The Secret World

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,029 out of 1304
  2. Mixed: 117 out of 1304
  3. Negative: 158 out of 1304
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  1. darthgumby
    Jan 5, 2013
    3
    This game definitely is different in all the right ways, but the same in all the wrong ways to other MMORPGs out there. The mobs in this game are repetitive and annoying. While you do get different weapons and equipment than a standard MMO, it plays out the same. So you get a book instead of a staff or a gun instead of a bow, but you're still mashing the same attacks and doing the sameThis game definitely is different in all the right ways, but the same in all the wrong ways to other MMORPGs out there. The mobs in this game are repetitive and annoying. While you do get different weapons and equipment than a standard MMO, it plays out the same. So you get a book instead of a staff or a gun instead of a bow, but you're still mashing the same attacks and doing the same damage. The UI is not intuitive is hard to customize and there are still quite a few glitches in the game. The community is hard to get involved with. One thing I hate about this game is the zones. Everyone is segregated into whatever zone they are in at the time, and it really makes it hard to have any lasting friendships made in-game and social aspects are not there like in other games. Zones can take hours to go through and have many quests, but once you move on, odds are you won't want to go back.

    I did like the story, and the cut scenes, and the voice overs and the environments. But I could get much better stories, cut scenes, voice overs, and environments playing a solo RPG. The reason I wanted an MMORPG was so I could have social interaction. Since I didn't feel this community in The Secret World, the game boils down to a lackluster and glitchy low-end RPG game with mechanics that do not do well for solo play.    … Expand
  2. ry1n000
    Jan 2, 2013
    10
    I was debating for weeks if I should get this game due to the reviews. I finally caved and bought it and am very glad I did. I played wow for 8 years and have been searching for a replacement for a long time. I tried countless other mmo's, and nothing could hold my attention for very long no matter how hard I wanted them to (rift, tera, gw2, swtor - the list goes on and on). The graphics,I was debating for weeks if I should get this game due to the reviews. I finally caved and bought it and am very glad I did. I played wow for 8 years and have been searching for a replacement for a long time. I tried countless other mmo's, and nothing could hold my attention for very long no matter how hard I wanted them to (rift, tera, gw2, swtor - the list goes on and on). The graphics, animation, combat, gameplay are all awesome. The weapon and ability customization is killer. The server I am on has tons of people, all with really cool and funny clothing (some even have dogs and cats), and the community is very helpful. Questing is a blast, more fun than I have ever had doing so.

    There was a lot of people writing about puzzle quests. This is a very minimal part of the game, and being able to press b for the in game browser makes any quests you get stuck on easy as could be. Just press b, type in google: tsw and instantly the first result is a site that shows you exactly what to do, but like i said, you will not need it often.

    If they keep adding on to this game it could easily become one of the best mmo's around. I would easily have paid a sub fee for this game. This is by far the most fun I have had playing an MMO. I like it so much that I was compelled to write a review for it - something I have never done before for any game, but I really wanted to get it out there to others how much fun it is.

    So if you are sitting there like I was, reading 1000 reviews wondering if you should get it - do it!    … Expand
  3. russ-angel
    Jan 2, 2013
    8
    Its a strange game but very interesting.I don't know what to make of it yet but it's definitely got something.Great settings and exploration so far.Combat is a bit odd though.
  4. wardenwells
    Jan 2, 2013
    3
    I didn't expect much from this game, and that's what I got. Stiff animations, boring story, and cooldowns on shotguns? Really? TSW tries, but fails to entertain me. A game can't survive on cut scenes and dull combat.
  5. bluefunk
    Jan 1, 2013
    10
    Best MMO out of the market atm. The stories the community and developers are first class. The developers have delivered over and over again with regard to updates and quality, you are genuinely doing yourself a disservice if you don't pick this up particularly now it is Buy to Play.
  6. VisceralVIcar
    Dec 30, 2012
    5
    This game was a wonderful game for the first two areas to the middle of the third area. I was surprised by the game, I liked the model of the monsters, but not the character models (no matter how much you try it seems impossible to either make a good looking female character or a tough looking male character) - they all look weird and off. The game was intriguing and fun until BlueThis game was a wonderful game for the first two areas to the middle of the third area. I was surprised by the game, I liked the model of the monsters, but not the character models (no matter how much you try it seems impossible to either make a good looking female character or a tough looking male character) - they all look weird and off. The game was intriguing and fun until Blue Mountain. The game soon became annoying. Your build begins to fall apart and even trying to take on two individuals on a mission labeled Very Easy becomes tedious and almost annoying. I can understand difficulty in a game, many of the investigation missions were fun and enjoyable until they become more of a problem than their worth. The investigation missions go from using wit, and intelligence to say "hey, this sounds like I should go to city hall to complete this quest" to "match the symbols". Mobs go from minor problems and quite fun play toys to annoying pests that make trying to walk on roads on a problem. Trying to flee will turn from an easy escape when you are overwhelmed to getting a small dose of hope before you essentially commit suicide because you know that when three regular mobs are on you... you are screwed. The Savage Coast was the most fun of the entire game I had. The mobs were diverse and fun except for the charging bug creatures. Blue mountain soon becomes cluttered and traversing an area without being attacked by any mob means you are lucky. The game has this idea that there are no level system but your level is basically determined by the quality level of your items. In the same sense that a level 1 will be devastated by a level 10 in other MMOs, a player with quality level 1 gear will be devastated by a mob designed to be attacked by a player in quality level 10 gear. I may have bashed the game severely, but do not get me wrong... I loved the game for a large portion of it and made me addicted to it. However, I have never played a game that made me so frustrated that I impulsively uninstalled the game and there have been games that have had me consider breaking my computer at the infuriating aspects.… Expand
  7. MrBigMugs
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    After shelling out 25 bucks for the game on steam and playing it for 30 minutes, I decided never to play the game again. It sucks that bad ! I got suckered into buying this game because of all the good reviews on here. Now I either think these people are personally insane that gave it a good rating or these are company employees posting. LOL Now after the game is supposedly free to playAfter shelling out 25 bucks for the game on steam and playing it for 30 minutes, I decided never to play the game again. It sucks that bad ! I got suckered into buying this game because of all the good reviews on here. Now I either think these people are personally insane that gave it a good rating or these are company employees posting. LOL Now after the game is supposedly free to play now with no monthly dues they still charged my credit card after I took the billing details off their website. Hands down one of the worst experiences I have had. Now I have to contest the charges on my card and all that jazz. Such a waste of time and resources for me on my end. Save yourself some time and money and DONT buy this crappy game !… Expand
  8. Stalgrim
    Dec 25, 2012
    0
    This game tries so hard to emit the creepy, eerie feeling of a classic horror story but it just fails to do so in any convincing manner. Within the first few hours of this game I was already turned off by the narrative, the presentation and the general vibe of the game. Possibly the biggest problem I have with this game is the story, if you've ever read or even casually flipped through aThis game tries so hard to emit the creepy, eerie feeling of a classic horror story but it just fails to do so in any convincing manner. Within the first few hours of this game I was already turned off by the narrative, the presentation and the general vibe of the game. Possibly the biggest problem I have with this game is the story, if you've ever read or even casually flipped through a Lovecraft novel you'll find this games attempts to present a dark atmosphere laughably poor. The quests seem to go on forever but with no real purpose, I felt no interest in anything, even though I was trying. The only time I remember actually feeling a twinge of dread was when I remembered how much I had spent on this game.… Expand
  9. sandrom
    Dec 25, 2012
    0
    I really have to admit funcom aspires to make a great game. They try on a lot of fronts. But not on bugfixing. There are bugs in there - major bugs which exist already since beginning and there are a lot of people complaining about it. what do they do? put new clothes in the store that you can buy. really i mean. i see that it takes time to fix stuff, but forever? for that unbelievable badI really have to admit funcom aspires to make a great game. They try on a lot of fronts. But not on bugfixing. There are bugs in there - major bugs which exist already since beginning and there are a lot of people complaining about it. what do they do? put new clothes in the store that you can buy. really i mean. i see that it takes time to fix stuff, but forever? for that unbelievable bad service they do not deserve any points at all. that is just bland evil.… Expand
  10. LtVanzi
    Dec 25, 2012
    10
    Storyline in this game is truly excellent and now that it requires no subscription and costs about $25, there's simply no reason not to try this (even if you are not into MMOs in general, just for the quests, story and setting).
  11. Shadowfiend
    Dec 20, 2012
    8
    If you're tired of the traditional-style MMO, TSW is the game for you. The dungeons are amazing, they focus more on the boss fights than the amount of trash-mobs; the cut-scenes are fun to listen to (they also have some awesome voice actors;) ) Investigation/Sabotage missions can take a while to complete and even require some outside information, or even Google; with a built-in web browserIf you're tired of the traditional-style MMO, TSW is the game for you. The dungeons are amazing, they focus more on the boss fights than the amount of trash-mobs; the cut-scenes are fun to listen to (they also have some awesome voice actors;) ) Investigation/Sabotage missions can take a while to complete and even require some outside information, or even Google; with a built-in web browser in-game it does not take away from the immersion to use a search engine (if you role-play, think of your toon using a smart-phone). The graphics are amazing, you can see the glitter of a road's asphalt in Kingsmouth Town; the structures of the game look picturesque. Each Society (or faction) has their own storyline to it, and their own way of getting things done, adding a unique feeling to each of them. There are some issues in the game (quest bugs, chat issues; many bugs that plague most MMOs to-date) you can get stuck on a quest tier, have issues with chat, have some tooltip errors or missing items. I must say, Funcom has some of the most hospitable GMs I've ever seen (from my experiences) they get everything done as fast as they can, always are in a good mood, fun to talk to sometimes to :). The combat is certainly interesting. The combinations of passive/active abilities are difficult to decide which one(s) you want in those slots, some skills are just that good. The passive/active abilities can work in harmony to create some devastating effects, like high penetration hits (which do massive damage, more than criticals I believe) or massive healing boosts/damage mitigation. Each skill tree has their strength: Hammers can benefit from Impairment (knock-down, stunning) to increase damage/defense; Blood Magic benefits from DoTs to increase penetration rating/heal/apply DoTs; and so on, so forth. You get one elite active and one elite passive, both of which can turn the tables in any fight, the tough thing is deciding which on you want to use. The Secret World is definitely a breath of fresh air from the traditional MMOs. The modern-day setting is really amazing: from the dark streets of Kingsmouth to the conflict-ridden dunes of Egypt to the gloomy woods of Transylvania; The Secret World does an excellent job at setting the mood for each of the zones and dungeons. The Secret World is definitely a game worth trying, especially if you are a fan of some famous authors ;).… Expand
  12. Chafouin
    Dec 19, 2012
    10
    I am totally in love of the game. I had not tried early because of the monthly subscription payments (I am pretty busy and did not want to pay for months that I may not even login once), but with the new one time payment and DLC models, it's was hard not to give it a try. And I absolutely addicted to it. Whoever likes the kind of modern/science fiction/horror universe should definitely goI am totally in love of the game. I had not tried early because of the monthly subscription payments (I am pretty busy and did not want to pay for months that I may not even login once), but with the new one time payment and DLC models, it's was hard not to give it a try. And I absolutely addicted to it. Whoever likes the kind of modern/science fiction/horror universe should definitely go for it.
    I feel for this game the same way as when I read a great book and watch an awesome moive: I just want other people to experience it too.    … Expand
  13. Zackis
    Dec 19, 2012
    9
    A very well thought out, complex game, that continues to be enjoyable even after launch. Excellent Sandbox MMO. End game is starting to come around, PvE is fun and makes you think to solves puzzles. PvP is challenging but still fun.
  14. jp182
    Dec 18, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm totally enjoying this game and it's been well worth the money i've spent. If you like your MMOs with a narrative then this is the game for you. And now that it's free to play, there's no reason to not give it a try.… Expand
  15. Ozimandeus
    Dec 17, 2012
    10
    A really great alternative to the current blockbuster MMO's. Its a great mechanics and an awesome story.. well worth the new price point - and now subscription free which gives this 'new' TSW a perfect 10.
  16. Swordguy
    Dec 13, 2012
    10
    Everything you would expect from an MMO in this genre, which is saying A LOT because I'm not aware of another MMO that uses the supernatural/X-files/Grimm genre, dark humor included. The UI is ridiculously well designed and intuitive. The Graphics are top notch, while Funcom's Game Engine is the most advanced, and has been for a long time. The questing system flows so that you are rarelyEverything you would expect from an MMO in this genre, which is saying A LOT because I'm not aware of another MMO that uses the supernatural/X-files/Grimm genre, dark humor included. The UI is ridiculously well designed and intuitive. The Graphics are top notch, while Funcom's Game Engine is the most advanced, and has been for a long time. The questing system flows so that you are rarely without something to do, either solo or with friends or pick-up group. dungeons are boss only, no trash mobs, or very little. Crafting is intuitive. landscape is incredibly well done, and attention to environment detail is ridiculous. PVP is great for all levels, and you can theoretically do all your leveling and buy all your gear from pvp'ing. Armor is replaced with Talismans, that are fully customizable and upgradable repeatedly, where a new upgrade just pushes out the old one. players are rewarded for being versatile and experimenting with their setup, and punished for being lazy and trying to be a one-trick-pony. you can save dozens of different setups and switch to them on the fly. Weapons can be skinned, modified, upgraded or even built from scratch and then broken down again when you are done with it. playfields are huge in scope, while the compass system and maps are well done and easy to follow. teaming is easy. dimensions are broken into shards, where anyone from any server can team up with anyone from another server, great if you want to farm an area and its already full. transportation in tsw is fast and convenient. there is little penalty for dying, except that you can either run back and find corpse or Resurrect elsewhere at a well of your choice, or when in a dungeon fighting boss. if you die fighting a boss in a dungeon, you are locked to an anima well, but you can click the camera option and get a birds eye view of the fight from any teammate still in the fight, which helps to learn the tactics if you die and are new to that boss. ----- In conclusion; this is the best MMO in history for those that love the genre, and just hate grinding. you will meet some of the most fleshed out characters in this MMO, characters that remind you of real people. All voice acted. You will constantly be rewarded everywhere you go, and experimenting with weird and uncanny builds will only serve to benefit you in the long run. If you haven't bought this game yet, do it. just be warned: you will not be able to stop playing.… Expand
  17. iseethereforiam
    Dec 12, 2012
    2
    Please do not waste your money. I've played many pay to play and free to play MMOs over the course of 12 years and I can confidently say that I was extremely foolish for buying this game. If you see positive reviews for this game please consider that they are possibly reviews created by the game's PR staff.

