text:
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Release Date: Jul 3, 2012
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 1271 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 1,035 out of 1271
Mixed: 64 out of 1271
Negative: 172 out of 1271
Review this game
- User score
- Most active
- By date
- Most helpful
- Most Clicked
Jul 3, 2012This game is by far one of the very best MMORPG I've ever played! The combat is dynamic and responsive, the world is incredible huge and offers a wide doze of variety. The zombies are always fun to kill, and there is a ton of missions that never gets boring! I would recommend this game to people who likes almost every game genre there is, I came from Demon's Souls, Battlefield 3, Diablo 3, etc., and instantly fell in love with this game during the beta. In my opinion, this game is a must have!… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Wonderful world, interesting story and many, various side quests. Technical issues also very well done. This is MMo what I've been waiting for the long time!
Jul 3, 2012Ok, i can take funcom off my hate list. this game is simply stunning. I cannot explain how fun it is to have an MMO set in modern times. Kingsmouth is the single best MMO zone i have every experienced. How funcom pulled this one out of the hat i have no idea. Better voiceover quests that that starwars game, the best writing in any MMO by far. Interesting quests, no more collect x of y and bring to z. HIGHLY recommend this game. This is how all MMO's should be from now on.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012This game has had an amazing launch. Gameplay has been very smooth, and most of the bugs have been ironed out. I've played a lot of mmo's, and for me, what sets The Secret World apart is the skill system and the ability wheel. Best. Thing. Ever. One character. Do just about anything. Progression has never been this much fun. A score of 10 is a bit premature (I have no idea what the end game is going to be like), but I just wanted to recognize how much fun I'm having right now.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012I was amazed how well the launch went. Experienced no lag even in playfields packed with people.
The ability wheel is a challenge, but gives so many options to make a build that suit you.
Jul 4, 2012Probably the best MMO I've played to date. Here's a few points:
- Amazing class-less and level-less system. You can play whatever you want, by choosing from an amazing collection of skills.
- Very interesting, well-designed and challenging puzzle-quests. This game made questing fun again. - Truely amazing atmosphere! I got shivers at several points throughout the game.
- Great storyline and dialogues. Most games' dialogues and cut-scenes are just cheesy and expected. In the Secret World they're unexpected, have depth, and define characters who seem unique and realistic.
A lot of my enthusiasm is related to my personal admiration for the types of stories that this game tells. So it is clearly not for everyone. Those with OCD can keep playing and enjoying WoW-type of games with max-levels to reach and crafting skills with recipes to collect. This one is different. Also, it's quite hard. Puzzle quests are difficult, they make you think. It's certainly not for everyone.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012This is the MMORPG we were waiting for. Smooth release. Fantastic world. So fun to play. You can play what ever you want. Tons of spells and weapons to test your builds. Just perfect MMORPG.
And the story and Voice over are just amazing. You need to experience this game yourselfs.
Jul 3, 2012After being disappointed by a number of MMOs that failed to live up to the hype that surrounded them, that were released early, and that all-around disappointed, The Secret World actually delivers so much more than I had dared hope.
It is the best MMO, and among the better games in general I've ever played. The story and narrative is incredible. But the best part is the game design, it's completely new. There is no grinding to get to the end game, or to good content; the good content starts straight off the bat, and there's little to no reward for rushing through it.
The missions typically require you to actually use your brain, eyes and ears, and can some times be difficult in a very satisfying manner. Same goes for combat. It's not ridiculously hard, but it does give you a serious challenge. The game doesn't hold your hand.
The world design is amazing. People in it feel real, have character, and have their own agenda (that may or may not align with yours). And it's all jam packed with lore, and more mood than I know what to do with.
The combat controls are fairly standard for an MMO, but attacks can channel while you move around, and a lot of emphasis is put on moving around. There is the occasional buggy quest (so far seems to mainly stem from too many people trying to do a quest all at once), but overall the game is very polished.
In summary, it dares to break from WoW and defines a new generation of MMOs, and sets an example that will very difficult for others to follow.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012By far one of the most unique MMOs I've played in years, if not the most. It's questing system is designed to make players flesh out the storyline of the place calmly, instead of going through the rush of plundering hub after hub to reach the max level. The skill system allows for an almost infinite number of unique combinations(although min-maxers will possibly find the best for each role), and designers have incredible freedom with bosses thanks to that. In TSW, we might as well see bosses that requires, in a raid of 10 players(NYI), 8 healers, or, say, 5 tanks, and players will be able to roll with that just by swapping their skills and armor. The combat is your tried-and-true hotbar tab-target, but with a bit more action with the active dodge(just a bit though). This is a game that will make players think as they quest. So far, I've had to decipher morse code messages, decode enigmas, hack computers and even overload a giant capacitor. Where in other games can you do that? All in all, TSW has the potential to break the shell MMOs have been stuck in for a long time.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012TSW is a brilliantly conceived MMO. The horror story elements are excellent and really draw the player into Its virtual world. A big positive is the new skill system which removes the need for leveling. The AP system also allows the player to experiment with different skill sets depending on the situation. A far different MMO from the usual and justly so. Recommended!
Jul 3, 2012This is not your father's MMO. I had some trouble initially adapting to the game as it's really quite different from anything else. The UI is sparse and it's got a very single-player game type of feel, so you can focus on playing instead of action bar layouts. The graphics are excellent and the overall atmosphere in this game is like none other.
The quests are phenomenal. Instead of being lead from zone to zone you are often given quests by random things that you may find; an arm in the middle of the road or a cell phone you find, for example. You are limited in the number of active quests you can have, which I like, because it keeps you focused on the immediate area and its story.
There is also a huge range of quest types. They aren't just your typical gather and kill type of MMO quests either--you're solving puzzles and using items in the environment. Instead of grind you get great diversity, fun and excitement as you look forward to what's coming up next. I expect many, many hours of enjoyment from TSW.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012A classless, level-less, dark fantasy MMO rooted in the works of the likes of Lovecraft, King, Barker and Miéville. The Secret World seeks to break several MMO moulds, and does so for the most part competently and elegantly. Whilst not without its bugs, and in places a little rough around the edges, The Secret World delivers an engrossing storyline, an interesting and innovative combat system and a darkly atmospheric world permeated with secret societies, mystery and the occult. Strongly recommended to any MMO fans - or fans of dark fantasy - looking for something new and different.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012In an over saturated MMO world. an mmo has to do something different to set itself apart from the masses of games birthed from the loins of WOW. This game has what you need to make it different. the fact that there are no levels and thousands of possibilities to create teh character you want. the fact that the QUEST have finally broken the mold from go kill X number of X and come back here. then go collect Y number of Y and come back here. That is finally DEAD. Granted this game still has those quest. BUT they are FAR and FEW between. As for grouping with others or selecting a server. IT DOESN'T MATTER. because all servers are tied in globally. general chat in each zone is across all servers. you want to group up with somebody from another server. DO IT. you want to make friends with other people on other servers DO IT you are no longer tied down and chained to the server you started on. character custimization at the start is pretty limited. i'll give those who are rating 1's and 3's that. but later on you can literally custimize your character to you hearts content with outfits of all kinds all segmented to cover each part of your characters body. so no one combination will be alike really. Also the Cash shop if anybody says anything otherwise about it having more than just outfits and pets in it. they're wrong. i spent 10 bucks in the store got 1200 points. haven't even used all them yet. the only thing in the cash shop is OUTFITS and PETS. That's it! its not pay 2 win. and if you don't want to buy cool outfits. cooler than what you would find out in the game world. THEN DON'T!
The only gripe with the cash shop i have is things are not account wide. so if you buy a cool shirt for one character. ONLY THAT character can wear it. Not any other ones. However this game does highly discourage alt play. and they do that on purpose also by the way. so really its not that bad of a hit. however some will be rolling alts like crazy which is beyond me unless they totally jack up their skill wheel. because there are no RESPECS. Overall this game is pretty good. its finally breaks the mold of that damned and boring tired system of kill this and do that. and it really is a breath of fresh air. the graphics are amazing and according to NVIDIA they are the first to use beta software to allow for more realistic lighting through obscured lines of sight. in fact NIVIDA because of what the secret world has done has released beta drivers for newer level cards (4-6 series). End game is a bit questionable however at this point. But i believe funcom has a good roadmap in front of them. and if they stay on this path. then any new content updates will be amazing. But don't come in expecting a huge end game because they are trying to break the mold on that as well. doing what GW2 is attempting with horizontal progression instead of vertical so "nobody gets left out" as the GW2 devs say.
this game is a SOLID. and i mean SOLID 8/10… Expand
Jul 3, 2012is just the game I was looking for the challenge with the phrase "no brain no play" although its built-in browser provides a lot of things and their variation of scripts and missions make you ask for more
Jul 3, 2012A brilliant and Epic game, a amazing MMO full of possibilities, a great world with numerous quest, a good sound quality and Perfect graphics , and overall 10!
Jul 3, 2012I really amazing modern day horror MMO that completely breaks the mold of MMOs. MMOs have always been focused on the combat, but no matter how different you make it, you're still going to be fighting things thousands of times and get bored of it. TSW changes this and instead of focuses on immersing you into an incredible setting and story. The stories are incredible, every single character I've met has been memorable, the environments are just spectacular, and the monsters will scare you. Plus, there are no levels and the skill system is completely freeform, pick and choose what you like and run with it.
This is really a game that needs to be experienced.
Side note though: This game received a Mature rating for good reason. Don't expect fantasy cuteness here, there is constant cursing, drug use, sexual innuendos, and lots of blood and gore.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012This is just fantastic, never thought Funcom could make a game that i absolutely L.O.V.E.
It's not a WOW killer, but i think this can take SWTOR further down.
