Video Review - The Secret World

Kevin VanOrd's review scores are the most wildly inconsistent in the industry.  Amazing, that GameSpot considers this charade game journalism.  I propose changing game journalist to game huckster as a more accurate job title.

I wonder if Mr. VanOrd uses a roll of dice to determine the review score, or if he's using GameSpot's ad revenue for each game as a score multiplier.

Amazing work.

The combat and graphics look like a late 1990s game.  This game should have gotten a score of 3 or 4.  But EA paid their dues again.

I actually put some real time into this game and I can say that the lore and story are the absolute best out there of any mmo.  They really have something unique and different here. With that said the animations and combat suck hard.  I really bothers me because so much was put into all other aspects of it. The lore, the story, the skills, the way quests and rewards are done, the freaking cool "dungeons", etc. So why such crappy animations and combat? Or maybe the animations are what makes the combat suck...that could be it. I believe they could fix that if they wish and I believe they should.  The only other complaint I have is that you have to google the answers to certain quests. That kills immersion a bit.  However, if you can get past those items the game is very good. It is on my number 2 list with GW2 at number 1.

No, no... The secret world was a promisse (I'm write about 1st cinematic trailer). The result.... Buf! More of the same. But if you like, enjoy it!

Call me when engines make natural curves (hairs looking like...hairs, p.e).

I watched the long videos of Kevin (I think)  playing this game. Looked like a modern day skin on WoW to me. Brainless AI with obvious detection zones, even using guns the combat was hack and slash at point blank range, and mostly- the quests give items with no idea how to equip or use them.

All I heard during that video was frustration with a game that looked childishly simple in terms of AI and actual gameplay.

I'll stick with Eve for an MMO. To me, pretty much everything else comes off looking like a WoW knockoff, and I had enough of WoW by the time I hit level 60 and quit.

I had seriously considered The Secret World until suffering thru almost an hour of watching someone much better at games than I, completely fight the game to accomplish anything.

No thanks.

I checked it out over the weekend. Has some fun things to it but some "not so fun' things. too. Was unable to get started with my first quest and couldn't figure out why before the free play period ended. $50/$15 is too much, but a FTP model could be very interesting.

I played the free weekend, usual problem, nobody wants to group, I don't see the point of paying for the same experience via a differently rendered world.  In the end it's like playing a third-person perspective game from a few years ago.  On my I7 gt555m laptop it doesn't look like any of these glorious images.  If you could go on a "cooperative server" where people logged in wanting to group and interact then this could be a great game but, to repeat my main point, what is the point of paying a monthly fee for essentially the same experience, with quality options coming to market, I just don't see a reason to pay anymore since really all I want to do is log in and play cooperatively for a couple of hours before I sleep.  The culture of the game was the same, players create a signifying atmosphere you are immersed in despite your localisation via the game.  I'd play it if I could pay for a six monthly membership at half price, then I'd persevere but I am no longer prepared to pay £9 a month for what ends up feeling the same world in a differently rendered landscape.  The difference between mediocrity and greatness in these games is the qualities disclosed by the players.  I did enjoy the world though and the themes were engaging and some of the writing and voice-acting was accomplished and if they bring in new price plans that reward loyalty I might buy in but I hope the market moves toward free to play and forces companies to half the price of these games.  I don't know anything about the economics of game development but surely £4 or £5 a month would be sufficient to finance content provision and technical development.

It looks interesting,a few months time this could be perfect once all the flaws are ironed out.Believe me Ive played them all,there are always teething problems thats just how it is.

I'd be interested if there wasn't a monthly subscription.

I love how this game requires you to think.

it was all heading the right direction untill they decided to 'illuminati' the game. THIS IS SICK!!!!

I am loving this game so far. For anyone who loves the bits of an mmo thats not Raiding ie exploring, crafting, lore etc and most of all questing, you will LOVE this game. The questing is designed for adults, some quests i promise you will need cheats to solve. Please try it before you bag it out on forums of other games, in wow i heard a guy saying how bad it was' you can finish it in a week' he sed, a few others joined in. "have any of you guys got a Secret World account?' I ask, "No but my friend sez...', 'Nah but i saw a video of the beta....' etc. I came so close to missing out on this game becasue i listened to this sort of shizz.

who's listening?

I'll be waiting until after xmas for this one.

...I really wish if it werent an MMO and was just a Regular RPG like mass effect of something.....would have been much better i think

Like any other MMO you simply just have to give it some years. Look at WoW or EVE Online, how far they've gotten in years. Tried out SWTOR just when it got out and I had to let it go, maybe I'll try it out later on, maybe I'll try this out later on.