    Let me breakdown some positive and negative aspects of this game from a buyers    Please do not waste your money. I've played many pay to play and free to play MMOs over the course of 12 years and I can confidently say that I was extremely foolish for buying this game. If you see positive reviews for this game please consider that they are possibly reviews created by the game's PR staff.

    Let me breakdown some positive and negative aspects of this game from a buyers perspective:

    (Keep in mind: My PC is setup to smoothly play TERA, Final Fantasy XIV, and Crysis 2 all on highest settings.)

    Positive (The only reasons this game got a 2 from me):
    - The game scenery looks nice.

    - The game has a unique and interesting storyline compared to other MMOs

    Negative
    - The character creation process is ridiculously limited

    - The character visuals and animations are horrible. The game's scenery looks way better than the character visuals.

    - This Pay to Play game has an In-Game item shop which offers items that are far superior to the items achievable via game progress. You have the option to purchase items in the store with in-game farmed currency, a ton of in-game currency. (really? wtf were the devs thinking?)

    - Combat is below lackluster. Imagine if GTA mated with Second Life and they produced a child game with down-syndrome -> Voila The Secret World Combat System. - PVP in The Secret World is probably the worst PVP that has ever been created in the history of all MMOs. Seriously. Couple this with the derp-a-tronic lamesauce combat system and you will be shortly bashing your head into nearby objects in order to pound some sanity back into your mind.

    - Questing is subpar. This aspect of the game isn't as horrendous as the others but it is a close runner up as far as the actual conent of the questing goes. The only thing that partially makes the questing bearable is the storyline and scenery (which are also the only two aspects which get a favorable review in my opinion).

    I could go on and on but eventually I would run out of word count.

    I gave this game a chance. I leveled and quested until I could only go further for the sake of validating reasons why this game caused me serious Buyer's Remorse.

    If you buy this game for 49.99 on steam then I am sad to say that you have wasted your money horrendously. If you don't believe me then try their 3 day free trial (which they created due to the massive amount of customers wanting refunds due to buyer's remorse. seriously they didnt even have a 3 day trial to begin with until this BS game started making people angry)

    The Secret World had potential. However, if you have played MMOs before and are a veteran looking for a deep sense of accomplishment and gratification then this title is a bane to your existence. I would highly recommend looking elsewhere or spending your money on something more rewarding like a lottery ticket.    … Expand
  18. Corvin
    Dec 3, 2012
    8
    The dialogue and story are where this game really shines. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the humor in this game.

    The downside is solo play. Even more than most MMOs, this game (like all Funcom games) is really designed for very social gamers. If you prefer to solo TSW can be incredibly grindy and frustrating.
  19. sewati
    Nov 28, 2012
    10
    Great game with great potential. Fun, innovatory, educative and most of all - very immersive. Everybody is crying for new ways in MMO but if there is such game, everybody is crying thats too much new ;) Game mechanics arent easy to understand but if you go deeper - you are rewarded.;)Try trial!
  20. Thyre
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    Its different yes, which also means that it does things differently.

    So if you are looking for a new WoW clone, then look elsewhere - because this is just so much better than what you are looking for then. This game is among the best games i have played and it is also a solid MMORPG. For once we see innovation in the MMORPG genre and i like it. Graphics are crisps, no performance    Its different yes, which also means that it does things differently.

    So if you are looking for a new WoW clone, then look elsewhere - because this is just so much better than what you are looking for then. This game is among the best games i have played and it is also a solid MMORPG. For once we see innovation in the MMORPG genre and i like it. Graphics are crisps, no performance issues, solid questing system and better storytelling than any other MMO (Maybe SWTOR have better story, but then again that is more of a massive-single-player-RPG). And big thumbs-up for the monthly content updates and bug fixes. Unlike many other, FunCom is very dedicated to correcting and expanding the game. Already after one month old areas was worth a re-visit to see the new stuff. Try it - it is definitely worth your time!    … Expand
  21. Renner
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    This game is great. The modern day setting, the story-line, the voice acting, the puzzles; are fresh. I like the fact that you only need one character to fill any party role. In other MMO's I would roll an alt for every class. Now I can pursue endgame content full time. If groups are needing a healer, I'm that. If they need DPS, I'm that. Still learning tanking, but if they break theThis game is great. The modern day setting, the story-line, the voice acting, the puzzles; are fresh. I like the fact that you only need one character to fill any party role. In other MMO's I would roll an alt for every class. Now I can pursue endgame content full time. If groups are needing a healer, I'm that. If they need DPS, I'm that. Still learning tanking, but if they break the glass, I can even be that.

    All monsters are real. All conspiracies are real. I love this game so much, and see so much room for future content I bought my first MMO lifetime subscription.    … Expand
  22. Pezofdoom
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    The game is a blast and for an MMO the game play, setting, and story is refreshing. Unlike many MMOs as you continue through the storyline you do feel that your character is taking a side in the world conflict.

    I would say this game is designed with the target audience being experienced MMO players who are tired of hight fantasy MMOs and are looking for something different. While the    The game is a blast and for an MMO the game play, setting, and story is refreshing. Unlike many MMOs as you continue through the storyline you do feel that your character is taking a side in the world conflict.

    I would say this game is designed with the target audience being experienced MMO players who are tired of hight fantasy MMOs and are looking for something different. While the game does not strictly put you into one of the basic classes (Tank, healer, DPS) because of the open ended ability wheel and being able to hot-swap what your character does, don't think this means it's a "classless" game. The community as well as how the game mechanics work will eventually lead you to building a set of abilities that basically makes you a tank, healer, or dps. However what is nice is the variety of combinations that you can use to achieve your goal makes leveling and unlocking new abilities and trying them out to see if one is better than another a real treat.

    Endgame still has the same problems as any other MMO in that once you hit it and once you've gotten all the gear you want, there's basically nothing left to do but PVP and finish up the numerous little achievement goals they set out. I hit the cap about two months ago (been playing since release) and am finally to the point where I'm not playing the game every day.

    The monthly updates makes sure that there's always a reason to keep your subscription going (or at least reactivate it ever two or three months).    … Expand
  23. DaDreama1
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    I've actually waited a few to come and post my 2 cents worth of a review. Mostly, because I've been wondering if at some point I would get bored with it.

    Four months later... I'm still playing the game and enjoying every minute of the game play. Even if I'm just doing missions or if I'm grouping up with my cabal mates to tackle a dungeon. The main story was very compelling and even now    I've actually waited a few to come and post my 2 cents worth of a review. Mostly, because I've been wondering if at some point I would get bored with it.

    Four months later... I'm still playing the game and enjoying every minute of the game play. Even if I'm just doing missions or if I'm grouping up with my cabal mates to tackle a dungeon. The main story was very compelling and even now I still talk about the little theories I have about the stories development with my friends.

    Sure things are clunky, but what game that comes out is not without issues. WoW had them, as did EQ, Star Wars Galaxies and a slew of other games. Definitely give this game a chance and watch the content unfold, it really is worth the time.    … Expand
  24. Jingo
    Nov 6, 2012
    4
    I was really excited about TSW. It seemed to offer heaps of innovation. I pre-ordered it, and only played for a week, didn't renew my subscription. Very disappointed. The setting, theme etc are really different. It has story, voice acting etc. Great stuff and well done for that. More MMOs should be like it. BUT, the game is dull. You spend ages just running around, unable to interact withI was really excited about TSW. It seemed to offer heaps of innovation. I pre-ordered it, and only played for a week, didn't renew my subscription. Very disappointed. The setting, theme etc are really different. It has story, voice acting etc. Great stuff and well done for that. More MMOs should be like it. BUT, the game is dull. You spend ages just running around, unable to interact with the world around you (especially the bicycles lying around which would really speed things up if you were allowed to click on them!). The combat is extremely repetitive and old-fashioned. Just mash the same button over and over again, against the same-looking set of zombies over and over again. It's like SWTOR, story and character, but the gameplay is stuck in the bad part of 2003.… Expand
  25. Ceranoh
    Oct 29, 2012
    10
    I absolutely love this game! The combat system is not as simple as World of Warcraft and not as complicated as Age of Conan. And the possibilities are endless! I can make a healer, tank and summoner on the same character. A few more clicks and BAM, you got an entirely new build. The graphic is amazing (even on my low-end laptop, which isn't even supposed to handle the game, but somehow itI absolutely love this game! The combat system is not as simple as World of Warcraft and not as complicated as Age of Conan. And the possibilities are endless! I can make a healer, tank and summoner on the same character. A few more clicks and BAM, you got an entirely new build. The graphic is amazing (even on my low-end laptop, which isn't even supposed to handle the game, but somehow it does). The cut-scenes and the storytelling is mindblowing, it is so well adapted so I don't care that my character never says a word (like in Age of Conan or SWTOR, when you can have full conversations with NPC;s). I applaude Funcom for this innovative game. Just a final note: How the hell could this masterpiece get so low metascore?… Expand
  26. bdog011
    Oct 29, 2012
    1
    I created an account just so that I can provide my opinion of this game. I purchased this game when it launched on steam (after the initial launch) and was very disapointed with my purchase. The game was still lacking in the polish department which was unacceptible for the price paid. Text dissapearing from character names and logs, poor font visibility, and insanely poor combatI created an account just so that I can provide my opinion of this game. I purchased this game when it launched on steam (after the initial launch) and was very disapointed with my purchase. The game was still lacking in the polish department which was unacceptible for the price paid. Text dissapearing from character names and logs, poor font visibility, and insanely poor combat animations are all things that should have been fixed before this game came out. People should not pay retail for a company to actually finish their game. I have played many MMO's over the ages, (DAoC, WoW, UO, Tera, LoTRO, GW2, etc) and trust me this is an MMO to avoid... I gave this a three due to good ideas and decent atmosphere but overall this game is a mess. Further, I honestly think NoFuncom is paying people to Lie in here...… Expand
  27. Goatmachine
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    The best MMO i ever played. Cool modern world setting. Unreachable MMO graphics. Funny actionbased gameplay. And a much harder end content in instances than all other MMOs have. There is no better MMO on the market. And the game will be better every month with this content updates.
  28. Basteam
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Finally a game that requires real intelligence. a lord fantastic, beautiful graphics.
    If you want a game simple and lightweight go your way. By cons, if you are looking for a deep play and require The secret world is the best game that you can find
  29. Ghostte
    Oct 12, 2012
    8
    This game was a lot of fun. I played it for 2 months did everything i could that wasn't a dull grind and then moved on with my life. I loved the investigation missions and the atmosphere of the game. PVP being terrible is the only reason why i didn't give this game a 9. I will be back time and time again as they put out new updates to the awesome world.
  30. Badcat666
    Oct 12, 2012
    10
    This is the best game I have played for a very long time. TSW makes you actually think about the missions and the choices you make in the game. The skill wheel is a genuis idea, even though you can only use 2 weapons at any one time (plus we get an extra weapon later we can use as an extra) you are not tied to them or their passive skills, you can pick a choose a passive from anywhere onThis is the best game I have played for a very long time. TSW makes you actually think about the missions and the choices you make in the game. The skill wheel is a genuis idea, even though you can only use 2 weapons at any one time (plus we get an extra weapon later we can use as an extra) you are not tied to them or their passive skills, you can pick a choose a passive from anywhere on the wheel. Not happy with pistols? Then pick another weapon. none of your weapons have impair? then choose from a range of passives that can fix that for you. The points do come thick and fast which means you don't have to grind to get more points, a blessing in the beginning of the game when you are starting out and may make some mistakes. The ability to use any passives you want is one of the best ideas I have seen in an MMO for a long time. "YOU" get to pick and choose what you want to use, not what the devs want you to use. But it's the story telling and missions that make this game. (TOR please take note, I actually remember the NPCs and where they are based as they made such an impact on me). The storytelling will blow you away (I sometimes play "guess the stars voice") and the missions? Some will make you tear your hair out, some will have you laughing, some will make you hold your breathe, some will make you jump and not want to play in the dark. This game makes you think outside SO many boxes it will blow your socks off. It's a mixed bag of puzzles, stealth and shot em ups!

