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New Secret World video sends you back... to the future! [Updated]
If you've been wondering why we haven't heard much about The Secret World lately, it's because the Illuminati control every word that the media says. Well, that, and Funcom's been working on a groovy video to show off their newly-revealed London hub. London is the headquarters of the Templars, and new players associated with that faction will be sent there straight away. Executive Producer Ragnar Tørnquist explains that London is a bit unique of the three starter hubs in that it's the oldest, most steeped in legend, and where members of all three factions come to fight and frolic. Funcom also discussed a special aspect of the new player experience. A mysterious figure known as The Fallen King sends them into a vision of their future, where players can get a taste of advanced combat right off the bat. Combat and grouping mechanics are a key part of The Secret World, which is why Funcom wants players to start learning earlier rather than later. You can watch the full seven-and-a-half minute trailer after the jump! [Editor's Note: Reader Agent Brutal tipped us off to a glorious batch of TSW screenshots posted to AgentLethal.com -- we've included them here as well!] %Gallery-100596%
The Secret World reveals London: "Biggest hub in the game"
The team behind The Secret World has revealed more information on one of the game's key areas, and Lead Developer Ragnar Tornquist says it's the "biggest hub in the game." London is home base for the Templar faction, and while members will have access to more areas than others, it looks to be a fascinating area for all players to explore. On the surface there are some entertaining -- albeit dangerous -- events to participate in, such as dance competitions and fight clubs, but as you explore you'll find something a bit darker. In keeping with the basic story, the barrier between this world and the next is thin in London, and inter-faction bickering can become the least of your worries pretty quickly. Check out the full story on IGN. [via IGN]
More on The Secret World's Templar and Illuminati
Looking for further information on The Secret World's equally secret Illuminati and Templar societies? We're going to go ahead and assume that you are, as they're quite interesting aspects of Funcom's upcoming third MMO. Actually, considering much of the game's story and conflict revolves around the three warring secret societies, we'd say these two Illuminati and Templar interviews are required reading for anyone who considers themselves interested in the game. We're all about picking sides in MMOs here at Massively. When it comes to The Secret World, there's a lot to consider, although something about the Illuminati is quite alluring. We're of the opinion that their high tech nature combined with their fashion sensibilities is going to be quite attractive to many a person. Oh, plus it doesn't hurt that they're the "bad boys" of the game.%Gallery-72399%
Demystifying The Secret World's enigmatic Dragon
There's definitely a certain type of player the enigmatic Dragon secret society will appeal to in The Secret World. We can say that with even greater confidence after reading Gamespot's Dragon-focused interview with Funcom's Ragnar Tornquist. They're masters of the subtle and maestros of manipulation -- also, they carry katanas and guns. The interview runs the gamut topic-wise, but many of the answers coming from Ragnar are still incredibly careful to avoid any and all spoilers. Nevertheless, there's still much to be gleaned from regarding what these guys are about and how playing them is going to be different from the other two factions within The Secret World. Our favorite nugget of new information? Lighting your katana on fire being confirmed as an in-game feature. There really isn't anything quite as satisfying as splitting a foul monster in twain with a burning chopping blade of death!%Gallery-72399%
Ragnar Tørnquist on what sets The Secret World apart
One of the games we've seen a lot of reader interest in at Massively is The Secret World, in development at Funcom. One of the key people behind the upcoming horror MMO is Ragnar Tørnquist, Producer and Director of The Secret World. Tørnquist recently sat down for an interview with Vladimir "Evoker" Georgiev from UGDB.com to discuss what will set The Secret World apart from other MMOs we've played. One of the refreshing aspects of the game is there are no levels or classes in TSW. Tørnquist tells UGDB, "Our goal is to make sure that players can sit down and play this game and enjoy themselves from the very beginning. You don't start out fighting rats with a rusty sword. You get cool firearms, black magic, occult weapons from the outset -- and you're fighting demons and the undead, not wild boar or petty criminals."
Funcom unveils The Secret World beta
In spite of recent layoffs, Funcom seems to be moving forward steadily with The Secret World, offering a peek into the secret societies and a chance at the beta. The official site invites you to take the test to win beta access, and offers up a quiz asking "Which secret society do you belong to?"The quiz is brief, a fun diversion that serves to give an overview of the three secret societies in The Secret World: the Illuminati (described as the notorious bad boys and girls of The Secret World), Templars (Crusaders, judges, the holy terror), and Dragon (manipulators and conspirators). Taking the quiz and giving your email address nets you an initiate kit, an invitation to join the forums, and a shot at a beta key. So if you are looking forward to this upcoming game, rest assured that it seems to be delayed, but not dead.
