At first, I didn't like The Secret World (TSW) when I tried it in Beta, mostly for it's controls. Man I hated those controls.

However, there were many things I did enjoy. The story, the environment, the graphics, and the customization, all of which are spectacular.

Last week, I decided to give it another go, but this time, I hooked up an Xbox 360 controller, and let me tell you, what a difference that made! My initial misgivings over the controls were quickly forgotten, and I was quickly able to get back to enjoying what was truly important about the game.

I would highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys games with good storylines, or games with good graphics, or games set in a modern, realistic environment. Additionally, if you are a fan of puzzles and figuring out complex mysteries, this game is totally for you!

Right now, the game is still new, so some bugs and gliches are to be expected. However, those will be overcome in time. Patience is a key when jumping into a new MMO. But in the case of TSW, that patience will pay off.… Expand

This game is refreshing. You do not have 42 active skills/spells to deal with on your hot bar. Instead you have 500+ to choose and add 7 to the hot/action bar. With this you can play the game and not just play a hot bar.
Missions; yes you do have a few of the typical kill ten rats, but they are far and few between and most missions are interesting and fun. Also, the puzzle missions are way to fun to not mention and there are more of them coming. The current community of the game is a good one, seems more mature then some other games that I have played.… Expand

I'm absolutely in love with the game's design. The sets are gorgeous, I have to work at putting my build together... first major update included several interesting and involved puzzle quests (in addition to what was already included) The things I love about gaming and always wished were in MMOs, are quite present. This is also one of the most stable, mostly bug-free MMO I've seen at launch, and it's already improving. This game gets all the thumbs up!

Other moments of awesome of interest: Getting to use sledgehammers, axes, shotguns, chainsaws, and flamethrowers against zombies. Losing a helicopter ride to Cthulhu's cousin. Getting to wear denim in combat (armor gets sweaty, yanno?) [spoiler] ing the freaking legendary [spoiler] [spoiler] away from [spoiler] . (Seriously, you can't miss it.) Going to have to stop there, because a lot of the awesome gets spoiler-y quick.

Practical awesomeness: Builds are powerful because of synergy, and buffed by gear. I had a tank that debuffed enemy offense, buffed his own health and damage resist, and hulked out on command. The debuffed enemies also triggered a number of benefits. Swapping a few powers around produced an insanely resilient solo build.

Toon clothing is cheap, and some of it's unlocked by achievement. It has nothing to do with stats... so your appearance is a matter of personal taste. I confess, I've walked to the clothing shoppe after unlocking a nice jacket... because I wanted some pants to go with it. Some faction-specific costumes are quite stunning. (Not all. Some.)

You have an absurdly high maximum for inventory space. At the high end, you can absolutely keep several sets of gear only varying in their secondary stats, to help with various builds. At the mid-range, you can easily set aside some space for crafting. There is no craft skill. Consumable kits and raw ingredients obtained via milling and refining gear you don't need anymore comprise the whole of it. The crafting is less about making something more potent, and more about upgrading that one stubborn slot you haven't found a replacement for in ages.

Some quests are about using interactive terrain features to avoid combat. Set off a car alarm to make a guard leave their post. Avoid security cameras and laser tripwires. Find access codes to open a gate... or find a good spot to jump over the fence. Sneaking around mobs is always a fun part of MMOs... and there are missions that reward it.

Grouping cross-dimension is allowed, and encouraged, and a thoroughly underrated benefit. Being able to run a pick-up-group with people around the globe means night owls in one part of the planet can team up with early risers overseas when you finally have time to run that dungeon you wanted... but nobody in your time zone is online.

Quest tracking is very different. One "main" mission, The Story Mission, and 3 side missions. Dungeon missions have their own slot too. "Main" missions are given by a character, with a cutscene. Side missions are interesting elements you find lying about. A note, an odd artifact, a trail of blood... The rewards are not huge, but they are often quick, and built to lead you to where another quest starts. If you pick up another quest, you pause the first until you resume it from the source... with your progress saved.

In-game browser at a button-press is included in the game, pointing to google. It isn't a joke. I had to research a couple articles to solve quests. I've needed paper and pencil to crack cryptography. Or to look up a solution, so I could benefit from someone else typing out binary or transcribing morse code to figure out coordinates, or getting a laptop password cracked.