    Also you will never get to that moment where you have run out of missions for your level and have to slowly grind your way to be able to unlock the next batch of missions. (points finger at TOR again) TSW doesn't work like that (thank the gods!) yes this game has had bugs (name one MMO that started out bug free?) but what is great is the devs seem to listen to the community and have been fixing those where they can. We have devs posting to say when they are working on issues/ problems and what is coming up if someone is discussing something they would like to see. The GM support in game is brilliant, the longest I've waited for help on a known mission bug was 30 minutes on a busy weekend when new content came out and they waited for me to go back to the mission I was having probs with so they could help. Also if you get stuck in game with a mission the community is pretty quick to help you out. So yes it has it's flaws but you know they are working on things to make the game better all the time, which is nice to know. The landscape and monsters are just beautifully done, sometimes it's nice to stop and look around to take it all in. I've even got into playing PvP and am loving it, even though the last few MMO's put me right off playing PvP content. yes it needs to be improved but they are working on this so things can only get better. I've not done the dungeons yet so cannot comment but they have introduced lairs to each zone for those looking for harder content and I've run screaming from a few of them. Also we get free updates and the devs have stated that they won't be doing add ons we have to pay extra for. updates normally have a few missions (which you get clothing items for completing them) and there's a new raid coming and a theatre for the RP to use! Free updates and free stuff to do keeps players happy :) we got a new barbar and plastic surgeon so we now have more looks to play with and halloween content just round the corner. what's not to love?! :) If you play 20 hours a day, like your hand being held all the time, only do PvP, like easy peasy "kill x bunny" missions and like being told what weapons you can use then maybe it's not the game for you. For the rest of you, come on over and bring a swimsuit, the water is lovely!    … Expand
  31. aleksandyr
    Oct 11, 2012
    0
    Extremely inconsistent game; poor balance between "classes" (your class is, more or less, the two weapons you're using) leading to a small number of flavor-of-the-month builds; constant exploitation and bugs; questionable endgame involving extremely repetitive farming.
  32. Ngoctu
    Oct 11, 2012
    10
    It's not a perfect game.... but it's the best game in 2012.. actually is the best MMORPG

    why? because it is a MMO ROLE PLAY GAME differently from many other came out under the MMORPG label but that are honestly not ROLE PLAY GAMES a game with only class and no role cannot be considered a RPG it's closer to a FPS then to a RPG (and a bad FPS) I understand the contect wont last in    It's not a perfect game.... but it's the best game in 2012.. actually is the best MMORPG

    why?
    because it is a MMO ROLE PLAY GAME differently from many other came out under the MMORPG label but that are honestly not ROLE PLAY GAMES

    a game with only class and no role cannot be considered a RPG it's closer to a FPS then to a RPG (and a bad FPS)

    I understand the contect wont last in the hand of people that play 10 hours a day but for a person that play at a normal peace is a very nice game different and interesting    … Expand
  33. klarerfall
    Oct 11, 2012
    10
    If I compare TSW with any other MMO I've played in the last years - this one really captured me. I just recently started with doing Lair bosses and they are a good alternative to the nightmare dungeons or pvp combat zones. I've seen many players coming back from GW2 recently, which I see as a good sign for the future of TSW. With the new game director Joel Bylos there will be many moreIf I compare TSW with any other MMO I've played in the last years - this one really captured me. I just recently started with doing Lair bosses and they are a good alternative to the nightmare dungeons or pvp combat zones. I've seen many players coming back from GW2 recently, which I see as a good sign for the future of TSW. With the new game director Joel Bylos there will be many more features to explore and play with in the next few months - so I will definitly keep on playing that game and no other...… Expand
  34. hakblood
    Oct 11, 2012
    10
    This game came out of nowhere for me, I have never been a fan of King or Lovecraft either, but it has turned me into one, I love the modern setting, great story, kills SWTOR on voice acting, the skill wheel is an amazing innovation to the MMO genre. Don't let the naysayers fool you, this game gets better as you go deeper in. The difficulty level is prefect, you are challenged constantly,This game came out of nowhere for me, I have never been a fan of King or Lovecraft either, but it has turned me into one, I love the modern setting, great story, kills SWTOR on voice acting, the skill wheel is an amazing innovation to the MMO genre. Don't let the naysayers fool you, this game gets better as you go deeper in. The difficulty level is prefect, you are challenged constantly, need to adapt your builds to suit, but everything can be overcome. There are a few minor bugs and glitches but that is to be expected in any new MMO, nothing has been gamebreaking for me anyways. PVE wise this game is my game of choice.… Expand
  35. evilhippo
    Oct 11, 2012
    9
    Really 8.5 but as there are no half marks, I gave it a 9. Perfect MMO? No. Innovative MMO? Hell yes. In truth this is like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of MMOs, most of whom aspire to be WoW-but-looks-a-bit-different. The Secret World actually *is* different. Moreover Funcom are reactive to major bugs, the Devs actually comment in threads on the official forum and IReally 8.5 but as there are no half marks, I gave it a 9. Perfect MMO? No. Innovative MMO? Hell yes. In truth this is like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of MMOs, most of whom aspire to be WoW-but-looks-a-bit-different. The Secret World actually *is* different. Moreover Funcom are reactive to major bugs, the Devs actually comment in threads on the official forum and I have never had better customer service in any game from in-game GMs when I file a petition for some reason. That last point alone is probably worth 2 points on the score! The freedom this game offers from the cookie cutter 'Trinity' and 'One Best Build for Task' is very refreshing indeed. The story lines are uncompromisingly adult and the puzzles are bloody hard (the game has a modern setting and an in-game browser so you can google things!). So if you like a game to molly coddle you and not force you to think, then this is *not* the game for you. Likewise you actually have to move in this game because position matters, so if you prefer games that are essentially your min-max spreadsheet against his min-max spreadsheet, again this game might not be your cup of tea. Otherwise, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Oh and if you are a fan of the HP Lovecraft genre of horror, you will be hit in the face by all the references like a rubbery Shoggoth tentacle. Simply splendid.… Expand
  36. Scholarboxer
    Oct 11, 2012
    10
    Best. Game. Ever. I would discuss why but it's been said in most of the 10/10's What I would suggest is being wary of many of the really negative reviews. Only because quite a few have been so glaring wrong (and I mean factually as opposed to their opinion) that I doubt they really even played the game. Although a tad expensive I feel the regular content updates coupled With the excellentBest. Game. Ever. I would discuss why but it's been said in most of the 10/10's What I would suggest is being wary of many of the really negative reviews. Only because quite a few have been so glaring wrong (and I mean factually as opposed to their opinion) that I doubt they really even played the game. Although a tad expensive I feel the regular content updates coupled With the excellent concepts coming out of the dev teams really make it worth it's money. On top of this, the content designers are actually listening to the fan and building and implementing what's being asked for. Please note however that this is a very PvE centric game and whilst developers are aiming to improve and expand the PvP content it would not appear to be the main focus. So if roflstomping your fellow man is your bag then you may need to readjust your expectation should you decide to subscribe to the truly excellent The Secret World.… Expand
  37. Keltik0ne
    Oct 11, 2012
    4
    The game is very mixed: a great levelling process followed by character progression that is purely gear related. It was so close to being a good game, but at the end of the day, it's one for the grinders only.
  38. Sacrelicious
    Oct 10, 2012
    9
    What a fantastic MMO. Best experience I ever had, challenging, immersion is top notch, storytelling is a dream, graphics and engine are top notch bleeding edge. Got tesselation in my MMO? Hell yeah! Well, I´m not much of a PvPer but the only thing that keeps TSW from a 10 is a little work invested into PvP, but that´s what they already plan. Also a lot do and a lot to come forWhat a fantastic MMO. Best experience I ever had, challenging, immersion is top notch, storytelling is a dream, graphics and engine are top notch bleeding edge. Got tesselation in my MMO? Hell yeah! Well, I´m not much of a PvPer but the only thing that keeps TSW from a 10 is a little work invested into PvP, but that´s what they already plan. Also a lot do and a lot to come for RPers as well. So, this gets a clean honest 9 from me. Thanks for putting brain back into gaming and looking forward to many years of fun in my new MMO home.… Expand
  39. Karzak
    Oct 10, 2012
    10
    One of the best mmo's I have played. And it keeps getting better every month.
    Its unique, its fresh and its fun!
    I have gone through hundreds of mmos most didnt even last one month, TSW? I just cant stop playing it
  40. raeting
    Oct 8, 2012
    10
    Lots of fun, amazing lore, lots of content, something new, deep combat & leveling system.

    Fun: Combat is challenging, but not frustrating. There's plenty of easier content to run through if you are in the mood for a casual day. Plenty of really tough stuff to run through if you are in the mood for a challenge, too. The game does a great job of making you feel like more of a bad-ass as    Lots of fun, amazing lore, lots of content, something new, deep combat & leveling system.

    Fun: Combat is challenging, but not frustrating. There's plenty of easier content to run through if you are in the mood for a casual day. Plenty of really tough stuff to run through if you are in the mood for a challenge, too. The game does a great job of making you feel like more of a bad-ass as you level up, as well. Lore: It is like a good novel. Interesting characters, some pretty intense situations, very few pulled punches, extremely creative. The writing and voice overs are top notch. Even if you aren't interested in getting sucked into a MMO, I'd encourage you to consider playing through this game like a single player game.

    Content: There's a pretty huge amount of content. Lots of quests, lots of land to explore. I do repeat quests that I find fun, but you could progress very far into this game without ever repeating a quest if you so choose.

    Something New: Really love the investigation quests. Puzzles are very challenging, require some modern tools (like google, through an in-game browser), and help isn't hard to find when you get stuck. As a side-note, the community is pretty great. Deep Combat & Classes: I love to build. I've been a D&D addict for a long time for that very reason -- it is a fairly complex system that lets you get creative. TSW is exactly the same! You can mix and match abilities from a variety of trees to create a build that compliments your play style. You can literally learn every skill on the same character given time, as well, so your build doesn't need to get stale. Just pick up a new weapon when you want something fresh. Learning abilities is fairly quick, so you do not need to go through the chore of grinding for weeks & weeks to do so, either.

