Stormy clouds threatened to blot out the shiny California sun at this year’s annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, but it wasn’t because of some freak weather phenomenon. Instead, it was Age of Conan developers FunCom finally revealing in-game footage of their next MMORPG project, The Secret World. Entitled “Dark Days,” the trailer gives us our first look at several of the title’s environments, characters, and a little bit of combat to boot (all presented in a cinematic fashion of course, no HUDs here).
If this is your first introduction to The Secret World, then you’ll notice right off the bat it’s a little bit different from your standard massively-multiplayer game. Taking place in more modern times, it eschews typical fantasy trappings in favor of a world run rampant with conspiracy theories come to life. From secret societies to mythical creatures and the occult, if you’ve heard it on Coast to Coast AM, you can bet it probably plays some role in the universe of The Secret World. If that analogy doesn’t work for you, think Deus Ex with a broader approach to the subject matter.
But the setting isn’t the only aspect of the game that stands out. Project lead Ragnar Tørnquist (perhaps best known for working on 2001’s sci-fi MMO Anarchy Online) promises that this new title will turn the genre on its head by getting rid of both levels and classes. Instead, all character advancement will be done through an extensive customization system and player skill. If you hate grinding, it’s worth keeping your eye on The Secret World (heck, you can even play it completely by yourself). In the meantime, check out the preliminary footage below:
You can also seek further information and check out some new screenshots and artwork by heading to the official site.