In other words:

The game is levelless, makes you work at solving problems, makes you look closely, at the world, and explore. The writing is solid. The characters are interesting. The ability system is extremely interesting (and I'm pretty sure you can't actually have an "optimal" build, because situations vary... and a lot of things work just fine). With the plans to keep adding more content monthly (which sounds like a crazy-fast release schedule to me, mad props if they can keep that up.) I doubt I'll be getting bored anytime soon. :)… Expand

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

I would have given the game in its current state closer to an 8 if it weren't for the fact that Funcom is pushing out patch after patch and the game just gets better and better. It suffers from your typical bugs and such that ANY other MMO had to go through upon launch, nothing extraordinary except for the fact that the game went live with no server stability issues and no lag. Seriously, the infrastructure setup is phenomenal. No server crashes or lag in the most populated areas of the game at all. To make things even better, Funcom actually listens to the community and makes changes based on player feed back.

Second, I gotta hand it to all the derps who wrote reviews regarding EA and how any game problems are their fault. We all know EA turns to crap anything it touches, but EA has nothing to do with TSW except for the publishing, you know, the distribution aspect. They have no control over how the game is made in any way, shape or form. Zero development control. Learn to do your research first.

I've had the chance to read some of the lower score reviews other people have written and it's quite clear that some majority of them are WoW babies who aren't used to having a game that doesn't practically play itself. Yes, the game is challenging, yes you will have to think for yourself, yes you can't just stand in one place and spam an iwin button until everything is dead. Yes, the game will feel clunky at first to anybody who's used to WoW, but if you actually spend some time and play the game you'll quickly find that what initially feels like "clunky" is actually just "different" and after spending some hours figuring it out you'll have no problems adapting.

The skill / ability system is complex. Yes, it would have been easy for the entire system to end up unusable and utterly broken because of how complex it is, but Funcom pulled it off and made something awe inspiring. It's hard to make a build that's just inherently broken as long as you have two brain cells to rub together. The level of customizability is amazing and vast.

Visually, this game is also pretty impressive for an MMO. There's no WoW or GW2 stylized anime-ish graphics here. This game isn't set in never-never land, this is the real world and things look like it. The only drawback is that, as people have so fervently pointed out, the combat animations are a bit wonky but if that's actually a major complaint then I think you just need to find a new hobby. Maybe needlepoint. It's less stressful.

The story line and plot of this TSW is so engrossing and well written that I can't even adequately put it into words. I find myself watching EVERY cutscene, talking to every NPC and listening to all the dialog they have to offer. The mission completion texts for the Illuminati are just as rewarding than the XP and item rewards. And the Lore. Don't get me started on the Lore, I'll be here all day. FANTASTIC!

In all, this game isn't for everyone, but for the rest of us who aren't concerned with flashy combat animations and anime inspired graphics and for those of us who would like to use that 3 pound lump jelly inside of our skulls, this is the MMO we've been waiting for.… Expand

I was tentative at first, after Funcom's AO and AOC debacles. TSW makes me feel more confident that Funcom can do a good job. The areas are interesting, exciting and fresh. The missions range from easy "collect these items" to challenging investigation missions that have no waypoints provided to the user.

I love this game and the environment it gives us to run around in.

Finally an MMO that is enjoyable to play. There is an actual world to explore and the way to explore is not hours of raiding for the right item or an arbitrary level requirement. Clever crafting and environmental awareness are rewarded the most by Funcom. The investigation missions are just plain awesome and completion is highly rewarding (in-game and out).. There is a trial apparently and my advice to new comers is to look around and think like you are really there. There are yellow pages to browse in phone booths, ARG style websites on google. If you find a cellphone that says "the password is the first hymn on sunday", go to the church and look at where one would post hymns numbers in a real church.… Expand

The basic concept of TSW is very good, an 'Adventure' style MMO. However, the actual implementation of the game leaves much to be desired.

* This is another released 'Beta' game. I am thinking it really needed another 6 to 12 months of content development, beta testing, bug fixing, and polishing.

* To few zones, and the zones are VERY small, with grinding the same content repeatedly (almost all the Main and Side quests are 'dailies') needed to actually build a character.