    Overall, great game, highly recommended.    … Expand
  41. plagen
    Oct 7, 2012
    9
    +
    -At last something different.
    -Not just braindead hack and slash and get your reward and your gear and your level up. -Not just stand in a dungeon and press your 400 abilities to spam some boss. -Not have have to chose your destiny before playing... -Not have to create several chars to try different playstyles. be anything you like. -A wery challenging endgame that keeps you    +
    -At last something different.
    -Not just braindead hack and slash and get your reward and your gear and your level up.
    -Not just stand in a dungeon and press your 400 abilities to spam some boss.
    -Not have have to chose your destiny before playing...
    -Not have to create several chars to try different playstyles. be anything you like.
    -A wery challenging endgame that keeps you experimenting a lot and have groupmembers actually cominucate whats the smart thing to do.
    -You have to think. (i find this refreshing)

    -
    -The Zones before endgame is like singleplayer game.
    -The Endgame is very much repeat same dungeon over and over many times before you are geared/skilled enough to move on to next one. Should haven been many more dungeon with a smoother progression in how difficult they are. -You have to think (some dont like to think)
    -Should have pve areas that clearly without doubt rewards grouping.    … Expand
  42. nickpol15
    Oct 5, 2012
    10
    Simply the only mmo i can play and have fun.The character development is huge you can bent your character quite easily into what your desire and not start about the huge breathtaking scenario,world and of course the innovative skills and ability systems without any class or fancy armor or stupid orcs.
  43. drachehexe
    Oct 3, 2012
    5
    Seriously disappointed in this game. After just a few hours it's still a confusing mess to figure out. The interface is the most unintuitive in existence. The starting zone is the hardest of any MMO. The quest system is clunky and confusing. The game looks quite good, the story is excellent as well. But navigating through the interface and quests logs is more challenging than doing aSeriously disappointed in this game. After just a few hours it's still a confusing mess to figure out. The interface is the most unintuitive in existence. The starting zone is the hardest of any MMO. The quest system is clunky and confusing. The game looks quite good, the story is excellent as well. But navigating through the interface and quests logs is more challenging than doing a 25 man raid in your underwear. The learning curve is steep and I'd rather like to be able to learn how to play the game while playing the game instead of having to spend a couple of hours trying to figure the interface.… Expand
  44. czerro
    Oct 3, 2012
    7
    This is a weird game...but it is enjoyable. It really doesn't hold your hand or explain very much. Fortunately, if you have a question there is a huge community that probably already has the answer that can be quickly accessed in the ingame web browser. The graphics are above par for an MMO. A ton of care has been taken into the story telling for each individual quest. The game isThis is a weird game...but it is enjoyable. It really doesn't hold your hand or explain very much. Fortunately, if you have a question there is a huge community that probably already has the answer that can be quickly accessed in the ingame web browser. The graphics are above par for an MMO. A ton of care has been taken into the story telling for each individual quest. The game is awash in missions to complete, and you can even go back and DO THEM AGAIN after they cooldown. The frequency of updates for little tweaks is nice as well, and let's you know the developer is listening to the community. And the atmosphere...absolutely awesome. That being said, I've been playing this game for about a week...and the leveling/skilling, vendor situation is still incomprehensible to me. While the missions are fun, it's just not very clear what the strategy is for acquiring skills. It's not even clear what the skills really do until you purchase them and try them out. Even the XP system is fairly vague. After a lot of grinding to get to upper level AR skills, which had it's own issues telling me I needed the incorrect things to unlock, resulted in me spilling 9 AP (that's alot at an early level) in my first AWESOME upper level skill...to obtain something that is actually worse than a similar skill I gained right off the bat. I'm guessing it has some sort of stacking ability that can be really awesome if someone else has some other skill and buffs me...but how do I know what that skill is? How do I find someone that intentionally went for this buff or even knows that this buff will make an AR guy like me a beast and be looking for me? This is where the game really falls down. The difficulty rises pretty quickly and your skill choices become more and more costly...even though half of them seem like traps that are garbage skills. If not, the game never explained the usage. The interface is at times really cool, and others really clunky. This game is so good and so bad at the same time. I would still give it a 7. Even when I get frustrated with it, I come back to it a little later. They need to clear up the vendor system. Work a little bit harder at explaining the mechanics.… Expand
  45. Necromus
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    Try 3 days for free at secretworld.com, don't just take my word that this is the most under-rated MMO by critics on Metacritic. Currently tied with GW2 as the #1 MMO on Metacritic by user reviews (8.3) with good reason (TSW is way better IMO). Ignore the min system specs, my laptop is below min requirements but the game runs fine on it (AMD E-350 1.6GHz Dual Core 64, AMD Radeon HD 6310M,Try 3 days for free at secretworld.com, don't just take my word that this is the most under-rated MMO by critics on Metacritic. Currently tied with GW2 as the #1 MMO on Metacritic by user reviews (8.3) with good reason (TSW is way better IMO). Ignore the min system specs, my laptop is below min requirements but the game runs fine on it (AMD E-350 1.6GHz Dual Core 64, AMD Radeon HD 6310M, Win 7 Home Premium, 6GB RAM), the free trial will let you see how it runs on your PC so you'll know for sure. This is the first MMO I've tried and liked better than WoW classic/BC. If you are sick of WoW clones and/or childish MMOs give this one a try:
    +2 has a free trial to see if I like the game before buying it
    +2 free form questing, do quests in any order, ignore any non-story quests you don't like without penalty
    +2 no classes, you can use any weapon and ability with the potential to learn all 525 abilities, you can weild 2 weapons at a time, and choose 7 active and 7 passive skills from either weapon from many options. Abilities and weapons you choose will spec you tank/healer/dps on the fly.
    +1 for quasi-leveless game play, you learn more abilities and strengthen them to progress, but there is no traditional character level
    +1 is a different world (present day horror theme) from a typical MMO for those bored with Elves, etc.
    +1 for bringing a FPS feel to an MMO (at least for me with the assault rifle equipped)
    +2 for memorable characters and very well voiced-acted cut-scenes for every quest you accept. -0.5 for your character being mute in them which is kind of weird.
    +1 for good story telling, quests start by finding items, your cell phone ringing, or you talking to an NPC and seeing a great cut-scene. Turn in quests by reporting them done on your cell phone.
    +1 for very few kill 10x quests, only found 2 in first 30 hours of game-play
    +1 for special sabotage quests where you need to avoid motion sensors, trip-wire and lasers, etc.
    +1 for special mission quests where you need to look for clues in the real world searching Google, Wikipedia, real online web sites for companies in the game, etc.
    -1 for making the special mission and sabotage quests so damn hard lol (btw find other MMOs too easy? these are for you)
    +1 rated M 17+ targeting adult audience, NPCs swear a lot (especially New Yorkers) and sexual themes are common.
    +1 for great selection of character face and clothes (better than my RL wardrobe lol!), so far I've accidentally created look-alikes for Jonathan Frakes, Kurt Cobain and my RL friend from Laos lol)
    +1 you can team up with your friends no matter which realm they are on (except for WvWvW)+1 for daily patches for bugs. I've seen way more bugs playing MOP for 5 hours than TSW for 30 hours (No bugs I have found in TSW were game-breaking.)
    +1 for content released once per month on average (give or take 2 weeks), much better than WoW, etc.
    +1 death works just like WoW, but no annoying rez sickness if you res at GY (+1) (and no annoying downed state lol)
    +1 global looking for group channels allow you to see groups forming while questing (no more running back and forth in SW bored while waiting for something exciting to happen lol)
    +1 GUI is customizable, move windows where you want, size your bags how you want (although how to do it is not obvious)
    +1 optionally use Facebook (instead of some walled custom method) to find if my friends play and if they are online.
    +1 cash shop has only cosmetic items (except for server transfers which cost real money)
    +1 for video tutorial to explain skill/ability system (which is very different than other MMOs)
    +1 new in launcher lets you know about latest bugs, content updates, scheduled maintenance, etc. (no more looking on Reddit to find out lol)
    -2 has monthly subscription (perfer hybrid or just paying for expansions myself)
    +0 play on normal, RP, French & English dimensions(realms)
    -1 no normal world PVP
    +1 no forced grind of daily quests, you can repeat once a day if you want, but no better rewards than doing new quests
    -1 for telling me to upgrade my computer everytime I log on although the game runs fine on it
    -0.5 for too many logo screens everytime I log on (press space to skip, but is annoying)
    +0 has no end-game yet (but plans to add it in the future). Personally, I'm burnt out on end game right now anyway.
    +1 for having the server tied to a character (ie: not your account like GW2)
    So 22/10 ha ha, if I could rate it 11/10 I would but 10/10 will have to do.    … Expand
  46. Heavymetal4life
    Sep 30, 2012
    10
    Great MMO, awesome new fresh take to the mmo genre! It has story, adventure, solving mysteries an quests!~ Nothing is just handed to you on a platter you gotta WORK for it like a mmo should be. Missions where you must think not some guide that just tells you how to do it all.
  47. Its_Nice_In_RW
    Sep 29, 2012
    4
    Ok first off I have no respect for the company who make this game which is a bad start. I will keep this short is this a Good game? Unique game? Worth your MOney? IMO No,No,and No.
    If you still wish to play the game wait a month or two it will be free to play as Funcom already have the tooling to make it so. For those who bought Life subs I am sorry for your loss, but same happened to me    Ok first off I have no respect for the company who make this game which is a bad start. I will keep this short is this a Good game? Unique game? Worth your MOney? IMO No,No,and No.
    If you still wish to play the game wait a month or two it will be free to play as Funcom already have the tooling to make it so. For those who bought Life subs I am sorry for your loss, but same happened to me in Lord of the Rings Online when the shaft3d me and went Free to play leaving Life subscribers like me with no value for my money. I learned my lesson accepted my loss and moved on as the free to play version of Lord of the Rings Online was completely useless. So hang on play for free well not really free cash shoppy but you know what I mean soon.    … Expand
  48. jniebaum32
    Sep 28, 2012
    5
    I found the game fun but not worth paying for. The action gameplay style and skill based combat concept is nice but the game itself doesn't grab you by the face and draw you in. Instead it plops you down and tells you good luck follow the butterfly.
  49. Aurkayne
    Sep 28, 2012
    9
    I've been playing this game since beta. This is not your average MMO. This is not the game for your if you don't enjoy THINKING as well as fighting. I've seen people complain here about having to use google. There's an in-game browser for research missions. (Again, they are also optional.) The three societies are great, each one has its own unique story. I have been lucky enough toI've been playing this game since beta. This is not your average MMO. This is not the game for your if you don't enjoy THINKING as well as fighting. I've seen people complain here about having to use google. There's an in-game browser for research missions. (Again, they are also optional.) The three societies are great, each one has its own unique story. I have been lucky enough to play with a lot of people from around the world and the social experience once you've joined a cabal(guild) is fantastic. No, it's not perfect but the developers are dedicated to delivering original content and an original experience. Right now, the game is even on sale. It's worth it, I'm a lifetime sub owner.… Expand
  50. astasenko
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    Very underestimated game. It is beautiful in visuals, story, lore, investigation missions and setting. NPC animations and voice acting is simply great. Probably the first MMO that has single player experience compared with the best RPG singles. However it is much better then usual single player games in the long run because of guaranteed new monthly content for the next 7 years (as it wasVery underestimated game. It is beautiful in visuals, story, lore, investigation missions and setting. NPC animations and voice acting is simply great. Probably the first MMO that has single player experience compared with the best RPG singles. However it is much better then usual single player games in the long run because of guaranteed new monthly content for the next 7 years (as it was promised by Ragnar). Group PVE is also very, very nice since dungeon mechanics is interesting and challenging. Animations, effects are OK for me and I do not understand why some people put so much emphasis to them it their negative reviews. I solved subscription issue by buying lifetime account=)… Expand
  51. Barua124
    Sep 20, 2012
    8
    The game advertises that players can choose to build their character any way they choose. That's all well and great, but the game still follows the standard tank/dps/healer model of gameplay. So obviously some character builds will be superior than others to fill these roles. And of course there will be elitist players ingame who insist that if you're not following the standard cookieThe game advertises that players can choose to build their character any way they choose. That's all well and great, but the game still follows the standard tank/dps/healer model of gameplay. So obviously some character builds will be superior than others to fill these roles. And of course there will be elitist players ingame who insist that if you're not following the standard cookie cutter build, you're not really serious about group content. Still, I find the game to be enjoyable. The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. I love the horror theme of the game, something that's new in the MMO genre. I'm having fun and I continue to log in to play which says a lot more for this game than most other MMOs on the market. I think you'll enjoy it too.… Expand
  52. Zhiroc
    Sep 18, 2012
    3
    If I had to choose one word to describe this game, it would be "bipolar". While it has clear aspirations to be one thing, the implementation of game often seems to be quite the opposite. Starting with the story, the setting and the tone it sets, it felt like a breath of fresh air in the MMO landscape. But then it chose to give your character no voice, literally or figuratively. In all theIf I had to choose one word to describe this game, it would be "bipolar". While it has clear aspirations to be one thing, the implementation of game often seems to be quite the opposite. Starting with the story, the setting and the tone it sets, it felt like a breath of fresh air in the MMO landscape. But then it chose to give your character no voice, literally or figuratively. In all the quests and cut-scenes, there is almost no input from you, or even your character, who stands mute and emotionless during the monologues of the quest giver (or dialogues, in the few cases where the giver is more than one person). I felt less involvement and immersion with my character, than I have in most FPS games, much less one that is supposed to be an RPG. (Even the characters you play in Left4Dead have more personality.) At the end of the first chapter, I was afforded a choice, which took me aback. But even here, I felt I lacked the information I needed to make it, and afterwards, I felt little repercussions from it. Also, I found that contrary to the setting and premise, there's very little exploration of the conflict between the secret societies. For the most part, it's filled with "monster-of-the-moment" quests, with little flexibility as to achieving the goal--and after you do so, the lack of interacting with the quest giver again often feels like there is a lack of closure to the mini-story. After finishing the first chapter, looking back it just didn't feel like a cohesive and engrossing plot line--just a string of connected events. The "subterfuge" type quests promised different gameplay, and in one sense it does as you try to avoid combat, but without any stealth mechanics in the game (not even the ability to crouch behind things ala Deus Ex: HR), "sneaking around" means just staying out of aggro range. You cross open areas with enemies in plain sight, but just not close enough for them to engage. I guess they are all very nearsighted and lack glasses.... The investigation-type quests also had potential, but since this takes up a slot as your one allowed main mission, you feel "frozen" as you have it, and instead of keeping it in the back of your mind as you explore, I found myself getting very impatient with them. The game touts itself as "leveless", but it only meets that literally. You have to buy abilities with AP and some skills with SP. Tied with bonuses due to gear, this means that the game has a very definite progression, perhaps less than in some leveled systems, but still very pronounced. Plus, the ability system seems to reach "plateaus" of effectiveness, meaning that there are often huge stair-steps in your progression. Eventually, about 2/3 of the way through the first chapter, I found that I had pretty much max'ed out a build, and that to try to achieve something better would mean trashing and reformulating my build, all the while not getting any "better". Gameplay itself, while promising to be fresh, plays that way to begin, but then devolves into monotony, as with only 7 active abilities at one time there's very little tactical selection when playing solo. You end up using the same rotations over and over. As a final comment, since this game uses a subscription model, you are constantly reminded of the fun-vs-cost ratio that must be maintained for your own satisfaction. In my opinion, it doesn't come close to meeting my bar for such. If you are looking for a story experience, SW:TOR delivers far better. If you are looking for gameplay, many others are more entertaining.… Expand
  53. Anthropophobia
    Sep 13, 2012
    3
    This game is not worth it. The only thing that makes it different from any other MMORPG is the modern-time setting. Don't forget you'll be buying the game AND paying a 15 dollar monthly subscription. The graphics are nothing glorious, the animations are basic and abrupt (i.e. you can go sprinting, then randomly jump higher than two cars piled, then land normally and go on sprinting), theThis game is not worth it. The only thing that makes it different from any other MMORPG is the modern-time setting. Don't forget you'll be buying the game AND paying a 15 dollar monthly subscription. The graphics are nothing glorious, the animations are basic and abrupt (i.e. you can go sprinting, then randomly jump higher than two cars piled, then land normally and go on sprinting), the combat system is horrible and the missions are blatantly repetitive. Of course it has an original storyline and setting, no doubt about that. But Funcom is just trying to leech your wallet - a different story doesn't make the game worth its current prices. Star Wars The Old Republic made it free to play, and if they don't do the same with The Secret world, its going to fall... face-first. Summing it up: Game CD + 15 dollars per month for something you can do on WoW, Allods, Forsaken World, Vindictus, or any other MMORPG, with no special features or revolutionary game mechanics. Is it worth it? Not by an inch.… Expand
  54. Mandrax
    Sep 12, 2012
    3
    Terrible combat. Rubbish animations. Too much running back and forth due to Funcom deciding you can only carry one of a particular type of quest. I'm giving it 3 specifically for the investigation quests. These are the ONLY good part of the game. The rest is pretty poor. The story is OK, not great. The voice acting is awful in places, especially the NPCs with English accents, andTerrible combat. Rubbish animations. Too much running back and forth due to Funcom deciding you can only carry one of a particular type of quest. I'm giving it 3 specifically for the investigation quests. These are the ONLY good part of the game. The rest is pretty poor. The story is OK, not great. The voice acting is awful in places, especially the NPCs with English accents, and London in general is a joke. I really wanted to love this game, but in my opinion, Funcom did their usual thing and rushed it to get it out before GW2 and maybe MoP. It didn't work. I'm glad I wasn't one of those suckers that bought the GM pack. The biggest fail here however is the monthly sub. This game does not warrant the largest monthly sub fee of any MMORPG that is available in the UK. Funcom are ripping players off by charging around £3.00 more than the market leader - World of Warcraft. That's suicide right there if you ask me.… Expand
  55. tannim78
    Sep 11, 2012
    9
    I have played WOW, SWTOR,AOC,EVERQUEST 1& 2 this was by far the game thats kept my interest the most. Love the story and atmosphere, only reason i wouldnt give it a 9.5 was the fighting takes some getting used to.
  56. Bravo4
    Sep 7, 2012
    6
    Perhaps I didn't give this game enough of a chance but I simply could not get into it. The premise and concepts are right up my alley but the delivery just doesn't seem to be there. I think it does a lot of things well...but when it comes right down to it, it feels like just another MMO. The combat was fun at first but got fairly repetitive quick. The graphics, design and overallPerhaps I didn't give this game enough of a chance but I simply could not get into it. The premise and concepts are right up my alley but the delivery just doesn't seem to be there. I think it does a lot of things well...but when it comes right down to it, it feels like just another MMO. The combat was fun at first but got fairly repetitive quick. The graphics, design and overall atmosphere are definitely a plus. I was disappointed with the supposedly loads of conspiracy theory material. Most of it seemed very derived and boring and just didn't seem to make much sense in a lot of instances and I am normally a fan of this stuff. That said, I can certainly see why some people are thoroughly enjoying the game. For my part, it started off great but got stale very quickly.… Expand
  57. Drensis
    Sep 6, 2012
    10
    What a surprise ! This game is certainly the best MMO I ever played since 2004... Great world, mature content ! Amazing quests, lot of enigmas, you need to seek answers everywhere ! Full of animations and voices : the leveling part is funnier than swtor ! Thanks funcom !
  58. cyberqat
    Sep 5, 2012
    10
    While it is true that Funcom has not solved the "play alone together" problem all MMORPGs seem to face, the number of other MMORPG problems Funcom has addressed is remarkable.