Jul 3, 2012This is a work of art, I have never played MMORPG, and I am sure more people will get their eyes open for these kind of games. Fantastic...WOW! I´m out of words...
Jul 3, 2012If you can answer yes to 3 of these questions: Do you love MMO's and want to try some thing different? Are you tried of the same old fantasy theme? Were you rely disappointed by Star Wars The Old Republic because it is just a wow clone? Looking for a game with a good story? Like the concept of EVE online but failing asleep every time you play the game? Or are you just a sucker for just love killing zombies?
Then this is the game for you!… Expand
Jul 3, 2012I'm a huge video game and horror novel/movie fan as I'm sure many of you are and when this game was announced it seemed like the perfect blend of my two favorite genres. The concept of the game was great, filling a niche of MMO that had never been tapped into with a modern setting and horror basis, but to be honest I was a bit concerned about the execution of such a novel idea. I became more concerned and more than a little disappointed once the first beta weekend had hit. The setting and concepts were great but gameplay and interfacing was very rough around the edges. I was out of town for the second beta weekend, but gave the third another try. Wow. I have never seen such dramatic changes made to a game, especially of one of this size, in such a short time. Gameplay was polished, bugs were dramatically reduced, and more importantly, it became very clear that the developers had listened to the players' feedback and responded immediately. Now that the game has launched, I'm happy to say it has exceeded my expectations in every way. The setting and story are top notch, the visuals are great and combat is very well executed. Launch day, by the way, was pulled off flawlessly. Very few bugs were noted and by the second day of early access they were gone. Given a recent notable launch that did not go smoothly, this was a very pleasant surprise (what a concept, I could actually log into a game that I had bought and paid for). I unfortunately can't speak as to the endgame/high-level content yet, but given the amazing atmosphere of the Kingsmouth territories I can't wait to see Egypt and Transylvania. Questing is almost always more than just "kill 15 boars," and actually has context within the greater story arc. Judging by user reviews here so far and in-game chat, the community of this game has become very passionate about it in a very short period of time. They don't need to hear how great this game is and how "different" it is in so many cool ways, but those people still on the fence do. If you have any level of interest in the genre, give this game a try, odds are you'll be hooked very quickly.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012I'm solving mysteries in my sleep! Can't get enough of this game!
Love the story, the mysteries/quests, the action and the humor. Don't miss the opportunity to play this amazing game!
Dec 13, 2012Everything you would expect from an MMO in this genre, which is saying A LOT because I'm not aware of another MMO that uses the supernatural/X-files/Grimm genre, dark humor included. The UI is ridiculously well designed and intuitive. The Graphics are top notch, while Funcom's Game Engine is the most advanced, and has been for a long time. The questing system flows so that you are rarely without something to do, either solo or with friends or pick-up group. dungeons are boss only, no trash mobs, or very little. Crafting is intuitive. landscape is incredibly well done, and attention to environment detail is ridiculous. PVP is great for all levels, and you can theoretically do all your leveling and buy all your gear from pvp'ing. Armor is replaced with Talismans, that are fully customizable and upgradable repeatedly, where a new upgrade just pushes out the old one. players are rewarded for being versatile and experimenting with their setup, and punished for being lazy and trying to be a one-trick-pony. you can save dozens of different setups and switch to them on the fly. Weapons can be skinned, modified, upgraded or even built from scratch and then broken down again when you are done with it. playfields are huge in scope, while the compass system and maps are well done and easy to follow. teaming is easy. dimensions are broken into shards, where anyone from any server can team up with anyone from another server, great if you want to farm an area and its already full. transportation in tsw is fast and convenient. there is little penalty for dying, except that you can either run back and find corpse or Resurrect elsewhere at a well of your choice, or when in a dungeon fighting boss. if you die fighting a boss in a dungeon, you are locked to an anima well, but you can click the camera option and get a birds eye view of the fight from any teammate still in the fight, which helps to learn the tactics if you die and are new to that boss. ----- In conclusion; this is the best MMO in history for those that love the genre, and just hate grinding. you will meet some of the most fleshed out characters in this MMO, characters that remind you of real people. All voice acted. You will constantly be rewarded everywhere you go, and experimenting with weird and uncanny builds will only serve to benefit you in the long run. If you haven't bought this game yet, do it. just be warned: you will not be able to stop playing.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Beautiful world design. Rich story content with highly interesting non-player characters and excellent voice acting. Fun combat that keeps you on your toes. There is a learning curve for character development because there are no levels or classes like in a typical MMO. There is a learning curve for doing some of the in-game quests since they are not typical MMO questing. It is not a WoW clone. Rewarding game for folks who put in the time to understand what Funcom has built for them. I definitely recommend this game.… Expand
Jul 5, 2012An excellent, just-different-enough MMORPG that does so much right and has room to grow. It isn't quite as gung-ho as WoW or even LOTRO, and this is no bad thing. It's a thinking person's game and caters to its target audience so well. The theme and storyline are extremely evocative and well-executed. The voice acting and musical score are a new benchmark for MMO's and challenge even the big-budget single-player RPG's in terms of quality. the difference in the first few hours, getting to know the world of TSW and being sucked in by it compared to getting bored to death of the opening to TOR was palpable. The ability system is deep and customisable, a lot like the original Guild wars system but less cumbersome and easier to map. Combat is satisfying and group play has synergy and depth. The built-in web browser needn't break immersion if you use it to research rather than to just google quest spoilers!… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Consider it the irony of all ironies. On its surface, there's nothing special about The Secret World. Classic MMO with a change of setting. But the deeper you go, the deeper it feels. The character (ability) customization is second to none. The varied playstyle between the multiple "decks" (classes) is very wide. And Investigation and Sabatoge quests bring incredibly unique elements to the MMO genre. The problem is this: If you don't give TSW a long enough chance to really sink your teeth into it, it's very easy to just pass over and I don't feel like Funcom really gives you a good enough idea of what the game is about until a few hours in. Granted, this isn't FFXIII where you need 40 hours of patience. Just a couple. Try out a few of the investigation (Green) quests and the Sabatoge (Yellow) quest in the starting zone. Look across all the decks of all the classes. You will see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. I didn't plan on playing this game past GW2- but I might end up playing both. I am very pleased with how TSW is turning out.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012The Rise of FunCom! This is how we can define The Secret World. A new truly MMO, with a history, unique setting and full of personality. A fun, absorbing, with depth and more than decent content for a couple months. Ragnar knows how make an unique story and move to a MMO!
Jul 3, 2012The Secret World turned out to be a fantastic and mysterious surprise that have really grown on me these past few days! I burned out on WoW and SWTOR earlier, and after a buddy recommended TSW I jumped on the pre-order as Early Access was about to start. It's the first time in MANY years that I've utterly fallen in love with an MMO, and this game keeps on surprising me!
There certainly are some niggles and some issues, but IMHO they are all outweighed by a true gamers game, a game that takes both story and gameplay systems seriously and which seems to have a depth and a SOUL all of it's own! If you love being treated like an adult in your games, and you're fond of well-crafted story, humour and gameplay I can definitely recommend that you take this baby out for a spin!
Illuminati for the win!… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Just an absolute amazing game and the best MMORPG I've played for a VERY long time!
Scenery and atmosphere are just amazing. - Great graphics and proper sound effects pull the player right into a very exciting , entertaining and well elaborated story line.
Based on the great PvE and PvP content so far, I'm full of expectations for the future progression of this title.
Jul 3, 2012A brilliant game with great depth in every aspect. It is story based, but challenges your mind and emotions instead of trying to be "in your face" and "epic" all the time. The pacing is masterfully scripted. Hands down the best story written for an MMORPG, and probably even for a game, that I have seen.
Progression wise you never feel like you've hit a wall that is due to anything but the build you've chosen and skill. In The Secret World, though it's a theme park, you can play it like a sandbox most of the time. You will mostly focus on a mission at a time and immerse yourself in it rather than gathering up dozens of quest and doing them robotically like in other MMOs.
The best part about The Secret World is that it puts "RPG" back into MMORPG. There will be choices. There won't be any disconnecting lines of dialogue blurted out by your own character that you would never say in a certain situation. And most of all, you can tailor your character to your own liking no matter what.
There is honestly nothing here to complain about except the chat system, that can be annoying from time to time. So if I could, I would give it a 9.9 - but if there was ever an MMO that deserved top marks, it's this one.
Ladies and gentlemen, we've finally seen MMORPGs evolve!… Expand
Jul 30, 2012Equal parts enjoyable and frustrating, but at the end of the day the questing and combat system made me move on.
The first few hours of the Secret World are so distinct from anything else I've played in the MMORPG world that it kept my attention for a while. Unfortunately, the punishing combat system, frustrating questing and limited gear options lost my interest over time.
The game itself is not as open ended or "level-less" as advertised. You will follow quest chains that send you across zones, and while you do have a diverse amount of options for what weapons you invest in, the abilities are still broken down into the traditional MMO categories (tanking, damage, healing, CC and hybrid). I created three characters and did not feel I developed a competent character until my third. While you are "free" to invest in anything, if you choose not to focus on a particular skill set early on you will find it difficult to push past your current zone. So really, at least initially, you need to pick a skill set and stay with it, or you will be forced to redo quests gaining back experience to compensate for your lack of focus. This is made easier by having "decks" which you can choose from, which provide general (although not necessarily the best for early leveling) guidelines.
The quests are intriguing, especially initially. The voice acting is fine, the writing is fine, no real complaints there. The quests can be tricky and the puzzles will often force you to use Google, unless you want to punish yourself for hours attempting to figure it out. They provide an in game browser for such purposes.
The instances are very linear, involve little trash, and can be cleared relatively quickly. I had a few wipes here and there, but usually could clear the instances in under half an hour. They were enjoyable the first time through, but became increasingly repetitive with each subsequent run through. There was nothing really fun or dynamic about them, but nothing fundamentally flawed either.