* Quest model where you can only have 1 Main / 3 Side / 1 Dungeon / 1 Story is, in my opinion, just a mechanic to drag out the time needed to play a zone. One should note that even though when you complete a quest, you (sometimes) get the completion reward on-the-spot via mail type mechanic, you STILL need to go back and pickup a new quest anyway. 95% or more of your 'game' time will be spent running from point to point.

* Really not much choice in progression. Choose a weapon, grind all the SP/AP to build that weapon. Rinse and Repeat. More grinding. There really is no choice, other than what weapon to start on first. Eventually, you do get some extra skills, and have to select what to go on your hotbar, but that selection is pretty straight forward depending on what you are going to be doing, Tank/Heal/DPS.

* Yes, this is yet another 'Holy Trinity' game. So tired of this model. Really.

* Yet another Single Player MMO. Every incentive NOT to play with other players, except in dungeons/Raids. Same old, same old.

* Gameplay is laggy, buggy, and not very smooth. Glowy quest items often do not work.

* So tired of the !/? Quest model. Time for it to go.

* Overall, I see TSW as a thinly disguised WOW clone. Not worth the $50 box price, and
certainly not worth a $15/mo subscription.

* Box Purchase AND $15 Month Sub AND Cash Shop == Fail

Give it a try, if you have the extra $50 to spare. But, just be aware that this game is really in an advanced Beta state, and that it is a grinder. Nothing new to see here.

P.S. Even though ALL the cut-scenes show what most folks would consider to be standard, slow moving zombies, the zombies in TSW game itself are the fastest dang zombies I have ever seen.

Note: This is my review that I posted on Amazon, should it look familiar.… Expand

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

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.

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 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

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 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

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

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.

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

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 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

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 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

For being an MMO, the storyline is amazing. It's very deep and well written, and the graphics is probably the best in it's genre. There are a few bugs here and there, but overall it's a great experience. Best part is that the subscription is gone. Pay once and play as much as you want. This game doesn't suffer from what other F2P games does. There's no "Pay to win" in this game at all. All you can purchase are more item and character slots and a few boosts that makes you level up faster, but that's more to help you progress faster and it won't effect your gameplay experience if you choose not to pay for extra stuff. Considering that you can get the game for about $20-30, being completely fee-free and offers the player alot of fun, I highly recommend this game.… Expand

I played during the beta but decided to wait a bit before buying into the game. I purchased the game in early January so I now have 2 months plus the beta time under my belt and I'm still torn on how I feel about the game. I believe Funcom should be commended for trying to think outside of the MMORPG box in regards to their skills and abilities system. Far too many MMOs follow a simplistic model where the player makes one initial "spec" choice and everything in the future is confined to this choice. By removing the idea of numerical "levels", Funcom was able to dispense with this paradigm entirely, allowing players to earn an infinite amount of Ability and Skill Points that can be allocated in any skill. These skills are then used like a customizable card game, where the player determines which skills they prefer and must discover how various skills and passive abilities complement each other. The system can be overwhelming at first but once a new player gets the hang of it, it can be very rewarding. However, because it's still an MMO at heart, players have discovered which weapons or skills are the "best" and have already started sharing "cookie cutter" builds (called "decks") to min-max potential. The act of exploring different playstyles is negated by guilds (called "cabals") who want people to build certain decks for hard mode content and raids. Gameplay is traditional MMO fare: find a rotation and stick to it. Certain skills build points while other spend the points you build and this can be managed between both equipped weapons. In many MMOs, like Warcraft, the playerbase tends to look down on classes where you only click one or two buttons and call it a day but, thanks to the design of only allowing 7 abilities, TSW makes a 2-4 button "rotation" typical for everyone regardless of weapons chosen or deck design. Within only a few hours, the monotony of the combat system sets in. While players get beefier spells as they progress, the monotony of the design never changes. An elemental magic user, for example, might graduate from "Shock" to "Arc Flash" as a primary nuke but the rotation remains the same. Graphically the game is decent but not great. It suffers from many graphical glitches. DX11 integration is lacking and often causes performance drops even on high end systems. Character models are stiff, bland, and uninteresting while combat models and particle effects are merely passable. The world environments are amazing but suffer from texture pop in and shadow issues on both DX9 and DX11 modes. The story of The Secret World tries to pass off a dark, Lovecraftian, post-apocalyptic world full of warring secret societies but falls flat. The secret societies don't feel fleshed out enough to feel as though they're really mortal enemies, and the world doesn't feel as dark as it looks. The in game store is an unmitigated disaster, often having trouble dealing with transactions and bugging out while delivering items that are bought. In addition, the cost of these items are ridiculously high ($7 for a black trenchcoat for ONE character, for example) and is often the only way to get decent cosmetic items as the game's vendors have simple, bland, goods. All told, it can be an enjoyable game but it still retains many of the bugs that were present back in the beta, nickles and dimes players as bad as free-to-play MMOs, and doesn't do anything particularly groundbreaking. The ability and skill system is refreshing for a while but marred by the repetition of the combat and the blandness of the story and character interaction. At $29.99, it is worth playing for the casual player. For the hardcore MMO player, TSW leaves much to be desired.… Expand