    The class-less/level-less system allows for both more character individualization and alt-less play ala guildwars. Any character can learn any build at any time. The environment is creepy and foreboding. The    While it is true that Funcom has not solved the "play alone together" problem all MMORPGs seem to face, the number of other MMORPG problems Funcom has addressed is remarkable.

    The class-less/level-less system allows for both more character individualization and alt-less play ala guildwars. Any character can learn any build at any time.

    The environment is creepy and foreboding. The modern day setting makes it feel familiar... but only familiar in the way an HP lovecraft story is familiar. The horror element and continual suprises always keep you on edge and engaged.

    The gameplay, story elements and puzzles are remarkably well integrated. Unless you read and think about the story, you wont succeed. This will likely turn off grind-oriented players but for those of us who were turned off by the grind, this is a breath of fresh air. You are always learning something new *and significant* about the world around you and how to deal with it.

    This is not a mass market game. Its a thinkers game. And a game for those who prefer "street level" heroes to world-shaking power-fantasies. But its a big breath of fresh air and depth in a market that has been on a steady march to bland and shallow crowd pleasers for a long time now.    … Expand
  59. Kyberia
    Sep 5, 2012
    9
    The Secret World breaks all the rules of mass market MMOs: It aims to make you think, rather than handing you answers on a plate and focuses on story and content rather than button mashing.

    The game has a modern world setting, focusing on occultism and conspiracy theories for its action rather than good and evil, elves and skeletons. There are a few genuine scares and the characters are    The Secret World breaks all the rules of mass market MMOs: It aims to make you think, rather than handing you answers on a plate and focuses on story and content rather than button mashing.

    The game has a modern world setting, focusing on occultism and conspiracy theories for its action rather than good and evil, elves and skeletons. There are a few genuine scares and the characters are very human and relatable rather than mindless quest donors - I felt so bad for some wandering monsters I was almost in tears. The game has many nods to beloved pop culture sources - plenty of Lovecraft, Stephen King, George Romero, Wes Craven, Robert Anton Wilson, Dan Brown and Neil Gaiman - locations so true to life that you can find your way around them as a real-world local, and dialogue so beautiful you could stand and play it over and over again for days.

    Quests come in three main flavours - red combat missions, where you can solve most of your problems with violence; yellow sabotage missions, where you sneak about and avoid violence at all costs, and green investigation missions, which are where the game shines. While at this point, it's quite possible to find solutions for every quest on the internet, the sheer thrill of thinking your way through an investigation - applying your general knowledge or using the in-game browser as a reference library - is second to none. They've also gone to substantial lengths to deepen a player's immersion by incorporating ARG elements such as websites for certain in-game organizations and youtube clips. While the amount of content in the game is currently only just beyond the point where you can see everything at least once in the span of a month, with 5 years of ARG behind it, there is probably 6 months to a year of engrossing material for someone inclined to look deeper, and content updates occur roughly once every month.

    There are still a few bugs in the game; some are annoying, but Funcom have been responsive to bug reports so far and there is nothing to make the game unplayable for any but the most tantrum-prone.

    The community so far is overall excellent - friendly and helpful, welcoming to newbies, and very team oriented, despite most of the content being quite accessible to a skilled or careful solo player. Elements that discourage team work in other games, such as "kill stealing" simply aren't possible in TSW, so a player is quite welcome to charge to the rescue of someone being mobbed - which deepens the immersion substantially - and the player you help with a difficult quest today will be the one who saves your skin next week with the rewards he or she obtained.

    One very pivotal factor for me was how woman-friendly the game is. Rather than shoving away a large proportion of its potential player base by turning every female character into a mandatory sex object, you are free to choose from a range of perfectly plausible styles of dress and be as sexy or as practical as you choose. Character customization is still somewhat limited - face and hair only, with clothing "limited" to the rather huge range available between the in-game clothing stores and the vanity-item-only cash shop - you can't design your own clothes yet, but there is the possibility of that, and body customization, in future. Bodies for both sexes are presently uniformly athletic but neither overly thin nor Mr Universe proportions - they look like people who spend a lot of time every day running and fighting, which is about right. And the mandatory F-cups and biceps aren't so wearying because you can put a coat on if you want.

    There are no annoying gold sellers at all. All in all, I have not regretted one single penny I have spent on this game. It will always be niche, as there are many who don't want to think or be challenged in their game-play, but it's a niche that needed filling and one that I love.    … Expand
  60. Mcwalco
    Sep 5, 2012
    10
    A new approach to MMO genre and a step forward for the gaming community .Everything about TSW is new and innovative .Yes it has a few rough edges but with 7 years of planned content with monthly updates .i have no doubt this game will do very well.
  61. ames
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    I'm playing TSW since release now, and am still motivated enough to play it almost every day, unlike SWTOR, where I lost all interest after my character finished the story and reached max. lvl. I sort of stumbled over the beta-weekends and after reaching Kingsmouth the atmosphere of the game sucked me in. The story, the well-crafted quests (especially the adventure-like InvestigativeI'm playing TSW since release now, and am still motivated enough to play it almost every day, unlike SWTOR, where I lost all interest after my character finished the story and reached max. lvl. I sort of stumbled over the beta-weekends and after reaching Kingsmouth the atmosphere of the game sucked me in. The story, the well-crafted quests (especially the adventure-like Investigative Missions) and the great characters and dialogue turn The Secret World into something special. And while the skill system seemed really chaotic to me in the beginning, I got used to it pretty fast. Graphics and sounds are well done although the characters are pretty low-polygon, which really shows in close-ups. Lighting and shadows are great, especially under DX11. Conclusion: The Secret World is my favorite MMORPG in 2012.… Expand
  62. alecient
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    I'm playing this game for two months in casual style and it remains as interesting as before. Very nice graphics, story and ability wheel system. Great community.
  63. vgwizardx
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    I have to say one of the best MMOs I have played. No, its not perfect if I'm trying to pick it apart. However, this is a perfect release. I expect changes after the first few months to balance things out. But Overall this is great twist to a diluted genre.
  64. kvast
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    If you like good story - you should play this game. Unlike childish SW:TOR, plot is written to interest mature people. Cut scenes are directed so well, that you don
  65. Kyanoth
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    Simply fantastic. Quest, skill, and endgame design are just about perfect. The only caveat I have is that the final part of endgame, raids, haven't yet been implemented; that said, the gearing process is the best I've ever worked with (played WoW, SWTOR, TERRA, and GW2), and the dungeon designs are great. There are some bugs still being ironed out, though on that score the launch isSimply fantastic. Quest, skill, and endgame design are just about perfect. The only caveat I have is that the final part of endgame, raids, haven't yet been implemented; that said, the gearing process is the best I've ever worked with (played WoW, SWTOR, TERRA, and GW2), and the dungeon designs are great. There are some bugs still being ironed out, though on that score the launch is significantly better than either WoW or SWTOR--the active response from the devs is the reason I don't deduct a point, here. They've been great at listening and responding to community feedback.… Expand
  66. m3k
    Sep 2, 2012
    9
    Ive been playing mmos forever and ive played probably 90% of the more popular ones and I can tell you as Im sure some of you reading this know and have felt, I was completely burnt out. Until. This game is amazing. I am hooked and I honestly can not believe it. To start with you cant play this on a run of the mill pc. You can't play this on a semi built i-5 laptop either. If you wantIve been playing mmos forever and ive played probably 90% of the more popular ones and I can tell you as Im sure some of you reading this know and have felt, I was completely burnt out. Until. This game is amazing. I am hooked and I honestly can not believe it. To start with you cant play this on a run of the mill pc. You can't play this on a semi built i-5 laptop either. If you want to run this game in its glory you better be packing at least a desktop 2500k oc with a 560 ti at min, not saying you need that to get it to run on low, that setup is to run it on close to max / ultra, and I must say what a gorgeous game. To those people saying that the graphics need work or the animations look off, I will say your pc is your issue or you are the issue the game is stunning. Secondly, if your expecting something like wow or gw2, it is not a fantasy game of that genre, it is not set in the medieval, it is set in the here and now, current world, example, London, Tokyo, Transylvania, raid upcoming in New York city. GW2 actually is doing things that TSW is doing and I have to say was doing first do to the fact that its been out for 2 months. Example, you can use any skill while moving, and active dodge, but TSW does it better because you get to double click for the dodge, also the screen shake and the using of the dual weapon switch system in combat looking for synergy in skills and builds. TSW just happens to do these things in a non over bright cartoon way but actually the complete opposite due to the game being more of a horror based mmo and much darker atmosphere, not saying the game is dark, it is very HD in a dark setting if you have the pc to maximize what your looking at. Skill setting in this game is a nice change. You can not go into this game like anything you've played before. The skill wheel makes things very interesting and you have to be a little smarter then the average bear to actually understand what your looking at. It is not cut and paste, build my tank, healer, dps. It is not Rift with its switch out from tank to heal to dps on the fly. Everything you do is based on the weapons you have equipped, but passive skill sets can be used from any of the weapons skills trees (clever). You get 7 active and 7 passive and yes I want more but only because I don't want to think so much, tbh. I spend some serious time looking through my wheel trying to find synergy and usually find myself itching for 50 more AP points (they come quick further along) so I can get to that next skill I think nobodies found but me yet and unlock that super special secret synergy that I know doesnt exist.... or does it :). The quest system is fresh and is not the same as usual yet it is familiar. You have the typical npc standing around with the quest icon or two or three but the interaction and cut scenes are special. I played SWTOR and I am not a big story line person but I heard so many good things about star wars and its story line that you just had to watch it. Well that was disappointing to say the least, I actually quit swtor because I could not esc through the story line (before the first patch) and the cut scenes are so horrible it was truly disappointing. This game however has me watching every single cut scene. The voice overs are great, the story line is as good as any sit down book that pulls you and and you don't want to put it down. I actually found myself in a state of anger after I trained through a bunch of mobs and found a quest giver only to have my cut scene cut off by being hit by a random mob that just happen to have the right distance to hit me 1 time before it broke off. Don't be surprised if you play this game and find yourself watching instead of mashing the esc key. Investigation quest lines are a nice change of pace also. I wont spoil those but if you don't use a walk through site you are in for a serious treat and challenge, very little that is meant to be hard is handed to you in this game. The only reason I can not give this game a 10 is the lack of group play and the lack of social interaction. Some may find that nice, I like the solo gig as much as the next guy and I have solo'd my way up to the max quality level of gear (green). Green being good, Blue being better, Purple being best. I have to say though that getting the really good gear requires doing the 5 man dungeons and doing them in (hard) mode and I have yet to get a group for that or experience the glory that this must be. The game had issues at the start with chat being messed up and communication being the main problem that did not help its launch, but other then that and a few very misguided beta reviews from reviewers that were working with out dated pc's and out dated thinking it has been a pretty flawless ride and I haven't touched pvp or dungeons and that just seems crazy to me. The negative reviews are a little… Expand
  67. Misjah
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    10/10... The adventurers and theorycrafters wet dream!