As for PvP, I did not try it, which is odd since I almost always play games for PvP over anything else. This is a testament to the interesting world created in TSW.
All that said, I did not continue my subscription and I don't see myself playing TSW any longer, and here is why:
The combat is not very fun to me. As you progress through zones, even if you chose to focus on a deck, you're likely to find yourself having to intently focus on every battle or risk death. I don't mind a challenge, but TSW makes it frustrating, not challenging. This is coupled with the frustration of the questing system, which while narrated well, has mechanics that require mundane and repetitious tasks. So, you have mobs that can take a good thirty seconds or more to kill and involve either significant kiting or downtime between fights, and quests that will send you across half the map, with hundreds of said enemies, all so you can grab something. You're basically faced with running and hoping nothing catches you, or investing a tremendous amount of time into fighting everything. Once you get there, even if you turn in the quest via the mobile turn-in, you will have to make the run back to get the rest of the quest givers' tasks.
Also, several quests are broken. I will say that Funcom GM's have been terrific about responding and fixing problems, but they are broken nonetheless. It ruins the immersion and frankly I don't like having to petition a GM multiple times to complete a zones quests, especially since there are so few of them in a zone. While there is an open ended style to the investment of skill points, the skills themselves are starkly similar to one another and share much of the same mechanics. This makes the variety of abilities feel less diverse. Granted there are differences between each tree, but they are not distinct ability sets so much as part of a mold that is reused across all the skills. The voice acting is done well, but I do feel they used the same three actors to voice each character. That does not diminish their acting ability, but when the Templar quest giver voices are the same as the Dragon quest giver voices, it once again ruins the immersion. Also, while the story aspect is well done, I can see it becoming repetitive, especially if you plan on playing the game for months or years. Overall, TSW is a fun diversion for a couple weeks, but the ultimate failure by Funcom is that while they made an interesting world paired with intriguing game mechanics, the game does not remain fun past the first few zones. Unnecessarily tedious combat scaling and poorly designed quests sucked the fun out of it for me, and I eventually lost interest.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Damn this game has blown me away it was the smoothest MMO launch I have ever seen. The secret world is a beautiful DX11 masterpiece with no lag whatsoever and stunning locations filled with people and monsters to interact with and what I have seen of the crafting system looks deep and interesting. If you are looking for a new MMO to play and have been disappointed with recent releases you owe it to yourself you buy this game!
PS: I like how the only negative reviews are people who **** up using the slider and still say good things about the game.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012I have big MMO experience, and i found TSW amazing. Never expected such game from Funcom. And I have to admit that TSW has practically perfect launch. There some bugs, but most of them were fixed really quick.
Jul 3, 2012Great game. It stand out as a wonderful addition to all the other mmos. If you are into shotguns and secrets instead of elf and orcs, this is your game. Its still a classical mmo, but the feeling is fresh. Funcom have learned from the Conan scandal and here we see something much better. Great way to spend the time.
Jul 9, 2012I've been playing MMOs for over a decade now, and not since the original iteration of SWG has a game stunned me the way Secret World has. This MMO sets itself apart from a field of rather lackluster and dated games in every way. The combat is fantastic, coupled with a skill-based leveling system that lets you create a truly unique build. The world that Funcom has created for this game is mind-blowing, and the attention to detail is nothing short of incredible. Having experienced the dreadful AoC launch, I was incredibly wary that this game would suffer a similar fate, but to my surprise it has had the smoothest launch of any MMO I've ever played. I would highly recommend this game to anyone looking to break away from the typical WoW-like MMOs, you won't be disappointed.… Expand
Jul 3, 2012Other MMOs may have better combat but no MMO to date can compete with the Quests in The Secret World. The investigation quest are especially great but the game play and quest blend seamless
Jul 3, 2012Just when it seems that the world of online role playing has set into a familiar groove, The Secret World comes along and flips everything on its head, in a good way. We're not talking a complete reinvention of the genre here, but Funcom has gotten pretty damn close in their latest foray into the world of massive multiplayer games.
Where the game truly strikes gold is in the variety of quests and assignments availiable to the player. Already from the get go you have access to a wide variety of locations, each with its own special atmosphere and foes. The game does a very good job of keeping the interesting boss fights coming at a steady rate, and for the hours I put into it (nearly 100 beta hours) I never once felt like the pace was getting predictable.
The visuals are just about as good as one can expect from an MMORPG. As with the gameplay, variety is where the visuals really show their colors (pardon the pun). If all you've been playing the last few years is WoW you will need an upgrade, but most new-ish PCs will be able to run the game at high settings without too many hiccups.
The game does need a little polish, but nothing significant is really amiss. This especially holds true when compared to previous MMORPG launches - the dreaded Age of Conan included.
In closing, I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys coherent online worlds but might be a bit frustrated with the rinse-and-repeat mindset that seems to be at the core of most MMORPGs today.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012The Secret World is a creative an innovative MMO. It has a great story, fantastic setting and a great and deep character progression system. The best thing about the game though is the dungeons. They are very challenging and have the highest dungeon quality I have ever seen.
Jul 4, 2012When i first heard about this in 2007 it was a web forum with some enigmas on it. It was called Dark Days are Coming. We didn't even know it was TSW back then, all we knew it was a game and it had Ragnar Tornquist working in it. Thing is, Tornquist is amazing and i had high hopes that we were going to receive an amazing adventure game. It kinda annoyed me that in the end it was an MMORPG by Funcom. Well, whatever. 5 years later TSW was launched. I didn't play a single Beta Weekend. In fact i just avoided the game all i could. I was simply bored of MMOGs. After 6 years of WoW, a few months of TOR and a lot of other crappy MMOs: Aion, WAR, AoC, Fallen Earth, Tabula Rasa and so on... I was so tired of the genre. Then TSW came. I bought it in a impulse. Didn't even read about it. And it really impressed me. The graphis aren't really great and character creation could be better but if you are an adult gamer you should not be bothered by it. Gameplay is simply amazing. The combat is fun, the classless system is perfect and the skill system is so amazing i find myself thinking of the many possibilities of different builds. The world is really, really nice. And the setting is amazing. Anyone who really likes conspiracy theories, Lovecraft or some good ol' stories should pick this game. Questing is so much fun, from the average kill those barstards to the innovative investigation and sabotage missions. Once i even had to search the internet for a way to learn morse code to finish a quest. It was simply amazing. All in all one of the best MMORPGs i've played so far. It brings all the innovation the genre needs and it should be played by any fan of MMO Gaming. A must have for adventure fans.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012The best PvE in a MMO in the past 10 years. Probably the best MMO that has come out since DAoC. It doesn't hold you hand, it forces you to think, it forces you to be creative. Also, the skill system is without a doubt one of the best designed in MMO once you get use to it. The sheer amount of freedom you get designed your character is unrivaled.
Jul 3, 2012The best mmorpg! Great pvp, perfect PVE! I'm really, really HAPPY! The Secret World very bytiful! I love it!
Tampliers RULEZZZ!!!! And SerbeRUS best pvp server ;)
From Russia with Love
Jul 11, 2012It has been a long time since an MMO has sunk its claws into me the way TSW has. Up until a couple months ago the game was barely on my radar. When I found a beta invite waiting in my inbox I figured what the heck but expected to be disappointed once again. Instead I found myself completely immersed and counting the minutes until I could play again. Now that the game has launched I can say I am very impressed. Yes, there are bugs but that's just a fact of life in a new MMO. The launch was incredibly smooth and Funcom has released a patch within a week of launch addressing many, many issues. They have also posted a State of the Game update already which is full of interesting upcoming content. I am loving the questing, story/lore, atmosphere, graphics and style, skill system, combat and many other things. The crafting is a bit of a letdown and their cabal (guild) system needs some work, but overall I am in love.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012The game is by no means perfect and it still has a way to go but it does something that most MMOs don't do which is make you think. The answers aren't handed to you on a plate and at times that can be frustrating but that's all part of the game's draw as you try to figure out the next piece in the puzzle.
The character progression can be a bit confusing to get your head around if you're used to the talent trees of old but once you understand that if you don't like a weapon you can just equip a new one and start learning skills for that without being penalised by paying for the privilege (1 G anyone?) its quite liberating.
The PvP on offer in the form of persistent warzones is also an interesting new twist. It's open 24/7 as your faction tries to take control of as much of the map as you can. The main reason for this is to get a faction wide buff (even for those not taking part in the battle). Fighting against the other two factions is with up to 225 people on the map at any on time (75 of each faction) means you're always watching your back and there's never truly a winner. If you haven't got patience or want things handed to you on a plate this isn't the game for you, if you like a bit of mystery and enjoy figuring things out then you'll be more then welcome here.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012As a veteran mmorpg player, and a participant in many, many launch events I am ecstatic to report The Secret World public release as being a resounding success. It was very smooth with only 1 bugged quest (that I know of), which was fixed on the second day by the developers. 100% server up-time with a stable connection.
The world is rich, unique for this genre, realistic, atmospheric and genuinely quite scary at times. I am running it on a very high end PC at 2560x1440 and I am gob smacked by the graphics almost constantly. I have noticed no network latency from their servers even with large numbers of players together. The quests are excellent, with very few obvious courier/kill x of y mechanics being used. Some of them are fiendishly difficult to solve and many come without quest markers or any other guide to completion beside the intended clues e.g. newspaper clippings, dialogue, photographs, rumour. I really respect their decision to keep this level of difficulty and strongly believe this will help build a mature interesting player base. The 5-man dungeons I have completed are good fun and fairly quick to run, with boss-to-boss encounters for the most part. The skill system and ability wheel are simultaneously quite simple to grasp and very complicated, with deep customisation available. Don't worry there are suggested builds but also anything is possible.
