Huxley (MMOFPS)

Huxley (Korean:헉슬리) is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter computer game published by Webzen Games Inc. to be released in Summer of 2006 (June 23rd is the most recent date given). It is being developed for both the PC and Xbox 360 with special content being made for each platform.

Story

In the near future, Nuclearites bombard the world. Destructive earthquakes, massive tidal waves and dramatic climate changes wreak havoc around the globe, isolating continents and driving the human race into chaos. Those who survive the destruction dream of tranquillity, but an eruption among the human race and the appearance of horrible mutants drives the world into further disorder. Racism and oppression cause rebellious uprisings and war that divide the landscape between two powers: Sapiens and Alternative. At the heart of the war emerges a powerful energy source called the Lunarites. The Lunarites were created by Huxley, a scientist and possible savior.

Both factions seek glory and victory, fighting mercilessly for the Lunarites and their very existence.

The story was thought to be based on the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, hence the name, however Webzen has denied any tie to the books story saying it was however an inspiration. ^*

Gameplay

Little is known about Huxley's gameplay at the moment. Action is directed to be fast-paced, on par with games such as Unreal Tournament 2004, applied to a Massively Multiplayer Online Game setting. This style is in contrast to another MMOFPS, PlanetSide by Sony Online Entertainment, which follows a more tactical and thought out route of action. In a recent interview, Huxley's main producer Kijong Kang said that the cities in Huxley will be able to accomidate up to 5000 people, and the individual battles will support several hundred players. The battles can be as small as 1 VS 1 or as big as 100 VS 100 players (200), which is the maximum, which is an enourmous number considering the immensly popular Battlefield 2 can only support 32 VS 32 (64).

Not only can you take part in player vs. player battles, but there are also many player vs. AI quests that the player can choose to take on. Also, the 360 version of Huxley is to include a single player campaign.

Leveling and experience

Huxley’s advancement system is actually separated into two. In the early part of the character advancement player system, players can shape their character in the style they like best. After that, players can then add depth to their characters. ‘Experiences’ and ‘Battle points’ are two elements of character advancement. ‘Experiences’ will affect the earlier part of character development and ‘Battle Points’ will affect the later part of a character’s development in a big way.

In the earlier part, by acquiring licenses, characters can have opportunities to use upgraded weapons and armor. In the later part of the game, players will concentrate on developing their characters to be more effective under any circumstance. One developer has stated, "We are planning to make the earlier part of character development relatively fast and the later part of development a bit slower but more abundant. This is because we decided that too much difference between characters abilities that affect combat result is not good for an FPS game."

Webzen has considered the fact that in most MMOGs the players at earlier levels have no chance of beating those at the higher levels, and therefore they have adjusted the game to make skill more significant than long periods of playing the game and leveling up. Leveling up will give players advantages, such as more slots for upgrades and perhaps faster aiming, but a lower level player can still measure up to a higher one.

Vehicles

The vehicles in Huxley will serve not only as strong offensive weapons, but they will also be crucial in transporting squads in battle. There will be several land, sea, and air vehicles based on the class that the player chooses.

Weapons

Huxley also features very advanced, unique-looking weaponry. Currently, not many weapons are known; information about three guns has been "leaked". They are predominately rifles, a possible indication that spraying will be powerful factor in this game.

As is with most Korean MMO's; the weapons tend to be exaggerated in size. The pictures of the weapons seem to have been based on a Star Wars/Halo/StarCraft (Science fiction) setting, resembling the common bulkiness that one expects from futuristic weapons.

While the player's level grows while throughout the course of the game, the player can buy more advanced armor. A marketplace is available in cities where players can trade weapons, armor, etc.

External links

First-person shooters | Massively multiplayer online games | 2006 computer and video games | Xbox 360 games | Windows games

Huxley