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 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

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.

A strong MMORPG set in modern horror with an enjoyably unique character progression system. Loses a point for lack of polish: can't hotkey consumables and the quick gear+talent swap tool doesn't always remember your gear (useful for switching between a tank and dps role, for example, but you have to manually equip some of your tank gear). Does multiplayer right by allowing friends to play together even from different servers.

There are three things I think really stand out for this game:

-Non-linear character progression
There are no levels in this game. There are nine weapon types, from which you can equip any two at a time, and each has it's own skill tree with about 50 abilities. These trees start with cheap, up-front abilities, and branch into more expensive, specialized ones. The catch is, at any time you're limited to 7 active (clicky) abilities, and 7 passive abilities. The game facilitates and encourages swapping these in and out as your situation requires, which can be done instantly and freely anytime you're out of combat. This is way more enjoyable customization than what "talent trees" and classes in other MMOs tend to provide. It also tends to solve the natural lack of tanks/healers, since these roles have the option to deal damage with a simple gear/spec swap.

-Engaging story and dungeons
Most of your experience points will come from completing quests, which are usually much better than those offered up in other MMOs, and are repeatable on about a day's cooldown. The game differentiates between different kinds of quests, and by design limits you to one main quest at a time, making it more engaging and less of a to-do kill list. Action quests are closest to your standard MMO fair: you kill a progression of baddies usually culminating with some big baddie at the end. Sabotage missions typically involve sneaking around some cameras, traps, or high-powered guards, with very minimal fighting. Investigation missions will test your puzzling skills and imagination, and even require looking up information outside of the game (hieroglyphics, Morse code, ISBN numbers on books, etc). The latter can be incredibly rewarding both in xp and in the atypical nature of the quest, though like any puzzle game solutions can also be found online.

Dungeons are very well streamlined. Trash pulls are almost non-existent, so the group can focus on the real meat of group instanced combat: the boss fights. There's plenty going on during the fights, almost every fight has you dodging some badness, reacting to changing phases and adds, etc. Roles tend to stay pretty close to the "holy-trinity" of tank+healer+3dps, but the nature of setting up your 7 actives/passives leaves within that quite a bit of room for diversity - off heals/tank are definitely possible, and anyone can opt for a personal heal/cleanse at the cost of one of those 7 precious slots.

-Social
It's the little things. Like most MMOs Secret World breaks into server instances to manage its user base into manageable chunks. Unlike most MMOs, Funcom didn't make this into an artificial barrier to playing with your friends. Your friends list seamlessly crosses servers, and you can join a group with someone on another server and temporarily hop to their server to play.

Because there are no levels, there's no level gap, either. You can group with another player regardless of different power levels, and complete missions, and not feel penalized for it, and because you can repeat most missions you can always find something to do together.

These two things together might easily be the biggest selling point for the MMO, and they're so simple it's stupid, but so many other AAA MMO games get it wrong, in my opinion. The most important thing in an MMO game is the game should be multiplayer friendly, you should be able to join your friends and find rewarding content to enjoy effortlessly - and Funcom nailed this.… Expand

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 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

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 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

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.

Great constantly growing singeplayer+MMO.
Just try it if you have somewhat powerful PC. It definitely worth more than its price (B2P now) just for singleplayer content. So just try.

