Product information

ASIN

B007VTVKG6

Release date

July 3, 2012

Customer Reviews

477

3.8 out of 5 stars

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This product is non-returnable and non-refundable.

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By placing your order, you agree to our Games and Software Terms of Use.

Type of item

Software Download

Rated

Rating Pending

Item model number

71399

Manufacturer

Electronic Arts

Date First Available

June 14, 2012

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Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5

477 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers like the quality, cost and difficulty of the video game software. They mention that it's a deeply satisfying, intriguing and brilliant game. They also like the difficulty. However, some customers dislike the performance and ease of use. They disagree on gameplay, graphics, and combat.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

229 customers mention184 positive45 negative

Customers like the quality of the video game. They mention it's deeply satisfying, intriguing, and brilliant. They also say the concept and model of the game is fun, appealing, and innovative. Customers also say it'll provide a unique experience with lots of content to devour.

"...Investigations are very immersive but can also be frustrating, fortunately they are optional, you still get plenty of XP doing other missions, and..." Read more

"...The initial experience can be very satisfying and some of the deeper issues can take 30+ hours to become apparent." Read more

"...The story line for the campaign is certainly interesting enough and the setting is a cross of Lovecraft, King, zombies, vampires and werewolves and,..." Read more

"...isn't the only thing different in this game, as I said it's a unique experience, and has an identity all on it's own...." Read more

41 customers mention35 positive6 negative

Customers like the cost of the video game. They mention it's worth the price tag, and that it has no monthly fee.

"...No Subscription Fee, pay for content, cosmetic, and small temporary XP boosts:..." Read more

"...After maybe 10 hours of intro gameplay, I have to say it was worth it, and I would've even paid 20 for it!The environments are amazing!..." Read more

"...That alone is worth the cost of the game." Read more

"...well worth the money.have fun!" Read more

38 customers mention32 positive6 negative

Customers find the puzzle solving challenging, requiring thinking and Googling. They also say the locations are gorgeous, the tasks are interesting, and the solutions are unbelievably intricate. They love the creativity and complexity of the game. Customers also mention that there are 3 tiers of difficulty, so no matter where they are in terms of difficulty.

"...It truly is. The locations are gorgeous, the tasks are interesting, the concept and model of the game is brilliant...." Read more

"...The search function is a nice idea but doesn't seem well implemented.3:Movement is extremely clunky...." Read more

"...area's can be quite challenging, the puzzles challenging, which is a welcome change from overly polished games like WOW, that now just walk you..." Read more

"...+Open-ended characters. Totally different approach to skills. Almost 500 abilities you can entirely mix and match...." Read more

67 customers mention38 positive29 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the gameplay. Some find the story neat, strong, and engaging, while others say the execution is where the game falls apart. They also say the end-game appears problematic, the gameplay is repetitive, and the game keeps crashing.

"...Then we have the great storyline and quests, I had never in any other MMO been so excited to find a new NPC that I can chat with or that can ask for..." Read more

"...Update 10JUL12: Still digging the game despite some minor bug issues, barely scratching the surface content wise...." Read more

"...The game it's self has a deep and involved storyline that, depending on the area you are in, is inspired from varios authors ranging from King to..." Read more

"...Visually, the game looks dated in such a way that those visual elements that do not appear dated..." Read more

45 customers mention27 positive18 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the graphics of the video game. Some find the graphics great, while others say the animations are very rough and the graphics are outdated.

"...TSW offers a ton of customizability in costume and in combat. Clothes are cosmetic only so you can dress up how you like out of the dozens of pieces..." Read more

"...The game also suffers from a boring, byzantine crafting system no one could figure out without web help, and investigation missions - which are a..." Read more

"...The execution is ridiculously poor.Cutscenes are awesome. They advance the story and help us develop a connection to the characters...." Read more

"...As someone who's grown up on video games, the graphics are still surprisingly good...." Read more

39 customers mention27 positive12 negative

Customers are mixed about the combat. Some mention that it's pretty good, highly interactive, and dynamic. They appreciate the build flexibility and elaborate combat system. However, others say that the combat is very clunky, the game's mechanics are somewhat clunchy, and the quests are exceedingly repetitive.