I can't write any more at present as I can't stay away from the game any longer.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012I would love to give this game a 10 but one major things a preventing me from it: Every NPC dialogue is wonderfully voice acted... except from the Player Character which is totally mute. I am not asking for branching dialogue options but at least have him acknowledge when spoken to with a one liner. With that out of the way, the character development is great, the instances are fun, the setting is unique, the launch was the smoothest I have seen in an MMO. Beware though this is not an MMO for everyone; if you are looking for elves, floating question marks on NPCs, a 30 entry long questlog with quests à la kill 10 of this, gather 5 of that; look elsewhere. It also has a steep learning curve when it comes to the Ability wheel synergies.
Also neither I, nor any of the other reviewers can really comment on the longevity of the game. The end-game revolves around raids and heroic dungeons, the former are still not in-game, the latter need tweaking with regards to difficulty and rewards.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012It is a long time since i liked a game as much as I like this one. I love the atmosphere. Everything feels alive. The enemies does not stand around looking stupid untill you get to a certain distance. They are actually busy doing something else! I love that you actually have to investigate and think to finish a quest. I actually had to "learn" morse-code in a quest to finish it..... Ok i ended up downloading a program that decoded the morse for me. But i had to figure out the program and stuff I liked it alot. You really feel smart when you figure something out. Very challenging. Have not felt similar since Portal. But Portal was not as exiting.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Absolutely amazing MMO which breaks the boring mold of other titles. I love it. The atmosphere, the setting, the graphics are top notch DirectX 11 with all bells and whistles. With a newer GTX graphics card your jaw will drop. Combat improved extremly over the beta too. Missions are full of variety, the story is amazing and gets you hooked right from the start. PvP areas are huge, three faction mega PvP. Finally.. a new non-grindy MMO home I will definitly enjoy for a long time to come and play with my friends who are also in since Beta2. Well done FC, kudos for taking the risk to break apart from the dated WoW concept.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Having played since beta and early access i can safely say that this is the best game i have played all year. It has an innovative skill/leveling system and a great story without pesky elves, orcs and jedis. The graphics are pretty good and it has an great atmosphere. Having been disappointed by Diablo 3 and SWTOR which both got boring within the first month, this looks like it will keep my interest for some time.… Expand
Jul 12, 2012I really think the "proffesional" reviews are really unfair with this game. This is the best mmorpg i have played in postwow era. I cant beleave that games like SWTOR recieved better score, whats happening?
Jul 4, 2012Having played MMORPGs since 1999 with Everquest, this game is absolutely fantastic. It utilizes a talent system I have not seen since Pre-CU SWG, and it has storytelling unlike any MMO I have ever played. Ragnar Tornquist has outdone his past works, and has made a gem of a story. The game has bugs, but nothing that is not easily fixed with time. The Structure that defines the game is phenomenal, and you are missing out by not buying it and playing now.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012My new favourite game!
I have not been so into a game since xcom in 1994 or GTA 3 in 2001
TSW sucks you in to its world and never lets you go.
First MMO I really liked. :)
Jul 4, 2012Most fun I ever had in an MMO. Great atmosphere to support an amazing storyline that keeps me interested and curious. Very challenging ability wheel and build handling, and cunning bosses.
The PvP has awesome potential, but is clearly hard to balance in the persistant war zone. It will get much much better soon though.
Graphics and sound is spot on, but I am looking forward to better animations and toon (re)creation.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Not just another dumb MMO.
Real puzzle quests, hugely deep character customization, fast paced hot-key combat, and challenging dungeons with multiple difficulties make this not just another click to win MMO.
On top of that you have lush visuals, creepy sound effects and 8+ years of lovingly hand crafted environments that are just teeming with atmosphere, extremely solid voice acting from major actors and strong writing.
Honestly if you don't like MMO's and wont give them a chance this might not win you over, but if you enjoy MMO's and don't get frustrated when your hand isn't constantly held in character development and quest/puzzle solving... The Secret World is a dream come true.
Also I'd like to quickly point out how shocked I am at other people's comments:
1)"TSW has bad graphics" What game are you playing and are you playing on a 10+ year old system? My PC is 6+ years (with a video card that currently costs $100), runs TSW at medium to high and it looks stunning. Like Skyrim stunning, I guess if those style of graphics just aren't your thing, you are out of luck.
2)"TSW has bad character development" 9 weapon types of which you choose two which give you access to about 120 abilities to mix and match any which way you choose, 7 passives and 7 actives at a time, but also another 60 or so abilities that don't require a weapon that you can mix in without changing weapon types. If that wasn't enough you aren't locked into your two weapons at any time! Switch to any of the other 7, (9 in total) brings the game to almost 600 abilities... Not deep? It couldn't really get much deeper. This comment might refer only to the fact that the skills (another system on top of abilities) system is very simple, but changing this would only allow people to unintentionally gimp themselves and that's a can of worms I hope the gamer world could some day agree to be over.
I've been playing MMO's for 15+ years...think MUDs like at play.net, UO, AO and EQ. I've played every MMO I can get my hands on from then till today... My personal opinion is that The Secret World is a wonderful addition to the MMO genre where there are very very few good new entries, and a lot of silly dumb games.
Thanks.… Expand
Jul 10, 2012This game is great. I read at least one review where the complainer had to take the chance to show off how "great" his computer is but he still cant run it...Idk about that, my computer isnt that fancy, (the cpu actually is a lower than recommended) and it runs just fine. There is a little lag sometimes but I think that is common with a lot of MMOs, especially on my internet lol. Anyway The ones that gave this game a bad review had their minds made up before they even played it. This is a great game and if you get into it expecting something new then you are going to be blown away, if you go into it wanting something like WoW then it is not the game for you. The story aspect of it is great and it is nice to see implemented this well in a genre that usually lacks story. I saw a few people complaining about the fact that there is so much focus on the story aspect of the game which confuses me...In console games gamers demand a great storytelling experience (unless you're a CoD fanboy and in that case you don't count for so many reasons...but this about TSW not CoD) so why should an MMO be held to less standards? This game gives some badly needed CPR to a genre that is getting kind of stale...you can only get so many characters to level 80 or play so many WoW clones before you realize you are completing random quests that have little to no depth to them and have no real purpose in that gaming world. It is hard to get immersed in a game that gives you little purpose or doesn't make you feel like you are actually accomplishing something with your character. The story in TSW gives you a purpose. The game also gives fresh new types of quests, challenging combat, fun pvp (admittedly still needs some work but its only been out 1 week), amazing setting, and great voice acting. There is innovation everywhere in this game and it is the best MMO I have played (and yes I have played Tera, WoW, Rift, SWtOR etc..)… Expand
Jul 8, 2012Ok time for review number 2. After playing a bit longer:
Quests and atmoshpere are nice, but the engine is so unoptimised its hard to enjoy FPS choppiness in this game's multiplayer aspects... PvP is a lagfest beyond timing controll. The particles seems to give my GPU a heart attack there. Maybe its due to 1920x1200 resolution with v-sync on, but hey... why should it not be playable on gaming rigs? Plenty of players uses monitors bigger than 720p native nowadays so it should be optimised for them aswell. Son in sum...
With computer like mine:
- 1920x1200 res with v-sync ON (to get rid of tearing)
- gtx 480 video card (better than gtx 570 bear in mind)
- i5 2500K 3,3Ghz overclocked to higher rates by motherboard when its stressed
- 8 gigs of fast ram
you will be able to play smoothly only while questing, only with advanced visuals options set to "1" (right next to "0" out of "5"), and light details totally turned off (so no shadows). Seems game is really made for 720p small resolutions and non-demanding players who are satisfied with mediocre FPS and only some pve in a game.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Of all the MMOs I've played, this has by far the most interesting setting and theme. If you can get past the clunky interface and the occasional bug, the content will reward you. The dialogue is well-written and well-acted -- superior even to SWTOR -- and the world is rich with character. Investigation missions are thought-provoking and satisfying, and the incorporation of real world clues to solve the puzzles is a neat innovation. Combat is fun, fast-paced, and challenging. There are some features that could make the gameplay a little smoother -- auto-revert to sprint, for example. But the game is not about holding your hand. It basically drops you in the middle of this campy/scary world, and gives you the freedom to explore, figure things out on your own, and develop your character however you like. I highly recommend.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012First ever MMOG aimed at an actual mature audience. You need intelligence, common knowledge and a good understanding of Abilities and how they work together. No Classes make raiding awesome - no waiting on a healer - if you have the spec - respec and go! Excellent Persistant world PVP system. Just love it! Investigation Quests keep you entetained for hours.
Jul 4, 2012Best MMO i ever played, and ive played MMOs since EQ.
Sandbox game, not holding ur hand constantly.
Brilliant Quest system, i usualy hate questing, in TSW i love it.
I always race to end game, here i enjoy the journey thru the game, its amazing!
Seriously try it, u wont regret it.
Jul 4, 2012Absolutely brilliant game! I made an account here simply to add to this plethora of positive reviews. Does it still have kinks? It does, but everything from setting, to questing, to crafting is so rewarding, and so interesting that I cannot think of any other MMO that made me so excited. Forget grinding and forget most of what other MMOs taught you. As soon as some of the mission bugs are fixed I'll be able to say that hands down this is the MMO every gamer has been waiting for!… Expand
Jul 4, 2012I had seen a preview of this game about a year ago when I was downloading the revamped Age of Conan from Funcom and thought it would be the game for me in the future. I didn't have a chance to play in the beta, but I tried to keep abreast of what players of the game thought through various third party sites. I downloaded and installed the game on the release date and began my adventure as a Dragon. I just have to say that I was blown away by the rather proficient way the character I had chosen is by degrees drawn in to his adventure. Modern gamers and people in general have 'seen it all before' when it comes to cinematics and attempts at theater, so there is already an inoculation against immersion conditioned into us by environmental factors. But I have to say that the credit to the opening sequences is that it has the power of mystery to draw one in to an otherwise unknown world of lore. I say this in contrast to the games of LotRo and SWtOR, and to a lesser extent WAR, where there is an already established franchise that can at times impede player expectations and directs gameplay in directions that would otherwise appear artificial. The first hub, Kingsmouth, appears menacing and I will say that since I did not have all the time in the world to explore it, I am unsure as to how much open terrain there is there. It appeared that it was fairly open, with possibilities of exploration when I have the chance. One nice feature is that there are some 'easter egg' style missions scattered about. This is what suggests to me that the game will not be an on rails theme park style journey. I like that.