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

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 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

The... worst... game ive played. Bought it for $90. NOT WORTH IT!!! terrible aiming system. you cant run, move your view and shoot at the same time, unless you have three hands. you click something, and then need to push another button (1,2,3 etc) to attack, so you can't just click and have default attack. I may be wrong here, but I didn't give the game enough time to find out: it didn't deserve it. You're told to find the "secret" illuminati. Who everyone, EVERYONE on the street happens to know and be talking about at that exact time. but even if you couldn't listen to them, or find the woeful "technology trail" there were still icons on the screen pointing to the desired location. On top of that, you have a lot of speech options, with no real reason to use any that aren't directly involved with your quest. Not to mention an over complicated skill set/system. Terrible. Totally... terrible. I'm surprised i even bothered writing a review of it.… Expand

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

I am enjoying this game more than expected! For the first time I do think about a game after the computer is shut down. Last time this happened was when I played Ultima Online and Asheron's Call

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.

This is, simply put, the best and most original MMORPG I have ever played. So if you're looking for a game set in present day, which flirts a lot with the horror genre and has a great depth when it comes to storytelling, then this game is definitely for you.

This is probably the best and most unique mmo that has come around for many a years. Its a long time since i mmo gave me that magic mmo feeling that only two other mmo's gave me... AO and EVE online.

Seriously.. this game deserves to be tried.

Immersive, exciting, daring, attention grabbing and yes sometimes frustrating. All these adjectives describe my adventures in The Secret World.

In this place I can be anything I want to be, do anything I want to do... A sexy axe weilding brunnette who can shoot lightning from her fingers.... a frumpy old man with a shotgun in his hands and pistols at his side.... an innocent co-ed just rolled out of bed, still in her bunny slippers wielding an assault rifle and a pair of fist weapons, more deadly than her cute smile would indicate..

This is an MMO unlike any I have ever played. The learning curve is higher than average but there are many opportunities to learn in cleverly placed solo instances along your journey that make you break away from the pack so you can use your build to face the challenge laid before you... If you fail you have the opportunity to change your actives or passives as you need to defeat the challenge... If you cannot, go out earn some more xp and pick up the abilities that you failed to do so in the past so you can come back in and win.

I can tank, heal and dps all on the same toon.. I can build a straight out healer or a combination of skills as unique or cookie cutter as I want... Exploration... OMG! I investigate and solve riddles that make me find it within myself to translate morse code, read runes, follow signals, search google for both well and unknown litterature and art all on my journey through the world.

I feel like I cannot fully express the contents of the secret world... It really can be what you want it to be. If you allow yourself to progress at your pace and fully immerse yourself in the game it can be a fun escape... I cannot wait to face the gatekeeper and see how I do. The gatekeeper is a solo challenge that you must win in order to enter the nightmare modes. You can face him as a tank, dps or a healer... you must face him alone. Some people make it look easy, others have been unable to pass... I don't know what type of challenge faces me but I cannot wait to find out.

The only area I am waiting for improvement on is the PVP. I love some PVP but this game does't quite do it for me.... A 3 faction fight has alll sorts of fun written all over it. It will happen though, eventually.. until then I can get my PVP fix elsewhere.. the rest of the world is just amazing....… Expand

this game is a sleeper why because of the name "the secret world" this game is evil at times but what tsw does is let you take your time to go threw the game.there are some faults like the combat but that they are updating the combat consonantly to give a better experience. this world is evil lets say tsw is the childe of call of cthulhu had a child with 7 guest and you have the secret world . why people are turn off by the secret world is because no one knows about it. quest titles are fun to read and fun to try to finger out how to do the quest "Hell and Bach " some quest like hell and bach needs you to ask for help do you wan to know why you need to pay attention to what is given to in the 1 part of the quest ORDERINT DUM METUANT this is latan for "Let them hate as long as they fear… Expand

This game surpassed any expectations I had. The environment and story are incredible, the quests intriguing and require understanding of your environment to solve many of the investigation missions. Even the quests that have waypoints (the ones that remind more of popular mmos) are well thought and fun. The launch was incredibly smooth with a minor amount of bugs in comparison to other released titles these past years. If you are one of those people that has been almost dying waiting for a change of scenery and innovation in the never-ending copy-cat mmo industry, TSW is for. And the fun has only began.… Expand

Despite the Critic reviews, I bought this game, and I am super glad I did. Clearly the critics didn't actually play the game because it has so many good things about it.