"...Combat is fast-paced and mobile..." Read more

"...of kill X mobs and deliver item A to NPC B. Although the combat system is quite elaborate, its true strength lies in its story-driven narrative and..." Read more

"...These mobs here don't have levels per se, but they are harder to kill...." Read more

"...feature very little trivial or "trash" content, keeping the action going strong from start to finish...." Read more

39 customers mention11 positive28 negative

Customers find the performance of the video game to be slow, clunky, and laggy. They also mention that the combat system is sluggish and cumbersome. Some customers say that their computer can't keep up with the game and that the content releases are very slow. They say the pacing is off and that it just doesn't run well on newer systems.

"...Quest actions not registering, quest items not working, quest mobs failing to spawn etc are disturbingly common...." Read more

"...and releasing the game before it was ready resulted in a (mostly) failed game...." Read more

"...The mission flow isn't as fluid as Star Wars TOR but it still moves fairly briskly...." Read more

"...My main issue about the game is that the combat system is sluggish and feels cumbersome...." Read more

32 customers mention6 positive26 negative

Customers find the game difficult to use. They say the UI is pretty, but not very intuitive. They also say the game is challenging and grindy. Customers also mention that the skill system takes some getting used to and the quests are not easy to understand. They feel the system is sluggish and cumbersome.

"...Investigations are very immersive but can also be frustrating, fortunately they are optional, you still get plenty of XP doing other missions, and..." Read more

"...First off, the game is hard right from the get-go and it just gets harder from there...." Read more

"...A little outdated-looking and a tad bit clunky with the mechanics, but REALLY not as bad as everyone makes it out to be...." Read more

"...Also moving stuff around within your bags is very difficult. Basically the controls are really clunky...." Read more

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mangodrink

Awesome setting and environments, great mechanics, terrific occult/end-times themes and references to cult and pulp stories.

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014

Platform For Display: PC DownloadVerified Purchase

30-second flavor intro:
The Secret World (TSW): Join a secret society in resisting the coming darkness, fight back against the horror-harbingers of the apocalypse, and discover your hidden power over melee, guns, and magic. Globe-hop between Lovecraftian locations seen in the present day (circa 2012, Mayan end of days). Meet offbeat characters and alien-mythical monsters inspired by Stephen King, X-Files, Cthulhu Mythos, mystic cults and conspiracy (non)theories, cult and pulp fiction.

(If you haven't heard of it, check out SCP-wiki.net for extra fun flavor re: end times, occult, eldritch/artifact horror, secret societies. No official relation to TSW, but very very similar themes and modern setting).

Factions/PVP:
There are three secret society factions to choose from, factions in a loose alliance vs. the outsider threat, but with different motivations and feel, and competing interests (faction combat for PVP, but PVE content you can group w/ anybody). You've got the puppetmaster/shadow manipulator Illuminati working through corporations and media, the militaristic-religious-traditional Templar order, and the chaos-theory agents of mystic probability that make up the Dragon.

Gameplay, selected highlights/overview:

Clothes/Armor customizability:
TSW offers a ton of customizability in costume and in combat. Clothes are cosmetic only so you can dress up how you like out of the dozens of pieces for each of the 9 body slots (head, face, torso, legs, shoes, and coat being the major ones). You can buy clothes w/ various play-to-earn currencies (missions and dungeons by zone, PVP by battlefield) or by buying pay-to-get currency, there's a separate in-game clothing store for each type of currency, with distinct looks. "Armor" comes in the form of non-visible talismans, one for each of 7 slots, that affect your various stats.

