Though there are certainly lithe females with oodles of inexplicable powers, The Secret World has nothing to do with that obscure 90s television program. The Secret World is an upcoming massively multiplayer online (MMO) game set in the modern day world. You will notice a distinct lack of "RPG" in the previous sentence, as there are no levels or classes (role-playing game elements). Instead, there are two principle point-based systems for character progression, one for abilities and skill, and the other for supplemental or inherent stats. You acquire points to spend with nearly everything you do, whether it is through missions, monster slaying, or PVP battles. You can then create custom builds, composed of seven active and seven passive powers, and easily swap out those builds for variety, while still using the same character. There is no real need to create alternate accounts just to test out different abilities.

There is a strong emphasis on interactive play. Investigation Missions require research (there is an in-game browser if you do not feel like leaving the game) of specific subjects in order to complete quests. Interestingly, there is also no player death in The Secret World. Rather, you are transported to a sort of netherworld, as your spirit temporarily leaves your physical body. In this shadow world, you are able to see certain things that "conscious" players are not, as well as take on unique quests.

The source and, practically, the life-blood of any good massively multiplayer online game is the establishment of storied locations, deep histories, and riveting quests to base around those intriguing elements. Keeping compelling emergent gameplay and a persistently adapting world accessible to its players is the best way to consistently lure them back to the game again and again.

The locations of The Secret World that have been previewed so far exercise this strong principle. Blue Mountain has none-too-subtle hints of tense horror. With fiendish spirits, alien creatures, and towering golems, that horror is based squarely in the supernatural. Beautifully decaying, bathed in glowing moonlight or drenched in thick fog, Blue Mountain has a wonderful eeriness that is just itching to be explored. Likewise, The Scorched Desert is aptly named with endless sandy dunes, a blazing hot sun, and blindingly fast winds. Its supernatural bent provides scads of Plague-influenced threats (giant locusts), the shambling undead, and dangerously devoted cultists.

Each of these locations in The Secret World plays up the plenty of paranormal problems that are just waiting to be reconciled. That uncomfortable underlying mystery that belies the terrible things you will encounter, and the many mysteries involving each and every faction (Templars! Illuminati!) and location in the game should provide a wealth of reasons to continue playing.

Developer FunCom looks to shake up the MMO field with a permeating world with their latest project (plenty of Facebook and Twitter integration has been teased). The Secret World promises a persistent and incredibly rewarding game, and with so many resources devoted to providing compelling lore, it has the potential for longevity.

User Comments (0)

[ Sign In to Post a Comment »]