First and foremost the graphics and story are phenomenal. The cut scenes and voice acting make me look forward to the missions. The graphics are exceptionally well done and suit the story and environment perfectly.

The game mechanics are also very well done. There are no "classes" or "levels", and surprisingly it really does work. You can make any type of character you like based on the skills you choose. And what's really great is that you never have to reroll your character because quests are repeatable so you can earn more points to try new skills. Also, although I haven't tried it, you can advance your character via PvP battles, but I am too wrapped up in the awesome story and side quests to do that.

Speaking of which... I am 42 hours into the game and it has been a blast. Even if there is no endgame content when I finish it in another 50-60 hours, I am very glad at having spent the $50 I paid for this game.

So, try the game despite the critics reviews. Maybe they got paid off to bad mouth it. Maybe they just didn't bother learning the ropes of a game that is very much NOT A COOKIE CUTTER CLONE of any MMO's in recent history. The game has very open ended ways to play it, so if it's hand holding you want, stick with WoW or any of it's clones.… Expand

This is a very nice game, good gameplay and level mechanics and the whole quest system is really well set : mysteries, enigmas and stuff that will make your brain work (once in a while, that's good).
The dark side of all this ? The PVP system.
Two maps where you'll probably never go, a giant map where it gets boring after 20 minutes but still good for fast xp. Battles can't last for long because you'll get blown to pieces in split seconds and that's the sad part, really. A better PVP system and real good maps could give this game a 8 instead of 6 (for me). I guess this game can easily create his own fans and stand still with the arrival of GW2 but players who want some more action and epic battles will go to GW2, i can bet it.… Expand

I've played a many of MMOs through their end-game over the last 10 years; EQ, EQ2, LoTRO ... most recently SWTOR and now TSW. TSW is by a mile the most interesting, unique, fun MMO I've ever experienced. I've now logged just under 10 days of playtime (around 250 hours) and I'm still highly engaged. The skill/leveling system is fantastic and a breath of fresh air in the MMO industry. The content is actually difficult (in Nightmare mode) and highly dynamic. The community is great. Never takes more than 5 minutes to find a group for anything I'd like to work on. Are there a few bugs, sure. But the game has been live for only a few months and they're fixing things everyday. I'm a lifetime subscriber and will play this for a LONG time. Thank you Funcom.… Expand

This MMORG requires more effort than most, but is worth the investment. Instead of cookie cutter abilities, players can pick and choose among literally hundreds of active and passive powers. And there's the rub. It takes some effort to put together sets of abilities that work well together. You can do it yourself, or you can check out fan sites with suggested builds. I think it gives the game some real versatility, and you never are in a position where you regret your class choice, because there are no classes! Want to do something else? Just buy the abilities with experience and do it.… Expand

If you like PvE but need something deeper aesthetically and intellectually play this game! The atmostphere and production value are superior to that of WoW or SWTOR. The mechanics are new and deep for those who like figuring out game systems. The game is hard though, and honestly while it does rely on many MMO tropes, thinking with paradigms brought from WoW or SWtOR would be unhelpful to you as a player. Questing and builds have to be treated entirely differently. For instance, questing is about stories, not about loot or XP farming. You can only pursue one major quest actively. This means if you take a new quest your other quest is paused. Meaning you can't just collect a list of chores and go do them. Even if you were allowed to do this it would be extremely difficult as some of the people near the initial quest givers give quests for much more experienced characters. You want to choose one quest, and follow the quest chain all across the zone until you are brought back to the hub. Character builds are different in that there are no classes, or restrictions on how many abilities you can get. There are weapons, and restrictions on what kind of abilities you can have actively. The system is confusing at first, and you will make mistakes. However these mistakes end up just being another set of options you have later. You really only need one character, and you never need to repeat content if you don't want to. The game is young and has a few flaws. It has bugs, and it is thirsty for all those small pieces of content that older games are riddled with (homes, marriages,new clothing). PvP is kind of an after thought, and if you are thirsty for pvp content honestly I would suggest Team Fortress 2 or League of Legends as those provide great pvp for free.… Expand

really disappointed with this game. This game is mediocre at best, disappointing considering the development time it took it was suppose to be free to play i guess at the last minute they decided to slap a monthly few on it but judging by the couple of hours i spent in game it will probably be free to play or bankrupt in the next couple of months. combat was very disappointing really boring. the visuals in this game are nice and the premise is cool but over all this game isnt worth the price or the monthly fee wish i waited for reviews before throwing money down the drain :(. save your money or wait for a sale dont buy full price… Expand