    TSW is the best MMO i have played since the first year of WoW, it is different, challenging and beautiful. The mission system is really awesome and simple, but can be very hard to understand if you expect another hub quest system... You do the missions YOU want to do, and there are lot's of them, in all different types and    10/10... The adventurers and theorycrafters wet dream!

    TSW is the best MMO i have played since the first year of WoW, it is different, challenging and beautiful.
    The mission system is really awesome and simple, but can be very hard to understand if you expect another hub quest system... You do the missions YOU want to do, and there are lot's of them, in all different types and difficulty! Investigation missions are absolutely amazing and i have not enjoyed a puzzle as much since the old Lucasarts games...
    The puzzles are completely voluntary and gives the same xp as doing pvp, dungeons or mob grinding would do, this really makes you able to have the fun YOU want, with the exception of the main story and faction story.
    The main story is coupled with a faction specific mission chain of which there are 3 different, one for each faction, they were much more exciting then the SWToR class stories or any other mmorpg story i have ever played.
    The DX11 engine is BRILLIANT, the atmosphere and styled theme this thing can pull off left me absolutely breathless, my 460gtx does medium settings at 60fps and there is no input lag or any other kind of lag. The characters are normal humans but the ability to customize your looks and clothing as you see fit is awesome, the gear you have to wear no longer decide your looks, YOU DO!
    The Dungeons in TSW are the best i have EVER played, there is zero trash and the stories and replayability is awesome, bosses are open to be beaten in various different ways which makes the encounters fresh and appealing kill after kill. There are 3 different dungeon difficulties, Normal mode that starts at the end of the first area, Elite which takes over where Normal left off as an intro to endgame which is Nightmare Dungeons. Every difficulty adds new mechanics and tools that both Tank, healer and dps need to use to beat bosses.
    There are tons of achievements, lore and rare boss collections that can unlock new and rare clothing for those that wish to do that, there is also open world Lair bosses which is for players that can't or don't want to do elite/nightmare dungeons.
    The launch was flawless and the bugs that were present were not game breaking and are steadily being fixed in weekly patch updates.
    Funcom are releasing monthly content updates of which the first one contained a bunch of Investigation missions that people have been asking for and 2 new Nightmare dungeons.
    The next content patch has the same PLUS a new type of weapon that will add depth to combat, this time it was a Rocket Launcher and rumors tells of a chainsaw coming next month.
    October will bring a raid in the middle of New York and in 2013 we will get downtown Tokyo as a completely new mission/story zone.
    There have been alot of Funcom bashing going on, TSW is nothing like the disaster Age of Conan, but have some great roots in Funcom's Anarchy Online which is their first mmo, still running after 11 years!

    TSW is by far the most underhyped mmo i have ever played and they have me hooked!    … Expand
  68. mmo98658
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    The game has the best ambiance and quests of any of the MMO's I've played to date. Combat is lively and centered around timing, movement, and your knowledge of builds. The game system and content is both very deep and challenging. It's story line is really first rate. The writing is both mature and filled with humor. On top of this, the game is really quite a bit different inThe game has the best ambiance and quests of any of the MMO's I've played to date. Combat is lively and centered around timing, movement, and your knowledge of builds. The game system and content is both very deep and challenging. It's story line is really first rate. The writing is both mature and filled with humor. On top of this, the game is really quite a bit different in substantial ways from the games common to the genre. As an aside I found many of the critic reviews to be quite odd. Many seem to have been written on either minimal exposure to the game or exposure only to the games beta. The developer has offered a number of free trials, some of which I believe are still ongoing. There is honestly little reason to depend on critics for information anymore. Just see with your own eyes. A side benefit will be knowing which of the critics provide solid reviews and which ones are just fishing for page counts or filing articles to meet deadlines.… Expand
  69. MightyLep
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Secret World is the most fun I've had in an MMORPG in a long time. I'm never been a fan of zombies, monsters, or creepy things. But Secret World does it in such a way that makes it really fun. The combat and the way you can combine various attacks/ability trees lets you really play the character you want.

    Missions/Quests: The writing, humor,and detail on many of the missions is    Secret World is the most fun I've had in an MMORPG in a long time. I'm never been a fan of zombies, monsters, or creepy things. But Secret World does it in such a way that makes it really fun. The combat and the way you can combine various attacks/ability trees lets you really play the character you want.

    Missions/Quests: The writing, humor,and detail on many of the missions is really, really good. So going back later and repeating the missions is fun, and about 90% of the missions are repeatable. Other games have "daily" missions, in which you usually grind something boring. But in Secret World you can pick your favorite missions and do THOSE as dailies, which is sooo much more fun. The NPC's in Secret World have their little quirks and actual personality that make them stand out. Character development: I never felt gimped or underpowered when starting new characters. Other games have the level grind, and you need increasingly more and more XP in order to make your character better in some way. Not in the Secret World, because the XP needed for the next ability point stays the same. This allows for fantastic levels of customization as you can consistently unlock new abilities. Progression was steady and well paced. Secret World allows players to eventually unlock every ability/attack/passive bonus in the game. You can only slot 7 active attacks/abilities and 7 passive abilities (14 total). But you can change them around and swap them out at any time, with any ability that you've unlocked. The reasonable XP needed to gain ability points means that you can flesh out your character in ways that are fun. For example, how about an elementalist with some dual pistol attacks tossed in! It gives you a lot or room for creating the character you're looking for.

    Setting and graphics; I'm running an NVidia 275 GTX card, and the graphics are really good. The modern setting feels comfortable, because so much of it is familiar. It also adds to the creepiness in some areas, because of how things are destroyed or affected. I personally don't see anything wrong with the attack animations. In fact, I think some of them look really cool (Like pistols, and the elemenal electric attacks). Overall I'm having a lot of fun, and look forward to playing this game for quite a long time.    … Expand
  70. diesbildnis
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Secret World is a breath of fresh air from the monotony of the average MMO and is one of the most original and exciting games to be released in years. The setting, a modern-day fantasy world with a dash of Lovecraftian horror, brings back fond memories of the pen-and-paper RPG Shadowrun or Vampire the Masquerade. Perhaps the most innovative and exciting aspect of this game are the PvESecret World is a breath of fresh air from the monotony of the average MMO and is one of the most original and exciting games to be released in years. The setting, a modern-day fantasy world with a dash of Lovecraftian horror, brings back fond memories of the pen-and-paper RPG Shadowrun or Vampire the Masquerade. Perhaps the most innovative and exciting aspect of this game are the PvE investigative missions. Tired of 'kill 10 bears, then kill 10 more'? Well, don your Holmes pipe and get your notepad ready to do some occult sleuthing. Better brush up on your latin translations and Morse code though because these puzzles are HARD. Like, old-school 'You are likely to be eaten by a Grue' stuck-for-days hard. The not-quite leveling system is also brilliant, with a near infinite combination of character classes in each weapon class. Only a few significant downsides to this game: still a great deal of MMO-grinding particularly in the terrible timed-kill missions; no indication for some group or high-level missions; and sometimes tediously long speeches from mission-givers. These are minor quibbles, though. Step away from GW2 and give this game a try- you will not be disappointed.… Expand
  71. Morbox
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    In short: This is the only MMORPG that I have ever found worth playing, and not for lack of trying. The quest design is impeccable (a lot of SP RPGs aren't as good!), the system is fresh and interesting, and the setting and atmosphere is absolutely great. So far, the game is absolutely worth its retail price. For me, it remains to be seen if I'll keep playing, as I am not usually an MMOIn short: This is the only MMORPG that I have ever found worth playing, and not for lack of trying. The quest design is impeccable (a lot of SP RPGs aren't as good!), the system is fresh and interesting, and the setting and atmosphere is absolutely great. So far, the game is absolutely worth its retail price. For me, it remains to be seen if I'll keep playing, as I am not usually an MMO player, but I am confident. The Raids are interesting (especially with the mutable skill sets - your group doesn't succeed with a boss? Change your tactics on the fly! Hell, change your CLASS on the fly!). PVP is a bit chaotic as of yet, but remedy seems to be underway. Also, I find a bit of chaos more to my liking than having static battles that all work the same. While the graphics are mostly okay, the animations are a bit awkward. The design of the world is beautiful and adds a lot to the fantastic atmosphere. There are likable characters throughout the story, which are all completely voiced by good voice actors. All in all it's a 9/10, corrected to 10 to offset some of the ridiculously low ratings.… Expand
  72. Leijona
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    This game is nothing for pigeonholing. This game makes many things absolutely different, others are similar to well known schemata. The quest design is great. Action, sabotage, investigation, delivery quests. Quests, where you have to think. (omg, using my brain!) Quests, that can be done completely without fighting.
    The crafting system is interesting, different. Of course, there are    This game is nothing for pigeonholing. This game makes many things absolutely different, others are similar to well known schemata. The quest design is great. Action, sabotage, investigation, delivery quests. Quests, where you have to think. (omg, using my brain!) Quests, that can be done completely without fighting.
    The crafting system is interesting, different. Of course, there are better ones out there. But also worse.
    The whole story is amazing, as well as the setting. It's different from everything out there. I love the way dungeons are designed. And I mean the optic and the fights both. I like the fact, that there is not that much trash. And I love, that bosses need tactic and are not only tank and spank.
    The game has a great skill system. But yes, that system and the game design at all requires the player to change his builds if necessary. That's not for everyone, not for people who say "I only want to play with these weapons and that abilities.". But in fact, it is giving players more space to develop as so many other MMOs.
    I am absolutely curious how everything will go one. I'm looking forward to the first raid and the first new zone.
    Great game, just give it a chance and stop pigeonholing ;)    … Expand
  73. Warpster
    Aug 30, 2012
    4
    Sadly, this would have been great as a single player game. Excellent story and questing marred by boring, unpolished combat, tacked on PvP and a WoW-esque approach to endgame. Third time is unfortunately not a charm for Funcom.
  74. Warfist
    Aug 30, 2012
    5
    TSW has a few things going for it, namely it's storyline, investigation and sabotage missions and the skill wheel is a pretty nice addition (although there are many repetitive skills in there). The problem is, once you have completed the excellent storyline and missions you are left with the same old loot treadmill and absolutely terrible PvP. Combat itself lacks polish, skills often shareTSW has a few things going for it, namely it's storyline, investigation and sabotage missions and the skill wheel is a pretty nice addition (although there are many repetitive skills in there). The problem is, once you have completed the excellent storyline and missions you are left with the same old loot treadmill and absolutely terrible PvP. Combat itself lacks polish, skills often share animations and don't "blend" well, the sounds for combat are very repetitive (ex: all pistols sound exactly the same) and it lacks that visceral "feel" to it. Hopefully these are things Funcom can work on.