I haven't had a chance to group up with others, though there were quite a few players in the opening zone yesterday. Chat channel was alive and buzzing, people were friendly and helpful. I look forward to exploring some of the group content in the near future. The skill build system is unique or perhaps is something entirely new to me. Sooner or later I suppose there will be some cookie cutter builds but for now it feels good to have that burden lifted from me, no game should feel like a harness. My only con, and it is not really a con in the usual sense, comes from my own negligence. I give kudos to nvidia for putting together a driver package specifically for the Secret World. I installed it and my older graphics hardware runs the game just fine. However I have come to the realization that it is time to update my hardware, if not for this game but for other games in the future that will demand more from my gpu. This is a minor gripe considering that I have had my graphics card for almost three years and have been milking its longevity. Again, kudos to nvidia for providing the support for this game. I am not sure how AMD people are faring thus far. All in all a very solid game, a very smooth launch it would appear, and I look forward to playing it with friends and family for quite some time.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Best game on the market now! Great story, great customization on abilities, and much more! The horror aspect and the puzzles you do throughout the world get you really thinking and on edge! (in a good way) The dungeons are amazing! Some people don't like the game because there's no "end game", but don't let that stop you from trying! Funcom will add plenty of endgame. People just need patience. Game has me hooked for a very long time!… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Amazing game! so fun and refreshing. Funcom hit a home run on this one. Anyone looking for something different in an MMO give it a shot. I really hope Funcom gets the credit they deserve on this one.
Jul 5, 2012TSW is an amazing game. But people will either adore it or hate it. Many people will misunderstand a lot about the game. Simple things like breaking the now traditional hub & spoke mechanic will have people wondering why you can only take 1 quest. There's a reason. A good reason. TSW is about paying attention to the quest, the details, the surrounding. Not rounding up a batch of quests and doing them in the most efficient order to level up. If you skip reading quests or watching cut scenes in games, you can't succeed in playing TSW. "Broken" quests are almost always a quest someone doesn't understand because they didn't read/pay attention to what they were supposed to do. There's more to this game than running from A to B. Not that (at launch) there aren't broken quests, there's been a 2 or 3 in each starting zone, but they are in the vast minority compared to what you see in chat. People have to be willing to tackle challenges by changing and adapting. Being classless means that if you can't defeat a boss, you change your skills up and try again. Some fights are incredibly infuriating and difficult until you realize the linchpin to success and adapt for it. Combat may be the standard hot key tab target variety, but picking 7/7 skills adds an incredible variety and constant new play styles. It also means that while the holy trinity is crippled, it still exists, just that you can shift roles on an instant to satisfy the need. Maybe one fight you need all dps, the next more healing, or crowd control. You are expected to shift your build and adapt, and if you don't, you will fail. This is harder to see early on when you have so few skills, but because more interesting as you do amass more options. By design you are supposed to fail when fighting a boss. When you do fail, you re-evaluate, make changes and try until you get it right. The world itself is amazing, the story intriguing. A one-more-quest type of insatiable game. It is challenging, and after playing I often feel tired, in a good way. In an age where each MMO has had more and more features to make things easy, TSW goes against the grain, and a lot of people will never get over that. But again, the game is challenging without being impossible. It just requires you to pay attention, something which is pretty rare these days. If you are impatient with quests and just want to get to killing, this is not your game. You'll be lost, or googling every 5 minutes, or asking questions in chat which people will ignore because the answer is right in front of you.
If mood and setting and character means something to you, try it. You may fall deeply in love with the game.… Expand
Jul 31, 2012Much like StarWars: the old republic the game is more like singleplayer with benefits than a real MMO. With all the problems. The story missions are really nice for an MMO, but i wondered regularly how great the experience could have been if the developers had focused purely on this part in a standard singleplayer rpg. The MMO part on the other hand feels shallow and dilutes the story with unnerving grind in order to be ready for the next region. In the end, the games neither real fun as a story driven experience nor as a progress driven MMO. Two halves don´t always make a whole.… Expand
Jul 5, 2012Amazing game to spend couple of months in it. Awesome lore, modern day conspiracies, magic, urban legends,interesting quests et cetera et cetera. I suppose there also exist some PvP at battlegrounds and PvP zone, interesting skill system, highly customizable equipment, clothing and shiny weapons. The only thing that possibly spoils the game is absence of replayability and as far as we can see no endgame. But for the time while you still have at least couple of quests not done this game surely absorbs you completely.… Expand
Jul 5, 2012This game surprised me big time, I had no intention of buying this game until I watched a couple streams, but wow its fantastic. The world, music and all has such an amazing spooky, realistic feel. The gameplay is simple tab targeting but feels alot more fast paced than most mmos, not to mention the dodge feature which must be used to evade monster attacks. The variety of weapons, skills, and environments is absolutly incredible.… Expand
Sep 18, 2012If I had to choose one word to describe this game, it would be "bipolar". While it has clear aspirations to be one thing, the implementation of game often seems to be quite the opposite. Starting with the story, the setting and the tone it sets, it felt like a breath of fresh air in the MMO landscape. But then it chose to give your character no voice, literally or figuratively. In all the quests and cut-scenes, there is almost no input from you, or even your character, who stands mute and emotionless during the monologues of the quest giver (or dialogues, in the few cases where the giver is more than one person). I felt less involvement and immersion with my character, than I have in most FPS games, much less one that is supposed to be an RPG. (Even the characters you play in Left4Dead have more personality.) At the end of the first chapter, I was afforded a choice, which took me aback. But even here, I felt I lacked the information I needed to make it, and afterwards, I felt little repercussions from it. Also, I found that contrary to the setting and premise, there's very little exploration of the conflict between the secret societies. For the most part, it's filled with "monster-of-the-moment" quests, with little flexibility as to achieving the goal--and after you do so, the lack of interacting with the quest giver again often feels like there is a lack of closure to the mini-story. After finishing the first chapter, looking back it just didn't feel like a cohesive and engrossing plot line--just a string of connected events. The "subterfuge" type quests promised different gameplay, and in one sense it does as you try to avoid combat, but without any stealth mechanics in the game (not even the ability to crouch behind things ala Deus Ex: HR), "sneaking around" means just staying out of aggro range. You cross open areas with enemies in plain sight, but just not close enough for them to engage. I guess they are all very nearsighted and lack glasses.... The investigation-type quests also had potential, but since this takes up a slot as your one allowed main mission, you feel "frozen" as you have it, and instead of keeping it in the back of your mind as you explore, I found myself getting very impatient with them. The game touts itself as "leveless", but it only meets that literally. You have to buy abilities with AP and some skills with SP. Tied with bonuses due to gear, this means that the game has a very definite progression, perhaps less than in some leveled systems, but still very pronounced. Plus, the ability system seems to reach "plateaus" of effectiveness, meaning that there are often huge stair-steps in your progression. Eventually, about 2/3 of the way through the first chapter, I found that I had pretty much max'ed out a build, and that to try to achieve something better would mean trashing and reformulating my build, all the while not getting any "better". Gameplay itself, while promising to be fresh, plays that way to begin, but then devolves into monotony, as with only 7 active abilities at one time there's very little tactical selection when playing solo. You end up using the same rotations over and over. As a final comment, since this game uses a subscription model, you are constantly reminded of the fun-vs-cost ratio that must be maintained for your own satisfaction. In my opinion, it doesn't come close to meeting my bar for such. If you are looking for a story experience, SW:TOR delivers far better. If you are looking for gameplay, many others are more entertaining.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012A fantastic MMORPG.
With the right attention aand development, can compete in the MMO market.
The game has an interesting and dynamic world and story, and feels good to play.
Jul 4, 2012Best MMO I've ever played, and I've played a lot of them. Each quest actually sucks you in - as in I remember each quest. The atmosphere makes me feel something, the combat is challenging, most missions force you to use your brain, little hand holding, great graphics. The starting area alone is incredible and far superior to the best zones in basically every other MMO. (wow, tor, aion, rift, eve) the developers have really created something unique and more importantly FUN.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012This game was very hardly going to impress me- but it did. I actually found myself doing quests very slowly not to consume all the great details and plot in one shot. I also was very, very sick of MMOs general overused settings and mechanics: we needed some fresh air.
Great job, funcom.
Jul 4, 2012This is the finest MMORPG (emphasis on the RPG, imagine that!) I've ever had. In fact, this may be the finest virtual experience I've ever had. Just wonderful.
The game is on to something huge. I can't wait to see what further development does to the game, as well as watching the community grow and thrive over time.
This is as close to tabletop RPG gaming as an MMO has ever come. It's my near-perfect experience.
Okay, logging back in to play...!… Expand
Jul 5, 2012The game has its shortcomings: Animations are edgy and in general inferior to the older AoC, missions are bugged frequently, the character design has preciously few options for a modern-day MMO.
However, they pale when compared to what the game offers - a truly unique themepark gameplay experience in a genre long thought to be stale and essentially trying to stay alive by perpetually copying itself with merely a few minor aesthetics upgrades.