No Subscription Fee, pay for content, cosmetic, and small temporary XP boosts:
BTW the game's business model is no sub fee, you pay once for mission/area content packs, and you can buy pay-to-get currency for clothes, pets, to get the permanent speed upgrades early or more character slots, or to get small temporary XP boosts. It's a pretty fair balance for those with more time or more money without killing the experience for either (slow slow grind or pay2win easy).

Combat and Classless, customizable "deck" system:
Combat is fast-paced and mobile (with only one "deck" of 7 active abilities to manage at any time, and probably only 3-4 of those abilities to consider depending on combat situation, plus 1 or 2 emergency/support abilities). The classless system is so deep I'll just say it's similar to Magic the Gathering deckbuilding. It's actually called "deckbuilding" in TSW, and it's a pretty engaging aspect of the game (that you can get a shortcut into by following premade "decks" in-game or elsewhere online). You can also change decks any time out of combat to change your combat role (tank, heal, support; but also three ways to do each) or approach (melee or ranged) (single or aoe).

There isn't much reason for having alt characters except to see the other faction storylines or to have a toon in a different sex. Aside from the faction story, main and side missions are daily repeatable and easy to share.

Missions:
Extra special mention for one type of main (and occasional story) mission: Investigations. These are unique to TSW, and are basically riddles that frequently take on alternate reality game aspects (with clues found in real-world information as well as fake websites on the real WWW, and an in-game web browser). Investigations are very immersive but can also be frustrating, fortunately they are optional, you still get plenty of XP doing other missions, and investigations are color-coded in questgiver lists and in the journal. Besides Investigations you've got your usual kill X, collect Y, defend Z, mixed up a bit w/ a variety of monster types and groups to get in your way. The mission flow isn't as fluid as Star Wars TOR but it still moves fairly briskly. Main missions are available from NPCs (who are each voiced and have distinct offbeat personalities), side missions are found on objects scattered in the environment.

2 people found this helpful

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damphree

Open Your Eyes...

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2012

Platform For Display: PCVerified Purchase

There is a veil over the MMORPG player's eyes for the last ten years. We've been spoon fed quests with mindless kill counts ad nauseum. We've scoured dungeons and battled whatever may have guarded their deepest treasures, over and over again in the name of Epic Gear. Open your eyes and see the secret world. There is more out there that the MMO genre can offer, and Funcom will be your guide...

The Secret World offers a breath of fresh air in a somewhat stale video game genre. Certain mechanics may be the same - sure, there's these things that will define an mmo, but TSW succeeds by adding factors and variables to this formula rather than regurgitating the same old stuff with different models and textures. For starters, this is an MMO based in modern times - a welcoming break from your standard fantasy or science fiction setting. This naturally makes the game world familiar and easy to digest and possibly make your avatar more relateable. Mix in conspiracies, cultural mythologies, and the monsters that lurk beneath the bed, and you have an exciting setting that begs you to come back, much like a siren's song.

As noted above, Funcom introduces unique mission types that have never been introduced in the MMO genre before. Investigation missions put you, the player, right into the shoes of an agent of the secret society of your choice. These cannot be solved by just following waypoints on the minimap. You literally have to open your in-game browser and SOLVE the puzzles. You'll be googling for historic information, biblical references, or even searching for answers on a fictional websites - blurring the line and enhancing the immersion in a fun and exciting way. These missions require some thinking outside the box. No spoon feeding here. Because I'm no Batman, my detective skills were lacking and it took me almost two days to solve my first investigation mission (Not 48 hours of game time, but more like thinking about the puzzle during the day, even when I wasn't playing) - The sense of accomplishment was worth more than the XP rewarded. Sure you could just look up the answers or beg for them in general chat - but then you're missing the point. You'll be reading the cliff notes to a good novel. "But I don't want to think and work hard when I'm playing a video game - that defeats the purpose of a leisure activity such as playing video games!" Then go back to killing 10 wolves and collecting 5 pelts. These missions are truly a test of patience and perseverance. When you don't feel like playing Scully and Mulder investigating the most recent paranormal activity, the game offers your more traditional missions.

