Funcom announces first details of mmog The Secret World

Norwegian developer Funcom has revealed the first details of the mmog The Secret World. The game will be released for PC and Xbox 360 and according to the makers there are no classes or levels. A release date has not yet been announced.

The Norwegian Funcom wants to use the new mmog The Secret World break with the usual system in which players create a character that belongs to a certain class and can level up. Instead of a limited first-level character, players start with a character that already has ample possibilities. The gamer’s playing style then determines which skills a character learns; according to Funcom, every skill is accessible to everyone. The studio also promises a “fast-paced combat system to defeat enemies using any combination of martial arts, black magic, modern firearms and legendary gear.”

The title ‘The Secret World’ refers to the supernatural world that reveals itself in the game, where strange creatures threaten the survival of the earth. The action takes place in cities such as New York, London and Seoul and the game spans past, present and future. The developer says that players can choose missions that suit their playstyle. Versions of The Secret World will be released for PC and Xbox 360; a release date has not yet been announced.

Funcom is known for the mmog Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, which saw the light in mid-2008. AoC has so far not been the success Funcom had hoped for: the number of players has fallen to less than 100,000 within six months, after which Funcom has had to reduce the number of game servers. Gaute Godager, founder of Funcom and lead developer of Age of Conan, has since left the company. An Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan was also planned, which would appear at the same time as the PC version. Due to budget cuts, the limited success of AoC and the work on The Secret World, the question is whether that version will ever come.

Video (SecretWorldDarkDaysAreComing.flv)