TSW deviates from the formula of success that World of Warcraft introduced to the world, the one formula that spawned a (felt) billion of poorly disguised carbon copies.
First of all, the character - not restricted by classes, you can literally learn every skill there is (sadly, these skills are exclusively combat-related, but combat is the game's heart - the one point where it does not deviate from traditional MMOs), and there are plenty. There is no boring and ultimately chalengeless grind to maxlevel, consequently. Usually, MMOs exercise considerable effort not to frustrate even the lowest common denominator, for a frustrated customer is usually not a paying one. As early as the second area (and definitely once you reach the Blue Mountains), TSW ehaves noticeably different - it is relentless, unforgiving, and punishes mistakes swiftly and without mercy. It might even kill your puppy dog without remorse if given half a chance. Baseline: It is HARD. An example: Halfway through the second map, you are met with a soloboss that has the following abilities on top of normal attacks: A channeled PBAoE that hurts anything further away than 8 metres, a channeles PBAoE that hurts anything closer than 8 metres, a mine-spawning mode with a lot of quickly exploding large-area-mines, a casted cone attack (oneshots people), and a casted Area-insta-kill (have to LOS that one).
With that arsenal, in other MMOs, you'd be a runner-up for instance boss at the least, possibly expansion boss - here, it's a single player fight. ;)
Then, there's the lore and storytelling which is, frankly, awesome. You pick up a book, you usually don't get a simple quest text but a beautiful rendering of a page (sometimes, handwritten), you get postcards, kid's scribbling, photographs...then there's the audio and graphics that mesh together nicely to create an at time chilling experience. A haunted house with ephemeral mad cackle that turns to sobs and back to cackling in one go, a blackouted underground parking where the only source of illumination is your helmlight (the cone of light bobs and weaves with your character's movements), a corroded funpark with a hood-wearing, chainsaw-wielding clown...
About dungeons - they are HARD. I admit that the very first instance (if you are not overpowering it) for me was harder than WoW's Yogg-Saron encounter. You have to know exactly what you are doing there.
Then, there's the investigation quests - if you like WELL thought out puzzles, mind games, browsing the internet for research (the game encourages to you - there are even some sites set up specially for the game like www.kingsmouth.com) and wracking your mind, you'll have a blast.
I fear that it will not be a huge commercial success - rather, it caters to a very specific audience of more mature gamers and distances itself from today's usual fast-food MMO recipe of style over substance. Already, channels are overflowing with "how do I beat X" and "where do I find Y?", and a lot of people are feeling frustrated. It will not be long before they depart and return to their comfort zone where everyone is a hero with minimal effort and almost no chance of failure.
I could talk about this game for pages, really, but I will leave it at that - if you are a passionate gamer, relish a challenge, don't approve of the age-old formula of the endgame grind and itemization spiral, plus you can connect to a weird, contemporary horror setting reminiscent of Lovecraft, King & Co., give it a try. At the very least, the game makes for a rock-solid solo title with a more than decent playthrough time.
Normally, I would give it a score of 9, maybe even 8 (There are shortcomings, though most of them are fixable - if they WILL be fixed is the question, given the developing studio's track record :) ), but for the courage, in this day, time and market, to risk publishing something that creative, that different, that caters to me and people like me (nerds who enjoy being challenged and who crave the sense of accomplishment after completing a hard task following hours of excruciating failure), I'll give it a 10.
Well done, Funcom. After AoC, I never thought you'd pull THAT one off.
Rarely have I been as glad to be proven wrong.
FP… Expand
Jul 5, 2012Look at the few vidiots giving this game a zero. Dated graphics my ass, these graphics are state of the art. It appears to me it's the WoW fanboys, they complain because they cant just go out and zerg easymode quests by the dozen. This is the best mmo on the market right now. **** idiots.
Jul 4, 2012It's one of the more interesting games I've had the pleasure of playing. Aside from being firmly ensconced in the modern day world, the appeal of a skill-based (vice level-based) MMO is great. The ever-present backdrop of modern civilization plays well with the story of a constant battle and an inconvenient partnership between rivals seeking to establish dominance. It's quite compelling.
One of the issues with this game about which people incessantly complain is that it also has "kill X number of mob" and "fedex" missions. I have yet to see an MMO that does not. If this doesn't appeal to you, go play a flight sim or a Facebook game as MMORPGs may not be for you..… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Could not recommend more. Excellent horror/sci-fi setting, quests, characters, audio, graphics, and level of immersion. It's like playing an adventure MMO that is also a fine, fine RPG. Given enough effort, you could have a character that can do it all.
Jul 5, 2012Refreshing game in the MMO genre. Setting, quests and combat are different from the standard MMO. Dungeons are difficult and skill system deep.
Give the game more than a few hours of your time and it will suck you in.
Jul 5, 2012Absolutely love this game! I have actually cancelled my Tera sub because this game will be taking all my time from here out.
If you like Fallout, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and MMOs in particular, then you will love this game.
Jul 5, 2012Some of the puzzles present are VERY impressive. Solving mystery quests can offer player a very uncommon flavors of achievment that have been missing from (AAA) RPGs for few decades now. In perfect world, The Secret World would revolutionize the methods modern RPG uses to challenge player. Alas, we live in world where actually investigating art history or decoding morse transmissions is not as fun and rewarding gaming experience as watching the endless parade of talking heads in Bioware games.
If you are gamer who is mostly familiar with AA and AAA RPGS and want to experience some genuinely new ways to get challenged, TSW is well worth a shot.… Expand
Jul 14, 2012A new and refreshing style of game that brings difficulty back to gaming without using excessive and pointless grind gimmicks. The graphics look clean and symmetrical to style across characters and environment. The music and sound are very well done and provide an eerie feel to the play. Missions stories are extremely well done building an enthralling story and capturing the essence of horror and suspense. Be ready to think, this game is not for the mindless. Missions come in several identified flavors that are categorized for the player to choose these will range from Combat oriented, Investigation (puzzles), Sabotage (stealth), Story line, Dungeon, and PVP. You are limited to the number and type of missions you can have at a time. This is by design in order to keep a relevance to the story progression. At first it seems limiting, but by understanding how the mission system works, it makes perfect sense and works well in its design. Development and Combat: What really makes this game shine is its development system as it is vast in its options and styles. This game does have progression system, not a leveling system. It is centered around skills for weapons and talismans (think gear) and a action point screen of over 500 skills segregated in different focuses (weapons) which provide different approaches to play. The system is broken up into actives (skills you actively click in combat) and passives (which enhance and add various functionality to skills in combat). The system only allows you to equip two weapons at a time and you can only slot 7 actives and 7 passives at a time. At first, this limitation feels constricting, like it is too simplistic, but this would be a poor surface evaluation of the system. Active skills are primarily tied to the weapons, but passives can often be used from all of the other trees. The concept is that there is a "synergy" that can be created between given actives and passives. A given weapon will have a focus of concept (healing/damage, damage/support, etc..) and each weapon provides a different approach to things. The skill system can get extremely complex building various conditions to which amplify certain conditions and effects in combat. There are basic states to the combat such as Hindered (slowed), Afflicted (DoTs), Weakened (debuff), Impaired (stun) and so on. Some actives will apply these states and passives can amplify off of them creating buffs, more damage, healing, special conditions, etc... All of these can be applied with a system of building resources for the weapon with some skills, using finisher skills that work off them and various other skills that provide more complex effects and conditions within combat between them. The system is designed around having you select many different types of combinations of these effects (the more you think and design, the more complex and powerful the synergies between them can be). Not only will you design complex setups between your own skills, but you will also do this in designing a group to work together. The days of "you play tank, I play healer, etc..." while may work ok in this game, restrict themselves from the true power of the system. "Role" thinking in this game is a very shallow misconception in the game. You use ALL the skills, not just a specific focus. There is a lot of misunderstanding of the systems in this game, combat is far from simplistic (it is extremely complex in its subtly) and requires a lot of attention and thought to make it shine. This isn't a button smasher and those who approach it as such have problems and handicap themselves. If you find the system is boring, repetitious and simplistic, you need only look at yourself. You design your class, the responsibility is at your feet. The "talismans" are gear in this game and they operate in an interesting manner. You have 1 head slot, 3 major slots, and 3 minor. Each slot represents a percentage of a 100%, 25% head, 15% each major, 10% each minor and the stats on the items will weight respectively to those areas. This isn't a system of people wearing "class specific" items solely. You will mix and match regardless of your chosen focus at a given time. Overall, this game is not for your standard MMO player. It requires you to think, to slow down, to experience and be responsible for your play. You have to break conditioned thinking of previous MMO's to be successful and see the complexity the system provides. If you approach it like previous MMO's you will have difficulties. An honest score for this game is about an 8 or 9, I gave it a 10 because there are some here giving it a 0 based completely out of ignorance (including some of the critics). This game by far does what few MMO's do, and while some obscure titles out there may have complex systems, this is the first mainstream MMO that gets most of it right. Defintely worth an "honest" try.… Expand
Jul 5, 2012The Secret World is an inspired, innovative and transformative take on the aging MMORPG genre. The launch was the without a doubt the best launch I
Jul 9, 2012I've bought TSW just for "kill the time". After some days, i had to admit that it is one of the best MMO i've played in a long time. "Think out of the box" is the key for TSW, since you can surely enjoy killing stuff in your OWN way with a totally customizable ability tree (wich is a wheel, actually), but you HAVE to THINK when playing it. I found myself doing research, calling a friend asking "Ehi man, what you about Morse Code? I'm stucked with a quest!" (followed by his "what in the...?"), checking wikipedia, youtube, and more in order to complete the quests, wich are, together with the mood and the versatile combat, the awesome part of this, by me, innovative and very, very smart MMORPG.
