big buxom PS3 sat in front of their TV.

Check back on SPOnG soon for more on the game's mutliplayer mode...