With the incredible work they've done on the TimeSplitters series, David Doak and his FPS experts at Nottingham-based Free Radical have set an overwhelmingly high bar for any forthcoming titles. Currently a PlayStation 3 exclusive--for the rest of this year, anyway--Haze marks the company's entrance into the current console generation, and Ubisoft brand manager Nate Mordo demoed some of the game's newest features for me at this year's E3. Ubisoft had already unveiled some parts of the game's story, but the company revealed further information on the plot at E3, including a gameplay-influencing twist. It's the year 2048, and you play as Shane Carpenter, a soldier in a private military corporation called Mantel Global Industries. As part of a Mantel troop outfit, you've been sent to an unstable country where a group of rebels called the Promise Hand have been causing trouble and doing all sorts of generally rebellious things. What Ubisoft revealed is that about a third of the way through the game, you realize you've been fighting for the wrong side and join the freedom fighters in their freedom-filled freedom fight. The ability to play as a rebel isn't limited to the solo campaign, as multiplayer modes will allow players to choose their side as well. Though Mordo wouldn't reveal much about the multiplayer modes, he said a variety of objective-based modes would make use of the story's corporate soldiers versus rebels theme. Mordo assured me that traditional deathmatches and other multiplayer mainstays wouldn't be neglected either. With Free Radical at the helm, multiplayer is guaranteed to be a frantically fervid experience--the company has already confirmed the existence of four-player online co-op. Unique abilities give the Mantel soldiers and rebels distinctive styles of play, and performance drug-enhanced Mantel abilities especially showcase the game's proprietary graphics engine. Making use of a drug called Nectar, Mantel soldiers have several abilities to afford them advantages against unlucky uprisers, in addition to mentally blocking the horrors of war. An ability called Nectar Perception highlights enemy bodies among the dense forest for easy targeting, and Nectar Focus takes this one step further by offering headshot-enabling superaim. Nectar Foresight creates a nice looking ripple effect to warn of incoming danger like grenades, and Melee Blast powers soldiers up for close range rebel-ramming smashes. Where the Mantel soldiers are superpowered and heavily armed, rebels are stealthy and opportunistic. The main tactic Rebels have is to use Mantel soldiers' own Nectar superdrug against them. Overdosing on nectar causes troopers to become confused, resulting in friendly fire or even suicide. If you're playing a Mantel soldier who overdoses, you'll be unable to control your weapon fire, with both friends and foes appearing as black silhouettes. Rebels can make Nectar grenades made from dead Mantel troopers, and they can also smear Nectar on their knives for throwing. The blast of a Nectar grenade or wound from a Nectar-coated knife will cause a Matel soldier to OD on the dangerous drug. Rebels can steal weapons from Mantel troopers, scavenge any fallen armaments for bullets, and play dead to avoid detection. Using a proprietary engine, Haze has some truly gorgeous graphics, though it doesn't quite reach the zenith of in-game visuals like those of Crytek's upcoming Crysis. Bloom lighting in a lush beach area was readily visible, with sunlight streaming from behind palm trees. Environments in the game aren't fully destructible, though some structures feature destructible elements. Mordo said the team took this approach to make better use of processing power than having bullet holes appear in every rock hit by shrapnel. This makes sense, but just means other areas of gameplay will have to be fairly solid to make up for the lack of realism. Free Radical still has a lot left to unveil about Haze before the game's expected release this November. If the company can perform up to its own high standards, PS3 owners looking for frantic shooter action may get their holiday wishes granted.

Ubisoft sends along the first Haze video development diary. This first installment mostly offers an overview of what the game is all about.

Eurogamer is the latest site to feature a Haze interview. Free Radical co-founder David Doak is asked about making PlayStation 3 the lead platform, bringing out emotions in gamers, co-op support, game pacing and more.

Eurogamer has the latest Haze preview, checking out a demo build of this first person shooter and also chatting with the folks at Free Radical Design.

Game Informer has been updated with a Haze preview, checking out the Free Radical developed shooter at the recent UbiDays. Includes some exclusive shots.

During a David Doak interview conducted by GamesIndustry.biz, the Free Radical Design co-founder (pictured left) issued strong comments regarding the current relationship between the UK government and video game developers. "Here's an industry that 20 years ago we led the world in--through bedroom rock-and-roll development on the early home computers--and now there's a very real chance that what is now a real profession is going to be driven out of the UK because they don't make any concessions to it," Doak said. His independent studio resides in Nottingham, England. Doak--whose past credits include Rare's GoldenEye 007 and Free Radical's TimeSplitters series--was also critical of the UK's focus on video games as a moral issue. "The UK Government needs to do something more useful than just criticizing violent content in video games," he said. Earlier this year, Labour party MP Keith Vaz met with Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss the issue of violent videogames being made available to children. Following that meeting, Blair had mostly good things to say about the industry, stating, "The talent and creativity that our industry houses and nurtures is what makes the games industry a part of Britain's cultural heritage, and more specifically, an important asset in Britain's creative and cultural future." What Doak would prefer is assistance, rather than talk. He pointed out the UK government's affinity for the film industry, while at the same time bemoaning the general disregard for the many video game developers across the country. "If you look up the best places to live in the world, Nottingham is not British Columbia," he quipped, explaining that personnel are often being pulled away to countries like Canada, where game development is currently thriving due in part to government support. Doak was in Paris for the Ubidays event, there to promote his studio's upcoming first-person shooter Haze. Although the game was originally expected to release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, the game's multiplatform status became unclear when publisher Ubisoft began referring to the title only as a PlayStation 3 game. Doak mentioned that, while the game will debut on the PlayStation 3, other versions are in development for "all platforms."

Ubisoft sent out a press release, announcing that Free Radical Design is working on the first person shooter Haze. The game will be coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 early next year. Key features:

* Impeccable FPS credentials. From the developers of the critically-acclaimed TimeSplitters series and the publishers of Far Cry, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Free Radical and Ubisoft have proven their ability to create innovative platform-defining FPS titles. * Next-generation gaming technology applied to a cutting-edge futuristic first-person shooter. Designed from the ground up to take advantage of next generation hardware. Prepare to be blown away by stunning visuals, hyper-intelligent AI, and realistic physics for a varied and immersive gameplay experience. * Gear up and deploy with the best of the best. Experience the devastating firepower of deadly weapons through dazzlingly rendered outdoor and indoor environments. Drive vehicles through a dense and humid jungle ravine, or breathtaking mountains, as you strive to defeat the merciless guerillas. * State of the art multiplayer modes. Fire up your console or PC for online battles on one of two carefully balanced sides. Choose from a variety of online modes including furious co-op action with your friends!