P.s. the main char can't talk (yeah, sad) but the NPC dialogs are something...stunning and charming
I admit it: this game is a piece of art.… Expand
Jul 15, 2012Simply amazing.great lore,great story.some minor bugs but nothing could take me away from this S h i t .pretty cool entertainment..the game is very mature.
Jul 23, 2012Why Metacritic haven't listed yet the reviews where TSW got a very good mark like MMORPG (9.5),
JeuxVideo.com (8), Micromania (8) or PC Authority (8.3)??
Jul 4, 2012I've played most of the larger MMO releases since Wow and EQ2 and they all felt the same - until Secret World. It is by far the best the genre has ever offered up. It is obvious the developers sat down with a mission to not only fix all the recurring problems of the genre but really think outside the box and come up with something fresh.
Character progression is open and flexible like nothing that's been done before in an MMO. The attention to detail that's been put into the quests is amazing, after maybe 20 hours of play I've only found about 3 or so "kill x of this monster" type quests. Normally in an MMO try as I might to follow the story I just end up sinking into a grind fest - however the quests here are interesting, quirky and the cutscenes that accompany most of them feature deep characterisation and often hilarious lines. Many of the quests feature puzzles that make you really think.
Everything is structured so that you can play how you want to play and all the boring crap from the genre is removed. Grinding for levels is non-existent, crafting requires no levelling (just the required items), dungeons have a minimum of trash mobs, character progression is completely open, gear is handled separately to clothing so you can set your character up to look how you want him/her to look without sacrificing that awesome bit of shiny gear.
Truly ground breaking for the genre.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012TSW is all over the place -- it has so much potential, but falls short in several ways. The setting, and lore are amazing, as are the cutscenes and voice overs. The investigation missions are really fun, especially if you muddle through them without resorting to guides. Graphically, the game is a mixed bag -- the world is very immersive and creepy, and the creatures look quite good(though are a bit repetitive). The humans on the other hand? Not so much. Faces look very weird/ugly, and most of the hair looks like Oblivion-mod stuff, all wispy alpha-map stuff that. The characters run and jump very oddly, even moreso when they have their weapon in hand. Character creation is very limited, though there is a good selection of clothing to offset this a bit. Sadly, many of the more interesting options must be purchased using real money from the cash shop(despite the fact that they charge you $15/month). There are no classes, which is a nice change, though the skill wheel is a bit overwhelming when you start. Despite the huge assortment of skills, combat boils down to spamming a resource builder, pressing 2 resource spenders, and repeating(with the occasional cool-down skill peppered throughout). Crafting seems largely useless, and there is no auction house or mail system(though apparently that's coming soon). As someone who has been following the game since it was announced years ago, and is a huge Ragnar Tornquist fan, I am a little disappointed... I was hoping to spend years playing it, but probably won't make it til the end of August. FunCom seems dedicated to improving TSW and I hope they can make this game the gem it deserves to be.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012Overhyped, and oversold. Funcom has a history of creating mediocre games, and ultimately, as an MMO, that is what The Secret World is.
As a single player game, TSW would shine like a beacon. The decision to make it a massively multiplayer game--and one that runs off of both subscriptions and a cash shop--should strike any player as a profit-dominated choice, not a design choice. Every MMO aspect in this game only worsens it. So let's get down to what "it" is:
Like Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, TSW introduces you to a "secret world", and provides a compelling setting and story in which gameplay mechanics come secondary. When it comes to the setting and story, TSW does swell. Not as well as the fanboys may want you to think, but still very nicely. The trouble comes when MMO mechanics and realities are tossed in the mix. Do you like a little "Kill 5 zombies? Great, now kill 5 zombies!"? No? That's right, nobody does. And for all it sells itself as a puzzle game, the puzzles in TSW are far and few between. At their best, the puzzles require a quick Google search (provided in-game) and a click on the very first hit. At their worst, they're completely obvious (cue bad poetry in which each of the puzzle pieces is mentioned explicitly in order: "First, the Skull..."). And then you have "kill 5 zombies" quests disguised as puzzles. Absolutely unfun, and there's a lot of this sort of fluff designed to keep you around long enough to pay $15 a month.
Trouble is, TSW just doesn't have the content to keep anyone sticking around for a few months. Nobody finds the combat fun, and after the story is consumed, what else is left? A weakly designed crafting system? Repeating WoW-esque quests? Spending in the cash shop?
Spend your money elsewhere. This game will go F2P fast, and Funcom is just charging you for being impatient. There are plenty of other MMORPGs coming out (most notably Guild Wars 2) which don't charge you for the privilege of wasting your time, and have something beyond a good story and setting to offer you in the long run.… Expand
Jul 9, 2012I've been playing MMO's since UO Beta back in 97. TSW was the first game that actually got me to learn the lore and go through the quests while listening to them. It's intelligent - challenging - and has plenty of tongue in cheek references for all of us who love science fiction / horror.
Try it and get into the story. You wont regret it - Guaranteed hours of fun.
Jul 4, 2012This is one of the most exciting, different and outside-of-the-box games to ever become available. The quests are all top-notch, the story is amazing and deep, the characters feel alive, the WORLD feels alive. The atmosphere is incredible. I can't say enough good things about this game... it's just awesome.
The bad? The chat. The chat system is terribly wonky but they have said they are working on the issues so I won't take a point off for that.
If you're not playing this game - you should be. Well, if you're able to deal with puzzles and difficult encounters. I have a 60+ person Cabal going in this game right now and everyone is having a blast. Funcom dropped the ball with AoC... they slam dunked with The Secret World.… Expand
Jul 11, 2012After dealing with the nightmare that was AoC's launch, I had about written off Funcom altogether.. Still, I kept casually following this game and became more and more interested, yet tried not to get drawn into the hype for fear of being let down again. Having now played dozens of hours, I can safely say that not only is this game not a let down, it's perhaps the best MMO I have played in over a decade (and I have played almost all of the major ones). Funcom hit a home run with this one, and if they keep up with quality content updates then it's certain that TSW will have a very bright future.… Expand
Jul 7, 2012Far too much focus has been placed on the storytelling aspect of this game, which is, after all is said & done, a standard combat MMO. Once the story has been experienced once, it's no longer important, no? So why all the focus on this in a subscription based game we're supposed to play for years? The biggest problem as a result of this mis-focus is unsatisfying combat. Since the player will spend the majority of his time fighting in a game like this, it's crucial that combat be well thought through. Instead, it appears that no thought whatsoever has been given to this front & centre aspect. As a result, a child could predict that this game will fail. I've given a very low score due to the fact that I know the developers have been aware of the combat issue for a very long time now, but opted for the usual bone-idle denial rather than making corrections that could have easily made the game a success. Such roaring stupidity does not deserve mercy.… Expand
Jul 10, 2012My review is that I have been playing it every waking hour for the last 4 days and cannot stop!
I have been playing MMO's since EQ1 and had given up on the genre after the SWTOR debacle. It is a bit like an adventure game MMO (like Monkey Island opnline or something). If you do not like puzzles or adventure games then you will probably not be hooked like I am. I was getting really really sick of the "kill 10 rats" quests in other games and this game solves that problem.
It is worth buying even for the month of obsessive fun you will have. I am unsure how it will work out as a subscription offer on a monthly basis, but am prepared to give it a couple of months to see if it does. It is giving me many more hours fun than a night out at the bar and is much cheaper.
They are giving out buddy keys, so check with a friend if you want to try before you buy.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012So, I'm more a PvP person myself (in comparison to PvE). I've played a TON of MMOs out there (probably 25 or so) and my favorite MMO is still Dark Age of Camelot (for the PvP). I stopped playing that long ago and have been searching for something with 3 factions, solid engaging PvP, etc. I saw The Secret World and thought it had a lot of cool ideas and potential to deliver engaging PvP. So as to not write up a 5 page essay, I'll cut to the chase, I LOVE the PvE in TSW. I haven't had such a good time doing missions/quests (since Everquest because it was one of the first for me). The combat is definitely a step up in my opinion than other MMOs because it's a hybrid of having to move around, monitor states, etc, to get the most out of your combos. Though the PvP doesn't hold a candle to DAoC's PvP, I can still enjoy the game and PvP as a secondary activity. Congrats Funcom, I was skeptical at first because of my experience with Age of Conan; you've done well and erased that apprehensive feeling about your company. In short, I love this game.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012I've never had so much fun playing an MMO. The Secret World delivers never been so immersed in a MMO before. Fantastic atmosphere, fun missions, combat and story. Stability is great with a few minor bugs. Thank you, Funcom for delivering something new a fresh - Highly recommended.
Aug 10, 2012This game is incredible and awesome.
Even if it has several weaknesses and few bugs, we must admit that this game is a truly innovation in the MMO genre.
Just give it a try and you will understand this is something you
Jul 14, 2012Fantastic game so far. Anyone can become anything they want without starting again from scratch. Great PvP with 3 way battles between the 3 factions. Great story and game design. Beautiful graphics, best I've seen in an MMO. Keep up the good work TSW!
Jul 8, 2012I've been playing MMOs since ~2005. This is the first MMO that hasn't felt like a chore to me - it's a solid game without the MMO, and even better with it. Is it revolutionary? No, not really. But it's not just another WoW-clone, either. Contrary to what some are saying, the combat is quite fluid and fun, and the flexibility in character development adds a lot to it. No need to make multiple characters for different classes - just develop what interests you. You can max everything on one character. As others have mentioned, the story is just leaps and bounds above other MMOs. There's a bit too many solo instances, but not enough to really dampen the fun of group questing.
Negatives: the inventory system is HORRID (grid based, and lots of similar looking icons. no sorting). Crafting, while fun, is somewhat pointless (as you'll generally get gear drops that are better, and crafting requires kits which don't drop until after the item you'd make with them stops becoming useful. When they add the trading post, this will not be an issue.) PvP is sort of a mixed bag - one of the modes is just a lackluster, laggy, non fun deathmatch, while the other encourages more group play, but is still sort of spotty on the fun factor. I imagine a lot of this will get better over time.