The lack of character levels and blatant classes is a welcoming change to your standard mmo from the last 10 years. Quality Level is a gear characteristic that indirectly defines how much progress you've accomplished in the game, so it could be argued these are just like character levels. But when you're wandering the city streets and encounter other players, you won't be able to tell "what level they are" just by looks - clothing has no effect on character progression and is strictly for looks. Long are the days of feeling ashamed and weak as your level 1 thief in tattered leather stands next to a seasoned warrior with shiny exotic armor. You won't have to worry looking like a multi-colored clown as you collect all the items for some gear set. Because the lack of classes, you're free to build the character that matches your playstyle. There's still a holy trinity (tank, dps, heal) for group missions but each player can contribute to each role by offering secondary abilities to the table (ex: a damage dealer doing off heals). If you're a fan of collectible card games, you'll enjoy the way deck/abilities system TSW has to offer.

Another quality that stands out about TSW is how they deal with servers. When you create a character, you're asked to choose a "dimension." This selection matters for pvp purposes only as the persistant warzones will only queue up players from that respective dimension (75 players from each faction, 225 total). This design was used to make for shorter queue times for persistant pvp. The current map (Fusang Projects) is a little lacking when compared to other WvW persistant pvp designs out there - but nothing Funcom can't fix in future patches (or by providing new persistant maps with more objectives/mechanics. This is possibly the only reason I can think of why I'm giving TSW on release a 4/5). The other pvp maps will queue up players across all dimensions. In addition, you could group up with other players from the other servers to tackle pve content or the non-persistant pvp. Essentially, TSW is "one server" (much like Eve Online) which means player's names are unique and global.

These are just a few things that stand out from TSW that I've personally noticed and appreciate. The game officially releases today (03JUL12) but I've been lucky enough to play since early access and have been enjoying it since (Fun 5/5). This type of game seems to attract the more mature player due to content as well as game design which proves to be a plus. If you enjoy X-Files, Dresden Files, Dan Brown, Men in Black, SCP, or love conspiracies: the secret world is waiting. Kudos, Funcom. You've shaken things up in the mmorpg world!

---
Update 10JUL12: Still digging the game despite some minor bug issues, barely scratching the surface content wise. My in-game time is approximately 4 days and 19 hours and I'm still half way through the first zone (Solomon Island). A couple of the missions are bugged at certain points but the first patch just went live this morning. Chat is still a little buggy, which can make socializing difficult at times (some channels reset when you zone in/out of areas). These are just minor bugs that don't really affect the enjoyability of the game overall.

Lastly, I'd like to leave this update with an official State of the Game written by Ragnar Tornquist. For those people questioning whether or not this game is worth a subscription or whether or not there'll be enough content 2-3 months after launch, hopefully this answers your questions [...]. Back to the secret world; the spirits trapped at the academy are getting restless again.

35 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

GoodIdea

Unique horror MMO

Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2014

Platform For Display: PCVerified Purchase

So I’ve been playing the last 2 months and here’s my report.

This is the best MMO I’ve played since WOW vanilla. The game is a horror/survival/Lovecraft based game and meant for adults. The game is actually challenging, both in terms of combat and quests. (Of course if you cry “Uncle” and read the walkthroughs, it can be less challenging).

There’s lots of content for both grouping and solo play, and definitely the best questing I’ve experienced of any MMO. In terms of questing, its worlds ahead of WOW.

There are also lots of people still playing and lots of people leveling up in the old zones (thanks to the Steam sale). So you can still find groups for dungeons.

For $30, this game is a great deal. I like the game so much; I’ve recently bought all of their additional content and have a subscription as well. And it’s worth every penny.