I'm having a blast in this game. The skill system allows me to decide how I want to play my character. The quests are well thought out and written. Last night I got the chills investigating a haunted asylum. I've mostly solo'd my way so far and am not rushing the game by any means. After a month and a half, just entering the second major zone.

Graphically it looks great whether I'm running it on my desktop or laptop computers. I haven't had any crash to desktop issues. And only experienced a few minor bugs in quests (both of which were handled by friendly GM's within 5 minutes of me posting a petition about it).

They've just announced their second "Issue" of new content; so the game continues to grow and evolve.

Some areas do need some work. PvP is a bit lackluster at the moment. But there are also some changes coming to the battlegrounds which may help address those. We'll wait and see.

I'm no where near endgame yet; so can't really comment on dungeons or raids so far.

At this point, though, I was already bailing out of SWTOR and some other recent MMO releases. With TSW I feel like I could be here a year or two from now and still enjoying myself.… Expand

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.

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 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

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

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 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

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

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, 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

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.

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 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

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 !

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), 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

+ -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

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 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

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 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

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.

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

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

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 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

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

The Secret World is a hidden gem in the MMO landscape. The quests are brilliant and very few are simply fetch X of this and kill Y of that. They have a lot of thought put into them and the resulting questing experience is really enjoyable and has a lot of flow. Some of the investigation quests are down right devious and you'll be finding yourself using the ingame web browser to help solve them, or if you are up for a bigger challenge, spending a couple of hours trying to crack the code yourself. For instance, one quest involves deciphering morse code to figure out a location to go to. Not so hard if it was written down, but the morse code is audio. Of course the answer is freely available on the internet if you wish to go that way, or decipher yourself if you're really up for a challenge.

The dungeons are also well paced and thought out and offer a good challenge, very minimal trash so the action really flows.

There are no "levels" as such but you'll need to complete quests to gain XP to allow you to wear better armour and gain access to better skills.

Given that this game has dropped the monthly subscription (I'd be surprised to see any major MMOs launch with a monthly subscription in the future btw - I think the micro transaction model is the way of the future) it is well worth the purchase up front for hours and hours of gameplay.… Expand

It been since bc wow that I've lost track of time where 4 hours feels like 1 cause playing is so much fun. I loved it in beta and it's come a long way since then and keeps getting better.

A game with original background and gameplay. Numerous and various missions. A must have when u love MMos. Puzzles in MMos are refreshing and bring a new blood in these kind of games.

Very inovative as MMORPG in many aspect. Questing is a real pleasure and the story is very deep, an uncommon feature for MMORPGs. Now that is B2P i think it deserves the the attention of many.

Oh my this is a 10 all the way. It's unlike any MMO I've played before. I personally find the combat far superior to GW2 and like the graphic style and locations. It also plays at a nice pace (much more relaxed than most MMO's). I missions (quests) have thought involved and don't rely on the constant 'Hello I need 15 apples from the forest' crap. This alone makes this game stand out. I wanted to grab it at release but with so many other games at the time, I neglected it. With the now buy and play deal (aka no more monthly fees) it seemed like the perfect time to test drive the game. People's views on games varies hugely and TSW is no exception here. I hear that the initial release had many mission breaking bugs and assume that's why the critic reviews score it so low. So far, I'm yet to find any of these and think that if it was re-reviewed in it's current state the critical score would be much higher. I for one will champion TSW as it deserves the praise. I just joined the Firefall beta and was extremely unimpressed with it. People need to look at new ways to entertain the public. TSW does this. Buy and enjoy.… Expand

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

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 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

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 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

I was excited about this game. I love the concept of the strange fractured realities and so on. But since it included adult content I won't never play this game. What a shame that such a great game had to be ruined because someone can't keep his dirty mind out of the development.