Honestly, my biggest complaint right now is probably the monthly fee is pretty high.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012For an MMORPG, this game is AMAZING. I was a closed-beta tester, so this is not just a superficial impression. I love open-server technology that allows you to play and join cabals and chat channels with people across multiple dimensions. I love the missions, the cinematics, the environments, and most of all the story, the puzzle-solving and the magnificent community. I took a point off for lack of genuine crafting system and player-driven economy, lack of pet-handler builds (I really like those so it's a big deal for me), and lack of tools for players to generate their own content and share it with other players. The developers have promised that the game will expand into those areas in the future.… Expand
Jul 4, 2012The theme of the game is very nice, but a few things really takes away from the enjoyment. Very few character options. But the glaring problem (for me) is that you so often have to search Google for walk-troughs to quests.. it just ruins the immersion that the game otherwise succeed to provide. Bottom line, if your not a native language is not English and/or have excellent puzzle solving skills.. the game gets boring fast.… Expand
Jul 5, 2012Best MMO I have played ever, it gets more and more fun as I spend more time playing. Especially combat and PvP I like very much, while character creations is the only thing that is not perfect - but this don't matter at all in this game.
Pros: [+] Extremely smooth launch (best of any MMO I've seen, even opened the servers ahead of schedule)
[+] Love the story and setting
[+] Diverse types quests. Those who complain about having to look for walkthroughs are playing the wrong game. You are _supposed_ to have to think about this game!
[+] The classless system and no limitations on available skills means that (eventually) you can unlock several roles worth of skills and try multiple combinations (Game allows for 7 active and 7 passive skills on the character at any one time). For example, team needs a DPS? You switch to your DPS skill set, tank? put your tank skills on.
[+] Most quests can be run again after a timer, so you can help friends out and get the quest rewards again (beats most MMOs I've played where you get little or no benefit when helping out a friend).
[-] Few character customizations as far as facial and body features. (though supposedly will be coming post-launch)
[-] The number of points to get to having several viable "builds" on a given character will be quite high, but I'm not sure how fast those points will be coming in.
No Experience: I haven't played the PVP yet, but it's not really my thing, I more enjoy solo and small groups.… Collapse
Jul 6, 2012This game gets a 10 from me because:
1) Probably one of the most stable launches from an MMO that I've personally experienced. Huge props to FC for pulling it off, showing the world that it can, in fact, launch an AAA MMO. 2) The environment and storyline are at equal with some of my most favorite single player RPG's. 3) The game is beautiful - meet the recommended specs and you won't be disappointed (though, there needs to be more options for character customization, but that is something they are dedicated to expanding as a base product of the game... and the animations they will improve upon moving forward as well)
4) I love the premise of the game. Conspiracy theory? Occult? Myth and fantasy? Modern day setting? Uh, yes please. 5) Puzzles and investigation missions and general missions that just make you think. A good many of them just require you to pay attention and just think in context of the zone you are in. I really find that attractive in a game.
6) The crafting and skill system in general I find to be extremely attractive as well. The crafting is a step different from the typical things MMO's do and the skill system provides for a lot of really interesting theorycrafting down the road.
7) I've been following the game for over 3 years (some of my friends, over 5.)... and I can safely say it hasn't disappointed me. Now, this isn't to say that there aren't some problems: The lack of character customization is a concern for many, but as stated, they've already have a plan to expand it. The interface seems a tad clunky and perhaps my biggest personal annoyance is the clunkiness of the inventory space and how all that is handled, but I am patient about such things. There are some bugged missions that are a consequence of so many people trying to do them at once or just bugged because they are bugged, but the latter are few and far in between. Some aspects are more intuitive than others and this could frustrate some.... and as a result... TSW simply won't be for everyone. For some, it will resonate deeply with and it will become their favorite game ever... for others? It will be a "meh" game or worse, something they will resent. Now, the cash shop is a bit of a concern for some, as I get the argument, but absolutely none of the items that come from it grand power to the player. All of it is aesthetic, just as Funcom said it would be. If you are wary of playing an MMO at launch, then give TSW a bit to percolate. However, if you have a good grasp of what to expect from an MMO launch - jump right in. The water is fine.… Expand
Pros: [+] Extremely smooth launch (best of any MMO I've seen, even opened the servers ahead of schedule)
[+] Love the story and setting
[+] Diverse types quests. Those who complain about having to look for walkthroughs are playing the wrong game. You are _supposed_ to have to think about this game!
[+] The classless system and no limitations on available skills means that (eventually) you can unlock several roles worth of skills and try multiple combinations (Game allows for 7 active and 7 passive skills on the character at any one time). For example, team needs a DPS? You switch to your DPS skill set, tank? put your tank skills on.
[+] Most quests can be run again after a timer, so you can help friends out and get the quest rewards again (beats most MMOs I've played where you get little or no benefit when helping out a friend).
[-] Few character customizations as far as facial and body features. (though supposedly will be coming post-launch)
[-] The number of points to get to having several viable "builds" on a given character will be quite high, but I'm not sure how fast those points will be coming in.
No Experience: I haven't played the PVP yet, but it's not really my thing, I more enjoy solo and small groups.… Collapse
Oct 22, 2013The Secret World delivers an MMO experience that's distinctly different from its competitors, and it's likely going to remain the standard for future games in the horror/supernatural genre.
Dec 17, 2012I am really looking forward to the next mission, the next dialog, the next puzzle. As in a solo role-playing game flat. And this is not an error but a boon.
Sep 18, 2012I like the open character development where I don't have to wear a class straitjacket as well as the quiet discovery of mysterious dangers. But more often that it wants to, The Secret World is "just" an ordinary MMO.


text:
Remember & Honor the Fallen
Learn More about our mission to remember and honor those who sacrificed so much.
|Why Place Wreaths on Graves?
Every Fallen Hero Deserves a Wreath
Help us place a wreath on every grave in Arlington to honor its 150th anniversary.
|Honoring Arlington's 150th Anniversary
National Wreaths Across America Day
Join us on December 13, 2014 to remember and honor our fallen heroes.
|National Wreaths Across America Day
Place Wreaths in Your Community
Get involved locally by sponsoring a wreath, fundraising or volunteering in your area.
|Get Involved in Your Community

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ARLINGTON, Va. - Anne Slabinski or Marcia Reed never dreamed they would grow up to become firefighters.
Yet after more than 15 years collectively in the Arlington County Fire Department, the two feel they have found their callings.
"I didn't ever think that I couldn't do it because I was female," Slabinski says.
It was the same for Reed.
"The fire department is so male-dominated and most women see it that way until you expose them to something different," she says.
"The world has evolved so much. Women don't just belong in the kitchen, we belong everywhere."
The Arlington fire department hopes to recruit more young women through its second annual Girl's Fire Camp, a free overnight camp tailored for students 13 to 16 years old. Participants will run drills, learn basic skills and get a brief taste of the firefighter's life.
"It helps motivate or move women towards this field when they see other women do it," Reed says.
"When other women see me out of uniform and dressing like a young lady, they can understand that you don't have to look like a man to do the job, act like a man to do the job. You can still be you and perform your duties as a firefighter."
If they pass the selective application process, which is gender neutral, female recruits enter a tight-knit world where women support each other because there are so few of them. In Arlington, about 9 percent, or 25 of the 329, uniformed firefighters are women, says Capt. Brandon Jones. Nationally, only 6 percent are female, ARL Now reports.
And even though they might not work side by side, many socialize outside the fire stations or participate in bonding activities, like running half-marathons.
"We support one another, we help one another and we can relate to one another as a group of women," Reed says. "We come in various shapes, sizes and age groups."
Reed joined the department as a paramedic more than five years ago at the behest of her mother, who saw EMS job openings and thought her daughter might be interested. Despite being a single mother of two girls at the time, Reed decided to take the plunge.
"I didn't grow up wanting to be a firefighter," she says, "but I always wanted to help others."
Now, Reed spends about 11 nights a month at the fire station while her husband helps take care of her daughters. Neither has expressed interest in following her mother's career path, but both girls are "excited" about Reed's profession and have inquired about fire camp.
"Would I send my daughters? Absolutely," Reed says.
Slabinski also landed in firefighting somewhat accidentally. The 10-year veteran of the Arlington fire department left behind a "rougher" career as a welder after sustaining serious burns. She didn't want others to suffer from similar painful injuries, so she has dedicated her life to aiding fire victims.
What she found during the application process surprised her: A relatively level playing field in which recruits are judged by their dedication not their gender.
"You have to show that you're willing to work," Slabinski says. "If you're willing to work hard and you stick with it, then you get a lot more support that way."
Video: Slabinski demonstrates the fire pole
Being a woman can sometimes prove an advantage depending on the situation. Reed recalls responding to an emergency call from a woman experiencing massive vaginal bleeding. When the firefighters arrived at the scene, the woman did not feel comfortable letting the men inside because she was alone and naked.
"She felt ... relief because she didn't want these males to see her this way," Reed says. "I was able to enter the apartment, help her get a little more comfortable, a little more acclimated, get a little cleaned up before she allowed the others to come in."
Both Reed and Slabinski have handled sensitive cases in which a victim's religious beliefs prevented her from being touched by men other than a relative.
Cases like these reflect the need for emergency responders to mirror the demographics of the communities they serve, Jones says. This includes recruiting more minorities, women and people who speak several languages.
Above all, the fire department is just looking for men and women who want to help others.
"It takes a good, strong person to this job," Jones says.
Students interested in applying for the Girls Fire Camp can apply online here. Applications are due May 17, and the camp runs July 12 through 14.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
© 2013 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.