    Overall, you'd probably get your $50 worth from playing through the story, but in it's current state, it's just not worth paying a monthly subscription for. If it makes the change to F2P then it's definitely worth picking up.    … Expand
  75. Bryol
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This game offers awesome game-play, graphics that are fresh and imaginative, sound and music tracks which set the mood extremely well and game-play that is fresh and innovative. The quests offer investigation missions for those who love scouring the web, covert missions for those who enjoy being stealthy, and missions for those who love crashing through doors screaming, "BRING IT ONThis game offers awesome game-play, graphics that are fresh and imaginative, sound and music tracks which set the mood extremely well and game-play that is fresh and innovative. The quests offer investigation missions for those who love scouring the web, covert missions for those who enjoy being stealthy, and missions for those who love crashing through doors screaming, "BRING IT ON SUCKERS, THE TERMINATOR IS HERE!"

    THe voice acting of the npcs (from many recognisable top actors/actresses) is superb and tells the story in a wonderfully rich way which draws you in, the game lore is scattered about the game areas for those who love Easter egg hunts, there are achievements to gain for those who love to keep count of their kills and the places they have been. The single virtual server structure means you can play with anyone in the world with a chance to form groups at almost any time of day because Europe and the USA servers aren't segregated it is one big melting pot.

    To put it bluntly this game is the best current offering in current months and offers the freshest experience I have seen in a long time, give it a go, make it a WoW beater.    … Expand
  76. santosx
    Aug 29, 2012
    0
    At first i realy liked the game, but unfortunately there is a fair amount of game breakers in this game. It starts with little things which are most likely the influence of EA. For example even though its a subscription based game, there is a cash shop. Many outfits have a single item, which is not available ingame except from the cash shop. So either pay cash or never complete yourAt first i realy liked the game, but unfortunately there is a fair amount of game breakers in this game. It starts with little things which are most likely the influence of EA. For example even though its a subscription based game, there is a cash shop. Many outfits have a single item, which is not available ingame except from the cash shop. So either pay cash or never complete your outfit.---------------------- Next thing they offer in the cash shop is server transfers. Dragon faction members are underpopulated on almost all "Dimensions" (virtual servers on the single TSW server). But instead of offering free transfers to them, they are blackmailed into "stay in your factions empty "fusang" (persistant pvp area), or pay 20 euros". And there is a huge bunch of annoying bugs, some of the dungeon bosses are only killable by exploiting and especialy pvp is full of bugs. For example a signet that is bugged and gives 100% blockrate. Its known since months, and fixing it would only require to change it from "stacking" to "not stacking". But it simply isnt fixed because no one cares. Or an ability called Reap and Sew which basicaly makes healers useless as in its bugged state causes dmg output to heal the passive target constantly. There can be fun had in this game, but you should wait until you get it for less then 20… Expand
  77. ar1ur
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    This game is an absolute groundbreaking MMO in almost every way. The story, the skill wheel, dynamic, lore - i could go on and on on how revolutionary this game is. Why "professional" gaming sites scored this on average below 8 and Star Wars the Old Republic above is proof how money is more important than quality.
    I only gave it 9 and not 10 because i think it can evolve to be even    This game is an absolute groundbreaking MMO in almost every way. The story, the skill wheel, dynamic, lore - i could go on and on on how revolutionary this game is. Why "professional" gaming sites scored this on average below 8 and Star Wars the Old Republic above is proof how money is more important than quality.
    I only gave it 9 and not 10 because i think it can evolve to be even better. I hope that anyone that reads this review wil want to give the Secret World a chance because its really worth it. I think that projects such as this one should be supported to show that taking risks in the gaming industry to make something unique and new pays up. TRY A FREE TRIAL AND LOOK FOR YOURSELF.    … Expand
  78. paaskeegget
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Love the graphics, but do get yourself a Nividia GTX670 or better, or you can't run the game in all its beauty and glory. Love the world, the missions, the skill system. It's all very well designed.
  79. LarsAB
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Some people mention bugs, but when I consider how fresh this awesome MMO is, I would have expected far more. The greatest MMO I have ever tried! YESYESYES...… Expand
  80. FoxieVox
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    Awesome game. The modern day setting, the story line of myths and legends brought to life, the skill system - all of it is a much needed breath of fresh air in an otherwise dull and predictable MMO landscape.
  81. Galius
    Aug 27, 2012
    3
    Pros : Interesting skill system, fresh take on quests, great world to play in.

    Cons : Terrible developer support, poor animations, many skills feel the same

    I would pick this up when it goes free to play or when the box price drops. DO NOT fall for the lifetime subscription plan as you will get through the content within one month anyways.
  82. artagnan
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    Best mmo ever for a long time.
    Graphism, new gamplay, storyline and quests are on top.
    It's mostly a PVE game. A great one, and a new one. Few bugs.
    I play on a good PC with 60 FPS, even in the mass PVP zone.
    The only problem is that this is a mature and adult game.
  83. Shadowstale
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Even with it's flaws, The Secret World is definitely worth checking out. I haven't been hooked this much since I first played World Of Warcraft. Try it and love it!
  84. elron
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    I have problem understanding why people would rate this game low. Yes, there have been some initial release bugs and yes, they can be frustrating. But find me an MMO that didn't suffer from this. Any other World or Warcraft initial release players out there??? I didn't think so. But let's take a look at the entire game, not just the problems they've had on launch. Being a "real"I have problem understanding why people would rate this game low. Yes, there have been some initial release bugs and yes, they can be frustrating. But find me an MMO that didn't suffer from this. Any other World or Warcraft initial release players out there??? I didn't think so. But let's take a look at the entire game, not just the problems they've had on launch. Being a "real" adult (48-years-old), I've played my share of WoW, LOTRO, Eve Online, Star Trek Online, etc., and I must admit that this is the FIRST MMO that I felt was written and created for adults. I'm not talking about swearing and nudity, I'm talking about an incredibly written storyline, and first-rate voice acting. The game immerses you in the story, and regardless what you think of the combat system or leveling system, the game is a masterpiece. I played for the free month and then bought a lifetime subscription. I play most evenings and have NEVER been disappointed with content or originality. The first FREE content release provided not only some upper-level quests, but added to the lower-level quests as well which is unprecedented in MMO content releases. If they continue this schedule (which they promise to do), this game will continue to improve. The investigation quests are amazing (although, the in-game web browser now brings up walkthroughs for game searches rather than intended content :(), the stealth missions are a lot of fun, and the "found" missions add an extra level of adventure to the game.

    I don't mean to be a TSW cheerleader, but I've found little to complain about in the game. If I had to make some complaints, it would be that I think I have the best dual-weapons combinations and actions and now I don't know how to spend my ability points. A small complaint for all the enjoyment I've gotten from this game.

    I hope Funcom continues to update the game on multiple levels, and I hope they don't feel the need to go F2P before it's time. This is a fantastic game made for adults and those with a more mature sense of what a MMO should do.    … Expand
  85. Wizuriel
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    Positives: 1) The world and atmosphere is beautiful. TSW takes place in a modern setting, running with the idea that all myths are routed in truth. There are 3 main areas (Solomon Island, Egypt and Transylvania) each with 2-3 sub regions. Each zone just looks amazing and I think really captures different horror genres. 2) The system is classless and level-less. As you gain XP you unlock APPositives: 1) The world and atmosphere is beautiful. TSW takes place in a modern setting, running with the idea that all myths are routed in truth. There are 3 main areas (Solomon Island, Egypt and Transylvania) each with 2-3 sub regions. Each zone just looks amazing and I think really captures different horror genres. 2) The system is classless and level-less. As you gain XP you unlock AP to buy more abilities and SP to improve your weapons/armour. This lets you change your character on the fly provided you have enough abilities unlocked. In a dungeon and need more healing? Throw on some healing abilities. Need to do more damage damage? Change to do magic damage. Now while the system is effectively level less, areas are balanced you having a certain gear level, so there still restrictions in place on what you should be doing. 3) The game really forces you to think. There are 3 types of quests you can get
    a) Action quests, these are your standard do this or kill that
    b) Sabotage quests, go here try to avoid mobs
    c) investigation quests, like playing an old school adventure game mixed with an ARG.
    So investigation quests give you puzzles ranging from solving this encoded transmission, to solving riddles to translating Hebrew to looking up the wife of a worker off a fictional company website. To help you solve these Funcom has armed users with a browser in game. Now a few of the sabotage/investigation missions I find can be solved in a few ways, though I found a few that seemed like they required just brute force guess work.
    4) The story and NPC's are pretty interesting. Funcom wanted everything to tie together and did a good job. For instance at the start of Solomon Island you quickly learn there is a zombie problem. After doing a few missions and talking to a few NPCS (which actually say useful and relevant stuff mixed in with the fluff) you start to figure out why there are zombies and what they are being used for, There not just there to be annoying to players, Funcom actually wrote in why and how they are there.

    Now the negatives
    1) Cost. TSW is the most expensive MMO on the market. It has a full game box price, a monthly subscription (even more if your not from N America) and a cash shop (where stuff is bought PER CHARACTER not account).
    2) TSW's combat can best be described as boring and out dated. While choosing and building your decks is fun, combat itself is not. Combat in TSW uses a tabbed based targeting system with some attacks building resources and others consuming them. Most combat can be broken down to: use your builder 5 times, use a finisher for weapon one and a finisher for weapon 2., rinse and repeat. If you see a white circle, move; if you see fire on the ground, move. Personally I find the tabbed system makes all weapons feel the same, it doesn't help that a lot of animations are repeated so not only do they feel the same, they look the same.
    3) While Sabotage missions are a very cool idea, lack of real stealth abilities make some of these the most frustrating things you will ever attempt. Since there are no stealth abilities and the AI in TSW is standard MMO level of stupid (or Doom 1 like AI) Sabotage missions tend to break down to avoid all guards since they will 1 shot you, and sometimes hit the glowing yellow object to distract said guards. Personally I found the sabotage missions at the start had some interesting mechanics like stealing uniforms and causing more distractions, a lot of them just involve memorizing guards and preying you get lucky, You have to start to wonder after nameless grunt #1033 catches you and throws you in an easily escapable box why they aren't out saving the world and instead leaving it in the hands of the PCs. 4) The game has a lot of bugs. Chat breaks pretty consistently which at times leaves you with no way to communicate with users. Some missions break down from too many people trying to do them or certain mobs don't spawn making them impossible to finish. As well as the bugs there some pretty bad design decisions. For example if your watching a cutscene and a mob happens to aggro you somehow you can die in the middle of said cutscene. For non main story/investigation missions this could mean having to wait 1-3 days to resee the cutscene, for story or investigation missions this means you now need to search youtube preying that someone recorded the cutscene for you to watch. The cutscenes also give you important missions hints/clues.