PAX 2009: Dark mysteries of The Secret World
So, you may have heard: Funcom is taking famous myths, urban legends, pop culture, history and even things like the Rota Fortunae and blending it all into a game called The Secret World. We sat down with lead designer Martin Brusgaar and creative director Ragnar Tornquist at PAX 2009 to discuss the game and a few of its many secrets.The Secret World has a vibe unlike any other MMO or really game currently out there. Its premise is simple -- all the legends, myths and more are true. Atlantis is rising, vampires roam the night, 2012 is the beginning of a new fourth age and so on. The world is a dark, scary and magical place. Although, it's more of the first two than anything else.%Gallery-72395%
Delving into the archetypes and specialty classes of Aion
The folks over at Ten Ton Hammer have been cranking out a number of features that examine the various class archetypes and specialty classes of Aion. So far, they've produced two game guides showcasing the Priest and Mage archetypes and had four interviews with NCsoft discussing the Gladiator, Templar, Ranger, and Assassin specialty classes.When creating a character in Aion, you must initially choose one of four available archetypes. Anyone who has played a fantasy MMO or RPG in the past decade or so will find them quite familiar. They are the Warrior, Scout, Priest, and Mage.Once you reach level 9, you're sent on a quest to discover your true identity and ascend to daevahood. The quest is like Red Bull - it gives you wings. At this point you must choose a specialty class defined by your original archetype. Warriors become Gladiators or Templars. Scouts become Rangers or Assassins. Priests become Clerics or Chanters. Mages become Sorcerers(esses) or Spiritmasters.By our count, TTH has covered half the archetypes and specialty classes so far, so keep your eyes peeled for the second half coming soon. We'll also bring you our own impressions of these classes when beta permits. So far, we've been limited to testing some pretty low level characters.
New EQII video shows off epic weapons close up
A new video at EQ2Players gives us a little taste of what's to come now that GU42 is out, and 24 epic weapons (one for each class) are available in EverQuest II. In the minute-and-a-half clip we are introduced to a few of these weapons in the flesh, find out their names, and get to bask in their shiny effects and see the moving parts.The first close-up is of the Templar epic weapon, called " The Impact of the Sacrosanct". This one looks like a gyrating mallet, with a twirly yellow effect surrounding each end. Next in the video is the Warlock epic, "Death's Grip", which is a short blade that has a glowing and moving disc built into its middle. This is followed by the "Sedition", the Shadowknight's new toy, and it is predictably a big badass sword that gives off a strong red glow. Finally we're treated to the Inquisitor epic, "Penitent's Absolution", which we featured before Game Update 42 was out in the epic weapon concept art gallery., but seeing it moving is on a whole other level.The hunt is on for these, as well as the other 20 epic weapons for all the other classes, and it surely won't be too long until we bring you stories and pictures of them in the wild.
Hellgate: London class overview
I am having a blast playing Hellgate: London, but it took me a while to sort through the different classes and choose one for playthrough. After dabbling with them all, I have settled on the Summoner as my current favorite. Following is a very general breakdown of the different classes to help you choose which one to try.The TemplarsThese are the melee classes. They have some good survivability skills, especially when surrounded by mobs.Guardians: This is the standard tank class -- sword, shield, the best armor, etc. They can also do a decent amount of melee damage and can acquire a healing aura at level 2 which heals the Guardian more as the number of mobs attacking increases.Blademaster: DPS Melee. If you like dual wielding blades, the Blademaster is your class. They can also carry shields if you like and get auras of their own like the Guardians.
Hellgate: London demo impressions
I spent a little time today to download and look at the Hellgate: London demo. Now, bearing in mind that I don't have what anyone might reasonably describe as 'reflexes' and my hardware can only aspire to being as good as lousy compared to the rigs around these days (that Radeon 9200SE has got to go). If you don't want to flip below the fold, and just want the short form, it rocked. Download the demo, run through it, get your credit-card out and preorder. Longer impressions after the jump. %Gallery-9112%
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Codemasters wants you to read books on your DS
Templar Publishing and Codemasters have struck a deal to release some games based on the Ology series of books. Due to hit the DS and Wii late next year, first three books in the series, Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology, are going to be the first of the titles to grace the systems.The difference in the DS and Wii versions of the games are supposedly going to be fairly vast, with the DS versions offering more of an interactive book experience. While we might have seen this idea as a little odd following the launch of the DS, for how many other non-games the system has, we're sure these interactive books will find their audience.