Fantastic game so far. It's one of those games that are seeming to become more rare these day. You know, the kinds of games that actually require you to think? Not only are the investigation quests a welcome addition to the classic fetch/collect/kill quests but they actually require you to use a little brain power and work out the solution yourself. Unless, of course, you fire up Google and just find the solution that way. I say to hell with what all the "official" review sites say, this game is a must buy. Who the hell is Quarter to Three anyway?… Expand

This game is a whole bucket of awesome sause. The action ranges from survival horror to Indiana Jones exploration. There are also alot of hidden things (easter eggs) that are not easily found. Granted this game isn't like most and does take some time breaking out of old habits. I have found a few issues but their GM/customer support was able to help me get back on track in no time. Also their announcement of monthly content updates has made me one happy customer.… Expand

I have never played a so polished and clean game ever before. It is one of the best MMO and we can clearly see it is Ragnar Tørnquest who are the director behide this wonderfull game. I love the grapich, the fantasy, the storysetting..

It is a wonderfull game!

Immersion into this well-developed, rich environment is a snap. The single player experience of TSW is the best I've ever encountered from an MMO. Even the voice acting is superb! This game is perfect for gamers looking for something more than your typical "Kill X of Y monster and collect Z of their body parts." In The Secret World, many quests are puzzles which require a level of thought beyond any MMO I've encountered - and I've played many. Something that has also helped me fall in love with this game is the community. Sure, there are your fair share of vulgar individuals; however, they seem to (fortunately) be the minority.

I've been playing this game non-stop for the past few days, and my excitement only continues to grow. It's worth mentioning that beyond seeing this game at PAX Easter I had neither followed its progress nor been exposed to any hype. Frankly, I forgot about this game entirely. After spending some time playing, though, my tune has changed entirely. There is (as of 8/15/12) a free 3-day trial being offered on Funcom's website and I *STRONGLY* encourage everyone to give it a shot. What have you got to lose? This game is a gem, and considering the nature of MMORPGs, will only shine brighter with the polish of content patches and fixes for (the VERY few) bugs present in the game.… Expand

This is neither a game for people who like to have everything presented to them nor one for people who think racing to the end game is the point of an mmo. It is a game for people who like to solve puzzles and who slowly go through the game savouring the content. Like other people have mentioned the world design is superb, combat is fun and if it isn't anymore I just change my skill set to something that suits my mood of the moment better and continue. The story keeps me wanting to go ahead with it and my own experience with customer support has been perfect. TSW general chat is the first one sofar where I haven't felt the need to search for the unsubscribe button first thing after entering the world. ----- It is not perfect and there are a few shortcomings and some things I wish Funcom could have solved differently which is why I didn't give it 10/10 but for me at least, it is the closest a mmo has ever come to satisfy my way of gaming.… Expand

This is a great game. Loving the intricate stories and varied missions. The game is beautiful with and fun to play. There is so much to do from missions, dungeons, lairs, exploring, achievements and you get to use all the weapons and change from Tank to healer to DPS to suit the foe.

This is a beautiful game. If you have an appreciation for a well-crafted story, excellent graphics and a challenge unheard of in modern mmo's you should definitely give it a try. This is not a hand-holding experience. You are meant to apply your brain. It is REQUIRED that you adapt to your environment rather than faceroll your way through content. The skill system is deep, expansive and complex, which creates it's own kind of metagame and you are never locked into a particular playstyle. Feel like healing? Swap to a healing build, Tanking? Throw on a few hp/defense/block items and change it up. As with any new MMO if you play hard you will run out of new stuff so I suggest taking it slow and savoring the experience.

The Dev team is passionate and communicate better than any team in any game I've ever played and aren't afraid to tell the whiners that it's MEANT to be hard.

You owe it to yourself to check this game out.… Expand

+ 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

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 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

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

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 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

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.

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 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

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

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 so sick of mindless button mashing MMO's for such a long time.… Expand

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

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 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

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 and than making it happen in game.… Expand

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!

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.

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

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 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

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 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

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

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.

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

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.