I’ve completed every single quest and every dungeon until Transylvania (maybe 200 hours of content?) and there have been no bugs. I’ve read this game was buggy on release but it’s completely clean ATM.

The game hasn’t been a grind at all; you only need do at most 25% of the quests before you have the gear and XP to leave a zone. Having said that, I find the story/questing to be so well done, I usually do every single quest before leaving.

In terms of progression, I’m still not at end game yet (after 2 months) and I’m a fast at leveling in WOW. I think my PC has 15% of the abilities and that’s only on one ability wheel out of three. So in terms of horizontal progression, there is a lot to go. I’m still not sure how much vertical progression there is, but it takes a while.

They have substantial content updates every 4 months. Like any MMO, I assume eventually I will run out of casual-player content, and will need to do elite content if I want to play every day.

This game is not for people who want to:

1) Level up as quickly as possible: If your goal is to level up as fast as possible and to get the most uber gear as possible, you won’t enjoy the game. And quite frankly, you’re missing the best parts of the game. Yes, you can probably do 25% of the quests in each zone (less with an XP booster or a friend) and get the gear/XP you need, but you’ll be missing all of the content and you’ll get to end game and say “is that it”? And then the content becomes more horizontal and challenging, which most grinders will not enjoy.

2) If you skip watching videos to do the quest as fast as possible, this is not the game for you. If you don’t take the time to listen to the optional voice dialog offered, this is not the game for you. It’s extremely entertaining stuff.

3) Like to be handheld through quests. If you like your quests to be “kill 10 rats”, you might not like this game and you’ll probably spend most of your time reading the walkthroughs for every quest. Congrats on making the game easy mode, but again you missed the point.

This is a game for:

1) People who like a good story.

2) People who like dark horror themes and mature content. Zombies, werewolves, vampires, ghost, etc.

3) People who don’t like questing and dungeons to be super easy.

4) People who like to try different builds and options for their PC.

5) People who like to customize how their PC looks and dresses.

6) People who want something different in an MMO.

It’s a great game, I give it 9.5/10 stars.

One person found this helpful

J

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2015

Platform For Display: PCVerified Purchase

A great game in a more modern setting than some. Very stable and always interesting.

Jeremy Goulding

not too impressed

Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2013

Platform For Display: PCVerified Purchase

Just could not get into it. story did not grab me. also character movement did not flow well kinda feels like you are floating instead of running. crafting was not exciting at all your just mashing a bunch of crap together to get something random.

Gamer4life

Dissappointing

Reviewed in Canada on August 3, 2012

Platform For Display: PCVerified Purchase

Pros: Unique world setting - a cross between Buffy and X-Files with a dash of Lovecraft thrown in. Single player storyline is well written if excessively cut-scened.

Cons: The "end-game" is literally nothing more than the standard instance/ raid gear grind. The whole "no levels, no classes, non-linear progression" tagline is utter bs. There are levels, but they are tied to gear. There are classes, as every instance devolves into LF "tank", "healer", "DPS" and there are skills that are directly tied to the aforementioned roles. On the subject of grouping, there is NO group finder currently in the game, so get ready to do a lot of shouting to get the required instances done. The non-linear progression is also utter tripe, as you need certain gear to stay competetive in both PVE and PVP.

PVP for that matter, is a joke. Perhaps the worst and most anaemic, unbalanced mess I've seen a modern MMO launch with. 2 battlezones and a 3rd which is a PVE zergfest where PVEers run around to get their starter raid gear. Do note that PVP gear is ultimately outclassed by PVE gear in PVP scenarios, so in order to stay competitive in PVP you MUST do the PVE grind. There is only ONE path to progression and that is doing dungeons. So, nothing in the game is non-linear.

All in all, good till you clear the main story (could take two months if you're slow), but get ready for a raid or die commitment and grind not seen outside of Korean MMOs. Oh, and they recycle all the dungeons, some have up to three tiers of difficulty. So you're doing the same content ad nauseum.

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