HAHA when He said there is a cash store available.. I was like.. must be EA.. sure enough it was by EA. .. Well heres a comeback to them, I wont pay for the game MUWAHHAHAHAHA

Weird game

Something to play in August? Sleeping Dogs

http://stoptecn.blogspot.com.es/2012/07/sleeping-dogs-new-gta.html

weird game, really made for a specific crowed. if your that crowd enjoy

Oh... it's an mmo. That's too bad.

A game produced by EA, and it has money grabbing antics? Geeee, I didn't see this one coming.

Hearing the concept of this game makes it sound like the most incredible thing ever.

i dont think mmo's should ever have a pricepoint of $60. I would play this game if i didnt have to spend the money to buy it then a monthly fee on top. it should be something like 29.99 then the 15 monthly fee the number of people who would actually start to play it would offset the loss in selling price.

I understand that comparing one game's review to another isn't what reviews are about, but I am have a very difficult time coming to terms with the fact that Mr. VanOrd gave The Secret World and TERA the same review score. Aside from decent combat, TERA was an absolute bore and pure grind. Granted, TSW's combat isn't anything too new. But the sheer difference in depth between these games is enormous. That said, every criticism he handed TSW is absolutely true. But a counterpoint to the real money clothing store - you earn new outfits throughout the game. You don't have to pay hard cash to get new clothes. 

inb4 game goes f2p

Love the game grind is good

Not sure about this,Im gonna still go with GW2 as my MMo this year to play but will keep one eye sneakily on this lmao:)

i use to always look to gamespot reviews b4 i went out a bought a game, but no longer. how can gamespot give this game 7.5 and give diablo and max payne 3 the score it did. gamespot reviews have been well off this year and i will not be looking to this site b4 buying a game anymore.

Small addendum considering these weren't mentioned in the review.

- You can earn clothing by completing the inner ring of a weapon skill, so say you max shotgun both assault and support, then you get a different coat, than when you'd do the same thing with say a Hammer.

- Each faction has its own unique decks, and each deck has its own outfit, that you get once you complete it.

- This is next to Pangaea, the clothing store that is mentioned in the review.

In addition, there are some npc's who sell clothing in the Haitian Market in London, as well as some selling stuff from the back of a truck in NY. Seoul is bound to have its own merchants as well.

- Faction missions can reward clothing as well, once you've attained a certain rank. (not sure how PvP effects all of this or if it gives clothing options, not much of a PvP person myself.)

So there are plenty of clothing options, if you don't want to interact with the Funcom Store.

Now as for the crafting, Kingsmouth has two quests: Zen and the Art of Weapon Maintenance, which can be picked up at the Sherrif's Station, which teaches you how to craft and shows you all the patterns.

It's just an issue of you opening up your quest log and checking your completed quests section to have access to the recipes again.

The other quest is: The Occultist's Cookbook, which you can pick up at Madam Roget's place. Same thing for the Glyphs, and again, you can check your completed quests section to have access to the recipes again.

So no need for pencil and paper as Kevin puts it in his review.

google ftw

I agree with the 7.5 given. Personally, I found combat and movement to be very clunky. But, the story and awesome world make up for it.

I am surprised that this game gets 7.5, while Diablo 3, the biggest disappointment in gaming history, gets 8.5. There must be some die-hard Blizz fan in Gamespot. Are they worried that this game will further decline WoW subscriber base?

I followed this game for some time and watched a lot of the beta footage. And no, i wasn't entirely convinced.

I did in the end jump off the fence and all i can say is that i haven't regretted it for a single moment.

This review is pretty much right on the money as far as i am concerned. And herein lies the catch, it takes a bit of "acquired taste".

Atmosphere and storytelling matter a lot to me, and while i felt SWTOR had the ambition, TSW does a much better job of delivering imo. 

On top of that i prefer subscription based games to F2P.

Does the game have issues ? Yes, it does, and Kevin VanOrd points them out accurately. For me personally none of them "break" the game though, and maybe i have been slightly lucky too. For example, i haven't encountered a bugged quest yet.

If Funcom stays on the ball, irons out the problems, adds content and further improves on the game, then 7.5 isn't a bad starting point at all.

TSW isn't for everyone and it's not a "WoW-beater (i never understood why every new MMORPG HAS to be a WoW beater anyway ?), but hopefullyit can succeed by catering for a niche audience.