10 Video Games That Tried To Be The Next Big Thing (And Failed)

Haze was a video game slated to be the next big thing. It was the PlayStation 3's exclusive first-person shooter and was developed by Free Radical Design, the makers of Timesplitters. The title was also hailed as another 'Halo-killer,' the PS3's secret weapon that could stand toe-to-toe with Microsoft's flagship franchise.

But despite all of that, Haze ended up being a disappointment which highlighted the console's awkward early years.

Its biggest failing is underusing the Nectar mechanic. You see, the game allows players to take hallucinogenic drugs which allowed them to zoom farther and reduce weapon recoil. Instead, Haze squanders this opportunity in the single-player campaign, when the main character switches sides 2/3 in and abandons using Nectar altogether.

There's also the 'possum' mechanic, where enemies can play dead, only to disappear and regenerate health. Unfortunately, however, the game features one of the worst-implemented AIs, with enemies acting brain-dead and allies offering no substantial help whatsoever. This is due to the abandoned AI system that Free Radical Design failed to implement for the PS3.

Ultimately, Haze became lost in time as one of the ill attempts at launching a new IP. What made things painful, however, was that this was the swan song for a beloved developer such as Free Radical Design.