    Over all I would recommend trying to TSW. The unique setting and investigation missions are a ton of fun and a breathe of fresh air in a rather stagnant (imo) market. Over all though I don't think TSW is a perfect game and has more than its fair share of problems. At times the game really seems to want to be a 3rd person action game, but had to make numerous unfortunate compromises    … Expand
  86. drwebs
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    I have no clue why this game got so low of scores. It is a solid game with a fresh take on all the mmo worlds You also get tons of fun conspiratorial view points.
  87. Systems
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Good Graphics, Quests are the best that I have played in a MMO, Voice acting is spot on, the mood the game sets is truly amazing..it sucks you right in and keeps your interest. The skill wheel allows for freedom to overcome most things ingame which I have never seen anywhere...no alts required. The overall story is just engrossing, you just want more and more. The community is very helpfulGood Graphics, Quests are the best that I have played in a MMO, Voice acting is spot on, the mood the game sets is truly amazing..it sucks you right in and keeps your interest. The skill wheel allows for freedom to overcome most things ingame which I have never seen anywhere...no alts required. The overall story is just engrossing, you just want more and more. The community is very helpful and mature, none of that barrens chat. Definately one of the better MMOs I have played in a long time. The critic review based on a beta version seems to be way off.… Expand
  88. dull_boy
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Wonderfully refreshing MMO in a market saturated by WoW clones. Funcom dared to be different with The Secret World. Excellent modern-horror story. Well-written voice acted missions, to the extent that it is easy to become invested in the outcome. Open-ended ability progression with near limitless deck combinations. Give the trial a go, you may be pleasantly surprised!
  89. Elend
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    This game is everything I've been waiting for. The storyline and setting sets a mood unlike any other mmo. The potential to social interaction almost outweighs the game itself, with already two online radios organizing live in-game events. The game mechanics are original in almost every aspect and allow you unprecedented freedom in, imagining what your kick ass hero would look like andThis game is everything I've been waiting for. The storyline and setting sets a mood unlike any other mmo. The potential to social interaction almost outweighs the game itself, with already two online radios organizing live in-game events. The game mechanics are original in almost every aspect and allow you unprecedented freedom in, imagining what your kick ass hero would look like and than making it happen in game.… Expand
  90. Notyourbusiness
    Aug 24, 2012
    7
    I tried the secret world. I loved the secret world. And I will NOT pay for it any longer. It has some pretty neat ideas (world, character development,some quests, etc.) but I do not like the fact that it is simply broken. If I always have to think, if I am too dumb to solve that quest or if it is broken, it spoils all the fun for me. I found myself always using the in-game browser to solveI tried the secret world. I loved the secret world. And I will NOT pay for it any longer. It has some pretty neat ideas (world, character development,some quests, etc.) but I do not like the fact that it is simply broken. If I always have to think, if I am too dumb to solve that quest or if it is broken, it spoils all the fun for me. I found myself always using the in-game browser to solve the most mediocre quests to find out where I have to go and/or if I am there, what I have to do to fix it. Best example: The Black House. Nice quest. Nice story behind it. No combat. Great. And then it is buggy midway. Yeeehaw.
    Then the leveling system. I like it. I could do whatever I want. In theory. Practically I have to predetermine a deck and use it all the way to the higher levels or I would totally suck at the second map. It is a system that should encourage curiosity. But it punishes me for it. Why?
    I would have preferred a system in which I would be able to not suck so much even at lower levels. When I got my first elite skill, I thought, yeah, now I can fight those pretty heavy monsters on even terms. Well, no. I used pistols. My elite was overpowered first, but then it lost all useability. That is not the way of an elite skill, is it? It should always be useful, but not overpowered. What is the sense of a skill wheel, if I have to use some skills which are clearly stronger than others? Why can't I just spend my skill points just as I want, without suckin early on (I put some thought in it, I did not just use random stuff. It works well at the beginning, but afterwards, I just suck, because I cannot unlock the skills I want, but the next one. And that bloody takes a freaking long time)
    I did not play it to the high end content, because the game would not let me play as I wanted it to.
    The ideas are great. I would like the skill wheel if it was properly balanced. A lot of skills are useless, but I like the idea of a lot of skills. It would be great if I was able to unlock all of them in an earlier stage. I hate the shackles this game is giving me.
    I liked the combat though. Yeah, you gotta press a button and aiming for yourself would be sooo much cooler, but hey! If I can do what I want (which I CANNOT) why not. The game crushed repeatedly on my computer, making it nearly unplayable. All in all:
    It is a beta. I would play it if it were free to play. In its current state I won't.
    If they fix all the bugs in the quests and give me my freedom I expected from this game, I will definitely come back to the secret world. Try it when it's free.    … Expand
  91. dukediem
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    A good game, with not too many bugs, and the few bugs I encountered have now been fixed.
    Very nice difference on this game compared to others. Sure a lot is the same (since its an MMO), but compared to some of the other larger ones, there is definitely remarkable differences.
    The investigation missions are fun, some hard, and great. I advise NOT to cheat yourself through them if you    A good game, with not too many bugs, and the few bugs I encountered have now been fixed.
    Very nice difference on this game compared to others. Sure a lot is the same (since its an MMO), but compared to some of the other larger ones, there is definitely remarkable differences.
    The investigation missions are fun, some hard, and great.
    I advise NOT to cheat yourself through them if you can. Get some hints? Yah you probably do need that on some of them, but the journey in this game is great.

    I have played every major western MMORPG since before that word was coined, and I havn't had as much fun playing them since I did in the days of Asheron's Call, and later the betas and first two years of WoW.

    Missions do not feel repeative (even though almost all quests CAN be repeated as often as you like), the world seem great and interesting, and the fact that you can play across all the servers means you always meet good and interesting people to play with.

    I've had a lot of "Man, I really enjoy this!" moments in this game so far!
    It definatly gets my stamp of approval.    … Expand
  92. Vaelen
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    Finally, a game that does not treat it`s player base as dumb monkeys, a more mature player base and most important, a monthly update to content. I do not think any other game out there does this.

    Yes, it does have its small errors as in minor bugs and some other nuisances, but such is every MMO out there, especially those that were just released. And if you can look past those, and just    Finally, a game that does not treat it`s player base as dumb monkeys, a more mature player base and most important, a monthly update to content. I do not think any other game out there does this.

    Yes, it does have its small errors as in minor bugs and some other nuisances, but such is every MMO out there, especially those that were just released. And if you can look past those, and just enjoy the gameplay until they get fixed, you will have a ton of fun and joy in TSW.

    Some complain that it    … Expand
  93. Mael
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    This game is a breath of fresh air to me, a dedicated MMO gamer of many years. It's the first game for a long time that a) makes you use your brain, and b) has no stereotypical levelling structures. You have freedom of how you want to skill up your toons. The scriptwriting, dark humour, and cutscenes are awesome. The monthly sub on this is actually a pleasure to pay for me. I have been soThis game is a breath of fresh air to me, a dedicated MMO gamer of many years. It's the first game for a long time that a) makes you use your brain, and b) has no stereotypical levelling structures. You have freedom of how you want to skill up your toons. The scriptwriting, dark humour, and cutscenes are awesome. The monthly sub on this is actually a pleasure to pay for me. I have been so sick of mindless button mashing MMO's for such a long time.… Expand
  94. Saito
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    This is the first MMORPG that I really enjoyed in the last 5 years, and I played almost every single MMO out there since Ultima Online!

    The history is really amazing, actual and not a tipical franchise of other worlds. Having the history line occurring in a real world and in the current year is just adding icing to the cake. It mixes real history, past myths and secret societies, that    This is the first MMORPG that I really enjoyed in the last 5 years, and I played almost every single MMO out there since Ultima Online!

    The history is really amazing, actual and not a tipical franchise of other worlds. Having the history line occurring in a real world and in the current year is just adding icing to the cake. It mixes real history, past myths and secret societies, that feels a mix between lovecraft, the davinci code and the walking dead :)

    Combat and gameplay is quite unique, I really enjoy playing it both solo and doing dungeons with other people. There is tons of options to experiment, improve and you are not stuck to once role or skillset, which is great.

    I've been playing already for 1 month, many hours every day, and I just can't feel bored anytime. There is so much stuff going on that is overwhelming!

    The current score of 72 from Metacritic is just sad, they don't deserve that score, at least they should have a score of 92.    … Expand
  95. Novia2223
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    The Secret World restored my faith in both the genre and developers. This is not a WoW like grindfest, or a rush to get to "endgame" content. The skills and abilities you earn at the beginning of the game can serve you perfectly well through later game content. The skill system doesn't focus on the grind or min/maxing. Instead, the player is treated like an adult, a person who enjoys aThe Secret World restored my faith in both the genre and developers. This is not a WoW like grindfest, or a rush to get to "endgame" content. The skills and abilities you earn at the beginning of the game can serve you perfectly well through later game content. The skill system doesn't focus on the grind or min/maxing. Instead, the player is treated like an adult, a person who enjoys a good book, a person who wants mature content in a mature world. The world is the most visceral quality in the game, and they have managed to bring every zone to life. The quest system changes your mentality from jumping from quest to quest to actually exploring and seeing the care crafted into it. I look at each quest as a page on my characters story, rather than something I need for experience or loot. I take my time with every bit of content and the pace fits my desire for a mature game. The growing community is patient and educated, mature and confident. Wiping 10 times on a boss in a dungeon isn't something to be ashamed of, it's a challenge. Release was smooth, with quick additions and bug fixes steadily applied. Since starting, I've turned 5 like-minded friends onto the game and each of them feels the same. This isn't a game to rush through, it's not a game to power level. It does not hold your hand and go over every single detail. Investigation missions send you out into the world to figure things out and adapt. This is the first game in a long time I've felt challenges and expects its players to rise to the challenge. With monthly content updates and a long term plan, more than any other MMO before, I feel like my subscription is well spent.… Expand
  96. eivindgn
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    Level- and worldbuilding is excellent and makes me wonder how on earth they managed to mess it up so badly in AoC. The atmosphere is great and the missions lovely varied for a mmog - investigation missions are fantastic. Combat system is pretty much par for the genre, although I like how you don't have to lock yourself into a build and can pick abilities on-the-fly (usually afterLevel- and worldbuilding is excellent and makes me wonder how on earth they managed to mess it up so badly in AoC. The atmosphere is great and the missions lovely varied for a mmog - investigation missions are fantastic. Combat system is pretty much par for the genre, although I like how you don't have to lock yourself into a build and can pick abilities on-the-fly (usually after respawning...) to overcome special foes. The gui needs a bit of polish. High points: missions that invites you to think for yourself; it's easy to die; and it's easy to get something done solo if you don't have time or people to do group missions. Contemporary setting a welcome change. Overall: pleasantly surprised.… Expand
  97. thebodster
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    What a breath of fresh air to an ailing market. Finally a game that warrants its players with some intelligence and doesn't treat them like children.

    Complex and involving investigation missions (if you ignore the general chat!) that will keep me coming back time and time again.

    Well done Funcom, you should be commended.
  98. NicholasRay
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    Definitely a breath of fresh air when it comes to the MMO world. Many reviews say the combat is weak, but i have to disagree with that. Thought it may not be like other MMOs were you stand around slashing back and forth, in this game you actually have to pay attention, move around, know what attacks to pull off next. It's fun and different and believe its great for the game. The uniqueDefinitely a breath of fresh air when it comes to the MMO world. Many reviews say the combat is weak, but i have to disagree with that. Thought it may not be like other MMOs were you stand around slashing back and forth, in this game you actually have to pay attention, move around, know what attacks to pull off next. It's fun and different and believe its great for the game. The unique progression of characters gets rid of the need for alts unless you want to be in a different secret society and get different outfits by building certain decks so it lets you create the character you want to create and make it more YOU. The story and setting are just amazing. It makes me actually want to go around and collect lore and learn more and more about the history of what i'm playing. The games missions feel very fresh and don't really repeat themselves at all and there are three different types of missions that make you think. The voice acting and writing is all great and FunCom seems to fix all bugs very often. One of the best and fresh MMO's I have ever played.… Expand
  99. Docmortem
    Aug 21, 2012
    9
    + setting
    + quests
    + skill system
    + synchronization (English is good ... German is weird at times because they try to copy the speaking ductus of the English version ... which makes some characters even more spycho than they are supposed to be)
    + graphics
    + monthly updates
    + fun
    + fast support
    + investigative quests

    - animation
    - bugs (chat, quest mechanics)
    - at times extreme nerdy
  100. Ticklefist
    Aug 20, 2012
    5
    I believe the "professional" critics have got this one about right. For all it does differently in the narrative department, The Secret World is still an MMO at its core. The game has all the regular genre staples such as guided progression via solo and group questing, group dungeons, and loot grinding. If you enjoy daily quests and daily quest hubs then consider The Secret World one bigI believe the "professional" critics have got this one about right. For all it does differently in the narrative department, The Secret World is still an MMO at its core. The game has all the regular genre staples such as guided progression via solo and group questing, group dungeons, and loot grinding. If you enjoy daily quests and daily quest hubs then consider The Secret World one big hub because virtually every quest is repeatable. The combat is simple enough that anyone willing to learn it can but it may not have the depth that others desire. Overall it's a decent game that's got everything people have come to expect from MMOs, both good and bad, except for the raiding. That's fine with me.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 55
  3. Negative: 1 out of 55
  1. Armchair Empire
    Oct 22, 2013
    90
    The Secret World delivers an MMO experience that's distinctly different from its competitors, and it's likely going to remain the standard for future games in the horror/supernatural genre.
    Read full review
  2. GameStar
    Dec 17, 2012
    81
    I am really looking forward to the next mission, the next dialog, the next puzzle. As in a solo role-playing game flat. And this is not an error but a boon.
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  3. 4P.de
    Sep 18, 2012
    76
    I like the open character development where I don't have to wear a class straitjacket as well as the quiet discovery of mysterious dangers. But more often that it wants to, The Secret World is "just" an ordinary MMO.
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