Huxley

E3 2006 First Look Preview

It is a bleak future, with humans mutating and drawing the lines between Sapiens and Alternatives. The war is on, and players are planted in the middle as they choose up sides in Huxley, a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter title from Webzen.

This is a game that is primarily player versus player, or PvP. With no real penalty for dying, other than leaving your side short-handed, the game keys on putting players into the mix quickly. At stake are resources, and the resources will enable the controlling faction the ability to buy better armor, or weapon upgrades. As players fight and gain experience, they can use that experience (translated, of course) to buy better armor or to buy licenses, which can lead to better skills.

All the battle zones are instanced, and between two and 200 players can participate in a battle. That leads to action that can be rather intense. There is no real penalty for dying, and there are vehicles in the game, which can be driven.

According to the press release, from Webzen, the game’s publisher: “At the center of the battle for survival is Lunarites, a promising new energy source highly coveted by both races.  Forced to battle against one another for the continuance of each race, Sapiens and Alternatives will do whatever it takes to wipe out the opposition and gain control of the world and its resources.”

The look of the game is really solid, with great textures as well as dynamic shadows and lighting. There are staging moments in the game, but once the firefight begins, the title shifts into high gear in a hurry.

Huxley is providing an interesting twist on the standard MMO. In addition to the PC version seen, the game will – at a later time – be prepared for the 360 console as well. Huxley is a solid shooter vehicle that should appeal to gamers looking for a departure from the fantasy genre but still looking for the appeal of a briskly paced MMO.
 

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