Webzen is quite confident that it's upcoming massively multiplayer first-person shooting game (MMOFPS) Huxley will get gamers' approval with stunning visuals and immersive gameplay. With a mix of PvE, PvP and persistent characters, the game has the potential to be the unique first -person shooting game that fans have been waiting for in a long time. IGN had a chat with Webzen to give you some of the details to pump you up before the game debuts at E3.

Huxley offers a virtual world that is not only conducive for ongoing combat but also for character growth. In Huxley, players can communicate with other players or NPCs, get into extensive multiplayer battle modes, experience high interaction, and fully evolve as they get quest updates and combat style developments. It is in this kind of interaction that they get rewards (or penalties) and experience points.

There's no denying that the appeal of the game lies mostly on its battles - whether massive or small scale. But of course, massive battles get the spotlight as about 5,000 players can be supported on a single server. But the question remains as to how these massive number can fit into a single arena without getting lost in the game.

Webzen has the answer:  Huxley's Persistent World, a space where players can grow and live, can support up to 5,000 players per server. PvP battle fields are separated from Persistent World areas such as villages, and the scale ranges from the usual 4 vs. 4 battles to massive 100 vs. 100 battles.

The maximum number was not fixed at 200 for technical restrictions. After a variety of settings and testing to figure out which scale could maximize enjoyment while ensuring effective control of characters, we reached the conclusion that 100vs100 was the most ideal. This is, of course, bigger than the scale of current FPS games like Battlefield 2, which are 32 vs. 32 battles.

With 100 vs 100 battles, it's easy to lose sight of the player-versus-environment (PvE) aspect of the game, but Webzen believes that the PvE is as important as PvP, and the combination of the two features just makes the game much more exciting and challenging.

Asked if Xbox 360 and PC gamers can expect to play against each other, Webzen has this to say:

Huxley is a cross-platform game and can be played on the PC and the Xbox 360 versions. The cross-platform gaming will be from similar and shared content but a completely different standpoint that goes beyond mere connection (simple interactivity, interaction, etc.). The Huxley world can be experienced through different aspects, stories and quests on the same theme that unfold in different platforms.

We don't know exactly what it means, but Xbox 360 fanboys battling it out with PC hardcore gamers is a spectacle worth watching.

Game developer Webzen has promised to reveal a cool show for the Online gaming aficionados of the world this coming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that'll be held on Los Angeles from May 10-12 of 2006. The exhibition will revolve on the company's three MMOs namely fantasy-themed Soul of the Ultimate Nation (SUN), FPS Huxley, and Fairytopia-like Project Wiki.

E3 attendees will have a chance to test-drive the said games if they visit Webzen's booth - #1300 in the South Hall. The MMOs on display boasts of top-of-the-line graphics and challenging game play. Webzen bigwigs, including the blue-collared game designers and developers themselves, will be present to assist interested gamers/press people. They will also provide whole talks revolving about the game's features, aspects, and its development process.

SUN carries the trademarked console-style game mechanics morphed into an MMORPG. It is a virtual world that lays host to emperors, armies, magicians and monsters. Gamers can assemble an army of thousands (providing you're as good as Oprah at pulling other people's leg) using Soul of the Ultimate Nation’s Battle Zone System. The game boasts of graphically stunning and seemingly endless online fantasy world for the willing players to conquer.

If you're the type who enjoys exploring Fairytopia in Neopia, then this game's for you. Project Wiki is a fairy tale-themed MMO. But don't let the cutesy name fool you, this one's no Barbie adventure. The game promises intense challenges that demands cooperation from its online players. It packs an adaptive system that's said to be provide explorers a complex desicion-making capabilities in pursuing quests and missions. The same feature also contributes to the development of the "character" of the game characters.

On the other hand, SUN's brother, Huxley, takes full advantage of the recently developed UNREAL3 engine to create unique gaming experience with up to 5,000 players converging in the same world. The game's setting is an alternative future where humans have mutated and are divided in to two opposing races - Sapiens and Alternative. The mutants are vying for the power Lunarities, in the process slaughtering the enemies they ran against. It'll be out for both Xbox 360 and PC.

With E3 just around the bend, expect more of enticing news like these spilling out all over the net. just be sure to check back here at QJ because we got all bases covered for you (and for us too of course).

Huxley is an upcoming MMOFPS by Webzen, it's built upon the Unreal 3 engine and will offer some of the best visuals to grace an MMO, ever. The game is split up between two races, alternatives and sapiens. These races are split into two factions, Alteraver and Alternix for the alternatives, and One and Syn for the sapiens.

Gamespot had a chance to talk with the producer of Huxley, Kijong Kang, and ask him a lot about the setting, factions, and basics of Huxley. The interview offers a lot of insight on the game and shows us what we can look forward to seeing. Let's just hope it doesn't get boring like Planetside did, because this is the one MMO I'm actually looking forward to.

GameSpot: What exactly is Huxley? Is it an online shooter with persistent role-playing-game-like character advancement? How did the team come up with the idea?

Kijong Kang: For many years now, I have been asking myself how to make first-person shooters even more exciting. I found the answer in blending them with online role-playing games.

Webzen is gearing up to release Huxley, a MMOFPS (first person shooter), at some point during the third quarter of 2006.  Huxley takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where human beings have mutated and divided into two waring races, Sapiens and Alternative, similar to other up and coming shooter style MMOs like Fallen Earth. 

Features: (Courtesy of Webzen Games)

I. FPS IN A PERSISTENT WORLD.
Huxley delivers the excitement and rich gameplay experience of an MMORPG while combining the knuckle-whitening action of an FPS. Players can communicate with each other in a virtual online city, and participate in side battles with the intuitive PvP (player vs. player) system. Everything a character does in the Huxley world directly affects the success of not only the individual, but also of their race and party; from battles to behaviors, all interactions are linked to the survival of a character’s entire race.

II. LARGE-SCALE BATTLES.
Huxley goes past traditional death match FPS gameplay by challenging players to adapt to new forms of combat to protect the interests of the camp. Servers will be solely dedicated to accommodate millions of users engaged in fast paced, large-scale combat. Players will require strategy and cooperation to achieve victory. Extensive multiplayer battle modes are available each with a variety of unique fighting techniques and special characteristics.

III. ADVANCED A.I. AND QUESTS.
Huxley has advanced A.I. that rivals other online games. Enemies in Huxley demonstrate remarkable intelligence, which can be used to a player’s advantage or demise. Quests in Huxley will take players on paths of intrigue to uncover conspiracies resulting in confrontations. Each quest is continually updated so players feel as though they are enjoying a new story mode every time they play.

IV. CHARACTER GROWTH AND UNIQUE PLAY STYLES.
The characters in Huxley are continuously growing, which is rare in FPS games. Players are able to enhance their own combat styles by obtaining out-of-this-world weapons and new skills, which in turn continuously challenges players to adopt different gameplay styles as they progress.